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Taking a pet out of Hong Kong
There is no single rulebook for leaving Hong Kong — the destination country sets the requirements, so the papers, tests and waiting periods depend on where you are going. Below are the 8 routes from Hong Kong we have verified so far, covering Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. Every route page is checked against two official sources — the destination government's import rules and the export guidance for leaving Hong Kong — and carries its own "last verified" date. How early you need to start depends on the route; see how far in advance to prepare, and how we check every rule.
Dogs leaving Hong Kong
Dog: Hong Kong → the United States
Yes — Hong Kong is explicitly carved out of the CDC's high-risk listing for China ('China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan)'), so a dog that has only been in Hong Kong in the past 6 months enters the US on the low-risk route: the only federal document is the free CDC Dog Import Form receipt. No titer, no facility reservation, no airport restriction.
Simple rulesDog: Hong Kong → the United Kingdom
Good news: Hong Kong is a listed country for Great Britain, so this is one of the classic easy long-haul pet routes. Your dog needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination (then a 21-day wait after the first one), a tapeworm treatment in the last 5 days, and a Great Britain pet health certificate officially certified by Hong Kong's AFCD. No blood test, no import permit, and no quarantine if the paperwork is right.
Strict rulesDog: Hong Kong → Australia
Yes — Hong Kong is a Group 3 approved country for Australia, but Group 3 is the full protocol: a rabies titer test, a 180-day wait, a BICON import permit, and mandatory quarantine at Mickleham — 10 days if an official identity verification is completed before the blood draw, otherwise 30 days. Start 7–8 months ahead.
Simple rulesDog: Hong Kong → Canada
Yes — for a personal pet, Canada asks for essentially one document from Hong Kong: a valid rabies vaccination certificate in English or French (or with an official translation). Hong Kong is not on CFIA's short rabies-free list, so the vaccination certificate route applies — but there is no titer test, no import permit and no quarantine. Note this page covers personal pets only — commercial dogs from high-risk rabies countries have been banned from Canada since 2022.
Cats leaving Hong Kong
Cat: Hong Kong → the United States
Yes — the United States has no federal import requirements for a pet cat from Hong Kong: no CDC form, no rabies vaccination proof, no microchip, age or titer rules. Your cat must appear healthy on arrival and can be inspected at the port of entry. What remains is airline paperwork and, only if you want one, an AFCD-endorsed health certificate for the flight.
Simple rulesCat: Hong Kong → the United Kingdom
Good news: Hong Kong is a listed country for Great Britain, so this is one of the classic easy long-haul pet routes. Your cat needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination (then a 21-day wait after the first one), and a Great Britain pet health certificate officially certified by Hong Kong's AFCD. No blood test, no tapeworm treatment (that is dogs only), no import permit, and no quarantine if the paperwork is right.
Strict rulesCat: Hong Kong → Australia
Yes — Hong Kong is a Group 3 approved country for Australia, but Group 3 is the full protocol: a rabies titer test, a 180-day wait, a BICON import permit, and mandatory quarantine at Mickleham — 10 days if an official identity verification is completed before the blood draw, otherwise 30 days. Start 7–8 months ahead.
Simple rulesCat: Hong Kong → Canada
Yes — for a personal pet, Canada asks for essentially one document from Hong Kong: a valid rabies vaccination certificate written in English or French. Hong Kong is not on CFIA's short rabies-free list, so the vaccination certificate route applies — but there is no titer test, no import permit and no quarantine.