Taking your pet from Japan to Guam

Guam’s CQA recognizes Japan as a rabies-exempt area. What that waives, however, is only the FAVN titer test and the 120-day quarantine — rabies vaccination is still required even for arrivals from exempt areas. The exemption itself also holds only if residency, a direct flight and an affidavit are all in place, so start by being clear about what is and is not waived.

Official rules last verified: 2026-09-16

The essentials

• Rabies vaccinationOne dose (from 90 days of age) if the exemption applies · two lifetime doses if not
• What is waivedOnly the FAVN titer test and the 120-day wait
• Exemption conditions (all three)120+ days of residence in Japan + direct flight + affidavit
• If they are not metFAVN of 0.5 IU/mL or higher + 120 days from the laboratory’s sample receipt
• Entry permitGuam Department of Agriculture (DOAG), at least 30 days before arrival
• Parasite treatmentInternal and external, within 14 days of arrival · dogs and cats alike

Step by step

Vaccination is required in every case. If all three exemption conditions are met, you can skip the FAVN titer test and the 120-day wait; if even one is missing, those apply as well.

1. Check what is waived, and on what conditions

   First

   Guam’s CQA recognizes Japan as an exempt area, but the rules state that the rabies vaccination requirement “also applies to animals arriving from exempt areas”. So what the exemption covers is the FAVN titer test and the 120-day quarantine on arrival — nothing more. And it is recognized only when all three of these hold: the pet has lived in Japan for at least 120 days, it arrives on a direct flight, and an affidavit is submitted. The affidavit states that the pet has not stayed outside Japan in the four months before departure and has not received a modified live vaccine.

   Meeting all three conditions changes the timeline a lot. Answer them in the app to see which case you are in. Check in the app →

2. Microchip

   Before vaccination

   Guam requires a microchip that can be read with an AVID universal scanner at arrival inspection (AVID, HomeAgain and similar). It must be implanted before the rabies vaccination — a dose given before the chip is not recognized.

3. Rabies vaccination

   Required either way — only the number of doses differs

   If the exemption applies, one vaccination given at three months (90 days) of age or older is what Guam asks for. The "two lifetime vaccinations" rule CQA states is a condition for release from quarantine, and an exempt arrival clears the airport without quarantine. If the exemption does not apply, the non-exempt route requires two lifetime doses — the first at 90 days or older, the second at least 30 days later. Either way the most recent vaccination must still be current on arrival, and how long it stays current depends on the product — 365 days for a one-year vaccine, 36 months for an approved three-year vaccine. Ask for the certificates in English.

4. If the conditions are not met — FAVN titer test and 120-day wait

   Only when the exemption does not hold

   The OIE-FAVN test must come back at 0.5 IU/mL or higher, from a test taken within 12 months before arrival. If the pet has just been revaccinated, wait at least 10 days before the blood draw, and do not vaccinate again after blood has been drawn. The test must be run by an authorized laboratory (the Kansas State University Rabies Laboratory, Japan’s Research Institute for Animal Science & Biochemistry & Toxicology (RIAS), and laboratories listed by EU DEFRA, among others), and the laboratory must submit the result directly to the Animal Quarantine Program at the Department of Agriculture. The 120 days are counted from the day the laboratory received the sample, not from the blood draw.

   Without the exemption a wait is added. The app works out how far that pushes your earliest departure. Check in the app →

5. Entry permit application (DOAG)

   At least 30 days before arrival

   Submit the Application for Animal Entry Permit and the supporting documents to the Animal Health division of the Guam Department of Agriculture (DOAG). Submissions made less than 14 days before entry are not guaranteed to be processed, which can mean prolonged quarantine or denial of entry. If you are claiming the exemption, include the affidavit so the conditions can be confirmed.

6. Health certificate and parasite treatment

   Issued within 10 days of arrival

   You need a health certificate issued by an accredited veterinarian within 10 days prior to arrival. Your pet must also be treated for internal parasites (helminths and heartworms) and external parasites (fleas and ticks) within 14 days of arrival, with the treatment recorded on the health certificate. This applies to dogs and cats alike. Departure and arrival dates can differ, so time the treatment against your flight’s arrival date.

7. Japanese export inspection

   Apply at least 14 days before the inspection date

   Have the export inspection done by Japan’s Animal Quarantine Service (AQS) and receive the export certificate. Apply through NACCS at least 14 days before your preferred inspection date; the inspection itself takes place within 10 days before departure. If you need an inspection outside the officers’ regular reception hours, you must also submit a health certificate issued by a private veterinarian.

8. Departure and arrival in Guam

   Departure day

   You arrive at Guam International Airport, and a clearance booking is required before arrival. After arrival, your pet is examined by a veterinarian within 72 hours. Even when the exemption has been claimed, whether the residency, direct-flight and affidavit conditions are satisfied is confirmed on arrival.

Documents to prepare and carry

• Microchip identification (readable with an AVID universal scanner)
• Rabies vaccination certificates (English recommended)
• Guam entry permit (issued by DOAG)
• Affidavit — if you are claiming the exemption
• Health certificate (issued within 10 days of arrival, with the parasite treatment recorded)
• Export certificate from Japan’s Animal Quarantine Service
• If the conditions are not met — the FAVN result, submitted by the laboratory directly to DOAG

Frequently asked questions

Sources and verification dates

• Guam Customs & Quarantine Agency (CQA) — pet import requirements · 2026-09-16
• Guam Department of Agriculture (DOAG), Animal Health — entry permit application · 2026-07-27
• Animal Quarantine Service (MAFF) — export inspection for dogs and cats · 2026-08-27

This guide is reference information compiled from publicly available official rules. Guam’s exemption in particular is conditional and requires residency, a direct flight and an affidavit together, so decisions in individual cases rest with the Guam Customs & Quarantine Agency, the Guam Department of Agriculture, Japan’s Animal Quarantine Service and your airline, and actual procedures may differ as rules change or depending on conditions on the day. Please confirm directly with the authorities and your airline before you travel.

If you need help checking the conditions and planning dates

Enter your pet’s vaccination dates and planned departure in the TabiPet app, and it lays out only the preparation that actually applies once it knows whether the exemption holds. Your first diagnosis is free.

• Exemption check and what is left to prepare
• Wait calculated from the sample receipt date
• Airline boarding conditions by weight and breed

Android version coming soon