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Exit guide

Taking a dog or cat out of China: official requirements

What China asks before a dog or cat leaves: the steps and their timing, every destination with how long it takes, and coming back.

Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 3 official pages

Exit rules: short summary, under reviewAuthority: General Administration of Customs of China
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In short

Limited official guidance. General Administration of Customs of China publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. This is Shanghai Customs' procedure, as published on the Shanghai government's English portal (guide of September 2025 and answers from 2026). China's customs sites block automated readers and the national online service needs a login, so we could not read customs' own national guidance. Other cities' customs offices may use other inspection sites, documents and lead times, and the 10–14 and 7–10 day timings are Shanghai Customs' recommendations, not fixed rules. Check with the customs office where you live (hotline 12360) before you travel.

Under review. Part of this process is not yet confirmed. Ask the official authority how it works for your route.

Prefer a feed reader? China rule changes

Show only the rules for your pet

Choose your animal and where it is going, and this page hides the rules that can’t apply. Rules that depend on your pet’s age or your route stay, marked “Applies when”.

Going to

Leaving China

The steps

What the authorities in China ask before your pet leaves, mostly the health certificate and who has to sign or endorse it.

  1. Official stamp

    Apply online to customs ("Internet + Customs"): Shanghai Customs recommends 10 to 14 days before departure

    Register on the "Internet + Customs" platform (online.customs.gov.cn) with your passport or ID and apply under "携带出境宠物检疫" (Quarantine Service For Non-Commercial Export of Pet). Enter your details, your pet's and its rabies vaccination history, and upload a valid rabies vaccination certificate, a photo of your pet and, if your destination needs one, a rabies antibody test report from a government-recognised laboratory. Customs usually reviews it within three working days; once it is approved, book the on-site inspection.

    Details and the official words

    “Customs recommends filing the online application 10 to 14 days before departure, and completing the physical inspection seven to 10 days before travel.”

    “you must submit an application in advance through the "互联网+海关 (Internet + Customs)" platform, under the "携带出境宠物检疫 (Quarantine for Pets Carried Out of China)" section.”

    “First-time users need to register — individuals with their passport or ID, and businesses with an IC card.”

    “These include a valid rabies vaccination certificate, a pet photo, and in some cases, a rabies antibody test report from a government-recognized lab.”

    “Once submitted, the application is usually reviewed within three working days.”

  2. Vet exam

    On-site health check by customs: Shanghai Customs recommends 7 to 10 days before travel

    At the appointed time, bring your pet and all original documents (passport, dog licence, vaccination booklet, antibody test report) to the customs inspection site: in Shanghai, Huangpu Customs' Sanmen Road office (No 617 Sanmen Road, Baoshan district). Customs checks that your pet matches your application and examines its health.

    Details and the official words

    “Every pet must undergo a health check.”

    “In Shanghai, this inspection takes place at the Sanmen Road Customs Office”

    “Attend the quarantine check: Bring your passport, dog license, vaccination booklet, antibody test report and your pet to the Sanmen Road Customs Office at the appointed time.”

    “Customs officers will confirm that the pet matches the submitted records and check its overall health.”

  3. Paperwork

    Customs Animal Health Certificate (needed for every pet leaving China)

    If your pet passes the inspection, customs issues the Animal Health Certificate within about three working days. In Shanghai, collect it at Huangpu Customs' Customs Clearance Service Hall (7F, No 8 Middle Huaihai Road) with the collection slip and your passport; someone collecting for you needs a signed authorisation letter, their own ID and a copy of your passport. Without this certificate your pet can't leave China. It is usually valid for 14 days (10 days for the EU).

    Details and the official words

    “Without it, pets won't be allowed out of China, and in some cases, they may even be refused entry upon arrival.”

    “If the inspection is cleared, the certificate will be ready in about three working days.”

    “The processing time will not exceed three working days.”

    “The collection slip and passport are required.”

    “If someone else is collecting on the owner's behalf, they must present a signed authorization letter, their own ID and a copy of the owner's passport.”

    “The certificate itself is only valid for a short time — usually 14 days, and just 10 days for the European Union.”

From the rule file

When each step happens

The timing rules for each step, in plain words. The planner turns them into dates for your flight.

  • Apply online to customs ("Internet + Customs"): Shanghai Customs recommends 10 to 14 days before departure

    • Between 14 days and 10 days before departure

  • On-site health check by customs: Shanghai Customs recommends 7 to 10 days before travel

    • Between 10 days and 7 days before departure

Worked out from the rules

Where you can go from China, and how long it takes

How each destination we cover treats pets from China, as its authority names the group, and the least time its official waits allow. Tap a destination for the full route.

47 destinations

Destination (dogs)Your pet’s group there · entry feesAlready vaccinatedNothing done yet
Up to a month · 25Bahrain, Canada, Costa Rica, Indonesia…BahrainEntry fees: 5 BHDAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 10 daysCanadaCountry not on Canada’s rabies-free listAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 10 daysCosta RicaAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 10 daysIndonesiaunder reviewEntry fees: 25,000 IDRAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 10 daysMexicoAny other countryAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 10 daysPeruEntry fees: 98.60 PENAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 10 daysSouth KoreaCountry not on South Korea’s rabies-free listAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 10 daysVietnamAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 10 daysEcuadorAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 2 weeksMalaysiaNon-scheduled countryEntry fees: 40 MYRAlready vaccinated: 2 weeksNothing done yet: 2 weeksSaudi ArabiaAlready vaccinated: 2 weeksNothing done yet: 2 weeksArgentinaAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 3 weeksBrazilAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 3 weeksChileAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 3 weeksColombiaEntry fees: 78,200 COPAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 3 weeksUnited Arab EmiratesCountry not on the UAE’s low-risk listEntry fees: 700 AEDAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 3 weeksUruguayAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 3 weeksThailandunder reviewAlready vaccinated: 3 weeksNothing done yet: 3 weeksPhilippinesunder reviewAlready vaccinated: 2 weeksNothing done yet: 4 weeksDominican RepublicAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 4 weeksMoroccounder reviewAny other countryAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 4 weeksPanamaEntry fees: 65 USDAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 4 weeksQatarAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 4 weeksSouth Africaunder reviewCountry whose dogs are quarantinedEntry fees: 230 ZARAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 4 weeksIndiaEntry fees: 1,000 INRAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 4 weeks
1 to 3 months · 4Israel, United States, Hawaii (US), TaiwanIsraelunder reviewAlready vaccinated: 10 daysNothing done yet: 5 weeksUnited StatesCountry at high risk for dog rabiesAlready vaccinated: 4 weeksNothing done yet: 8 weeksHawaii (US)Already vaccinated: 4 weeksNothing done yet: 9 weeksTaiwanunder reviewCountry not on Taiwan’s rabies-free listAlready vaccinated: about 3 monthsNothing done yet: about 3 months
3 to 6 months · 11Singapore, European Union, Hong Kong SAR China, Iceland…SingaporeSchedule III countryEntry fees: 50 SGDAlready vaccinated: about 3 monthsNothing done yet: about 4 monthsEuropean UnionUnlisted countryAlready vaccinated: about 3 monthsNothing done yet: about 4 monthsHong Kong SAR ChinaGroup IIIA placeEntry fees: 432 HKDAlready vaccinated: about 3 monthsNothing done yet: about 4 monthsIcelandCountry Iceland has not approvedEntry fees: 39,633 ISKAlready vaccinated: about 3 monthsNothing done yet: about 4 monthsNorthern Ireland (UK)Unlisted countryAlready vaccinated: about 3 monthsNothing done yet: about 4 monthsNorwayUnlisted third countryAlready vaccinated: about 3 monthsNothing done yet: about 4 monthsSerbiaUnlisted countryAlready vaccinated: about 3 monthsNothing done yet: about 4 monthsSwitzerlandGroup 3 (rabies risk) countryEntry fees: 60 CHFAlready vaccinated: about 3 monthsNothing done yet: about 4 monthsTürkiyeAlready vaccinated: about 3 monthsNothing done yet: about 4 monthsUnited KingdomUnlisted countryAlready vaccinated: about 3 monthsNothing done yet: about 4 monthsOmanEntry fees: 20 OMRAlready vaccinated: about 4 monthsNothing done yet: about 4 months
More than 6 months · 2Kenya, JapanKenyaunder reviewAlready vaccinated: about 3 monthsNothing done yet: about 6 monthsJapanNon-designated regionAlready vaccinated: about 6 monthsNothing done yet: about 7 months
Not possible, or not covered yet · 5Australia, Bali (Indonesia), Egypt, Kuwait…AustraliaCountry Australia has not approvedAlready vaccinated: —Nothing done yet: Not possibleBali (Indonesia)Already vaccinated: —Nothing done yet: Not possibleEgyptunder reviewAlready vaccinated: —Nothing done yet: Not covered yetKuwaitunder reviewAlready vaccinated: —Nothing done yet: Not covered yetNew ZealandCountry New Zealand has not approvedAlready vaccinated: —Nothing done yet: Not possible

For a dog; choose Cat above for cats. Grouped by the time for a pet with nothing done yet. “Already vaccinated”: microchipped, with a rabies vaccination still valid. Only the official waiting periods are counted: “No official wait” still means vet visits and paperwork, and appointment times come on top. Hover over a time to see the rule that sets it.

Money

What it costs to leave China

China’s government fees for a pet leaving, exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in China publish. The destination’s own fees come on top: they are in the table above and on each route.

Government fees when leaving China

No government fee is published on the official pages we use for this trip. That doesn’t always mean it’s free: ask the authority.

What vets and labs charge Not official figures

We have no published vet or lab prices for China yet.

Prices that businesses publish on their own pages, quoted as we read them; yours can differ. Ranges are the lowest to highest of these examples, never our estimate. How we collect prices

Airline fees aren’t included: check your airline’s pet page.

Notes

Good to know

  • Customs checks your pet against your destination's requirements (vaccination timing, rabies blood test, deworming and so on) and refuses the certificate if the paperwork is incomplete or doesn't meet them. It can also stop the inspection if your pet seems sick or behaves aggressively.
  • In Shanghai, a dog needs its Shanghai Dog Registration Certificate (dog licence), and a cat's owner may need to show proof of residence in Shanghai if the cat was vaccinated elsewhere.
  • Customs at Shanghai Pudong airport does no extra quarantine inspection of pets leaving: the Animal Health Certificate is arranged beforehand with Huangpu Customs (+86 21 6889 4323).
  • Shanghai Customs' hotlines for dogs and cats leaving China: applications 021-962116; on-site inspection 021-6889 0453.

Where this comes from

Official sources

General Administration of Customs of China (GACC)

Last checked 2026-10-13. Next re-check due by 2026-11-12.

Plan a trip from ChinaReport a mistakeGet rule-change alerts

Questions owners ask

What do I need to take my dog or cat out of China?

On the China side: apply online to customs ("Internet + Customs"): Shanghai Customs recommends 10 to 14 days before departure, on-site health check by customs: Shanghai Customs recommends 7 to 10 days before travel and Customs Animal Health Certificate (needed for every pet leaving China). The destination’s own requirements come on top; the route pages combine both.

Who signs the export paperwork in China?

Register on the "Internet + Customs" platform (online.customs.gov.cn) with your passport or ID and apply under "携带出境宠物检疫" (Quarantine Service For…

How early should I start when leaving China?

It depends on where you go. For a dog with nothing done yet, the official waiting periods allow Bahrain, Canada and Costa Rica in 10 days, and Japan in about 7 months. Vet and appointment times come on top.

How this page is made

The explanations are ours, in plain English. Every rule, number and quote about a country comes from a rule file we have checked word for word against the government’s own page, and it changes when that page changes. Rules are summarised, not legal advice: confirm with the authority and your vet before you travel. How we verify · Report a mistake

Read next

Turn this into dates for your pet

Where from, where to, when. You get every step with its deadline and the official page it comes from.

Make a dated plan