Requirement
Minimum age for pet travel: what it is and who requires it
Pets must be old enough to travel. What a minimum age is, why authorities require it, and the exact requirement in every country we cover, quoted from the official source.
Updated 2026-10-12
Several destinations set a minimum age, because puppies and kittens cannot be vaccinated and tested until they are old enough. Counted together with the waiting periods, it often means the earliest possible travel date is months after birth.
What to watch for
- Ages are counted at different moments: at export, at arrival, or at the first vaccination. The destination page spells out which one.
- Some countries make exceptions for very young animals from low-risk countries. Switzerland and Brazil both describe one.
Who requires it, and exactly how
Each entry below is taken from the country’s rule file and links to the page it comes from. Where a rule only applies to some pets or origins, the condition is shown.
- Entering
Minimum age
The country you travel from is in the group: Group I — normally no quarantine or Group II — rabies vaccination; may be exempt from quarantine
Pets from Group I must be at least 60 days old; from Group II at least 5 months old. Females more than 4 weeks pregnant can't be imported.
“Dogs and cats less than 60 days old or more than 4 weeks pregnant must NOT be imported.”
- Entering
At least 3 months old when it arrives
For every pet
A dog or cat must be at least 3 months old when it is imported.
“Anjing atau kucing tidak boleh berusia kurang daripada 3 bulan semasa pengimportan.”
- Entering
More than four months old
For every pet
To get approval your pet must be older than four months.
“the age of pets must be above four months”
- Entering
At least 4 months old
For every pet
Your pet must be at least four months old.
“The pet must be at least 4 months old”
- Entering
At least 12 weeks old at export
For every pet
Your dog or cat must be at least 12 weeks old on the day it leaves for Singapore.
“Your dog/cat must be at least twelve (12) weeks of age at the time of export.”
- Entering
Minimum age
For every pet
From a low-risk country your pet must be at least 12 weeks old; from a high-risk country at least 15 weeks old.
“the minimum age for importing from the high risk countries is not less than 15 weeks”
- Entering
Dog at least 6 months old
Your pet is a dog
Dogs must be at least 6 months old when they enter or return to the U.S.
“Dogs must be at least 6 months old at time of entry or return to the U.S.”
- Entering
Proof of your pet's age
Your pet is a dog or cat and your pet is under 3 months old on arrival
Pets under 3 months old don't need a rabies vaccination for Canada, but you need proof of their age from a veterinarian.
“proof of the dog's age (you get this from a veterinarian)”