Pet travel route
Dog or cat from China to Ecuador: official requirements
Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least 2 weeks ahead for a dog. The main steps: rabies vaccination valid on arrival (a first vaccination at least 14 days before), dogs: distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus vaccinations valid on arrival and vet examination within 10 days before the trip and 4 more.
Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 6 official pages
In short
- Dogs and cats differ on this route: choose Dog or Cat to see just yours.
- On this route: parasite treatment before travel and official stamp on the certificate.
Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving 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.
At a glance
How early to start (dogs)
2 weeks
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet
Set by: Rabies vaccination valid on arrival (a first vaccination at least 14 days before) (a first vaccination at least 14 days before arrival)
10 days
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
Set by: Apply online to customs ("Internet + Customs"): Shanghai Customs recommends 10 to 14 days before departure (Shanghai Customs recommends applying 10 to 14 days before departure)
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route (dogs)
- Parasite treatment before travel
- Official stamp on the certificate
Part of this route is still under review, so we don’t say what it doesn’t need.
How early to start (cats)
2 weeks
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet
Set by: Rabies vaccination valid on arrival (a first vaccination at least 14 days before) (a first vaccination at least 14 days before arrival)
10 days
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
Set by: Apply online to customs ("Internet + Customs"): Shanghai Customs recommends 10 to 14 days before departure (Shanghai Customs recommends applying 10 to 14 days before departure)
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route (cats)
- Parasite treatment before travel
- Official stamp on the certificate
Part of this route is still under review, so we don’t say what it doesn’t need.
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Rule change for pets travelling from China to Ecuador
Leaving rules: China, Taiwan, Thailand, South Africa and Kenya (short summaries, under review). Tap to see what changed.
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China → Ecuador
What your pet needs
In the order you do them. Each step says whether China (leaving) or Ecuador (entering) asks for it.
Dogs
Taking a dog or cat out of China (customs Animal Health Certificate): we summarised this from a short or older official page and it is still under review, so it may be incomplete.
Get ready
Age ruleEntering Ecuador
Older than 4 months, identified by name, tattoo or microchip
Your dog or cat must be older than 4 months when it enters Ecuador and be identified by its name, a tattoo or a microchip.
Details and the official words
“Los animales de compañía convencionales deberán tener una edad mayor a 4 meses y estar identificados mediante nombre, tatuaje o un microchip.”
VaccinationEntering Ecuador
Rabies vaccination valid on arrival (a first vaccination at least 14 days before)
Your pet's rabies vaccination must be valid when it arrives in Ecuador. If it is your pet's first rabies vaccination, at least 14 days must have passed since it was given.
Details and the official words
“Las siguientes vacunas tienen que encontrarse vigentes al arribo de los animales al país bajo las siguientes consideraciones:”
“Rabia. - Únicamente para esta enfermedad, en caso de ser la primera vacunación del animal para su ingreso al país, al menos deberá haber pasado catorce (14) días desde el día de la aplicación de la vacuna.”
VaccinationEntering Ecuador
Dogs: distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus vaccinations valid on arrival
Your dog's vaccinations against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus must be valid when it arrives in Ecuador.
Details and the official words
“Las siguientes vacunas tienen que encontrarse vigentes al arribo de los animales al país bajo las siguientes consideraciones:”
“Enfermedad de carré (Distemper)”
“Parvovirosis”
In the days before you travel
Vet examEntering Ecuador
Vet examination within 10 days before the trip
A vet recognised by your country's official veterinary service examines your pet within the 10 days before the trip and finds it free of signs of infectious or parasitic disease and of healing wounds. The certificate gives the species, age, breed, sex and coat colour.
Details and the official words
“El animal fue sometido a un examen clínico por parte de un médico veterinario reconocido por el Servicio veterinario oficial del país de origen dentro de los 10 días previos al viaje y que al momento de realizar el mismo, éste se encontró libre de signos clínicos de enfermedades infectocontagiosas, parasitarias, así como, de la presencia de heridas en procesos de cicatrización”
Vet examLeaving China
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.”
TreatmentEntering Ecuador
Internal and external parasite treatment within 21 days before boarding
Your pet is treated against internal and external parasites within the 21 days before boarding, with products authorised in your country. The certificate gives the product name, active ingredient and date.
Details and the official words
“El animal recibió un tratamiento antiparasitario interno y externo dentro de los veintiún (21) días previos al embarque con productos autorizados para su uso en el país de origen, detallando nombre del producto, principio activo, y la fecha de aplicación.”
PaperworkChina and Ecuador
Official export health certificate, issued at most 10 days before arrival
The official veterinary service of your pet's country issues (or endorses) an export health certificate, in Spanish or English, stating that your pet meets Ecuador's requirements. It must be issued no more than 10 calendar days before your pet enters Ecuador. Show it on arrival: for a pet in the cabin, with your checked luggage or crossing a land border, it is the only document needed.
Details and the official words
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).
“El animal estará amparado por un Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación expedido o avalado por el Servicio Veterinario Oficial del país de origen con fecha de emisión no mayor a diez (10) días calendario previos al ingreso de los animales al Ecuador, mismo que deberá presentarse en idioma español o inglés.”
“Para ingresar a Ecuador debe presentar el Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación de su perro y/o gato otorgado por el Servicio Veterinario Oficial del país de origen, el mismo deberá presentarse en idioma español o inglés, detallando el cumpliendo de los requisitos sanitarios exigidos por Ecuador.”
“Cuando el perro o gato arribe al país en la cabina del avión junto al pasajero o por un paso fronterizo terrestre, no necesitará obtener el Permiso Zoosanitario de Importación, pero obligatoriamente deberá presentar el Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación emitido en el país de origen.”
“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.”
Official stampLeaving China
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.”
Good to know
- These are Agrocalidad's rules for entering mainland Ecuador. The Galápagos Islands have their own biosecurity agency (ABG), which controls what animals may be brought to the islands: ask ABG before planning to take a dog or cat there. We don't cover the Galápagos.
- A pet in the cabin, delivered with your checked luggage, or crossing a land border only needs the export health certificate. If your pet flies in the cargo hold, it also needs an import permit: see the permit step (email the arrival airport 72 hours before arrival).
- If one of the required vaccines isn't approved for use in your pet's country, the export certificate must say so and you must have your pet vaccinated during your stay in Ecuador.
- If your pet will go back to a country that asks for a rabies antibody blood test (at least 0.5 IU/ml, at a lab approved by that country) or a microchip, check this before you travel to Ecuador.
- 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.
Cats
Taking a dog or cat out of China (customs Animal Health Certificate): we summarised this from a short or older official page and it is still under review, so it may be incomplete.
Get ready
Age ruleEntering Ecuador
Older than 4 months, identified by name, tattoo or microchip
Your dog or cat must be older than 4 months when it enters Ecuador and be identified by its name, a tattoo or a microchip.
Details and the official words
“Los animales de compañía convencionales deberán tener una edad mayor a 4 meses y estar identificados mediante nombre, tatuaje o un microchip.”
VaccinationEntering Ecuador
Rabies vaccination valid on arrival (a first vaccination at least 14 days before)
Your pet's rabies vaccination must be valid when it arrives in Ecuador. If it is your pet's first rabies vaccination, at least 14 days must have passed since it was given.
Details and the official words
“Las siguientes vacunas tienen que encontrarse vigentes al arribo de los animales al país bajo las siguientes consideraciones:”
“Rabia. - Únicamente para esta enfermedad, en caso de ser la primera vacunación del animal para su ingreso al país, al menos deberá haber pasado catorce (14) días desde el día de la aplicación de la vacuna.”
VaccinationEntering Ecuador
Cats: panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus vaccinations valid on arrival
Your cat's vaccinations against feline panleukopenia, feline viral rhinotracheitis and feline calicivirus must be valid when it arrives in Ecuador.
Details and the official words
“Las siguientes vacunas tienen que encontrarse vigentes al arribo de los animales al país bajo las siguientes consideraciones:”
“Panleucopenia felina”
“Rinotraqueitis viral felina”
“Calicivirus felino”
In the days before you travel
Vet examEntering Ecuador
Vet examination within 10 days before the trip
A vet recognised by your country's official veterinary service examines your pet within the 10 days before the trip and finds it free of signs of infectious or parasitic disease and of healing wounds. The certificate gives the species, age, breed, sex and coat colour.
Details and the official words
“El animal fue sometido a un examen clínico por parte de un médico veterinario reconocido por el Servicio veterinario oficial del país de origen dentro de los 10 días previos al viaje y que al momento de realizar el mismo, éste se encontró libre de signos clínicos de enfermedades infectocontagiosas, parasitarias, así como, de la presencia de heridas en procesos de cicatrización”
Vet examLeaving China
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.”
TreatmentEntering Ecuador
Internal and external parasite treatment within 21 days before boarding
Your pet is treated against internal and external parasites within the 21 days before boarding, with products authorised in your country. The certificate gives the product name, active ingredient and date.
Details and the official words
“El animal recibió un tratamiento antiparasitario interno y externo dentro de los veintiún (21) días previos al embarque con productos autorizados para su uso en el país de origen, detallando nombre del producto, principio activo, y la fecha de aplicación.”
PaperworkChina and Ecuador
Official export health certificate, issued at most 10 days before arrival
The official veterinary service of your pet's country issues (or endorses) an export health certificate, in Spanish or English, stating that your pet meets Ecuador's requirements. It must be issued no more than 10 calendar days before your pet enters Ecuador. Show it on arrival: for a pet in the cabin, with your checked luggage or crossing a land border, it is the only document needed.
Details and the official words
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).
“El animal estará amparado por un Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación expedido o avalado por el Servicio Veterinario Oficial del país de origen con fecha de emisión no mayor a diez (10) días calendario previos al ingreso de los animales al Ecuador, mismo que deberá presentarse en idioma español o inglés.”
“Para ingresar a Ecuador debe presentar el Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación de su perro y/o gato otorgado por el Servicio Veterinario Oficial del país de origen, el mismo deberá presentarse en idioma español o inglés, detallando el cumpliendo de los requisitos sanitarios exigidos por Ecuador.”
“Cuando el perro o gato arribe al país en la cabina del avión junto al pasajero o por un paso fronterizo terrestre, no necesitará obtener el Permiso Zoosanitario de Importación, pero obligatoriamente deberá presentar el Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación emitido en el país de origen.”
“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.”
Official stampLeaving China
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.”
Good to know
- These are Agrocalidad's rules for entering mainland Ecuador. The Galápagos Islands have their own biosecurity agency (ABG), which controls what animals may be brought to the islands: ask ABG before planning to take a dog or cat there. We don't cover the Galápagos.
- A pet in the cabin, delivered with your checked luggage, or crossing a land border only needs the export health certificate. If your pet flies in the cargo hold, it also needs an import permit: see the permit step (email the arrival airport 72 hours before arrival).
- If one of the required vaccines isn't approved for use in your pet's country, the export certificate must say so and you must have your pet vaccinated during your stay in Ecuador.
- If your pet will go back to a country that asks for a rabies antibody blood test (at least 0.5 IU/ml, at a lab approved by that country) or a microchip, check this before you travel to Ecuador.
- 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.
Money
What it costs
Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in China publish for the steps above. The two are never added together.
Government fees on this route
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.
Round trip
Coming back to China
Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves China.
The trip back asks for 7 steps: electronic microchip, rabies vaccination certificate, rabies antibody test report (pets from non-designated countries) and official clinical inspection within 14 days before arrival and more.
Nearby routes
Other routes
Where this comes from
Official sources
- Ingreso al Ecuador de animales de compañía (perros y gatos) (Agrocalidad)
- Requisitos zoosanitarios para la importación de animales de compañía (Agrocalidad, March 2026)
- Agencia de Regulación y Control de la Bioseguridad y Cuarentena para Galápagos: trámites (gob.ec)
- How to get a pet's health certificate for overseas travel (Shanghai Municipal People's Government, source: Shanghai Customs, 9 September 2025)
- How do I get an animal health certificate for my pet? (Shanghai government Q&A, source: Shanghai Customs, 23 September 2026)
- Customs and quarantine requirements for pets entering or leaving China via Pudong airport (Shanghai government Q&A, source: Shanghai Customs, 18 August 2026)
Last checked against the official pages: 2026-10-13.
Questions owners ask
Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from China to Ecuador?
We couldn't find this in our summary of the rules, but that summary is short and still under review. Ask the official authority before you rely on it.
Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into Ecuador?
We couldn't find this in our summary of the rules, but that summary is short and still under review. Ask the official authority before you rely on it.
Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Ecuador?
We couldn't find this in our summary of the rules, but that summary is short and still under review. Ask the official authority before you rely on it.
How early should I start preparing my pet for China to Ecuador?
With nothing done yet, start at least 2 weeks ahead for a dog. The main steps: rabies vaccination valid on arrival (a first vaccination at least 14 days before), dogs: distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus vaccinations valid on arrival and vet examination within 10 days before the trip and 4 more.
Every rule here is quoted from the official page and checked word for word; not legal advice. How we verify · Report a mistake
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