Pet travel route
Dog or cat from China to Panama: official requirements
Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least 4 weeks ahead for a dog. The main steps: rabies vaccination from 3 months old, at least 30 days before the trip, dogs: distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus vaccinations and on-site health check by customs: Shanghai Customs recommends 7 to 10 days before travel and 4 more.
Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 5 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, official stamp on the certificate and tell the authority in advance.
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)
4 weeks
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet
Set by: Rabies vaccination from 3 months old, at least 30 days before the trip (30 days before the trip)
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
- Tell the authority in advance
Part of this route is still under review, so we don’t say what it doesn’t need.
How early to start (cats)
4 weeks
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet
Set by: Rabies vaccination from 3 months old, at least 30 days before the trip (30 days before the trip)
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
- Tell the authority in advance
Part of this route is still under review, so we don’t say what it doesn’t need.
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China → Panama
What your pet needs
In the order you do them. Each step says whether China (leaving) or Panama (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
VaccinationEntering Panama
Rabies vaccination from 3 months old, at least 30 days before the trip
Your pet is vaccinated against rabies from 3 months of age, at least 30 days before the trip for a young animal; for an adult the vaccination must be within its validity. The vaccination card shows the dates, brand, batch and expiry.
Details and the official words
The page ties the 30 days to young animals ('cachorros'). We also apply it to an adult's first vaccination, to be safe: ask MIDA if your adult pet's first rabies vaccination was less than 30 days before the trip.
“La vacuna antirrábica para caninos, felinos y hurones ha sido aplicada a partir de los tres (3) meses de edad y con treinta (30) días previos al viaje (cachorros). Y en los animales adultos las vacunas estén dentro del periodo de vigencia.”
“Indicar las fechas de vacunación, marca, lote y fecha de expiración en su cartilla de vacunación.”
VaccinationEntering Panama
Dogs: distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus vaccinations
Before the trip your dog must also be vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus.
Details and the official words
“Caninos: RABIA, DISTEMPER, HEPATITIS, LEPTOSPIROSIS, PARVOVIRUS.”
In the days before you travel
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 Panama
Internal and external parasite treatments before boarding
Your pet is treated against internal and external parasites before boarding, and the treatments are stated in its documents. The pages give no time window: ask your vet.
Details and the official words
“Indicar los tratamientos endo y ectoparasitarios realizados previos al embarque.”
PaperworkChina and Panama
Official export health certificate, apostilled, at most 30 days old
The health authority of the country your pet comes from issues an official export health certificate stating that the pet was examined and is in good health. It must be legalised with an apostille (or by a Panamanian consulate) and be no more than 30 days old.
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).
“Documento oficial “Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación”, expedido por la Autoridad Sanitaria del país de procedencia, legalizados mediante “Apostillado” por Cancillería o Consularizado en oficinas diplomáticas panameñas con un máximo de treinta (30) días de emisión, donde conste que las mascotas (Perros, gatos y hurones) han sido examinados clínicamente presentando buen estado de salud.”
“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.”
NoticeEntering Panama
Tell MINSA 3 to 5 business days before your pet arrives
Email cam@minsa.gob.pa 3 to 5 business days before arrival with the request for entry of dogs, cats and ferrets, the export health certificate and the vaccination card.
Details and the official words
The 2026 pages name a 'Solicitud de Ingreso de Perros, Gatos y Hurones' form that we couldn't find online: ask MINSA for it.
“Notificar de 3 a 5 días hábiles anticipadamente, la llegada de su mascota, enviando “la Solicitud de Ingreso de Perros, Gatos y Hurones, el Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación del país de procedencia y la cartilla de vacunación”.”
“Enviarlo a cam@minsa.gob.pa”
Travel day and arrival
On arrivalEntering Panama
Checks at Tocumen airport: MIDA quarantine and MINSA zoonosis offices
At Tocumen International Airport, go to MIDA's agricultural quarantine office and then MINSA's zoonosis office with your pet and documents, and pay in cash: MIDA's import licence (10 per species) and inspection (15 per animal), and MINSA's entry and inspection fee (40 per animal).
Details and the official words
“Pasos a seguir en Panamá – Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen, presentarse en:”
“B/. 10.00 (dólares) en efectivo por concepto de “Licencia Fito‐zoosanitaria de Importación”; (1) una licencia por especie.”
“B/. 15.00 (dólares) en efectivo por la Inspección Veterinaria por animal.”
“Ingreso de animales menores e inspección veterinaria: B/. 40 (dólares) en efectivo por animal.”
Good to know
- If strict home quarantine is required, MINSA charges 130 balboas (US dollars) instead of 40. The 2026 pages don't say when it is required or for how long (an older MINSA form from 2013 said 40 days). Ask MINSA (cam@minsa.gob.pa) when you send your advance notice.
- If any requirement isn't met, your pet will be held and/or sent back by the airline it arrived on.
- Your pet must not have fresh or healing wounds.
- All fees at Tocumen are paid in cash (balboas, at par with US dollars). MIDA's office is open 24 hours; MINSA's zoonosis office is open every day from 7 am to 10 pm.
- 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
VaccinationEntering Panama
Rabies vaccination from 3 months old, at least 30 days before the trip
Your pet is vaccinated against rabies from 3 months of age, at least 30 days before the trip for a young animal; for an adult the vaccination must be within its validity. The vaccination card shows the dates, brand, batch and expiry.
Details and the official words
The page ties the 30 days to young animals ('cachorros'). We also apply it to an adult's first vaccination, to be safe: ask MIDA if your adult pet's first rabies vaccination was less than 30 days before the trip.
“La vacuna antirrábica para caninos, felinos y hurones ha sido aplicada a partir de los tres (3) meses de edad y con treinta (30) días previos al viaje (cachorros). Y en los animales adultos las vacunas estén dentro del periodo de vigencia.”
“Indicar las fechas de vacunación, marca, lote y fecha de expiración en su cartilla de vacunación.”
VaccinationEntering Panama
Cats: rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia vaccinations
Before the trip your cat must also be vaccinated against feline viral rhinotracheitis, feline calicivirus and feline panleukopenia.
Details and the official words
“Felinos: RABIA, RINOTRAQUEITIS VIRAL FELINA, CALICIVIRUS FELINO, PANLEUCOPENIA FELINA.”
In the days before you travel
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 Panama
Internal and external parasite treatments before boarding
Your pet is treated against internal and external parasites before boarding, and the treatments are stated in its documents. The pages give no time window: ask your vet.
Details and the official words
“Indicar los tratamientos endo y ectoparasitarios realizados previos al embarque.”
PaperworkChina and Panama
Official export health certificate, apostilled, at most 30 days old
The health authority of the country your pet comes from issues an official export health certificate stating that the pet was examined and is in good health. It must be legalised with an apostille (or by a Panamanian consulate) and be no more than 30 days old.
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).
“Documento oficial “Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación”, expedido por la Autoridad Sanitaria del país de procedencia, legalizados mediante “Apostillado” por Cancillería o Consularizado en oficinas diplomáticas panameñas con un máximo de treinta (30) días de emisión, donde conste que las mascotas (Perros, gatos y hurones) han sido examinados clínicamente presentando buen estado de salud.”
“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.”
NoticeEntering Panama
Tell MINSA 3 to 5 business days before your pet arrives
Email cam@minsa.gob.pa 3 to 5 business days before arrival with the request for entry of dogs, cats and ferrets, the export health certificate and the vaccination card.
Details and the official words
The 2026 pages name a 'Solicitud de Ingreso de Perros, Gatos y Hurones' form that we couldn't find online: ask MINSA for it.
“Notificar de 3 a 5 días hábiles anticipadamente, la llegada de su mascota, enviando “la Solicitud de Ingreso de Perros, Gatos y Hurones, el Certificado Zoosanitario de Exportación del país de procedencia y la cartilla de vacunación”.”
“Enviarlo a cam@minsa.gob.pa”
Travel day and arrival
On arrivalEntering Panama
Checks at Tocumen airport: MIDA quarantine and MINSA zoonosis offices
At Tocumen International Airport, go to MIDA's agricultural quarantine office and then MINSA's zoonosis office with your pet and documents, and pay in cash: MIDA's import licence (10 per species) and inspection (15 per animal), and MINSA's entry and inspection fee (40 per animal).
Details and the official words
“Pasos a seguir en Panamá – Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen, presentarse en:”
“B/. 10.00 (dólares) en efectivo por concepto de “Licencia Fito‐zoosanitaria de Importación”; (1) una licencia por especie.”
“B/. 15.00 (dólares) en efectivo por la Inspección Veterinaria por animal.”
“Ingreso de animales menores e inspección veterinaria: B/. 40 (dólares) en efectivo por animal.”
Good to know
- If strict home quarantine is required, MINSA charges 130 balboas (US dollars) instead of 40. The 2026 pages don't say when it is required or for how long (an older MINSA form from 2013 said 40 days). Ask MINSA (cam@minsa.gob.pa) when you send your advance notice.
- If any requirement isn't met, your pet will be held and/or sent back by the airline it arrived on.
- Your pet must not have fresh or healing wounds.
- All fees at Tocumen are paid in cash (balboas, at par with US dollars). MIDA's office is open 24 hours; MINSA's zoonosis office is open every day from 7 am to 10 pm.
- 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
MIDA import licence (one per species, cash)Entering Panama10 USD
“B/. 10.00 (dólares) en efectivo por concepto de “Licencia Fito‐zoosanitaria de Importación”; (1) una licencia por especie.”
Introducción de animales menores a la República de Panamá (MIDA, DECA) · as of 2026-10-12
MIDA veterinary inspection (per animal, cash)Entering Panama · 15 USD for each extra pet15 USD
“B/. 15.00 (dólares) en efectivo por la Inspección Veterinaria por animal.”
Introducción de animales menores a la República de Panamá (MIDA, DECA) · as of 2026-10-12
MINSA entry and veterinary inspection (per animal, cash)Entering Panama · 40 USD for each extra pet40 USD
“Ingreso de animales menores e inspección veterinaria: B/. 40 (dólares) en efectivo por animal.”
Introducción de animales menores a la República de Panamá (MIDA, DECA) · as of 2026-10-12
Government fees in total: 65 USD (each currency separately)
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 (dogs).
The trip back asks for 6 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.
Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves China (cats).
The trip back asks for 6 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
- Introducción de animales menores a la República de Panamá (MIDA, DECA)
- Requisitos para la introducción de animales menores al país (perros, gatos y hurones), Aeropuerto de Tocumen (MIDA/MINSA, March 2026)
- 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 Panama?
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 Panama?
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 Panama?
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 Panama?
With nothing done yet, start at least 4 weeks ahead for a dog. The main steps: rabies vaccination from 3 months old, at least 30 days before the trip, dogs: distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus vaccinations and on-site health check by customs: Shanghai Customs recommends 7 to 10 days before travel 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
Read next
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Where from, where to, when. You get every step with its deadline and the official page it comes from.