What you need to know
China lets you bring one dog or one cat per person per trip. The animal must have an electronic chip, an official health certificate and a rabies vaccination certificate. The rules come from Customs Announcement No. 5 of 2019, in force since 1 May 2019.
What to prepare
- an electronic chip implanted in the pet
- a valid health certificate from the official animal quarantine body of the country or region you leave
- a rabies vaccination certificate
- for a pet from a country or region that is not on Customs' designated list: a rabies antibody test report from a laboratory Customs accepts, with a titre of 0.5 IU/ml or higher
Quarantine
A pet is quarantined for 30 days at a facility Customs designates, and the time it is held on arrival counts. Pets that need quarantine can enter only through a port with quarantine facilities.
These pets can skip quarantine if they pass the inspection at the port: a pet from a designated country or region with a valid chip; a pet from any other country with a valid chip and an accepted antibody report; and guide dogs, hearing dogs and search-and-rescue dogs with a valid chip and proof of the owner's status and the dog's training.
When a pet is returned or destroyed
Customs can order the animal returned or destroyed if you bring more than one, lack a health or rabies certificate, arrive with a pet that needs quarantine at a port without facilities, or the pet fails quarantine. A pet ordered returned must leave within the deadline, or it counts as abandoned.
Check before you fly
The list of designated countries, the accepted laboratories and the ports with quarantine facilities are attachments that Customs updates. The source does not list them here; read the current versions on the Customs website, and check the airline's own rules for pets.
The source is listed below with the date it was opened.
Practical facts
Documents to bring
- Valid health certificate from the official animal quarantine body of the exporting country or region original Shown to Customs on arrival[1]
- Rabies vaccination certificate original Shown to Customs on arrival[1]
- Rabies antibody test report from a laboratory Customs accepts original Needed only for pets from countries or regions that are not on Customs' designated list[1]
Steps
- Plan one dog or one cat per person per trip. More than that is returned or destroyed.[1]
- Have an electronic chip implanted in the pet.[1]
- Get the official health certificate and the rabies vaccination certificate from the country you leave.[1]
- If you leave from a country or region not on Customs' designated list, also get a rabies antibody test from a laboratory Customs accepts. The antibody level must be 0.5 IU/ml or higher.[1]
- Enter through a port that has quarantine facilities unless your pet qualifies to skip quarantine.[1]
- Declare the pet to Customs on arrival and show the certificates. A pet that does not qualify for an exemption is quarantined for 30 days at a facility Customs designates.[1]
Official sources
- General Administration of Customs: 海关总署公告2019年第5号（关于进一步规范携带宠物入境检疫监管工作的公告） (Announcement No. 5 of 2019, effective 2019-05-01) (www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2019-11/04/content_5448320.htm) · accessed 10/21/2026