Bringing pets to mainland China: designated origins and entry preparation

Updated: 2026-10-30

Nineteen designated origins, not all low-risk countries

China’s list names NZ, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Guam, Jamaica, Iceland, UK, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Cyprus, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau. UK maps to GB and Northern Ireland in the site menu; Crown Dependencies are separate. Mainland USA/France, Taiwan, Canada and Germany are non-designated. Use actual exporting authority and history; a brief connection in a named country does not itself settle classification. All ordinary passenger entries still need valid official quarantine/rabies documents, chip and passed inspection.

Antibody testing is a conditional exemption route

Non-designated ordinary pets need China-accepted laboratory results at least 0.5 IU/mL, sampled on/after the second rabies dose, for that exemption. Arrival must be inside vaccination and test validity. Use the published one-year sample window for ordinary planning; continuous-booster wording for older reports needs entry-Customs confirmation. Do not assume EU/Japan lab approval transfers to China. A September 2026 Guangzhou Customs answer points to the dynamic central list then dated 15 August 2025; the list itself must be checked before use, and no individual laboratory is certified by this guide.

Keep chip, originals and examination consistent

The clinical examination is in the fourteen days before arrival, not merely departure. The official certificate records chip number/date/location and the matching animal/exam data; non-designated entries add vaccine and antibody fields. Keep originals unaltered, plus a compatible reader for non-ISO chips. Declare in the Customs channel and complete the correct passenger form. A pet passport, phone photo, airline booking or online submission alone is not release. A short trip abroad still needs the actual exporting-country documents for entry.

Quarantine port and cargo are different decisions

Ten ports in the official service guides include Guangzhou Baiyun; older nine-port articles are historical and do not prove current service. Confirm actual appointment, flight/terminal and quarantine collection. Missing basic certificates or arrival at an unequipped port when quarantine is needed can lead to refusal rather than simply paying for thirty days. Passenger scope is one dog/cat per person; independent cargo/trade is not covered by that shortcut. Guide/hearing/search-and-rescue dogs have documented exceptions requiring usage/training proof and inspection, not a generic emotional-support label or exemption from all documents.