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Dog or cat from Japan to Serbia: official requirements

Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least 3 weeks ahead. The main steps: microchip, before the rabies vaccination, rabies vaccination at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before entry, serbian model health certificate, valid 10 days and apply for export inspection (NACCS).

Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 6 official pages

Make my dated plan Reverse: Serbia → Japan

In short

At a glance

The rules on this route are the same for dogs and cats.

How early to start

3 weeks

if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet

Set by: Rabies vaccination at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before entry (21 days after a first vaccination)

2 weeks

if it is already microchipped and vaccinated

Set by: Apply for export inspection (NACCS) (at least 14 days before export)

The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.

On this route

  • No rabies blood test
  • No import permit
  • No quarantine
  • Tell the authority in advance

Which rules apply to you

Serbia puts Japan in the group “Listed third country (Annex 2)”. See every group

Official name: Annex 2: listed third countries (official certificate, no titer)

Prefer a feed reader? Japan rule changes · Serbia rule changes

Japan → Serbia

What your pet needs

In the order you do them. Each step says whether Japan (leaving) or Serbia (entering) asks for it.

  1. Get ready

    1. IdentificationEntering Serbia

      Microchip, before the rabies vaccination

      Your pet must be permanently identified with a microchip (or a clearly readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011). The identification must come before any rabies vaccination (and any antibody test).

      Details and the official words

      “1) животиње треба да буду трајно обележене -микрочип;”

      “тетовираном пре 3. јула 2011. године, а то означавање мора претходити свакој вакцинацији”

    2. VaccinationEntering Serbia

      Rabies vaccination at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before entry

      Your pet must be vaccinated against rabies with an inactivated vaccine (at least one antigenic unit per dose, WHO standard) or a recombinant vaccine, given at 12 weeks of age or older. After a first vaccination, wait 21 days before entering Serbia. A booster given after the previous vaccination expired counts as a first vaccination.

      Details and the official words

      “2) да су кућни љубимци вакцинисани против беснила са најмање једном антигенском јединицом по дози (препорука Светске здравствене организације); или рекомбинована вакцина која изражава имунизујући гликопротеин вируса беснила у живом вирусном вектору и да је протекао 21 дан од дана вакцинације, у случају прве вакцинације против беснила;”

      “Период ваљаности вакцинације почиње успостављањем заштитног имунитета, које није краћи од 21 дан од примарне вакцинације”

      “were at least 12 weeks old at the time of vaccination against rabies”

      “Any revaccination must be considered a primary vaccination if it was not carried out within the period of validity of a previous vaccination.”

  2. In the days before you travel

    1. PaperworkJapan and Serbia

      Serbian model health certificate, valid 10 days

      Your pet travels with Serbia's model animal health certificate for non-commercial movement (Annex 7), issued by an authorised vet and endorsed by the competent authority of the country it comes from. It is valid for 10 days from issue until the document and identity check at the border (longer by the length of a sea crossing). Attach certified copies of the identification and vaccination details and, if a test was needed, of the laboratory report.

      Details and the official words

      Export inspection and AQS export quarantine certificate: Bring your pet and all the original certificates to the AQS at the reserved time (an agent needs a power of attorney from you). The inspection and the English export quarantine certificate usually take 30 to 60 minutes. The inspection is done within 10 days before departure unless the destination sets a different period.

      If the destination's rules set a different period for the inspection, follow that; our 10-day window is Japan's general one.

      “4) да животињу прати сертификат издат од стране надлежног органа земље из које долази;”

      “да су праћени исправно попуњеним обрасцем уверења (сертификат) из члана 15. став 1. тачка 1) овог правилника, који је издат од стране овлашћеног ветеринара и оверен од надлежног органа одређене земље”

      “This certificate is valid for 10 days from the date of issue by the official veterinarian until the date of the documentary and identity checks at the designated”

      “A certified copy of the identification and vaccination details of the animals concerned shall be attached to the certificate.”

      “Export inspection is conducted within 10 days before departure, unless conditioned by the destination country.”

    2. NoticeLeaving Japan

      Apply for export inspection (NACCS)

      Once your travel is confirmed, apply to the Animal Quarantine Service through NACCS (or by email to the AQS where you want the inspection), at least 14 days before you leave. Attach the certificates from your vet clinic, fill in your preferred date and time in the remarks, and wait for AQS to reply: you cannot reserve a time before you have applied.

      Details and the official words

      “Apply for export inspection by NACCS at least 14 days before export.”

Good to know

  • Your pet must meet both the destination country's entry conditions and Japan's exit conditions. Check the destination's conditions with its animal quarantine authority or its embassy in Japan.
  • Might your pet come back to Japan? Check Japan's re-entry conditions before you leave: depending on the measures taken, the import quarantine can be under 12 hours or up to 180 days. Blood sampling and the rabies antibody test must be done at a vet clinic and a MAFF-designated laboratory.
  • Check that your pet's microchip can be read before the day of export inspection.

Money

What it costs

Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in Japan publish for the steps above. The two are never added together.

Government fees on this route

  • Export inspection and AQS export certificateLeaving JapanFree

    Vaccinations and vet checks the destination asks for are your own cost.

    “Inspection by animal quarantine officers is free of charge, but the exporter has responsibility for bearing the cost of vaccinations, health checks at the vet clinic and others, required to fulfil the entry requirements of the destination countries.”

    Dogs & Cats departure Q&A · as of 2026-10-13

What vets and labs charge Not official figures

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 Japan

Do before your pet leaves Japan (dogs)

  • ISO microchip
  • Rabies vaccination #1
  • Rabies vaccination #2
  • Rabies antibody test at a designated lab

Their timing rules put them before the outbound trip, for a three-month stay.

The trip back asks for 10 steps: ISO microchip, advance notification to Animal Quarantine Service, pre-export clinical inspection and government certificate from the exporting country and more.

Do before your pet leaves Japan (cats)

  • ISO microchip
  • Rabies vaccination #1
  • Rabies vaccination #2
  • Rabies antibody test at a designated lab

Their timing rules put them before the outbound trip, for a three-month stay.

The trip back asks for 10 steps: ISO microchip, advance notification to Animal Quarantine Service, pre-export clinical inspection and government certificate from the exporting country and more.

Every step from Serbia to Japan

Nearby routes

Other routes

Where this comes from

Official sources

Last checked against the official pages: 2026-10-13.

Entering SerbiaLeaving JapanReport a mistakeGet rule-change alerts

Questions owners ask

Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from Japan to Serbia?

No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for a rabies blood test.

Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into Serbia?

No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for an import permit.

Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Serbia?

Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.

How early should I start preparing my pet for Japan to Serbia?

With nothing done yet, start at least 3 weeks ahead. The main steps: microchip, before the rabies vaccination, rabies vaccination at 12 weeks or older, 21 days before entry, serbian model health certificate, valid 10 days and apply for export inspection (NACCS).

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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