Malaysia bans six specific breeds outright, including Akitas and American Bulldogs, while asking for a health certificate, import permit, and microchip from every other dog crossing the border. Nala and I always check the banned list first, because getting that wrong means the trip doesn't happen at all, no matter how good the rest of the paperwork turns out to be.

Pet import to Malaysia is regulated by Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (MAQIS). The core requirements are summarized below: a microchip, a rabies vaccine within the right window, and a government-endorsed health certificate. Some destinations also require a titer test or short quarantine — those are flagged in the table.

How Malaysia handles your pet

Key points

  • Pets travel to Malaysia as cargo, not with you in the cabin
  • DVS: "Haiwan peliharaan hanya boleh diimport sebagai kargo pengiriman dan hendaklah diisytiharkan kepada Pegawai Kuarantin Haiwan di tempat pendaratan untuk pelepasan masuk." (pets may only be imported as freight cargo and must be declared to the Animal Quarantine Officer at the place of landing)
  • Minimum age: "Ensure the age of your pet is above 3 months old." Quarantine can run longer than the 7-day minimum: "However, where deemed necessary the quarantine period can be extended up to six (6) months based on risk assessment on a case to case basis." Quarantine space must be booked ahead — MAQIS: "Tempahan ruang kuarantin hendaklah dibuat 14 hari sebelum tarikh pengimportan haiwan kesayangan." (book 14 days before the import date) — and the import permit is only issued once that space is confirmed
  • Paperwork language: "Semua dokumen hendaklah dalam Bahasa Malaysia atau Bahasa Inggeris." (all documents must be in Malay or English)
  • Restricted breeds are not simply banned: importing one needs written approval from the MAQIS Director General before the permit application, and the conditions include a pedigree certificate, an inspection of the premises where the dog will live, and a written undertaking that the dog is a personal pet, kept secured, and leashed and muzzled in public

Downloadable forms

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 2026-09-09
Microchip · StandardISO 11784 & 11785verified 2026-09-09
Quarantine · Typeapproved_facilityverified 2026-09-09
Quarantine · Required Yesverified 2026-09-09
Quarantine · Reducible Noverified 2026-10-27
Quarantine · Duration7 daysverified 2026-09-09
Quarantine · Estimated costRM 79.00 per week (dogs); RM 72.00 per week (cats), excluding food and treatmentverified 2026-09-09
Quarantine · Pre-approval required Yesverified 2026-09-09
Quarantine · Approved facility required Yesverified 2026-09-09
Import permit · Cost5verified 2026-09-09
Import permit · Required Yesverified 2026-09-09
Import permit · Issuing authorityMalaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (MAQIS)verified 2026-09-09
Import permit · Permit validity30 daysverified 2026-09-09
Health certificate · Issuercompetent veterinary officer of the Government Veterinary Authority of the exporting countryverified 2026-09-09
Health certificate · Required Yesverified 2026-09-09
Health certificate · Endorsed byGovernment Veterinary Authority of the exporting countryverified 2026-10-27
Health certificate · Validity days7 daysverified 2026-09-09
Health certificate · Government endorsed Yesverified 2026-09-09
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-09-09
Rabies vaccination · Booster required Yesverified 2026-09-09
Rabies vaccination · Waiting period after vaccination30 daysverified 2026-09-09

Other rules

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-09-09

Timing chain

Day -90 microchip implant · Day -30 rabies vaccine deadline · Day -7 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 arriving from a DVS 'scheduled' (quarantine-exempt) country

  • Quarantine: Malaysia's Department of Veterinary Services lists the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei and Singapore as origins whose dogs and cats are not subject to quarantine, provided the animal is healthy and all documents are complete. Pets from all other countries are quarantined for at least 7 days on arrival.

Breed restrictions

Banned breeds: Akita, American Bulldog, Dogo Argentino, Fila Braziliero, Japanese Tosa, Neapolitan Mastiff, Pit Bull Terrier / Pit Bull (also known as American Pit Bull, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier) verified 2026-09-09

Restricted breeds: Bull Mastiff, Bull Terrier, Doberman, German Shepherd/Alsatian including Belgian Shepherd and East European Shepherd, Perro de Presa Canario (also known as Canary Dog), Rottweiler verified 2026-09-09

Ports of entry (3)

  • Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Sepang
  • Penang International Airport
  • Padang Besar (Perlis-Thailand border)

verified 2026-09-09

Malaysia's Veterinary Health Certificate must be dated within 7 days of export, a tighter window than many neighboring countries allow for the same document. A certificate dated 8 days before departure no longer satisfies this requirement at the border. Schedule the certificate appointment inside that 7-day window counting backward from the actual flight date.
Akitas, American Bulldogs, Dogo Argentinos, Fila Brasileiros, Japanese Tosas, and Neapolitan Mastiffs are banned from entering Malaysia under the country's own banned-breed list. That list applies regardless of the individual dog's temperament, training, or documentation otherwise. A dog matching any of these six breeds cannot be imported into Malaysia under any circumstances at all.
Malaysia's import permit fee is a flat RM 5.00 per dog or cat, one of the lowest permit fees documented anywhere on this site. That low cost does not reduce the paperwork itself in any way, since the certificate and microchip requirements still apply in full regardless. Budget the RM 5 fee as a minor line item next to the real planning work ahead.
Here's what nobody tells you: whether quarantine applies and for how long depends on your pet's travel history and origin, not a fixed number for every dog entering Malaysia. Sam and I always check that origin question before assuming the worst-case timeline applies. Get a personalized plan from Pawgo to confirm exactly which quarantine path applies to your trip.
Get YOUR personalized plan for Malaysia →

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.