In this article, the author will explain the requirements and procedures for bringing pet dogs and cats into Japan from non-rabies-free regions. The main points of the article are as follows.
- Each pet dog or cat must be microchipped.
- The dog or cat must be vaccinated twice against rabies.
- The dog or cat must undergo a rabies antibody test.
- The dog or cat must wait for 180 days after a blood sample is taken for the rabies antibody test.
- The importer (pet owner) must notify an Animal Quarantine Service office at least 40 days prior to arrival in Japan by submitting a notification.
- The dog or cat must undergo a health examination in an exporting country within 10 days before entering Japan to obtain a health certificate certified by the veterinary authority of the exporting country.
- Upon arrival in Japan, the importer submits the health certificate certified by the veterinary authority of the exporting country, an application for animal import inspection, and other documents, and applies for animal import inspection.
Introduction
Pets are important family members. If you want to bring them to Japan, what preparations should you make? This article describes the requirements and procedures for bringing your dog or cat into Japan from non-designated (non-rabies-free) regions, based on information from the Japan Animal Quarantine Service website as of November 2023. The non-designated regions include almost all countries and regions on the surface of Earth except Island, Australia, New Zeeland, the Fiji Islands, Hawaii, and Guam.
Requirements for Bringing Dogs or Cats Into Japan from Non-Designated Regions
The followings are the requirements for bringing a pet dog or cat into Japan from non-designated regions. In this article, the term “dog” refers to a mammal of the species “Canis lupus familiaris” and the term “cat” refers to a mammal of the species “Felis catus“.
- All dogs and cats imported into Japan must be implanted with an ISO 11784 or 11785 standard microchip prior to their first rabies vaccination.
- Dogs and cats must be at least 91 days old at the time of the first rabies vaccination.
- The second rabies vaccination must be administered at least 30 days after the first rabies vaccination and within the validity period of the first rabies vaccination.
- A blood sample for rabies antibody testing must be obtained after the second rabies vaccination and before the expiration date of the second rabies vaccination.
- The dogs and cats must wait for 180 days after the blood collection, counting the date of blood collection for the antibody testing as Day 0.
All dogs and cats imported into Japan must meet the requirements as outlined above. It is important to ensure that the microchip is readable with a microchip reader at each veterinary visit. The rabies vaccine must be an inactivated vaccine or recombinant vaccine. A live virus vaccine is not acceptable. Dogs and cats must be revaccinated within the validity period of the second rabies vaccination if the expiration date of the vaccination is prior to arrival in Japan.
The rabies antibody test must be performed at a laboratory designated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan. A blood sample is taken at an animal hospital and the resulting serum sample is sent from the animal hospital to the laboratory. Blood collection for rabies antibody testing may be done on the same day as the second rabies vaccination. The rabies antibody titer must be equal or greater than 0.5 IU/ml. The test result is valid for two years from the date of blood collection. A test report issued by the laboratory is required for the pet import process.
Regarding the waiting period described in Requirement 5, please be sure to book your flight to Japan so that your pet arrives in Japan 180 or more days from the date of blood collection and before the expiration date of the most recent rabies vaccination and within the validity period of the rabies antibody test. All dogs and cats will be quarantined in one of the Animal Quarantine Service’s holding facilities for up to 180 days if they arrive in Japan before the 180-day waiting period has expired.
Returning to Japan with a Pet Exported from Japan
A pet dog or cat that has been vaccinated against rabies twice before traveling abroad must be vaccinated against rabies every year before the expiration date of the last vaccination. The dog or cat is exempt from requirements 4 and 5 if it returns to Japan within the validity period of the last rabies antibody test in Japan. The dog or cat must undergo a rabies antibody test before returning to Japan if the validity period of the last rabies antibody test in Japan has expired. A test result of 0.5 IU/ml or greater allows the dog or cat to return to Japan without the 180-day waiting period.
Procedures to be Followed by Importers into Japan
The procedures for bringing your pet dog or cat into Japan from non-designated regions are briefly described below.
Before Departure
- The importer (pet owner) must notify the Animal Quarantine Service office at an expected port of entry at least 40 days prior to arrival in Japan by submitting a notification.
- The Animal Quarantine Service will then issue an “Approval of Import Inspection of Animals,” or notification acceptance letter. The importer prints or digitally saves the issued form and brings the notification acceptance letter to Japan.
- If there are any changes or additions to be made to the submitted notification, the importer must submit a “Modification of the Notification of Import of Animals” to the Animal Quarantine Service office at the expected port of entry by mail, fax, e-mail, or through an online submission system. However, advancing the arrival date, increasing the number of animals imported, substituting another animal(s), and changing the import schedule after the scheduled arrival date are not accepted.
- All dogs and cats imported into Japan must undergo a clinical examination by a private veterinarian or veterinary officer of an exporting country within a period of 10 days before entering Japan. Dogs must be free from of clinical signs of rabies and leptospirosis, while cats must be free of clinical signs of rabies.
- A health certificate issued by the private veterinarian or veterinary officer must be authenticated by the veterinary authority of the exporting country.
The following information must be included in the health certificate certified by the veterinary authority of the exporting country:
(a) the date of birth or age of each dog or cat,
(b) the number and date of implantation of each microchip implanted,
(c) rabies vaccination information (date of vaccination, period of validity, type of vaccine, name and manufacturer of the vaccine),
(d) rabies antibody test information (date of blood collection, name of designated laboratory, and antibody titer),
(e) results of pre-export health examination (date of examination, and results of rabies test and leptospirosis test (for dogs only)), and
(f) information on other vaccinations or parasite control.
Information (f) shall be provided if a vaccination other than rabies vaccination or parasite control has been administered. The information includes the name(s) of the target disease(s) or target parasite(s), the date of vaccination or parasite control, the type of vaccine (an inactivated or recombinant vaccine; live vaccines are not acceptable), and the period of validity of the vaccination. The above vaccinations and parasite control are not required for entry into Japan, except for rabies vaccination, but are recommended.
A form provided by the Animal Quarantine Service of Japan can be used to prepare a health certificate. The form of the health certificate for dogs and cats from non-designated regions (Form AC) is different from that for those from designated regions (Form AB).
For example, your private veterinarian prepares and issues a health certificate, and you take the certificate to your regional veterinary office to complete the certificate and receive a government stamp and endorsement. You may request the Animal Quarantine Service of Japan to inspect the health certificate before it is stamped or endorsed by the veterinary office of the exporting country.
After the above procedure is completed, you can depart from the exporting country to Japan. Be sure to bring an “Application for Animal Import Inspection,” the notification acceptance letter, the rabies antibody test report, and the health certificate endorsed by the veterinary authority of the exporting country when you travel to Japan.
Upon Arrival
All dogs and cats must undergo an import inspection at the Animal Quarantine Service office at the port of entry. The importer (pet owner) submits the following documents and applies for the import inspection:
- the application for animal import inspection,
- the rabies antibody test report,
- the health certificate endorsed by the veterinary authority of the exporting country,
- a copy of the air waybill or bill of lading (for cargo transportation),
- other documents that may be required by the Animal Quarantine Service at the time of issuing the notification acceptance letter.
If no problems are found in the inspection upon arrival, the quarantine period will be less than 12 hours. If any problems are found upon arrival, the dog or cat may be quarantined for up to 180 days at the owner’s expense.
For more information, see “Animal Quarantine Information for Travellers to Japan” on the Japan Animal Quarantine Service website, or contact your immigration procedure specialist in Japan.
