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Bringing a cat from the United States to 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.
1 pet
Per traveler
One dog or cat per person, per entry
2 shots
Rabies vaccinations
Lifetime total, and current on arrival
≥0.5 IU/mL
Titer result
5 recognised US labs; valid 1 year from sampling
14 days
Health cert window
Issued within 14 days of arrival in China

Step-by-step checklist

Requirements — Cat · the United States → China
StepWhat to doWhen
MicrochipImplant an ISO 11784/11785 (15-digit) microchip. If the chip is not ISO compliant, you must travel with your own reader. China's customs (GACC) will not exempt an unchipped cat from quarantine. Before anything else
Rabies vaccinations — two in a lifetimeYour cat must have been vaccinated against rabies at least twice in its life and be current on the day of arrival. The original current rabies certificate travels with the cat — Chinese quarantine officials may keep it, so carry photocopies too. Both before the titer test
Rabies titer testBlood test at one of the five laboratories China recognises in the US (including Kansas State University Rabies Laboratory and the DoD laboratory). Result must be 0.5 IU/mL or higher. The sample must be drawn on the same day as, or after, the second rabies vaccination, and is valid for up to one year from the sampling date. After vaccination #2
Health certificate + USDA endorsementChina-specific cat certificate issued by a USDA-accredited vet within 14 days of your arrival in China and endorsed electronically by USDA-APHIS through VEHCS (digital endorsement is accepted on this route — print the endorsed copy). One cat per certificate, and the traveler's name on it must match the passport. Final 14 days
Arrival documentsPresent the printed endorsed health certificate, the original rabies vaccination certificate, the original titer laboratory report, one photocopy of your passport, and a printed photo of your cat at the GACC (customs) office at the airport. Officials may keep the originals. On arrival

Your preparation timeline

  1. 1~3 months out — Microchip, and confirm two lifetime rabies vaccinations are on record (give the second shot now if not)
  2. 2After vaccination #2 — Titer blood draw at a recognised laboratory; result valid for one year
  3. 3Final 14 days — USDA-accredited vet issues the health certificate; APHIS endorses it digitally in VEHCS
  4. 4Arrival — GACC inspection at any port — released without quarantine if every document checks out
The mistake that causes trouble on this route: Assuming the mainland US gets the easy treatment. It doesn't: in China's system the mainland US is a non-designated region — only Hawaii and Guam are on China's designated list. That is why the titer test is mandatory for mainland pets, and why a missing document doesn't just mean a fine: it means a designated port and 30 days of quarantine.

Costs you can plan for

GACC does not publish a pet-import fee schedule on its official pages, so we do not quote Chinese government fees here. The costs you can plan for are the US-side ones — two rabies vaccinations if they are not already on record, the titer test at a recognised laboratory, USDA endorsement, and the flight — plus, if your cat falls into the quarantine path, 30 days of quarantine boarding at your expense at a designated facility. That fallback, not the paperwork, is the real financial risk on this route.

✈️ 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 the United States a 'designated country' for China?

The mainland is not. China's designated list (19 countries and regions) includes Hawaii and Guam but not the continental US. Mainland pets therefore follow the non-designated path: microchip, two rabies vaccinations, a passing titer report from a recognised laboratory, and a health certificate — and in exchange they are exempt from quarantine at any port of entry.

Can I bring two cats, or a dog and a cat?

Not on one trip. China allows each traveler to bring exactly one pet (a dog or a cat) per entry. A second pet needs a second traveler, with that pet's documents in the second traveler's name.

What happens if my paperwork is incomplete on arrival?

Your cat can only enter through a port with a quarantine facility (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and a few others) and must complete 30 days of quarantine at your expense. USDA's China page warns that a pet that can neither qualify for exemption nor enter through a designated port will be returned to the United States or euthanized — do not fly until the file is complete.

How long is the titer result valid for China?

One year from the blood sampling date, and your cat must arrive in China while both the titer and the rabies vaccination are still valid. Under China's rules, if the rabies vaccination is boosted while the titer is still valid, the titer result remains valid.

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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