Importing a Pet to Japan

Importing a pet to Japan means guiding a dog or cat through one of the strictest animal quarantine systems in the world, run by the Animal Quarantine Service (AQS).¹ For most movers the clock runs seven months or longer, so the pet's paperwork sets the relocation date, not the other way around.²

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Animal Quarantine Service of Japan (MAFF).

Overview

Japan admits dogs and cats only after quarantine inspection under the 狂犬病予防法 (kyokenbyo yobohou, "Rabies Prevention Act") and, for dogs, the Act on Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control.¹ The importer handles every step and pays every cost, from home-country vaccinations to any detention stay.¹

A compliant arrival clears inspection within 12 hours and goes home the same day with an import quarantine certificate.¹ A non-compliant arrival faces detention quarantine of up to 180 days at an AQS facility, or return to the exporting country.¹ Skipping inspection entirely is a criminal matter: for dogs up to three years imprisonment or a fine of up to JPY 3,000,000, and for cats a fine of up to JPY 300,000.¹

The procedure splits by origin. Pets from AQS-designated rabies-free regions follow a short path, while pets from everywhere else follow the full seven-step procedure below.²³ Because home-country export certification differs by exporting authority, confirm the endorsement step with your own country's veterinary authority as well.⁴

Which import path applies to you

Your exporting country or region decides the whole pathway, so route yourself before doing anything else.¹ The two paths share the microchip, notification, and arrival-inspection steps but differ on everything in between.

	Designated regions	Non-designated regions
Origins	Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, Guam5	Everywhere else, including the US mainland, Canada, mainland Europe, and Asia2
Rabies vaccinations	Not required under Japan-side rules3	At least two doses after microchipping2
Antibody titer test	Not required3	Required at a designated lab, then a 180-day wait2
Residency condition	One of three 180-day residency conditions3	No residency condition; the 180-day wait applies instead2

Designated rabies-free regions

The current designated regions are Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, and Guam.⁵ Note that the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, and Taiwan were removed from this list between 2012 and 2013 and now follow the full non-designated procedure.⁵

Your pet must satisfy one of three residency conditions: continuous residence in the designated region since birth, continuous residence there for at least 180 days immediately before export, or continuous residence there since direct import from Japan.³ A shortfall against the 180-day condition is made up in detention quarantine on arrival.³

Designated-region pets still need microchip identification, a pre-export clinical inspection, government-issued certificates, the 40-day advance notification, and arrival inspection.³ They should also travel direct: transit through a non-designated region requires a sealed cage or an additional transport certificate, and deficiencies mean 180-day detention.³

Non-designated regions: the full procedure

This is the default path for most readers, covering the US mainland, Canada, mainland Europe, Asia, Africa, and all other non-designated origins.² It runs microchip, two rabies vaccinations, a titer test at a designated laboratory, a 180-day wait, advance notification, pre-export inspection and certificates, and arrival inspection.²

The sections below walk the full path in order. Designated-region readers can skip to Step 5 for the notification step and Step 7 for arrival, since the middle steps do not apply to them.³

Step-by-step: the full import timeline

The minimum realistic span from first vaccination to arrival is about seven months: at least 30 days between the two vaccinations, 180 days of waiting, and the 40-day notification filed inside the waiting window.² Use the table as the planning spine and the diagram as the sequence check.

Step	Action	Earliest timing
1	Implant ISO microchip	Before any vaccination2
2	Two rabies vaccinations	First at 91+ days old; second 30+ days after the first2
3	Titer blood test at a designated lab	After the second vaccination2
4	180-day wait	Blood-sampling day counted as day 02
5	Advance notification to arrival-port AQS	No less than 40 days before arrival2
6	Pre-export clinical inspection and certificates	Within 10 days before boarding2
7	Arrival inspection	At the AQS counter on landing2

The flowchart below shows the same sequence with its decision points, including the retest and detention branches.

Step 1: Microchip identification

Dogs and cats must be identified by microchip before the first rabies vaccination, with same-day implanting accepted.² The chip should comply with ISO 11784 and 11785: a 15-digit code of numbers only, readable by a standard veterinary reader.²

A vaccination given before the chip is implanted is invalid, with only narrow documented exceptions, so verify the order on the certificate before proceeding.² AQS rechecks the chip number at vaccination, blood sampling, and pre-export inspection, then matches it against every certificate at arrival.²

Confirm the chip number is readable and unique

Non-ISO chips require advance contact with the arrival-port AQS, and you may need to bring your own reader.² Chips starting with "900 202" are not currently accepted as identification (as of 2023-04-07; confirm current figures with the Animal Quarantine Service).² Duplicate numbers across animals have also surfaced, notably in "900"-prefix ranges, and affected animals may need a new chip plus a restart (as of 2025-12-19).² File the import notification promptly once timing is fixed so number problems surface early.²

Step 2: Two rabies vaccinations

Dogs and cats need at least two rabies vaccinations after microchip implantation.² The first dose comes at 91 days old or older, with the birth date counted as day 0, even where the exporting country permits earlier vaccination.²

The second dose must fall at least 30 days after the first, within the effective period (duration of immunity, not the vial expiry) of the first dose.² Only inactivated (killed) virus or recombinant and modified vaccines count; live-virus and RNA vaccines are not accepted, so check the vaccine type with your vet.²

If a dose lapses past its effective period before arrival, give the additional vaccination inside the period.² A dose given after expiry does not count as an additional vaccination, and the process restarts from the first dose.²

Step 3: Antibody titer blood test

After the second vaccination, a blood sample goes to a laboratory designated by Japan's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.² The draw can happen the same day as the second dose but must fall within the vaccination effective period.² Titer results are valid for 2 years from the blood-sampling date (as of 2026-09-06; confirm current figures with the Animal Quarantine Service).²

The test method must be FAVN (fluorescent antibody virus neutralization test) or RFFIT (rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test), and the titer must reach at least 0.5 IU/ml.² Below that threshold, the animal is retested, which restarts timing pressure on the 180-day clock.²

Where your country has no designated laboratory, send the serum abroad; dog serum sent to a Japanese lab needs an exporting-government inspection certificate and correctly declared packaging.² The original lab report is checked at import inspection, so carry it with the certificates.²

Note that Biobest Laboratories Ltd. (UK) was removed from the designated list over standards violations, and certificates it issued between November 27, 2024 and June 25, 2025 need direct confirmation with the arrival-port AQS (as of 2026-09-06).¹

Step 4: The 180-day waiting period

The animal must arrive at least 180 days after the titer blood-sampling date, with the sampling date counted as day 0.² Arrival must also fall inside both the rabies vaccination effective period and the titer validity window.²

Arriving before day 180 means detention for the shortfall

Pets that land with fewer than 180 days elapsed wait out the remaining days in an AQS detention facility.² AQS strongly recommends completing the full wait before flying, since the detention stay is entirely at your expense.²

If titer validity expires while vaccinations stayed continuous with no gaps, no fresh 180-day wait is needed under three joint conditions: unbroken vaccination coverage to arrival, the new blood sampling at least 180 days after the first sampling, and at least 0.5 IU/ml on every test.² Repeat testing every two years is otherwise not required.²

Step 5: Advance notification 40 days before arrival

Notify the AQS office at the expected port of entry no less than 40 days before arrival.² File online through NACCS (Nippon Automated Cargo and Port Consolidated System) or by email with the dog or cat notification form.²

AQS examines the filing and issues an Approval of Import Inspection of Animals, which you print or save for the export and boarding steps.² A notification under 40 days is in principle not accepted, so treat the deadline as hard.²

Attach supporting copies with the notification

Enclose the titer report and, for pets previously exported from Japan, the prior export quarantine certificate to speed review.² Send certificate copies in advance for AQS checking wherever the home-country paperwork looks error-prone (as of 2026-09-06; confirm current figures with the arrival-port Animal Quarantine Service).²

Changes need a Modification on Notification, but moving the arrival earlier, adding animals, swapping animals, or changing anything after the scheduled arrival date is in principle not accepted.² If the detention facility is full you may have to change the arrival date or port, so confirm capacity with the arrival-port AQS when filing (as of 2026-09-06).²

Step 6: Pre-export inspection and certificates

Within 10 days before boarding, a veterinarian clinically inspects the animal and rechecks the microchip.² The exam must find no signs of rabies, plus no signs of leptospirosis for dogs.²

Certificates must come from or be endorsed by the exporting country's government agency corresponding to Japan's AQS.² In practice the private veterinarian fills the recommended Form AC and the government veterinarian endorses it, though the government veterinarian may fill it directly.² For US-origin pets the endorsing authority is USDA APHIS; other countries have their own corresponding authorities.⁴

Certificate must record	Source step
Individual info including birth date or age	Identity2
Microchip number and implant date	Step 12
Vaccination dates, effective periods, type, product, manufacturer	Step 22
Titer sampling date, titer value, laboratory name	Step 32
Pre-export inspection result and date	Step 6 exam2

Use no pencil or erasable ink, and no correction fluid or tape on the certificates.² Deficiencies can mean detention of up to 180 days or return, so have AQS check copies in advance.² Health certificates by electromagnetic record are accepted from pre-notified countries, currently the USA, Brazil, and Spain where government issuance is verifiable (as of 2024-03-26; confirm current figures with the Animal Quarantine Service).¹

Step 7: Arrival inspection at the airport

On landing, apply for import inspection at the AQS counter before leaving the airport flow.² Officers check the documents, read the microchip, examine the animal, and issue the import quarantine certificate when everything complies.¹ Bring the originals: exporting-government certificates, the titer lab report, the inspection application (NACCS or paper form), plus the air waybill for cargo and a power of attorney where an agent acts.²

Certificate defects trigger detention or return

Any unmet requirement, including a paperwork deficiency, sends the pet to detention quarantine of up to 180 days or back to the exporting country.² During detention the animal never leaves the facility except for return, and the importer bears caretaking, feeding, and all costs; a caretaker company can be hired at the Narita, Haneda, and Kansai branches.² Practitioner sources report roughly JPY 3,000 to 5,000 per day, though AQS publishes no per-day schedule (as of 2026-05-01; confirm current figures with the arrival-port Animal Quarantine Service).⁴

Dogs may land only at listed airports (New Chitose, Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, Osaka Itami, Kobe, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Naha) and listed seaports (Tomakomai, Keihin, Nagoya, Hanshin, Kanmon, Hakata, Kagoshima, Naha).² Cats or assistance dogs using other ports need advance AQS contact.²

After arrival in Japan

Keep the import quarantine certificate: it cannot be reissued, and you will need it for any future export of the pet.² Contact the departure-port AQS early when planning to leave Japan with the animal.²

Imported dogs must be municipally registered within 30 days of import; bring the certificate to the municipality where the dog is kept.² Dogs in Japan also need annual rabies vaccination under the Rabies Prevention Act, with details from the municipality office.²

The ISO microchip number can be registered domestically with a copy of the certificate through AIPO (Animal ID Promotion Organization, Japan Veterinary Medical Association), phone 03-3475-1695 (as of 2026-09-06; confirm current figures with the Animal ID Promotion Organization).²

Good to know

Starting seven or more months out is the relocation bottleneck

The 180-day wait plus two vaccinations at least 30 days apart plus the 40-day notification plus certificate and flight booking means starting at least seven months before the move.² Set the moving date around the pet's day-180 rather than fitting the pet into a fixed moving date.²

AQS advises filing the import notification promptly once timing is fixed, partly so microchip-number problems surface while there is still time to re-implant and restart.²

An incomplete file means detention of up to 180 days at your expense

Every unmet requirement, including a single certificate defect, can trigger detention of up to 180 days or return, with caretaking, feeding, transport, utilities, and vet visits all billed to the importer.¹² Practitioner-reported daily costs run roughly JPY 3,000 to 5,000, though AQS publishes no fixed schedule (as of 2026-05-01; confirm current figures with the arrival-port Animal Quarantine Service).⁴

For pets already facing expected detention, AQS advises combination vaccination and deworming in advance.² Visits during detention are allowed but restricted in hours and visitors.²

A home-country specialist agency can carry the paperwork

Practitioner guidance recommends engaging a pet-import-specialist agency in the home country for the documentation flow: endorsements, laboratory routing, and certificate checks.⁴ This is practitioner advice rather than an AQS instruction, but it matches AQS practice of inviting importers to send certificate copies for advance checking.²

US movers work through USDA APHIS as the endorsing authority; other countries have their own corresponding authorities, and the agency's value is knowing that local chain.⁴

Dogs can only enter through designated ports

Dogs are restricted to the AQS-listed airports and seaports named in Step 7, so book flights to those gateways only.² Arriving with a dog elsewhere risks refusal, while cats and assistance dogs need advance AQS contact for unlisted ports.²

Where detention looks likely, the pet must arrive at a port with a detention facility, which further narrows the choice.² Confirm inspection counter hours with the arrival-port AQS before booking, since offices are not open around the clock.⁴

See also

• Finding a Vet in Japan
• Pet Ownership Cost Realities
• Boarding, Day-Care, and Pet-Related Services
• Dog Registration and the Annual Rabies-Vaccination Cycle
• The Pet-Friendly Housing Reality

References

Footnotes

1. Animal Quarantine Service, MAFF. "Import and export quarantine of dogs and cats." https://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/animal/dog/index.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

2. Animal Quarantine Service, MAFF. "Import dogs and cats into Japan (from non-designated regions)." https://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/animal/dog/import-other.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴ ↩²⁵ ↩²⁶ ↩²⁷ ↩²⁸ ↩²⁹ ↩³⁰ ↩³¹ ↩³² ↩³³ ↩³⁴ ↩³⁵ ↩³⁶ ↩³⁷ ↩³⁸ ↩³⁹ ↩⁴⁰ ↩⁴¹ ↩⁴² ↩⁴³ ↩⁴⁴ ↩⁴⁵ ↩⁴⁶ ↩⁴⁷ ↩⁴⁸ ↩⁴⁹ ↩⁵⁰ ↩⁵¹ ↩⁵² ↩⁵³ ↩⁵⁴ ↩⁵⁵ ↩⁵⁶ ↩⁵⁷ ↩⁵⁸ ↩⁵⁹ ↩⁶⁰ ↩⁶¹ ↩⁶² ↩⁶³ ↩⁶⁴ ↩⁶⁵ ↩⁶⁶ ↩⁶⁷ ↩⁶⁸ ↩⁶⁹ ↩⁷⁰ ↩⁷¹ ↩⁷² ↩⁷³ ↩⁷⁴ ↩⁷⁵ ↩⁷⁶ ↩⁷⁷ ↩⁷⁸ ↩⁷⁹ ↩⁸⁰ ↩⁸¹ ↩⁸² ↩⁸³

3. Animal Quarantine Service, MAFF. "Import dogs and cats into Japan (from the designated regions)." https://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/animal/dog/import-free.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

4. Axalogic. "Bringing Your Pet to Japan: The Complete Import Guide for Cats and Dogs (2026)." Published 2026-05-01. https://www.axialogic.com/en/pets/general/bring-pets-to-japan ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

5. Animal Quarantine Service, MAFF. "Designated regions (countries or regions designated as rabies-free)." https://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/animal/dog/designated-regions.html ↩ ↩² ↩³