Bringing a pet to Japan

• Microchip your pet (ISO 11784/11785)Must be implanted before the rabies vaccination, or the vaccine is not recognised.
• Rabies vaccinationPet must be at least 13 weeks old.
• Rabies antibody (titer) test — required from some origin countries⚠Pending official confirmationThe FAVN/RFFIT rabies antibody test must be ≥ 0.5 IU/ml (verbatim 'Antibody titer against rabies must be equal to or greater than 0.5 IU/ml'); blood must be drawn 'after' the 2nd rabies dose; the result is valid for 2 years from the blood-draw date; testing is limited to MAFF-designated laboratories (micro-RFFIT is not accepted). The designated-laboratory list changes: Biobest Laboratories Ltd. was removed on 2025-06-25 — check the latest list before relying on it.
• Submit advance import notificationNotify the destination authority ahead of arrival.
• Official health certificate (A certificate issued by the exporting country's government and endorsed by an official vet; Form AC recommended for non-designated regions, Form AB for designated regions (Form AD for laboratory animals). Electronic certificates have been accepted since 2022-12-01 (countries currently pre-registered for electronic records: the US, Brazil, Spain).)Endorsed by The exporting country's government / official vet; the pre-export clinical exam must be done within 10 days before boarding (dogs must also show no signs of leptospirosis).
• Travel through an approved point of entryDogs may only enter through the following ports

1. 1
   Before vaccination
   Microchip

   Implant the ISO microchip first — the rabies vaccine only counts once the pet is chipped.

2. 2
   Day 0
   Rabies vaccination

   Pet must be at least 13 weeks old.

3. 3
   Unlisted origins only
   Rabies antibody titer test + waiting period⚠Pending official confirmation

   The FAVN/RFFIT rabies antibody test must be ≥ 0.5 IU/ml (verbatim 'Antibody titer against rabies must be equal to or greater than 0.5 IU/ml'); blood must be drawn 'after' the 2nd rabies dose; the result is valid for 2 years from the blood-draw date; testing is limited to MAFF-designated laboratories (micro-RFFIT is not accepted). The designated-laboratory list changes: Biobest Laboratories Ltd. was removed on 2025-06-25 — check the latest list before relying on it.

4. 4
   Shortly before departure
   Health certificate issued and endorsed

   Endorsed by The exporting country's government / official vet; the pre-export clinical exam must be done within 10 days before boarding (dogs must also show no signs of leptospirosis).

5. 5
   Arrival
   Entry checks at an approved point

   No routine quarantine when all requirements are met.

⚠Some fees not publishedTo be confirmed: the AQS page does not state an import-inspection fee (widely understood in the industry to be free, but with no official verbatim support, so it is marked ). Confirmed (verbatim): during quarantine detention, care, feeding and all costs are borne by the importer. After entry, a dog must register its import-quarantine certificate with its municipality within 30 days, and thereafter be vaccinated annually under the Rabies Prevention Act. Penalties (verbatim): an uninspected dog faces up to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥3,000,000 (¥50,000,000 for a corporation), and a cat a fine of up to ¥300,000.

⚠Pending official confirmationTo be confirmed (outside AQS's remit): Japan has NO national breed-specific dog ban; eligibility to enter depends on rabies status, not breed; domestic dog management follows the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals and local by-laws, and the 'designated animals' system targets wild/exotic dangerous animals rather than domestic dog breeds. None of the four official AQS pages mention a breed restriction, so this 'no ban' cannot be confirmed verbatim from a single tier-1 AQS page.