Pet travel route
Dog or cat from China to Thailand: official requirements
Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least 3 weeks ahead. The main steps: rabies vaccination at least 21 days before departure, leptospirosis vaccination (or a negative test) and distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus vaccinations at least 21 days before departure and 5 more.
Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 4 official pages
In short
- On this route: import permit needed 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.
Limited official guidance. The authority for entering Thailand publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. This is the Department of Livestock Development's English page on importing pets, dated 12 February 2018 and read from a copy stored in 2021, because the department's site does not open from our network. A Thai-language DLD page says applications can now be filed online (e-Movement) instead of by email, so the procedure may have changed. It lists no blood test, quarantine period or banned breeds. Treat it as a short summary under review and confirm with the quarantine station at your port of entry (Suvarnabhumi cargo terminal +66 2134 0731) before you travel.
At a glance
The rules on this route are the same for dogs and cats.
How early to start
3 weeks
whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated
Set by: Rabies vaccination at least 21 days before departure (at least 21 days before departure)
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route
- Import permit needed
- 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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China → Thailand
What your pet needs
In the order you do them. Each step says whether China (leaving) or Thailand (entering) asks for it.
Bringing a dog or cat into Thailand: we summarised this from a short or older official page and it is still under review, so it may be incomplete.
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 Thailand
Rabies vaccination at least 21 days before departure
Your pet must be vaccinated against rabies not less than 21 days before departure. Pets from a country certified rabies-free don't need the vaccination.
Details and the official words
“Pets is vaccinated against Rabies not less than 21 days prior to the departure.”
“Pets from free of Rabies certified country do not need a Rabies vaccination.”
VaccinationEntering Thailand
Leptospirosis vaccination (or a negative test)
Your pet must be vaccinated against leptospirosis not less than 21 days before departure; a negative leptospirosis test in the 30 days before departure also meets the requirement.
Details and the official words
“Pet is vaccinated against Leptospirosis not less than 21 days prior to the departure.”
“The negative result of Leptospirosis test during 30 days prior to the departure can also fulfill the requirement.”
VaccinationEntering Thailand
Distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus vaccinations at least 21 days before departure
Your pet shall also be vaccinated against other significant infectious diseases, namely distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus, at least 21 days before departure.
Details and the official words
“Pet shall be vaccinated against other significant infectious diseases i.e. Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, at least 21 days prior to the departure.”
PermitEntering Thailand
Import licence application (Form R.1/1) and import permit
Email the scanned documents to the quarantine station and phone to confirm they arrived. The station emails you the scanned import permit within 7 working days (longer if documents are incomplete). The documents are the application form R.1/1, a copy of the owner's passport photo page, proof of vaccination, a colour picture of the pet's face, and a document with the number and species of pets, each pet's breed, sex, age, colour and microchip, the addresses in the country of origin and in Thailand, the expected arrival date and the departure and entry ports. The import permit is valid for 60 days, and the import licence (Form R.7) for 7 days.
Details and the official words
“Import License Application Form (Form R.1/1)”
“The scanned import permit is sent to you via email within 7 working days (In case of incomplete documents, more days are required)”
“The import permit is valid for 60 days”
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.”
PaperworkChina and Thailand
Official health certificate from the exporting country
Apply for an official health certificate from the authorised body of the exporting country. It must be completed in English and stamped (endorsed) by the authorised veterinary official. The page gives no deadline for how recent it must be.
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).
“The Official health Certificate must be completed in English and stamped (endorsed) by the authorized veterinary official of the exporting country.”
“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.”
Travel day and arrival
On arrivalEntering Thailand
Take your pet to the animal quarantine station on arrival
On arrival take your pet to the animal quarantine station with a photocopy of the owner's passport, the original vaccination record (and pet passport), the original official health certificate and a photocopy of the printed import permit. At Suvarnabhumi airport there are two stations: near baggage belt 8 for pets that came in the passenger cabin, and the International Animal Quarantine Station for pets that travelled as cargo.
Details and the official words
“Take your pets to the animal quarantine station.”
Good to know
- Your pet must travel in a nose-and-paw-proof crate designed to avoid any risk of injury.
- 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 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.
Where this comes from
Official sources
- Bring your pet into Thailand: pet import process (DLD, 12 February 2018)
- 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 Thailand?
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 Thailand?
Yes: Email the scanned documents to the quarantine station and phone to confirm they arrived.
Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Thailand?
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 Thailand?
With nothing done yet, start at least 3 weeks ahead. The main steps: rabies vaccination at least 21 days before departure, leptospirosis vaccination (or a negative test) and distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus vaccinations at least 21 days before departure and 5 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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