CollarPassDocuments to check
- Export certificate (Form AC), endorsed by the exporting country's government
- Export certificate (Form AB), endorsed by the government of the designated region
🇯🇵Country requirements
Japan pet travel requirements
Dogs and cats from most of the world need a microchip, two rabies shots, a passing antibody test and a 180-day wait before they land, plus a notice to Animal Quarantine (AQS) at least 40 days ahead. From the six designated rabies-free regions (Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, Guam) there is no vaccine, test or wait. Rabbits get a 1-day AQS quarantine; ferrets go through the health ministry's quarantine stations instead. Japan publishes no limit on the number of pets.
Pet travel at a glance — free
Start with the destination's requirements for this pet. Documents and preparation vary by origin and other conditions; read the full guidance and any unverified details below.
Preparation lead times
- The first shot can't come before the microchip, and the second must be at least 30 days after the first
- The pet must land at least 180 days after the blood draw
- AQS needs the notice at least 40 days before arrival; later ones are generally not accepted
Which pets can enter
- Dog: Depends on the conditions below
- Cat: Depends on the conditions below
- Rabbit: Some requirements need confirmation
- Ferret: Requirements listed below
Vaccination requirements
Read the official guidanceCountry groups used by this destination
Only Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii and Guam are designated; the rest of the US, the UK and everywhere else are not. A pet counts as coming from a designated region if it has lived there for the 180 days before export, since birth, or since it left Japan. We look at the last 6 months: if the pet was anywhere else in that time, the plan uses the rules for other regions.
Documents, tests and permits can vary by country group, travel history and vaccination records. Check each requirement's conditions and the official guidance.
Not a designated rabies-free region for Japan
Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, Albania, Armenia, Angola, Antarctica, Argentina, American Samoa, Austria, Aruba, Åland Islands, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Barbados, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, St. Barthélemy, Bermuda, Brunei, Bolivia, Caribbean Netherlands, Brazil, Bahamas, Bhutan, Bouvet Island, Botswana, Belarus, Belize, Canada, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Congo - Kinshasa, Central African Republic, Congo - Brazzaville, Switzerland, Côte d’Ivoire, Cook Islands, Chile, Cameroon, China (mainland), Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cape Verde, Curaçao, Christmas Island, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Djibouti, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Ceuta and Melilla, Ecuador, Estonia, Egypt, Western Sahara, Eritrea, Spain, Ethiopia, Finland, Falkland Islands, Micronesia, Faroe Islands, France, Gabon, United Kingdom, Grenada, Georgia, French Guiana, Guernsey, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greenland, Gambia, Guinea, Guadeloupe, Equatorial Guinea, Greece, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hong Kong, Heard & McDonald Islands, Honduras, Croatia, Haiti, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Isle of Man, India, British Indian Ocean Territory, Iraq, Iran, Italy, Jersey, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Comoros, St. Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Cayman Islands, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St. Lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Libya, Morocco, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, St. Martin, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, North Macedonia, Mali, Myanmar (Burma), Mongolia, Macao, Northern Mariana Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Montserrat, Malta, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Mexico, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, New Caledonia, Niger, Norfolk Island, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Nauru, Niue, Oman, Panama, Peru, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, St. Pierre & Miquelon, Pitcairn Islands, Puerto Rico, Palestinian Territories, Portugal, Palau, Paraguay, Qatar, Réunion, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Seychelles, Sudan, Sweden, Singapore, St. Helena, Slovenia, Svalbard & Jan Mayen, Slovakia, Sierra Leone, San Marino, Senegal, Somalia, Suriname, South Sudan, São Tomé & Príncipe, El Salvador, Sint Maarten, Syria, Eswatini, Turks & Caicos Islands, Chad, French Southern Territories, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Tokelau, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Tonga, Türkiye, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, Taiwan, Tanzania, Ukraine, Uganda, U.S. Outlying Islands, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Venezuela, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vietnam, Vanuatu, Wallis & Futuna, Samoa, Kosovo, Yemen, Mayotte, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Designated rabies-free region for Japan
Australia, Fiji, Guam, Iceland, New Zealand, Hawaii
Other departure countries: Not a designated rabies-free region for Japan
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Entering Japan
Reference requirements for this pet. Read each item's conditions: different origins, histories and entry options can require different steps. Each item links to its official source and check date.
Before you travel
Microchip your pet (ISO standard)
Dogs and cats need an ISO 11784/11785 microchip with a 15-digit number. From a region that isn't designated, it must go in before the first rabies shot (the same day is fine). Every certificate shows the chip number, and the vet checks it at the exam before departure.
Dogs / Cats
Chips whose number starts with 900 202 are not accepted for now.
Some chips starting with 900 share numbers with other animals; AQS may ask for a new chip and for the steps after it to be redone. Tell the AQS office at your arrival port as soon as your arrival date is set.
Rabies shots given before the microchip don't count, except under limited conditions AQS sets out. Ask AQS before relying on them.
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Two rabies vaccinations, at least 30 days apart
Give the first rabies shot on or after the microchip day, when the pet is at least 91 days old (birth day = day 0). Give the second at least 30 days after the first (first shot = day 0) and before the first one expires. Only inactivated or recombinant vaccines count; RNA and live vaccines don't. The vaccination must still be valid when the pet lands, so keep it up with boosters.
Dogs / Cats · Origin group: Not a designated rabies-free region for Japan
The dates here are for the second shot. The first goes on or after the microchip day, at least 30 days before it.
Enter the date of the second shot. If boosters followed the blood draw with no gap, enter the shot given before the draw and the current 'valid until' date.
We count a shot as valid for 1 year unless you enter the 'valid until' date from the vaccination certificate.
A shot given after the previous one expired is not a booster: the two shots, the antibody test and the 180-day wait start over.
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Rabies antibody test at a lab designated by Japan
Your vet draws blood after the second rabies shot (the same day is fine), while the vaccination is valid, and sends it to a laboratory designated by Japan's agriculture ministry. The result must be at least 0.5 IU/mL. It is valid for 2 years from the blood draw, and the pet must land within those 2 years.
Dogs / Cats · Origin group: Not a designated rabies-free region for Japan
From the US, the civilian lab is the Kansas State University rabies lab; the Defense Department lab only takes military members' pets.
Biobest in the UK is no longer designated. If your report was issued between November 27, 2024 and June 25, 2025, contact the AQS office at your arrival port.
Below 0.5 IU/mL, vaccinate again and retest. A later retest doesn't restart the 180-day wait if boosters had no gap, the new draw is at least 180 days after the first one, and it passes.
Japan doesn't publish lab turnaround times; leave time for the report before the advance notice.
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Wait at least 180 days after the blood draw before landing
The pet may land in Japan only on or after day 180 counted from the blood draw (draw day = day 0), while the rabies vaccination and the antibody report are both still valid.
Dogs / Cats · Origin group: Not a designated rabies-free region for Japan
A pet that lands before day 180 is detained at an AQS facility for the missing days, at your cost, and you may be asked to change the date or port if the facility is full. This plan only schedules arrival after the full wait.
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Oct 26, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Oct 21, 2026
Notify Animal Quarantine (AQS) at your arrival port at least 40 days ahead
Send the advance notice to the AQS office at the airport or seaport where you'll land, online through NACCS or, if that's difficult, by email with the dog or cat form. From a region that isn't designated, attach a copy of the antibody test report; you can send the notice during the 180-day wait. AQS replies with an import inspection approval: print it, as you may be asked for it when getting the export certificate or at check-in.
Dogs / Cats
Once notified, you can't move the arrival earlier, add or swap animals, or change anything after the planned arrival date.
We read 'at least 40 days before arrival' as 'by the date 40 days before the arrival date'. AQS doesn't spell out the counting, so sending it a day or two earlier is safer.
Advance notification form for dogs (AQS) Advance notification form for cats (AQS) Form to change an advance notification (AQS)
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Vet exam within 10 days before the flight
A veterinarian examines the pet within 10 days before boarding, reads the microchip and confirms there are no signs of rabies (and, for dogs, leptospirosis). The result goes on the export certificate.
Dogs / Cats
AQS doesn't spell out how the 10 days are counted; we count the boarding day as day 0.
Other vaccines and parasite treatment before travel are recommended, not required.
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Export certificate (Form AC), endorsed by the exporting country's government
A private vet fills in Form AC (the recommended form) with the microchip, both rabies shots, the antibody result and the exam, and the exporting country's government endorses it. Bring the original: AQS keeps it. Electronic certificates are accepted only from the US, Brazil and Spain. Don't use pencil, erasable ink or correction fluid or tape.
Dogs / Cats · Origin group: Not a designated rabies-free region for Japan
A stopover where the pet doesn't enter the country needs no extra papers. If the pet enters that country, you also need that country's health certificate.
Form AC: certificate for dogs and cats from non-designated regions
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Oct 21, 2026
Live in the designated region for 180 days, or since birth
The pet must have lived in a designated region since birth, for at least the 180 days right before export, or ever since it was exported directly from Japan. The export certificate (Form AB) states this.
Dogs / Cats · Origin group: Designated rabies-free region for Japan
A pet that falls short is detained on arrival for the missing days (180 minus the days it has lived there), at your cost.
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Export certificate (Form AB), endorsed by the government of the designated region
A private vet fills in Form AB (the recommended form) with the microchip number and date, where the pet has lived, the exam date and result and, if the crate is sealed, the seal number. The government endorses it, including that the exporting country has had no rabies cases for at least 2 years before export. Bring the original: AQS keeps it. Electronic certificates are accepted only from Hawaii and Guam. Don't use pencil, erasable ink or correction fluid or tape.
Dogs / Cats · Origin group: Designated rabies-free region for Japan
Form AB: certificate for dogs and cats from designated regions
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Fly direct, or seal the crate or get an ANNEX for a stopover
Travel directly from the designated region. If the trip stops in a region that isn't designated (the US mainland included), the crate must be officially sealed, with the seal number on Form AB, or you need an ANNEX transport certificate issued at the stopover.
Dogs / Cats · Origin group: Designated rabies-free region for Japan
Without a valid seal or ANNEX after such a stopover, the pet is detained for 180 days.
ANNEX: transport certificate for a stopover outside designated regions
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Oct 21, 2026
Register your dog with your city within 30 days
Within 30 days of import, take the import quarantine certificate to the city, town or village office where the dog will live and register it. Dogs in Japan also need a rabies shot every year. The quarantine certificate isn't reissued, so keep it safe; to take the dog out of Japan again, apply for export inspection at least 14 days ahead.
Dogs
We count the arrival day as day 0.
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
On arrival
Import inspection by AQS on arrival
Take the pet in its carrier to the AQS counter in the baggage claim area, before customs (for cargo, the AQS office in the cargo area). Hand in the original certificate, the import inspection application (through NACCS or on the form) and, from a region that isn't designated, the antibody test report. Pets in the cabin or checked baggage are inspected at any hour. If everything is in order, the pet is released within 12 hours, usually in about an hour; the inspection is free.
Dogs / Cats
A pet that doesn't meet the rules is detained at an AQS facility for up to 180 days or sent back, and you pay for transport, care, utilities and vet costs.
Detention longer than 12 hours is only possible at ports with a detention facility; AQS doesn't list which ones.
There's no pet relief area before the inspection, and pet food containing meat can't be brought in.
Air cargo is inspected at set hours, which come with the approval.
Assistance dogs under Japanese law follow the same rules. Psychiatric and other service dogs aren't assistance dogs in Japan and must stay in a carrier.
Bringing a dog in without inspection can mean up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 3 million yen; for a cat, a fine of up to 300,000 yen.
Keep the import quarantine certificate: AQS says it cannot be reissued and it is needed for later export from Japan.
Application for import inspection of dogs (AQS) Application for import inspection of cats (AQS)
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Oct 21, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Oct 21, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Restrictions
Species, origin, age and other restrictions. Each item applies under its listed conditions.
AQS currently states that import-quarantine procedures for dogs and cats exported from Kyrgyzstan are suspended in principle from 12 June 2026. Do not rely on the ordinary non-designated-region preparation route to establish eligibility. Contact the destination AQS office for any individually authorised exception before booking. The same notice explicitly lifted the Uzbekistan suspension on 11 September 2026; that lifting is not applied to Kyrgyzstan.
Dogs / Cats · Departure countries/regions: KG · Arriving on or after Jun 12, 2026
Source: Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF AQS) · Checked Nov 12, 2026
How many pets can you bring?
Caps recorded for Japan can depend on the species, origin and entry conditions. Your airline can set a lower limit.
No pet cap recorded
We have not recorded a per-person or per-entry pet cap for Japan. Check the official sources before booking.
Official forms and documents
Links go to the issuing authority. We do not sell, fill in or issue official documents.
Advance notification form for dogs (AQS)Official page · Checked Nov 12, 2026Advance notification form for cats (AQS)Official page · Checked Nov 12, 2026Form to change an advance notification (AQS)Official page · Checked Nov 12, 2026Form AC: certificate for dogs and cats from non-designated regionsOfficial page · Checked Nov 12, 2026Form AB: certificate for dogs and cats from designated regionsOfficial page · Checked Nov 12, 2026ANNEX: transport certificate for a stopover outside designated regionsOfficial page · Checked Nov 12, 2026Application for import inspection of dogs (AQS)Official page · Checked Nov 12, 2026Application for import inspection of cats (AQS)Official page · Checked Nov 12, 2026
Open the official page to download or complete the form. Requirements can change; confirm with the authority before you travel.
Official sources
Every rule above is checked against these pages. Dates show our last check, not the page's own update.
Recent rule changes
Sourced entries that affect this country.
Expanded destination-specific pet requirements, including origin-country branches, young-animal exemptions, official documents and entry options. Known unverified details remain clearly marked; free country summaries and personal trip reports use the same rules.
All rule updatesChecked current Australian group-specific and returning-pet guides, the live New Zealand rabbit-to-Australia case, and New Zealand 2021/2026 transition and certificate models. Added species-specific preparation, reciprocal rabbit procedures and explicit entry options; corrected calendar-month and laboratory-receipt waits and CDC domestic-journey handling. Known source conflicts and history-dependent checks remain marked. Also checked Australian dog/cat export procedures for New Zealand and the Canadian US-bound cat/ferret endorsement exemption; unverified export species remain explicit gaps.
All rule updatesPersonal reports now focus on dogs and cats; other pets keep free checked summaries and official links. Updated current China and Korea source branches, European country lists and Italian guidance; represented Japan's Kyrgyzstan suspension without incorrectly keeping Uzbekistan suspended. Vaccination expiry uses the actual certificate where required, with documented continuous-booster exemptions and explicit remaining evidence gaps.
All rule updatesChecked current official guidance on CDC digital and wet signatures and seals, Japanese export-inspection appointments and a future application-deadline notice. Verified the live Dutch US private-pet result: route-specific instructions still require NVWA confirmation. This records library verification, not a claim that the law changed on this date; remaining authority and case-specific checks stay visible.
All rule updates