🐾Pet Import GuideOfficial rules, checked twice

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Taking a pet out of the United States

There is no single rulebook for leaving the United States — the destination country sets the requirements, so the papers, tests and waiting periods depend on where you are going. Below are the 32 routes from the United States we have verified so far, covering Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the UAE and the United Kingdom. Every route page is checked against two official sources — the destination government's import rules and the export guidance for leaving the United States — 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 the United States

Dog: the United States → Japan

Yes — dogs can enter Japan from the US, but the 180-day antibody-test wait means you must start about 7 months before you travel. There is no shortcut: arriving early means your dog waits out the remaining days in a quarantine facility.

Dog: the United States → Australia

Yes — but Australia is the most demanding route on this site. A dog from the US needs a titer test, a 180-day wait, an import permit, and mandatory quarantine on arrival: 10 days at the Mickleham facility if you complete the optional identity check first, otherwise 30 days. Start 7–8 months ahead.

Dog: the United States → New Zealand

Yes — dogs from the mainland US (a Category 3 country for NZ) can enter, with a rabies vaccination inside a strict 6–12-month window, a titer test, an MPI permit, and at least 10 days of quarantine on arrival. Plan on about 6 months of preparation. Rules change on 1 April 2027 — see the warning below.

Dog: the United States → the United Kingdom

Good news: this is one of the easiest routes on the site. A dog from the US 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. No blood test, no import permit, and no quarantine if the paperwork is right.

Dog: the United States → Hawaii

Hawaii is rabies-free and runs its own rules — federal paperwork alone is not enough. Do the FAVN blood test and the 30-day wait properly, get your documents in 10 days ahead, and your dog can be released to you at Honolulu airport the day you land. Miss a step and the alternative is up to 120 days of quarantine.

Dog: the United States → the UAE

A dog can enter the UAE from the US with a microchip, rabies vaccination, a passing rabies titer test, and a MOCCAE import permit obtained before travel. Your pet must fly as manifested cargo, and the health certificate window is tight: 10 days from issuance, with a USDA ink-signed endorsement.

Dog: the United States → China

Yes — a dog from the US mainland can enter China through any port with no quarantine, but only on a complete paper trail: an ISO microchip, two lifetime rabies vaccinations, a passing rabies titer from one of the five US laboratories China recognises, and a health certificate issued within 14 days of arrival. Miss any one piece and the same dog must enter through a short list of designated ports and serve 30 days in quarantine — or be sent back.

Dog: the United States → South Korea

Yes — and Korea is the fastest of the titer-test destinations, because there is no waiting period after the blood test. A dog aged 90 days or more needs an ISO microchip, a current rabies vaccination, and a rabies antibody result of 0.5 IU/mL or higher from blood drawn within 24 months before arrival, all recorded on a USDA-endorsed health certificate. Meet that and APQA normally releases your dog the same day you land; miss a piece and your dog is held at the quarantine station until it is fixed.

Dog: the United States → Singapore

Yes — but Singapore runs on a long clock, so start about five months out. The US is a Schedule II country in AVS's rabies-risk system, which means a rabies vaccination plus a serology test: the blood must be drawn at least 28 days after vaccination and at least 90 days (and within 12 months) before export, with a result of 0.5 IU/mL or higher. Add an ISO microchip, core vaccinations, a PALS dog licence, an AVS import licence, and a health certificate completed 2–7 days before export. Personal imports that arrive within 5 days of their owner and have lived with them for over 6 months skip quarantine entirely; otherwise a minimum 10-day home quarantine applies.

Dog: the United States → Hong Kong

Yes — and usually with no quarantine at all. The continental US sits in Hong Kong's Group II, so a fully compliant dog is exempt from quarantine on arrival. The discipline is in the order of operations: an AFCD Special Permit (Form AF240, HK$432) must be granted before you book travel, your dog must have lived in the US for the 180 days before export, and it must fly as manifested cargo — not in the cabin. Add a microchip, a rabies vaccination given 30 days to 1 year before export, full core vaccinations, and a USDA-endorsed health certificate (VC-DC2) issued within 14 days of departure.

Dog: the United States → Thailand

Yes — Thailand is one of the more forgiving Asian destinations: no rabies titer test and no routine quarantine for a compliant dog. What it does require is paperwork in the right order: an ISO microchip, rabies plus four more vaccinations (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and leptospirosis) with primary shots at least 21 days old, a free DLD import permit applied for by email 7–60 days before departure, and a USDA-endorsed health certificate that is valid for only 10 days. Your dog must be at least 4 months old, you enter through an airport with an Animal Quarantine Station, and you pay a 500-baht licence fee per animal on arrival.

Cats leaving the United States

Cat: the United States → Japan

Yes — cats can enter Japan from the US, but the 180-day antibody-test wait means you must start about 7 months before you travel. There is no shortcut: arriving early means your cat waits out the remaining days in a quarantine facility.

Cat: the United States → Australia

Yes — but Australia is the most demanding route on this site. A cat from the US needs a titer test, a 180-day wait, an import permit, and mandatory quarantine on arrival: 10 days at the Mickleham facility if you complete the optional identity check first, otherwise 30 days. Start 7–8 months ahead.

Cat: the United States → New Zealand

Yes — cats from the mainland US (a Category 3 country for NZ) can enter, with a rabies vaccination inside a strict 6–12-month window, a titer test, an MPI permit, and at least 10 days of quarantine on arrival. Plan on about 6 months of preparation. Rules change on 1 April 2027 — see the warning below.

Cat: the United States → the United Kingdom

Good news: this is one of the easiest routes on the site. A cat from the US needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination (then a 21-day wait after the first one) and a Great Britain pet health certificate. No blood test, no import permit, and no quarantine if the paperwork is right.

Cat: the United States → Hawaii

Hawaii is rabies-free and runs its own rules — federal paperwork alone is not enough. Do the FAVN blood test and the 30-day wait properly, get your documents in 10 days ahead, and your cat can be released to you at Honolulu airport the day you land. Miss a step and the alternative is up to 120 days of quarantine.

Cat: the United States → the UAE

A cat can enter the UAE from the US with a microchip, rabies vaccination, a passing rabies titer test, and a MOCCAE import permit obtained before travel. Your pet must fly as manifested cargo, and the health certificate window is tight: 10 days from issuance, with a USDA ink-signed endorsement.

Cat: the United States → China

Yes — a cat from the US mainland can enter China through any port with no quarantine, but only on a complete paper trail: an ISO microchip, two lifetime rabies vaccinations, a passing rabies titer from one of the five US laboratories China recognises, and a health certificate issued within 14 days of arrival. Miss any one piece and the same cat must enter through a short list of designated ports and serve 30 days in quarantine — or be sent back.

Cat: the United States → South Korea

Yes — and Korea is the fastest of the titer-test destinations, because there is no waiting period after the blood test. A cat aged 90 days or more needs an ISO microchip, a current rabies vaccination, and a rabies antibody result of 0.5 IU/mL or higher from blood drawn within 24 months before arrival, all recorded on a USDA-endorsed health certificate. Meet that and APQA normally releases your cat the same day you land; miss a piece and your cat is held at the quarantine station until it is fixed.

Cat: the United States → Singapore

Yes — but Singapore runs on a long clock, so start about five months out. The US is a Schedule II country in AVS's rabies-risk system, which means a rabies vaccination plus a serology test: the blood must be drawn at least 28 days after vaccination and at least 90 days (and within 12 months) before export, with a result of 0.5 IU/mL or higher. Add an ISO microchip, core vaccinations, a PALS cat licence, an AVS import licence, and a health certificate completed 2–7 days before export. Personal imports that arrive within 5 days of their owner and have lived with them for over 6 months skip quarantine entirely; otherwise a minimum 10-day home quarantine applies.

Cat: the United States → Hong Kong

Yes — and usually with no quarantine at all. The continental US sits in Hong Kong's Group II, so a fully compliant cat is exempt from quarantine on arrival. The discipline is in the order of operations: an AFCD Special Permit (Form AF240, HK$432) must be granted before you book travel, your cat must have lived in the US for the 180 days before export, and it must fly as manifested cargo — not in the cabin. Add a microchip, a rabies vaccination given 30 days to 1 year before export, full core vaccinations, and a USDA-endorsed health certificate (VC-DC2) issued within 14 days of departure.

Cat: the United States → Thailand

Yes — Thailand is one of the more forgiving Asian destinations: no rabies titer test and no routine quarantine for a compliant cat. What it does require is paperwork in the right order: an ISO microchip, rabies and feline panleukopenia vaccinations with primary shots at least 21 days old, a free DLD import permit applied for by email 7–60 days before departure, and a USDA-endorsed health certificate that is valid for only 10 days. Your cat must be at least 4 months old, you enter through an airport with an Animal Quarantine Station, and you pay a 500-baht licence fee per animal on arrival.

Ferrets leaving the United States

Ferret: the United States → the United Kingdom

Yes — a ferret travels to Great Britain on exactly the same framework as a dog or cat, and the United States is a listed country, so there is no rabies blood test and no quarantine when the paperwork is right. Your ferret needs an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination, and a Great Britain pet health certificate signed by an official veterinarian, and it must enter within 10 days of that certificate being issued, on an approved route. One dog rule does not carry over: the tapeworm treatment is for dogs only — ferrets are exempt.

Ferret: the United States → Germany

Yes — the EU regulates ferrets in the same breath as dogs and cats, under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, and Germany applies the standard EU entry rules. Because the United States is listed in Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636, your ferret does not need a rabies antibody titration test. It needs a microchip fitted before its rabies vaccination, a valid vaccination, and an EU animal health certificate issued by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA APHIS, and you enter through a designated travellers' point of entry. Ferrets are expressly exempt from the tapeworm treatment that applies to dogs.

Ferret: the United States → Canada

Yes — this is the simplest cross-border ferret move on the site. Canada requires no health certificate and no import permit for a pet ferret arriving from the United States, and US rules ask for nothing either. The one document that matters is a rabies vaccination certificate for a ferret aged 3 months or older: signed by a licensed veterinarian, identifying your ferret, and showing it was vaccinated within the 12 months before you cross. Ferrets under 3 months old face no import restrictions at all. The remaining check is provincial: Canada leaves the rules on keeping ferrets to the provinces, so confirm your destination province allows them.

Ferret: the United States → Japan

Yes — but a ferret does not enter Japan under the famous dog-and-cat quarantine system at all. Ferrets are covered by the notification system under Japan's Act on the Prevention of Infectious Diseases, run by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), not by the MAFF Animal Quarantine Service. There is no 40-day advance notification, no antibody test and no 180-day waiting period. What you need is a health certificate issued by the government authorities of the exporting country — for the US that means USDA endorsement — attesting that your ferret shows no signs of rabies, presented with a notification form at the quarantine station of your arrival airport. Get it wrong and the law is blunt: an animal that cannot comply is returned to its country of origin or destroyed.

Ferret: the United States → Australia

No. Australia does not allow pet ferrets to be imported — from the United States or from anywhere else. The Australian Border Force lists the only animals that can be imported as pets: selected bird species from New Zealand, cats and dogs from approved countries, horses, and rabbits from New Zealand only. Ferrets are not on that list, and the Department of Agriculture's position is that no other live animals or pets are eligible. There is no permit, quarantine or paperwork route that turns a pet ferret into an exception — the only ferret import conditions in Australia's BICON system cover laboratory animals, which must be housed for life at a scientific institution.

Ferret: the United States → New Zealand

No. New Zealand prohibits importing pet ferrets from every country, including the United States. New Zealand Customs lists ferrets among the animals you simply cannot bring in, and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is equally direct: besides cats and dogs, the only pets that can be imported are chinchillas from Great Britain and rabbits and guinea pigs from Australia — everything else, ferrets included, cannot be imported as a pet. There is no permit, quarantine or certificate route. Ferrets are a declared pest species in New Zealand, which is also why keeping them there is tightly restricted.

Pet birds leaving the United States

Bird: the United States → the United Kingdom

Yes — up to 5 pet birds can enter Great Britain from the US, but because the US is a non-EU trading partner you need an APHA import licence on top of the health certificate — birds are not covered by the dog/cat/ferret pet-travel scheme. Before departure you must complete one of APHIS's pre-export preparations (30 days confined under official supervision, or 10 days isolation plus a negative H5/H7 test — the vaccination option is not available for US birds, and a 30-day UK quarantine booking is the fallback), fly into Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow or Heathrow only, and notify APHA at least one working day before arrival. After entry the bird goes straight home but must not attend bird gatherings for 30 days. Start 6–8 weeks ahead, longer if your parrot needs CITES permits.

Bird: the United States → Germany

Yes — up to 5 pet birds can move from the US to Germany as a non-commercial move, but since 22 April 2026 the route runs on the EU's new pet-bird regime (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, Article 23). Before travel your bird must satisfy ONE of three avian-influenza safeguards — 30 days of official isolation in a listed country, a completed H5/H7 vaccination course 60 days to 6 months before dispatch, or 14 days of supervised isolation with a negative H5/H7 test — and after arrival it must spend a further 30 days isolated from other birds at your German home. A USDA-accredited vet must issue the new EU health certificate within 48 hours of departure and APHIS must endorse it; the certificate is valid 10 days. Start 6–8 weeks ahead (6 months if you plan to use the vaccination option).

Bird: the United States → Japan

Yes — conditionally, and through a completely different door from dogs and cats. Pet birds (parrots, parakeets, Java sparrows and similar non-poultry birds) enter Japan under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) notification system created by the Infectious Diseases Control Law — not the MAFF Animal Quarantine Service procedure used for dogs and cats. You need a US government health certificate and you file the import notification at the MHLW quarantine station for your arrival port. The catch is avian influenza: the bird must have spent its last 21 days in mosquito-proof holding inside an MHLW 'designated region', and when this page was checked on 12 November 2026 the United States was a designated region with bird imports suspended from 19 individual states — a bird kept in one of those states cannot enter until the suspension is lifted.

Bird: the United States → New Zealand

No — pet birds cannot be brought into New Zealand at all, from the United States or from anywhere else. New Zealand Customs lists live birds under the animals you can't bring in, and MPI — the biosecurity authority — states it directly: 'No imports of live birds are allowed.' There is no import health standard (IHS) for pet birds, and without an IHS there is no permit, certificate or quarantine pathway a pet owner can use. This is a species-level ban, not a paperwork problem.