This information is based on recent interviews with pet owners who have brought their pets into China. It is not an official guideline and should be considered only as a reference for pet owners importing pets.

Pet owners are allowed to bring in one pet per passport. You will need a “Z-visa” (official employment visa) to import your pet. You will need the following documents to clear health & quarantine requirements:

1. Official certification of recent rabies vaccination
2. An official certificate from your current country (e.g., government office) for exporting your pet outside of the country
3. A health certificate (or letter) prepared by your veterinarian in your current country, attesting to the health of your pet

You should probably start by asking your veterinarian back home what documents you need to export your pet. Here is an example of the process to export pets out of the USA:

Based on the experiences of pet owners’ from the United States, owners may first contact their veterinarians to inquire about official export forms. Most veterinarians’ offices have these forms available or these offices can tell owners where to obtain them. Once these forms are filled out and your veterinarian has signed off on them, you may send these forms to the local state office of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Your local state USDA will provide you with the export certificate and the official rabies certificate for a small fee (the USDA has an office in each state capital). It is a relatively straightforward and easy process but owners do need to give themselves sufficient time to get the paperwork done (recommend getting started at least one-two months before departure).

China requires that animals coming into the country be rabies vaccinated at least 1 month prior to arrival (but no more than 12 months prior). These guidelines may change at any time so best to check with your relocation company as soon as you know that you may be moving to China. China does not currently have a microchipping requirement for imported pets, but this could change in the future.

There is a legal requirement in China that pets brought into the country undergo 30-days quarantine. Pets are quarantined at a government run facility and owners will be charged for the quarantine. However, many owners who have used experienced relocation companies have been able to avoid the lengthy quarantine stays (reduced quarantine to under one-week or even overnight). There is a "home quarantine" option but recent pet owners who have brought in their pets without using relocation companies have been met with quarantine officials at the airport who have been insistent on requiring mandatory quarantine. Quarantine officials no longer allow home quarantine unless there is some special reason (e.g., very elderly animal or animal with medication requirements, etc., that the officials may find too difficult to handle). Even so, we have owners who have reported that their elderly pets (e.g., 18-year old cat) were put into mandatory quarantine.

Owners are strongly recommended to ensure their pets are fully vaccinated for kennel cough (Bordetella) at least two-weeks prior to departure. Kennel cough is an infectious disease that can be transmitted among animals in kennels/boarding facilities and during transit with other animals. Please check with your veterinarian in your current country to find out more about the kennel cough vaccination.

Once your pet arrives in China, owners may bring them to the International Center for Veterinary Services (ICVS) for a comprehensive examination to ensure their health (especially if any time was spent in quarantine) and to get them registered so that ICVS can provide pets with their official vaccination certificates (given along with their next rabies vaccination) during their stay in China. These vaccination certificates (or “vaccination red books”) will be needed to export pets outside of China, relocate to other Chinese cities and to renew registration licenses for dogs.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at the International Center for Veterinary Services with any questions on importing/exporting pets, pet registration requirements and any general health care concerns:

International Center for Veterinary Services

No. 29 Liang Ma Qiao Road, An Jia Lou

Chaoyang District, Beijing, China 100125

(In the same courtyard as the Chinese Culture Center)

地址：

北京新天地国际动物医院

北京市朝阳区安家楼亮马桥路29号，邮编：100125

肯特中心院内

Tel: 8610-8456-1939/1940/1941

Fax: 8610-6433-2301

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

web site: www.ICVSASIA.com

Appointment hours: MONDAY – SATURDay, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM and SUNDAY, 10:00 AM TO 7:00 PM

Below is the contact information for several relocation companies that many pet owners in China have used to import and export pets. You may wish to contact them directly to find out more about bringing your pet into China. While many pet owners may choose to handle the import process themselves, it is still recommended that owners call or send an email to these relocation experts. Relocation companies may also help you determine the best route for transporting your pets and any flight restrictions imposed by airlines on the transport of live animals.

Pet Relocation Companies:

1) Charles Feng - Globy Pet Relocation

Tel: (8610) 8762-5020

Toll Free: 40088-38011

Fax: (8610) 8762-5281

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Web site: www.globypetrelo.com

2). Kiki Chen - World Care Pet Transport

Pet & Household goods specialist

Tel: (8610) 8459-3008/2858

Cell: (86) 138-0110-2540

Fax:(8610) 6213-2244

e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Web site: www.worldcarepet.com

3) Holly Fang- Asian Tigers

Tel: (8610) 6415-1188

Fax: 6417-9579

e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Web site: www.asiantigers-china.com

©2007 International Center for Veterinary Services