The science here is simpler than it sounds; the logistics are not. China asks for a microchip and a health certificate, and then holds the animal for a month on arrival. There is no import permit to chase, which surprises people, and no required order between the chip and the rabies shot. Pixel and I would plan this one around the quarantine and work backwards from there.

Bringing a pet to China requires three documents in the right order: a microchip, a rabies vaccine within the destination's wait window, and a government-endorsed health certificate. The table below lays out exactly what's required, what's not, and where each rule comes from.

How China handles your pet

Key points

  • Governing instrument: GACC Announcement [2019] No
  • 5, in force since 1 May 2019
  • QUARANTINE IS THE DEFAULT, and exemption must be earned: "Pets brought into China shall be quarantined for 30 days in the area designated for isolation by customs (including the withholding period)." This row records quarantine as NOT required because the plan puts the traveller on the exemption pathway
  • Shanghai Customs states when it is NOT earned: "Pets without chips
  • Pets without rabies antibody test reports issued by a laboratory trusted by China Customs from non-designated countries or regions." DESIGNATED ORIGINS SKIP THE BLOOD TEST. "Designated countries or regions： New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawaii (USA), Guam (USA), Jamaica, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Cyprus, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong (China) and Macau (China)." A pet from one of those needs only a valid chip and to pass on-site quarantine
  • Note Hawaii and Guam are designated but the continental United States is NOT, and French Polynesia is designated but France is NOT — so most European and US travellers DO need the rabies antibody test (above 0.5 IU/ml, from a laboratory China Customs trusts)
  • PRE-DEPARTURE INSPECTION: "Note: Pets must undergo an animal health clinical inspection conducted by the official agencies of the departing country or region within 14 days prior to their arrival in China." ⚠ BREEDS AND SIZE ARE A CITY-LEVEL MATTER, NOT AN IMPORT ONE
  • China's national import rules impose no breed restriction, so a dog that may lawfully ENTER China may still not be lawfully KEPT where you are moving, and the rules differ sharply between cities and change without much notice
  • Beijing restricts by HEIGHT, not just by breed: "II
  • Ferocious dogs and adult dogs with a height of more than 35 cm are prohibited in the key management zones." — which catches many ordinary family dogs (a Labrador or a Golden Retriever is well over 35 cm) even though they appear on no banned-breed list; only "small-sized toy dogs (35 cm or shorter in height)" are allowed in those zones, and "III
  • Guide dogs raised to assist blind people or provide assistance to severely disabled people in the key management zones shall not be included in the restriction list of dogs, regardless of height." Shenzhen instead runs a breed list that is actively growing: "Shenzhen has expanded its list of dog breeds banned as pets to a total of 38, with 14 new additions announced in the latest version of a government gazette released Wednesday." and "According to Shenzhen's pet management regulations, certain urban areas, including residential, commercial and industrial zones, are off limits to these banned breeds." Shanghai operates its own banned-breed list with no height limit
  • Because our structured breed field cannot express a height rule, we deliberately leave it unanswered rather than tell you "no action needed" — CHECK THE RULES OF YOUR DESTINATION CITY AND DISTRICT before you book, and note dogs must be registered with the local police within one month of arrival
  • STILL UNSOURCED: the trusted-laboratory list and the ports list are published separately — "The lists of designated countries or regions, GACC-designated rabies antibody test results laboratories, and ports with isolation and quarantine facilities are subject to announcements from GACC."

Each fact comes straight from the operator’s published policy. Tap the to read the exact wording; the opens the source page.

Health & documents

Microchip · Required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Microchip · StandardISO compliantverified 2026-09-03
Microchip · Must be done before vaccination Noverified 2026-09-03
Quarantine · Typenone_if_compliantverified 2026-09-09
Quarantine · Required Yesverified 2026-10-02
Quarantine · Duration30 daysverified 2026-09-09
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Minimum level iu ml0.5verified 2026-09-03
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Test validity months12 monthsverified 2026-09-03
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Approved laboratory required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Waiting period after test days0 daysverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Endorsed byOfficial animal quarantine authority of the exporting country or regionverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Validity days14 daysverified 2026-09-03
Health certificate · Government endorsed Yesverified 2026-09-03
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-09-03
Rabies vaccination · Booster required Yesverified 2026-09-03

Other rules

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-09-03

Timing chain

Day -90 microchip implant · Day -14 health certificate issued · Day 0 arrive at customs

Conditional requirements

These rules apply only to some travellers — where the pet is departing from, where it has been, or who is travelling with it. Most people can ignore them, but if one applies to you it can change what you need, or mean denied entry if you skip it.

Pet departing from a GACC-'designated' country or region

  • Rabies titer (blood) test: GACC Announcement [2019] No.5 Art. II(1): a pet from a DESIGNATED country or region needs only a valid electronic chip and to pass on-site quarantine — the rabies antibody test applies to non-designated origins under Art. II(2). Designated list per Shanghai Customs. Hawaii and Guam are designated; the continental US is not.
China does not require the microchip to be implanted before the rabies vaccination, so an animal vaccinated before it was chipped keeps a usable record. Entry is limited to one dog or one cat for each person per entry. Match the number of animals to the number of travellers on the booking, because the limit is applied per person at the border.
Pets brought into China are quarantined for 30 days in the area designated for isolation by customs, and that period includes the withholding time. The 30 days are not reduced by a clean certificate or a titer result. Arrange the isolation placement with customs before departure rather than on arrival, since the designated area is not chosen by the owner.
The 30-day customs isolation is the dominant cost of this trip, and it is charged for the full period including the withholding time. Confirm the daily rate for the designated area before booking flights. The health certificate is valid for 14 days, so the vet visit has to be timed against departure rather than against the quarantine release date.
Quick reference for China: microchip, health certificate inside 14 days, one animal per traveller, no import permit, and 30 days of customs isolation that nothing shortens. Plan the arrival date first and let the vet appointment follow it — that is the reverse of how most countries work. Build a personalized plan with your dates and the sequence comes out correctly.
Get YOUR personalized plan for China →

Glossary

ISO chip
ISO 11784/11785 — the universal microchip standard.
FAVN
Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization — a rabies serology test required by rabies-free destinations.
Brachycephalic
Snub-nosed breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Persians, Himalayans) with restricted airline acceptance due to heat-stress risk.
AVIH
Animal Vehicle In Hold — IATA's term for cargo pet shipment, with fees that vary by carrier and route.