Pet travel route
Dog or cat from Morocco to Hong Kong SAR China: the rules
Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least about 3 months ahead for a dog (about 6 months for a cat). The main steps: microchip (ISO or AVID), core vaccinations (within the last year) and AFCD Special Permit and 3 more.
Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 10 official pages
In short
- Dogs and cats differ on this route: choose Dog or Cat to see just yours.
- Hong Kong SAR China puts Morocco in the group “Group IIIB place”, which decides part of the rules.
- On this route: import permit needed, quarantine on arrival and tell the authority in advance.
Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving Morocco publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. Morocco's food safety office (ONSSA) publishes the health certificate model agreed with each destination, as scanned documents, and its fee list, but no guide for pet owners: it doesn't say how far ahead to apply, what to bring or how long it takes. It asks you to contact the veterinary service where you live. Do that well before you travel, and follow your destination's rules for the vaccinations and tests.
At a glance
How early to start (dogs)
about 3 months
whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated
Set by: Book quarantine (AFCD's estimated average wait for its centre is about 3 months for dogs — it may be shorter or longer)
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route (dogs)
- Import permit needed
- Quarantine on arrival
- 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)
about 6 months
whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated
Set by: Book quarantine (AFCD's estimated average wait for its centre is about 6 months for cats — it may be shorter or longer)
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route (cats)
- Import permit needed
- Quarantine on arrival
- Tell the authority in advance
Part of this route is still under review, so we don’t say what it doesn’t need.
Which rules apply to you
Hong Kong SAR China puts Morocco in the group “Group IIIB place”. See every group
Official name: Group IIIB — at least 120 days' quarantine
Rule-change alertsChecked daily
Know the moment the rules change from Morocco to Hong Kong SAR China
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Rule change for pets travelling from Morocco to Hong Kong SAR China
Leaving rules: Morocco (short summary, under review). Tap to see what changed.
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Morocco → Hong Kong SAR China
What your pet needs
In the order you do them. Each step says whether Morocco (leaving) or Hong Kong SAR China (entering) asks for it.
Dogs
Taking a dog or cat out of Morocco (ONSSA): we summarised this from a short or older official page and it is still under review, so it may be incomplete.
Get ready
IdentificationEntering Hong Kong SAR China
Microchip (ISO or AVID)
Your pet needs a microchip readable by an AVID or ISO scanner. From Group IIIA it must be implanted before the rabies vaccination and blood sample.
Details and the official words
“Your dog/cat must be implanted with a microchip which can be read with an AVID or ISO scanner prior to rabies vaccination and blood sampling.”
VaccinationEntering Hong Kong SAR China
Core vaccinations (within the last year)
Dogs: distemper, infectious canine hepatitis and parvovirus. Cats: panleucopaenia and feline respiratory disease complex (cat flu). Given between 1 year and 14 days before export.
Details and the official words
“not less than 14 days and not more than 1 year prior to export”
PermitEntering Hong Kong SAR China
AFCD Special Permit
Apply to AFCD in advance (in person, by post or via the Trade Single Window). It's issued 5 working days after a complete application, costs HK$432 for one animal (+HK$102 per extra animal on the same permit), and is valid for 6 months for one trip.
Details and the official words
“Dogs and cats should not be brought into Hong Kong (either import or transshipment/transit) unless a Special Permit to do so is obtained in advance from this Department.”
“it takes 5 working days from the date of receipt of application and permit fee to the date of issue”
“Valid for 6 months and for one consignment only.”
In the days before you travel
PaperworkMorocco and Hong Kong SAR China
Animal health certificate
Issued no more than 14 days before export (from Group IIIA: no more than 7 days), signed by a government vet — or by a registered vet and endorsed by a government vet. It must show the microchip number.
Details and the official words
ONSSA export health certificate (150 dirhams): An ONSSA official vet issues your pet's health certificate on the model agreed with your destination (ONSSA lists them by destination country). Ask the veterinary service where you live how and when to apply. The fee for a veterinary health certificate for exporting live animals is 150 dirhams per certificate.
“Dated not more than 14 days before the export”
“The animal health certificate must be issued not more than 7 days prior to export.”
“The animal health certificate must be issued not more than 14 days prior to export.”
“Contrôle à l’exportation des animaux de compagnie (Chiens, Chats et Furets)”
“Certificat sanitaire vétérinaire à l’exportation des animaux vivants et des produits de multiplication animale”
“(à l'exception des chevaux)”
“Je soussigné, vétérinaire officiel certifie que les animaux désignés ci-dessus et examinés ce jour”
“Ont été examinés au cours des 48 dernières heures, ont été trouvés en bon état de santé et n’ont présenté aucun signe clinique de maladies contagieuses propres à l’espèce”
“Ont été correctement vaccinés contre la rage par un vaccin inactivé (ci-joint l’attestation de vaccination contre la rage)”
NoticeEntering Hong Kong SAR China
Notify AFCD before arrival
Tell the AFCD Duty Officer (Import & Export Section) at least 24 hours before your pet's expected arrival time.
Details and the official words
“You should notify the Duty Officer of the Import & Export Section at least 24 hours before your dog/cat’s anticipated arrival time in Hong Kong.”
Travel day and arrival
On arrivalEntering Hong Kong SAR China
Hong Kong dog licence and rabies shot on arrival
Dogs 5 months or older get a Hong Kong dog licence and a rabies vaccination on arrival, at your cost.
Details and the official words
“all dogs over 5 months of age in Hong Kong are required by law to obtain a dog licence and vaccination against rabies.”
QuarantineEntering Hong Kong SAR China
Book quarantine
Pets from Group IIIA stay at least 30 days, and from Group IIIB at least 120 days, in quarantine (AFCD's Animal Management Centre or the SPCA licensed centre), at your cost. Submit the booking form (PC100) with your documents to join the waiting list.
Details and the official words
“The estimated average waiting time for AFCD quarantine facility is approximately 3 months for dogs and 6 months for cats at present.”
“Dogs and cats imported from Group IIIA countries / places are subject to a minimum of 30 days quarantine period”
“Dogs and cats imported from Group IIIB countries / places are subject to a minimum of 120-day quarantine period”
Good to know
- Pets must arrive in Hong Kong as manifested cargo — not in the cabin or as excess baggage — by the fastest, most direct route.
- AFCD: don't make final travel arrangements until your Special Permit has been granted.
- Banned in Hong Kong: Pit Bull Terrier (American Staffordshire Terrier), Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and their crosses (Staffordshire Bull Terriers need a statutory declaration). Bengal cats need proof of 5th generation or later.
- For any question about taking your pet abroad, ONSSA asks you to contact its veterinary service where you live; the export page links a list of these services with their addresses and phone numbers. ONSSA publishes no lead time, so ask them early.
Cats
Taking a dog or cat out of Morocco (ONSSA): we summarised this from a short or older official page and it is still under review, so it may be incomplete.
Get ready
IdentificationEntering Hong Kong SAR China
Microchip (ISO or AVID)
Your pet needs a microchip readable by an AVID or ISO scanner. From Group IIIA it must be implanted before the rabies vaccination and blood sample.
Details and the official words
“Your dog/cat must be implanted with a microchip which can be read with an AVID or ISO scanner prior to rabies vaccination and blood sampling.”
VaccinationEntering Hong Kong SAR China
Core vaccinations (within the last year)
Dogs: distemper, infectious canine hepatitis and parvovirus. Cats: panleucopaenia and feline respiratory disease complex (cat flu). Given between 1 year and 14 days before export.
Details and the official words
“not less than 14 days and not more than 1 year prior to export”
PermitEntering Hong Kong SAR China
AFCD Special Permit
Apply to AFCD in advance (in person, by post or via the Trade Single Window). It's issued 5 working days after a complete application, costs HK$432 for one animal (+HK$102 per extra animal on the same permit), and is valid for 6 months for one trip.
Details and the official words
“Dogs and cats should not be brought into Hong Kong (either import or transshipment/transit) unless a Special Permit to do so is obtained in advance from this Department.”
“it takes 5 working days from the date of receipt of application and permit fee to the date of issue”
“Valid for 6 months and for one consignment only.”
In the days before you travel
PaperworkMorocco and Hong Kong SAR China
Animal health certificate
Issued no more than 14 days before export (from Group IIIA: no more than 7 days), signed by a government vet — or by a registered vet and endorsed by a government vet. It must show the microchip number.
Details and the official words
ONSSA export health certificate (150 dirhams): An ONSSA official vet issues your pet's health certificate on the model agreed with your destination (ONSSA lists them by destination country). Ask the veterinary service where you live how and when to apply. The fee for a veterinary health certificate for exporting live animals is 150 dirhams per certificate.
“Dated not more than 14 days before the export”
“The animal health certificate must be issued not more than 7 days prior to export.”
“The animal health certificate must be issued not more than 14 days prior to export.”
“Contrôle à l’exportation des animaux de compagnie (Chiens, Chats et Furets)”
“Certificat sanitaire vétérinaire à l’exportation des animaux vivants et des produits de multiplication animale”
“(à l'exception des chevaux)”
“Je soussigné, vétérinaire officiel certifie que les animaux désignés ci-dessus et examinés ce jour”
“Ont été examinés au cours des 48 dernières heures, ont été trouvés en bon état de santé et n’ont présenté aucun signe clinique de maladies contagieuses propres à l’espèce”
“Ont été correctement vaccinés contre la rage par un vaccin inactivé (ci-joint l’attestation de vaccination contre la rage)”
NoticeEntering Hong Kong SAR China
Notify AFCD before arrival
Tell the AFCD Duty Officer (Import & Export Section) at least 24 hours before your pet's expected arrival time.
Details and the official words
“You should notify the Duty Officer of the Import & Export Section at least 24 hours before your dog/cat’s anticipated arrival time in Hong Kong.”
Travel day and arrival
QuarantineEntering Hong Kong SAR China
Book quarantine
Pets from Group IIIA stay at least 30 days, and from Group IIIB at least 120 days, in quarantine (AFCD's Animal Management Centre or the SPCA licensed centre), at your cost. Submit the booking form (PC100) with your documents to join the waiting list.
Details and the official words
“The estimated average waiting time for AFCD quarantine facility is approximately 3 months for dogs and 6 months for cats at present.”
“Dogs and cats imported from Group IIIA countries / places are subject to a minimum of 30 days quarantine period”
“Dogs and cats imported from Group IIIB countries / places are subject to a minimum of 120-day quarantine period”
Good to know
- Pets must arrive in Hong Kong as manifested cargo — not in the cabin or as excess baggage — by the fastest, most direct route.
- AFCD: don't make final travel arrangements until your Special Permit has been granted.
- Banned in Hong Kong: Pit Bull Terrier (American Staffordshire Terrier), Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and their crosses (Staffordshire Bull Terriers need a statutory declaration). Bengal cats need proof of 5th generation or later.
- For any question about taking your pet abroad, ONSSA asks you to contact its veterinary service where you live; the export page links a list of these services with their addresses and phone numbers. ONSSA publishes no lead time, so ask them early.
Money
What it costs
Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in Morocco publish for the steps above. The two are never added together.
Government fees on this route
ONSSA veterinary health certificate for exporting live animals (per certificate)Leaving Morocco150 MAD
The tariff line is for exporting live animals other than horses; it doesn’t name pets, so ask ONSSA whether it is per certificate or per animal for several pets.
“Certificat sanitaire vétérinaire à l’exportation des animaux vivants et des produits de multiplication animale (semences, embryons, œufs à couver, …etc.) (à l'exception des chevaux) Certificat 150”
Décision fixant la liste et les prix des services et prestations rendus aux tiers par l'ONSSA (signed 7 April 2025, scanned PDF) · as of 2026-10-13
AFCD Special PermitEntering Hong Kong SAR China · 102 HKD for each extra pet432 HKD
“Permit fee for a single animal is HK$432. Fee for each additional animal is HK$102 under a same permit for a single shipment.”
Import of dogs and cats from Group I countries/places · as of 2026-10-08
Government fees in total: 150 MAD + 432 HKD (each currency separately)
What vets and labs charge Not official figures
We have no published vet or lab prices for Morocco 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 Morocco
Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves Morocco (dogs).
The trip back asks for 6 steps: microchip or tattoo before the rabies vaccination, 6 months in a rabies-free country or area (ask ONSSA), rabies vaccination (inactivated vaccine) and rabies blood test, if your pet stays less than 12 months and more.
Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves Morocco (cats).
The trip back asks for 6 steps: microchip or tattoo before the rabies vaccination, 6 months in a rabies-free country or area (ask ONSSA), rabies vaccination (inactivated vaccine) and rabies blood test, if your pet stays less than 12 months and more.
Nearby routes
Other routes
Where this comes from
Official sources
- Import of dogs and cats (groups and special permit)
- Import of dogs and cats from Group I countries/places
- Import of dogs and cats from Group II countries/places
- Import of dogs and cats from Group IIIA countries/places
- Import of dogs and cats from Group IIIB countries/places
- Permit terms DC-01v05 (Group I)
- Permit terms DC-02v05 (Group II)
- Contrôle à l'exportation des animaux de compagnie (chiens, chats et furets): certificats sanitaires par pays de destination (ONSSA, page modified 2 July 2026)
- Certificat sanitaire pour l'exportation de chats à partir du Maroc vers les États-Unis d'Amérique (modèle E.CHAT.USA.NOV.2020, scanned PDF)
- Décision fixant la liste et les prix des services et prestations rendus aux tiers par l'ONSSA (signed 7 April 2025, scanned PDF)
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 Morocco to Hong Kong SAR China?
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 Hong Kong SAR China?
Yes: Apply to AFCD in advance (in person, by post or via the Trade Single Window).
Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Hong Kong SAR China?
It can be: Pets from Group IIIA stay at least 30 days, and from Group IIIB at least 120 days, in quarantine (AFCD's Animal Management Centre or the SPCA licensed centre), at your cost.
How early should I start preparing my pet for Morocco to Hong Kong SAR China?
With nothing done yet, start at least about 3 months ahead for a dog (about 6 months for a cat). The main steps: microchip (ISO or AVID), core vaccinations (within the last year) and AFCD Special Permit and 3 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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