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Bringing a dog from Japan to the United States
Sources disagree: Some third-party guides say the CDC receipt is single-entry only, or that the form must be filed 30 days ahead. CDC's low-risk page says the receipt is valid for 6 months with multiple entries from the same departure country (the single-entry receipt belongs to the high-risk routes). We follow CDC.
Until officials align, follow the stricter reading and confirm with the destination authority.
Step-by-step checklist
| Step | What to do | When |
|---|---|---|
| Microchip | ISO-compatible microchip that a universal scanner can detect. CDC requires the chip to be readable on arrival; Japan's AQS procedures also run on the chip number, and you will need it if your dog ever re-enters Japan. | Before anything else |
| CDC Dog Import Form | Free online form, one per dog; the receipt arrives by email. Because your dog has only been in low-risk countries, the receipt is valid for 6 months and multiple entries, as long as departures stay from Japan and your dog does not visit a high-risk country in between. | Before travel — a few days ahead is fine |
| AQS export inspection (Japan) | Apply to the Animal Quarantine Service office at your departure airport at least 14 days before your inspection date, by email or NACCS — export inspections are fully reservation-based. AQS recommends completing the inspection by the day before departure; it issues the export quarantine certificate your airline and later procedures rely on. Bring vaccination records and the chip number. | Apply ≥14 days out; inspection in the final days |
| State and airline checks | CDC requires no federal health certificate and no rabies vaccination proof on this route, but some US states and most airlines ask for a vet health certificate or vaccination record. Confirm both before you book. | Booking stage |
Your preparation timeline
- 1~1 month out — Confirm the microchip reads; check airline pet/cargo rules and your destination state's rules
- 2≥14 days out — Apply for the AQS export inspection
- 3Final week — Submit the CDC Dog Import Form; attend the AQS export inspection (day before the flight is ideal) and collect the export quarantine certificate
- 4Arrival — Show the CDC receipt to the airline and CBP; your dog must appear healthy
Costs you can plan for
There is no CDC charge — the Dog Import Form is free — and no US quarantine cost on this low-risk route. Your real budget is your Japanese vet's export paperwork and the airline's pet or cargo fee. AQS does not publish an export inspection fee in its English guidance, so confirm any charge when you reserve the inspection.
Questions people ask about this route
Does my dog need a rabies vaccination to enter the US?
Not under CDC rules, provided your dog has only been in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries for the past 6 months. CDC requires the form receipt, a detectable microchip, at least 6 months of age and a healthy appearance. Your airline may still ask for vaccination records.
Can my dog arrive at any US airport?
Yes. The airport restrictions and CDC-registered facility bookings apply only to dogs that have been in high-risk countries in the past 6 months.
What if my dog visited a high-risk country in the last 6 months?
Then this page no longer applies: the foreign-vaccinated high-risk route requires a government-endorsed Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, a titer test or a 28-day facility quarantine, and arrival at an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility.
What changes if my dog will return to Japan afterwards?
Everything about timing. Japan treats the US as a non-designated region, so plan the return before you leave: complete the microchip, two rabies vaccinations, designated-lab antibody test and 180-day wait in Japan first, keep vaccinations unbroken abroad, and notify AQS at least 40 days before the flight home. See the return section on this page.
Returning to Japan
Bringing your dog back to Japan later: the US is a non-designated region for Japan, so re-entry runs the full AQS programme — microchip before the first vaccination, two rabies vaccinations (first at 91 days old or older, second at least 30 days later; inactivated or recombinant vaccines only), a rabies antibody test at a MAFF-designated laboratory scoring 0.5 IU/ml or higher, arrival at least 180 days after the blood draw, advance notification to AQS at least 40 days before you fly, a pre-export clinical exam within 10 days of boarding, and a USDA-endorsed government certificate (AQS recommends Form AC). The shortcut is to complete the vaccinations, test and 180-day wait BEFORE you leave Japan and keep rabies cover unbroken while abroad: attach a copy of your AQS export quarantine certificate to the return notification and the arrival inspection normally clears within about 12 hours. Skip the pre-departure prep and your dog cannot come home until the sequence is finished abroad — or it is detained for the missing days.
Related guides
- Bringing a cat from Japan to the United States
- Rabies titer tests (FAVN / RNATT): validity and waiting periods by country
- How many days before travel do you need a pet health certificate?
- Pet quarantine by country: how long, where, and how to avoid it
- Microchip before or after rabies vaccination?
- How far in advance should you start preparing?
Official sources for this page
- CDC — Dogs from dog rabies-free or low-risk countries
- CDC — Dog Import Form instructions
- Japan MAFF Animal Quarantine Service — Export dogs and cats from Japan
- Japan MAFF Animal Quarantine Service — Import from non-designated regions (return rules)
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.
Want a professional to run this route for you?
Licensed pet relocation companies handle permits, vet paperwork and flights daily. We are adding vetted partners for this route — check back soon.