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Exiting from China with Pets - Newest 2024 Update! |
Exiting from China with Pets
It is never too early to begin preparations for overseas travel with your pets. Whether you brought your beloved pets with you to China or adopted your pets locally, we encourage pet owners to learn about exit requirements at the point of adoption and even before importing pets into China. Even for pet owners who are unsure of the final departure date or destination country, advance preparation can make all the difference for a smooth departure and being able to take your pets with you when the time comes to leave China.
Every country has pet “import requirements” and preparation and planning may take anywhere from 3 months to 8 months or more to meet import requirements. Moreover, there are also pet “export requirements” for every country to allow a live animal to be taken out of the current country. It is not a guarantee that live animals will be permitted to leave the current country or to be allowed into the destination country. These decisions are made in line with the PRC Quarantine Bureau requirements to allow live animals to be exported from China (exiting China) and in line with the Agricultural or Quarantine Bureau requirements of the destination country to allow live animals to be imported.
China allows one pet to be imported per passport holder. Multiple pets may be exported. If you have multiple pets, contact ICVS or a professional pet relocation agent (contact information below) for information on how to legally take your pets out of China.
Please note that the Beijing Quarantine and Customs Bureau is now advising all departing pet owners to take their pets for the mandatory exit health examination at 7-10 days before the departure date.
All dogs and cats undergoing customs declaration at the Beijing Customs Bureau must have official rabies vaccination certificates from a Beijing designated animal rabies vaccination hospital. Rabies vaccinations must have been administered in Beijing at least 30-days or more before undergoing exit health examination and customs declaration for export. ICVS can provide legal rabies vaccinations and issue the official rabies vaccination certificates accepted by the Customs Bureau for international export and domestic relocation and dog registration. Add an additional 7-10 days to your departure schedule for Customs Bureau to process the export certificates and exit permits.
Dog Registration: All dogs undergoing customs declaration at the Beijing Customs Bureau should have a valid dog license issued from Beijing Public Security Bureau. Customs Bureau may ask to see your valid Beijing dog license at any time. Please see these links for more information about registering your dogs:
Registering Dogs In Beijing: http://www.icvsasia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70%3Aregistering-dogs-in-beijing&catid=45%3Aregistering-dogs-in-china&Itemid=73&lang=en
Dog Licenses Required For Dogs Departing China:
Preparing Pets to Exit China
Please keep in mind that you will need to prepare for two sets of processes when moving to another country with your pets. The first is clearing the exit or “export” process for the PRC, which is easy and straightforward and can be summarized in the three steps below. The second process is fulfilling the entry or “import” requirements for the country to which your pets are relocating. This may be more involved, depending on the destination country, and best managed by preparing well in advance of your departure date, usually 6-months or more if heading to countries within the European Union and 8-months or more for strict quarantine control destinations such as Japan, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.
Entry requirements for each country will vary so pet owners are recommended to check with the embassy or department of agriculture or quarantine bureau of the country to which pets are relocating for accurate guidelines on vaccination and other requirements. Pet owners are always welcome to contact ICVS as we help more than 3,000 families in China each year to prepare pets for relocation to more than 180 countries worldwide.
The three simple steps for clearing exit requirements for pet owners based in Beijing are summarized below:
Step 1: Rabies Vaccinations and the Official Vaccination Immunity Certificate
Complete rabies vaccination and obtain the official PRC Animal Health and Immunity Certificate certifying the pet is rabies vaccinated at least 30-days before departure date but not more than 12-months before departure
Animals departing China must be rabies vaccinated at an officially designated animal rabies vaccination hospital in the PRC and must have the official “PRC (Beijing) Animal Health and Immunity Certificate” (e.g., vaccination red book) with the stamp/chop of the issuing hospital.
Owners are recommended to keep good records of the pet’s local vaccinations upon adoption or arrival in Beijing. By law, all dogs must be rabies vaccinated annually in the PRC. Cats should also receive annual rabies vaccinations. China does not recognize the 2- or 3-year rabies vaccines from other countries so pets are required to be vaccinated annually. ICVS is an officially designated animal rabies vaccination hospital in the PRC and can provide legal rabies, distemper and all other vaccinations for all pets and issue the official Animal Health and Immunity Certificate (e.g., vaccination red book) required for pet export.
Step 2: Health Examination and Official Exit Health Certificate
Undergo the mandatory official exit health examination for your pet at 7-10 days before departure date at the government run Entry-Exit Inspection & Quarantine Bureau animal hospital (If going to EU countries, please take dogs for the exit health examination at 7-days before departure date. Cats may be taken for the exit health examination 7-10 days before departure date.)
After your pets have completed rabies and all other vaccinations and have obtained the official “vaccination red books,” pet owners may take their pets for the official exit health examination at the designated government Quarantine Bureau animal hospital 7-10 days prior to the animal’s departure date from China. Pets will undergo a brief physical examination that will include mandatory blood tests and stool checks. Once completed, you will be issued a “Beijing International Companion Animal Health Inspection Certificate” (Official Health Certificate), which is required to then obtain the official “Animal Exit Permit” from the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau. Fees will be charged for the examination and the tests. Owners should bring the pet, the vaccination red book, passport or photocopy (one passport per pet), rabies antibody titre test report (for EU and other countries that require the test) and cash (e.g., RMB 1200.00+ per pet) at the time of the visit.
Kindly note that in 2019, the Customs Bureau began requiring all pets leaving China to be microchipped. This is a national regulation. The microchip is a unique identification number that is used on the animal's export documents. Many countries require microchips for pet import. Even if your destination country does not require a microchip for entry, you will now need a microchip to export your pet from China. The microchips required are the European Union ISO 11784 /11785 standard microchips. Customs Bureau now requires and all pets traveling overseas to be scanned for microchips at the time of final customs declaration for export (takes place at 7-10 days before departure date). ICVS can help microchip all pets with the official ISO 11784/11785 microchips imported from Germany. ICVS microchips are compliant with requirements for all countries. ICVS also has universal microchip scanners to ensure microchip readability of all microchipped pets. ICVS can also courier (kuaidi) microchips to pet owners in all cities/provinces in China and your local veterinarian can insert the microchip.
The PRC Customs and Quarantine Bureau is responsible for the export of all live animals, including livestock for food production, so the overarching principle is that all live animals for export, including dogs and cats, are relatively healthy, vaccinated in line with PRC and destination country requirements, free of infection and infectious diseases, free of internal and external parasites, and free of contagious skin infections.
In addition to checking for ISO microchips and annually required rabies, distemper and other vaccines for dogs and cats, the Quarantine Bureau animal hospitals will perform blood tests and diagnostic testing to check for systemic infection, contagious viral diseases common among dogs and cats, stool tests to check for internal and microscopic parasites, blood test to check for heartworm antigen parasite in dogs, and physical examination of all pets to check overall health condition and for infectious skin diseases and external parasites.
We strongly recommend all pet owners to bring their pets to ICVS for an annual wellness and pre-departure healthcare screening to ensure that pets are healthy, fully vaccinated, infection free and parasite free BEFORE taking pets to the Quarantine Bureau’s officially designated animal hospital for the mandatory exit health examination at 7-10 days before departure. Pets that have non-contagious and non-infectious diseases such as diabetes, renal disease, thyroid disease, heart disease, dental disease, non-transmissible skin diseases (e.g., demodex), tumors, and even cancers, are permitted to exit China.
For most pets, the exit health examination at 7-10 days before departure will be smooth and the pet will be approved for export. However, every year there are pets with previously unknown or undetected health conditions who are taken directly for the mandatory exit health examination and do not receive exit permits required for export. Pet export is not guaranteed and is a pet-by-pet decision made by the government veterinarians at the Customs Bureau based on the results of the official exit health examination.
When taking pets for the mandatory exit health examination, it is recommended to use a professional pet relocation company that can help you take your pet door-to-door and manage the exit health examination process, check all certificates and to complete all forms and documents required to process export application (see below for recommended professional pet relocation agents).
The health certificate is usually issued within 2-3 business days after the examination and is valid for 7-days from the issue date. If the health certificate is not submitted to apply for an exit permit before the expiration date, the health examination must be repeated.
Step 3: “Animal Exit Permit”
Apply for the exit permit from the Customs Bureau after receiving the official exit health certificate
The exit health certificate is submitted to the Customs Bureau to obtain the official “Animal Exit Permit.” The Customs Bureau is located in Tongzhou and health reports must be submitted electronically in advance for customs pre-declaration. Customs Bureau will require your pet's Beijing Animal Health and Immunity Certificate (e.g., “vaccination red book”), the exit health certificate and your original passport (passport copies are not accepted). Pets must now be presented at the Customs Bureau for final examination and microchip scanning before the exit permit will be released to owners. The exit permit fee is about RMB 350.00 and is now processed in 2-4 business days and is valid for 14-days once issued. Please confirm latest regulations with the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau for exit requirements and exit permit validity periods. Government agencies may revise policies at any time without prior notice. Once you receive the exit permit, pet owners have 14-days to take pets overseas.
Please note: Most airlines and countries have regulations that require pets to enter within 10-days of the issue date of the exit permit. Please check with your airline and the quarantine bureau of your destination country to confirm the maximum number of days you have to arrive on a valid exit permit. For pets traveling to EU countries and the UK, the pet must enter into the EU/UK within 10 days of the issue date of the international travel health certificiate and exit permit (one document, issued by Customs Bureau after completing final customs declaration).
The Customs Bureau office hours are: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM (Closed for ALL public and national holidays).
Entry Regulations and Preparation Timelines for Pets
Entry requirements for the importation of pets will vary country-by-country. A brief summary of entry requirements for popular destination countries is provided below for reference only. Regulations are subject to change without notice. Please research entry requirements as early as possible and contact the department of agriculture or quarantine bureau of your destination country for latest regulations. Pet owners are welcome to contact ICVS with any questions or concerns.
PLEASE ALWAYS ADD AN ADDITIONAL 7-10 DAYS TO YOUR DEPARTURE SCHEDULE TO COMPLETE CUSTOMS AND QUARANTINE BUREAU'S MANDATORY EXIT HEALTH EXAMINATION AND CUSTOMS DECLARATION.
Importing Cats to Continental USA (excludes Hawaii) and Dogs and Cats to Canada (Begin at least 4-6 months before departure)
Importing Dogs to the USA during the Temporary Suspension for Dogs Entering the USA from High Rabies Risk Countries (Begin at least 6-8 months before departure)
Importing Pets to EU Countries and the UK (Begin at least 6-12 months before departure)
Importing Pets to Japan (Begin at least 8-12 months before departure)
Importing Pets to Australia (Begin at least 8-12 months before departure)
Importing Pets to Singapore (Begin at least 7-8 months before departure)
Hong Kong (Begin at least 4-6-months before departure)
Importing Pets to South Korea/Indonesia (Begin at least 4-6-months before departure)
Importing Pets to UAE (Begin at least 6-months before departure)
Importing Pets to New Zealand (Begin at least 8-12 months before departure):
Microchipping for Exporting Pets:
Kindly note that in 2019, the Customs Bureau began requiring all pets leaving China to be microchipped. The microchip is a unique identification number that is used on the animal's export documents. Many countries require microchips for pet import. Even if your destination country does not require a microchip for entry, you will now need a microchip to export your pet from China. The microchips required are the 15-digit European Union ISO 11784 /11785 standard microchips. Customs Bureau now requires all pets traveling overseas to be scanned for microchips at the time of final customs declaration for export (takes place at 7-10 days before departure date). ICVS can help microchip all pets with the official ISO 11784/11785 microchips imported from Germany. ICVS microchips are compliant with requirements for all countries. ICVS also has universal microchip scanners to ensure microchip readability of all microchipped pets. Pets without ISO 11784/11785 microchips will not be issued exit permits to depart China.
ICVS carries the EU ISO 11784/11785 microchips that are manufactured in Germany. These microchips are the offical standard worldwide and are acceptable for all countries. ICVS can help to microchip all pets and has universal microchip scanners to ensure microchip readability of already microchipped pets.
Please note that microchipping is also required by Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Japan, South Korea, Australia/New Zealand, European Union countries, Iceland, African nations, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Serbia, UAE and many more countries and territories. Canada doES not require pets to be microchipped for entry, however microchipping is now required by Customs Bureau to take pets out of China. Worldwide, microchipping is strongly recommended to identify lost pets and to prove ownership. To import pets into Hawaii, please check the USDA or CDC web sites for import requirements and contact ICVS as soon as possible as regulations for Hawaii differ significantly than for that of the continental USA.
ICVS veterinarians can insert the EU ISO 11784/11785, German manufactured microchips for all pets. ICVS can also help scan already microchipped pets with our universal microchip scanners to ensure chip readability. ICVS can also ship the German manufctured microchips to pet owners in other provinces and give your local veterinarians guidance on inserting the microchips. Please contact ICVS for more information about microchipping and to order microchips.
Rabies Antibody Titre Testing:
The European Union countries, United Kingdom, Serbia, Ukraine, Iceland, Turkey, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia, Brunei, Taiwan, Macau, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Qatar, Israel, continental USA (for dogs), Hawaii (dogs and cats), and many others require rabies antibody titre testing for pets entering these countries/territories. Canada does not require rabies antibody titre testing for pets at this time.
Countries/territories requiring the rabies antibody titre test usually stipulate that the pet be vaccinated for rabies at least 4.5 - to 7-months prior to departure. One month (30-days) after the rabies vaccination, the pet’s blood needs to be drawn and the serum sample must be submitted to an official EU OIE authorized laboratory to perform the rabies antibody titre test. EU countries require that the blood sample must be drawn at least 3-months (90+ days) or more before the pet’s arrival date in the EU. USA CDC requires that the blood sample must be drawn at least 45-days or more before the dog's arrival date in the USA. Pets must be microchipped on or before the rabies vaccination date. EU countries, UK, USA, Japan and countries with rabies antibody titre testing requirement will not recognize the rabies vaccinations of any pet whose rabies vaccine was administered before the date of the microchip insertion.
ICVS can help pet owners from every province in China complete the official rabies antibody titre test for their pets going to all countries that require the officially authorized OIE rabies antibody titre test. Contact ICVS for more information.
Quarantine Before Exit from China:
There is no quarantine requirement for pets exiting from China. There may be quarantine requirements for your destination country. Please check with the agricultural bureau or quarantine bureau of your destination country for quarantine requirements.
Pet Registration Requirements for Exit from China:
There is a dog licensing registration requirement for dogs departing from Beijing. The dog registration requirement for Beijing Municipality is specifically required for all dogs who reside in Beijing. For dogs residing in other cities/provinces outside of Beijing, owners must provide a valid Beijing dog license if undergoing customs declaration at the Beijing Customs and Quarantine Bureau. There is no cat licensing or registration requirement for cats departing China from Beijing or any other city/province.
Please contact the International Center for Veterinary Services (ICVS) for any questions about departing from China with your pets. ICVS provides free pet import and export counseling services for the community to ensure that all members of the family may arrive and depart China together! Please check our web site (www.ICVSASIA.com) for upcoming free online "Departing from China with Pets" information sessions and subscribe to ICVS official WeChat (ICVSCHINA) for announcements.
ICVS clients receive unlimited, complimentary import and export counseling from our pet relocation experts. Our mission is to help pet owners keep the whole family and pets together when it is time to depart!
Please Note: This information is provided as reference only. Pet owners must contact the embassies, agricultural bureaus or quarantine bureaus of the countries to which pets are relocating for latest regulations. Regulations and quarantine requirements may change at any time. ICVS is not responsible for any differences in regulations from information provided in this document.
International Center for Veterinary Services (ICVS) No. 13-16 Rong Ke Gan Lan Cheng Shang Jie, Fu Tong Xi Da Jie, Wangjing, Chaoyang District, Beijing, PRC 100102 Telephone 电话: (010) 8456-1939, 8456-1940 Email 电子邮箱: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Web site网址: www.ICVSASIA.com Dialog WeChat: ICVSASIA ICVS Official WeChat: ICVSCHINA
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