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Bringing a pet to Japan: quarantine rules and timeline

How to bring a pet to Japan, dog or cat: microchip, two rabies shots, antibody test, 180-day wait, 40-day notice and airport inspection.

By JapanHow editors Updated 4 min read

Waiting period
180 days after blood draw
Advance notice
40+ days before arrival
Antibody level
0.5 IU/ml or higher
Worst case
Detention up to 180 days
Short answer

To bring a dog or cat into Japan from a non-designated region (the rules we reviewed), as of October 2026, you need an ISO microchip, two rabies vaccinations, a rabies antibody test of at least 0.5 IU/ml, and a wait of at least 180 days after the blood draw. You must notify the Animal Quarantine Service at least 40 days before arrival, get a vet check within 10 days of boarding, and present the original health certificate. Animals that miss a step can be detained up to 180 days.

You can bring a pet to Japan, a dog or cat, without detention if you complete every step in order: microchip, two rabies vaccinations, an antibody test of at least 0.5 IU/ml, a wait of at least 180 days after the blood draw, and notice to the Animal Quarantine Service (動物検疫所) at least 40 days before arrival. The rules below are for animals arriving from non-designated regions, as of October 2026.

What are the steps, in order?

Import of a dog or cat
  1. Vet Microchip ISO 11784/11785, 15 digits, implanted before the first rabies vaccination.
  2. Vet Two rabies vaccinations First at 91 days old or more (birth is day 0), after the chip. Second at least 30 days after the first.
  3. Vet + lab Rabies antibody test Blood drawn after the second dose at a designated laboratory. Result must be 0.5 IU/ml or higher; valid 2 years.
  4. You Wait 180 days Arrival must be at least 180 days after the blood draw (draw date is day 0).
  5. You Notify 40+ days before arrival To the Animal Quarantine Service at your port of entry, through NACCS or the e-mail forms.
  6. Vet Vet check before boarding Within 10 days before boarding: no clinical signs of rabies (dogs: also leptospirosis).
  7. Vet + exporting authority Health certificate Government-issued Form AC; the original must be submitted.
  8. You Inspection on arrival Present the animal, original certificates, antibody test report and inspection application.

What details trip people up?

  • Chip first. The chip must go in before the first rabies shot. The agency publishes notices on chip numbers: numbers starting “900 202” are not accepted (notice of April 7, 2023), and a December 19, 2025 notice warns of duplicate chip numbers, so tell the office at your arrival airport as soon as your date is set.
  • Vaccine type. Inactivated or recombinant/modified vaccines are accepted. RNA and live-virus vaccines are not. If a dose’s effective period ends before arrival, you need another dose within that period.
  • Dates must overlap. Arrival must fall within the vaccine’s effective period and the antibody test’s two-year validity, as well as after the 180 days.
  • No late changes. Notices under 40 days are generally not accepted. Moving the arrival date earlier, adding or swapping animals, or changing details after the scheduled date is also not accepted.
  • Paperwork rules. No pencil, erasable ink or correction fluid on certificates. Electronic certificates are accepted only from some countries (the USA, Brazil and Spain, under conditions).

Where can I land?

Dogs can enter through 19 designated ports: 11 airports (New Chitose, Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, Osaka (Itami), Kobe, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Naha) and 8 seaports. For cats, or assistance dogs arriving elsewhere, contact the office in advance.

What happens if something is wrong?

Animals that do not meet the requirements are detained for up to 180 days or shipped back. You pay for care, feeding and all other costs. A caretaker company can look after the animal at Narita, Haneda and Kansai. We did not find fee amounts on the official page, so we give none.

What do I do after arrival as a resident?

  1. Keep the import quarantine certificate. It cannot be reissued and is needed for re-export.
  2. Register your dog with your municipality within 30 days of import, and give it a rabies vaccination every year.
  3. Check your lease before you travel. Some rentals ban pets. See renting with pets.

What we could not confirm

Official fees, rules for birds, rabbits and other species, airline cargo rules, and the process for designated rabies-free regions were outside the page we reviewed. Check the Animal Quarantine Service directly.

Related: leaving Japan checklist and earthquake and disaster preparedness.

Vet bills add up: see pet insurance in Japan.

Questions people ask

How long does it take to bring a dog to Japan?

Plan at least 180 days from the antibody-test blood draw to arrival, plus time for the microchip and two rabies vaccinations (the second at least 30 days after the first) before the draw. The 40-day advance notice fits inside that window.

Do I need to quarantine my pet in Japan?

Not if every step is complete and the documents are correct. Animals that do not meet the requirements are detained for up to 180 days or shipped back, at the owner's cost.

Which airports accept dogs?

Dogs may enter only through 19 designated ports. The 11 airports are New Chitose, Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, Osaka (Itami), Kobe, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Naha. For cats at other ports, contact the quarantine service in advance.

What do I do after my dog arrives?

Register the dog with your municipality within 30 days of import and vaccinate it against rabies every year. Keep the import quarantine certificate, which cannot be reissued and is needed if you re-export the dog.

Can I bring a pet if my country is rabies-free?

Japan has a separate process for designated regions. We reviewed only the non-designated-region rules, so check the Animal Quarantine Service for your departure country.

Sources

  1. Import of dogs and cats from non-designated regions, Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (動物検疫所) (accessed Oct 29, 2026)
  2. F.A.Q. about dogs and cats: advance notification, vaccination, antibody test, detention, Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (動物検疫所) (accessed Oct 29, 2026)
  3. Contact Us: Animal Quarantine Service offices at airports and seaports, Animal Quarantine Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (動物検疫所) (accessed Oct 29, 2026)

Spotted something out of date or wrong? Email [email protected] and we will check it against the source. See our corrections policy.

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