No one wants to leave their pets behind when relocating to a new country. But the paperwork and high fees involved make moving pets over borders a bureaucratic headache. To make the transition a little easier, we’ve compiled a guide to help you navigate China’s pet entry and exit requirements.

Know this Before You Start

Only one pet per passport is allowed to be brought into China. Once you’ve arrived, only one dog is allowed to be registered per household address. If you want to bring more than one pet into the country, someone else will have to bring additional pets on your behalf. You must also find someone without a dog to register it to their household, since multiple dogs aren’t allowed.

Cats are easy. Dogs are hard. Dogs must undergo regular vaccinations and yearly registrations. Nobody from the government really cares about your cats or other house pets after they’ve gone through quarantine. More on dog stuff later.

To bring any pet into China, however, you must have a residence visa. Students and tourists need not apply, because your pet won’t get past immigration.

While no specific breeds are banned in China as a whole, certain cities do have size and breed restrictions. In Beijing’s eight major districts, for instance, dogs must not be taller than 35 centimeters from ground to shoulder. You can find a list of banned breeds in those districts - which are roughly all located inside the 5th ring road - here.

Research your particular city’s regulations before spending time and money on transporting a dog that might end up confiscated by authorities.

Before Departure

Dogs must get rabies vaccination more than one month but not less than one year from your departure to China. Be sure to get the vaccination certificate from your vet. Note that China does not recognize two- and three-year vaccinations. Also, China does not require a blood titer test (RNATT) for pets entering from any country.

Other vaccines are suggested but not required, including canine distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis, leptospirosis, feline cat flu, feline calicivirus, reline viral rhinotracheitis, chlamydia psittaci, cat enteritis, feline panleukopaenia, and feline farvo virus.

Once you’re sure your pet has a clean bill of health, obtain its vaccination records (different than the rabies certificate) and vet health certificate from you veterinarian. In the US, the latter is called form 7001. If your pet is microchipped, get its microchip implantation record as well, although microchipping is not required to enter a pet into China.

Take all that paperwork and send it to your country’s national animal control bureau (the USDA in the United States, CFIA in Canada). Within 14 days of your departure, the bureau must give its stamp of approval or endorsement on a veterinary certificate.

After Arrival

China does not require an import permit for pets entering with their owners from any country. That means as long as you’re flying on the same aircraft as your pet, a permit is not required. But if you send your pet on a separate cargo plane, it will require the import permit. The permit should be obtained by someone acting on behalf of the owner or an agent in China.

Once you arrive at the airport, you must present your passport, and it must match the name on all the certificates mentioned above.

After your pet has been cleared, it must go into quarantine. You must pay a fee of 280 Yuan at the quarantine station. Quarantine policy varies city to city and depending from which country you’re coming from. In Beijing and Shanghai, for instance, the minimum quarantine is seven days for the UK, North Korea, Hong Kong, Greece, Singapore, and Germany. But pets coming from the USA, Canada, Italy, France, and Russia require a minimum 30-day quarantine for the same cities. You can find the full lists here.

Some cities have a designated quarantine facility, while others will allow you to quarantine your pet at your place of residence. In many cases where the quarantine period is 30 days, your pet will be kept at a facility for seven days and at your residence for the remaining 23 days.

If you quarantine your pet at home, expect an official to pop in on a random day to check up on the health of your pet. This can include a stool sample.

Once your pet is out of quarantine, you can pick up your vaccination verification at the quarantine facility and/or vaccination office. It’s a small red book. You’ll need it to register your pet.

Registration

The registration process varies city to city and precinct to precinct, so just to be safe, gather together all of the following:

• Your passport and housing registration certificate.

• Your dog’s vaccination certificate and verification

• Two color photos of your dog; passport-sized, from the front

• Some require you to bring the dog itself

• Lease contract for your apartment

• Permission from neighborhood watch committee, if you have one

• Money. Depending on the city, this varies. In Beijing, it costs 1,000 RMB for initial registration inside the 5th ring road, and 500 RMB for renewal

Take all this with you to your local precinct (the place that you obtained your housing registration certificate).

It can take up to one month to actually receive your pet registration card. Until you have it in hand, keep the fapiao with you any time you’re out with your pet to show your pooch is legit. Otherwise, police have the right to confiscate your pet.

Fun fact: some cities, including Beijing, offer a discount for owners that spay or neuter their pets. You must obtain a spay/neuter certificate from your local animal hospital (note: must be an actual animal hospital, not a clinic or pet shop) to prove Fido is no longer equipped.

All dog licenses collectively expire at the end of April every year. You must renew the registration before the beginning of June. Don’t forget to keep up with the rabies shots.

Leaving China

Remember that each airline has its own rules for transporting pets. Be sure to check the website of whichever one you’re flying with to stay updated on their policies.

Also, every country has its own policies and restrictions regarding pets, so be sure to educate yourself and don’t get Fluffy stranded at an airport. Ask these questions: is RNATT (Rabies Neutralising Antibody Titre Test) required? Is a microchip required? What are the quarantine regulations?

These guidelines apply to China only:

The exit procedure is a three-step process. First, you must immunize your dog against rabies in China. Again, cats and other house pets are much easier; they don’t require rabies vaccinations and the related paperwork. If you did it in your home country and the vaccination hasn’t expired, you must re-vaccinate your dog again on the mainland. Bring the vaccination certificate back to the vaccination office. They’ll give you a certificate of health, which the airport veterinarian will check before allowing your pet to leave. Just as with bringing your dog into China, the vaccination must take place less than one year but no longer than 30 days prior to departure. The red book you got earlier should include this information.

Next, you must take your pet to the local designated animal hospital (again, not a pet shop or private clinic) to get a health examination. Once that’s done and your pet is confirmed to be healthy, you’ll be issued a health certificate. This must be done within 14 days of your departure.

Lastly, your pet needs an exit certificate. This shows your animal is in good health and is ready to exit China. Take both of the documents from the previous two steps to the Exit-Entry Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, along with your passport. Your pet doesn’t have to accompany you. A small fee must be payed and varies depending on the city. Plan to do this about one week before you travel, as it can take a couple days but must be obtained no more than seven days prior to travel. It will be valid for two weeks in case your flight changes.

Sounds Complicated? Hire an Agency

As you can see, getting your pet documented, transported, and registered in China can be a complex process. But you don’t have to go it alone. There are a number of agencies that can assist in various aspects and will save you the headache. If you can afford it, this is the recommended way to go.

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