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Bringing a dog from China to the United States

Yes — but mainland China is on the CDC's high-risk list for dog rabies, so a China-vaccinated dog takes the strictest US entry route: a government-endorsed foreign vaccination certification, a rabies titer from a CDC-approved laboratory (or 28 days of quarantine), a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, and arrival at one of only 8 airports. Start at least 60 days ahead — realistically 2–3 months. Note: CDC's list names 'China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan)', so this page is about mainland departures.
6 months
Minimum age
No exceptions on the high-risk route
8 airports
Arrival airports
Only those with a CDC-registered facility
28 days
Quarantine fallback
At the facility if there is no valid titer
30 days
Foreign cert window
Complete the certification ≤30 days before travel

Step-by-step checklist

Requirements — Dog · China → the United States
StepWhat to doWhen
Microchip firstYour dog needs a microchip that a universal scanner can read, implanted BEFORE the rabies vaccination used for this trip. A vaccination given before the chip does not count for US entry, and the chip number must appear on every document. Before vaccination
Rabies vaccination in ChinaVaccination at 12 weeks (84 days) of age or older, kept current with no lapse. Keep the full vaccination record — product name, dates and batch details all go onto the US certification form. Well before travel
Rabies titer at a CDC-approved laboratoryBlood drawn at least 30 days after the first valid vaccination AND at least 28 days before entry; result 0.5 IU/ml or higher from a laboratory on CDC's currently approved list. CDC changed that list in January 2026 and two long-used Chinese laboratories were removed — check the exact laboratory name against CDC's list on the day the blood is drawn. With a passing titer kept valid by unbroken vaccination, there is no 28-day quarantine. ≥28 days before entry
Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and MicrochipCompleted by your veterinarian and endorsed by an official government veterinarian in China (handled through the China Customs exit-quarantine process — confirm with your local Customs office early). It must be completed no more than 30 days before travel and is valid for 30 days from the vet's signature, single use. Final 30 days
CDC Dog Import FormFree and online, one per dog. On the high-risk route the receipt is valid for a single entry on the exact arrival date and airport you list — if the date or airport changes, submit a new form. Before you fly
Animal care facility reservationBook a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility BEFORE entry, and fly into the airport named on your form: Atlanta, Dallas–Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia, Seattle (cargo only) or Washington Dulles. There is no land-border entry on this route, and no facility in Alaska, Hawaii or the territories. Before you fly
China Customs exit quarantineDeclare through the 'Internet + Customs' / Single Window pet-export module — local Customs guides advise filing 10–14 days before departure and bringing your dog for the on-site clinical inspection within the final 7 days, with your ID, the rabies vaccination certificate, chip proof and the titer report. Customs issues the Animal Health Certificate once the file passes. Final 2 weeks
Arrival at the facilityEvery dog on this route is examined by the facility's veterinarian and revaccinated with a US-licensed rabies vaccine. With a valid titer the dog is released after the exam; without one, add 28 days of quarantine at your expense. Arrival

Your preparation timeline

  1. 12–3 months out — Chip check, rabies vaccination confirmed in date, titer blood draw booked (≥30 days after vaccination)
  2. 2≥28 days out — Titer result in hand (≥0.5 IU/ml, CDC-approved lab)
  3. 3Final 30 days — Foreign vaccination certification completed and officially endorsed
  4. 4Final 2 weeks — China Customs online declaration and on-site inspection; Dog Import Form submitted; facility reservation confirmed
  5. 5Arrival — Fly into the reserved facility airport: exam + US revaccination, then release — or 28 days' quarantine without a valid titer
The mistake that causes trouble on this route: Using a laboratory CDC no longer approves. CDC revised its approved-lab list in January 2026 and removed two Chinese laboratories that pet owners had used for years; results from a removed lab stopped counting after the transition ended on 12 July 2026. Check CDC's current list — by the laboratory's full name — before the blood draw, not after.

Costs you can plan for

CDC publishes no fee schedule for this route, and every cost at the animal care facility (examination, revaccination, boarding, and 28 days of quarantine if it applies) is billed to you by the facility — reserve accordingly, because the no-titer version of this trip is the expensive one. On the China side, budget for the titer at a CDC-approved laboratory, veterinary fees, the Customs exit-quarantine process and air cargo. The Dog Import Form itself is free.

✈️ Government rules are only half the trip. Airlines set their own pet carriage rules (crate size, breed limits, seasonal embargoes). Re-confirm carriage with your airline after you meet the rules above.

Questions people ask about this route

Is Hong Kong treated the same as mainland China?

No. CDC's high-risk list names 'China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan)'. A dog that has only been in Hong Kong travels on the much simpler low-risk route — see our Hong Kong to the United States page.

Can my dog avoid the 28-day quarantine?

Yes — with a passing rabies titer (0.5 IU/ml or higher) from a CDC-approved laboratory, drawn at least 30 days after the first valid vaccination and at least 28 days before entry, plus unbroken vaccination coverage since. The facility exam and US revaccination still happen on arrival.

Can we fly into any US airport?

No. On this route you must arrive by air at the airport where your CDC-registered facility reservation is held: Atlanta, Dallas–Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia, Seattle (cargo only) or Washington Dulles.

My dog was vaccinated in the US before we moved to China. Is this page the right one?

Maybe not. A dog returning with a USDA-endorsed Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination (completed before the dog left the US) takes a simpler two-document route with no titer and no facility reservation. Without that form, the dog is treated as foreign-vaccinated and this page applies.

Related guides

✓ Last verified: 2026-11-12

Official sources for this page

We check each rule against the exporting country's official page and the destination country's official page. If the two disagree, we show the disagreement instead of guessing.

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