Taking your pet from Japan to Korea

Japan is free of rabies, so entry into Korea is relatively simple. There is no waiting period, and if the release criteria are met your pet can leave the airport with you on arrival. What you need to prepare, though, depends on where your pet was born.

Official rules last verified: 2026-08-27

The essentials

• Waiting periodNone · same-day release when the criteria are met
• MicrochipISO 11784/11785 · number recorded on the certificate
• Rabies vaccinationNot required for Korea if born in a rabies-free region (APQA recommends it)
• Titer testOnly for pets born in a rabies-endemic region and 90 days or older · 0.5 IU/mL or higher
• Export inspection requestAt least 14 days before your preferred inspection date (NACCS or email)
• After arriving in KoreaImport inspection at Incheon and other ports (documents + clinical exam)

Step by step

Start by confirming where your pet was born. Even on the same Japan-to-Korea route, the birth country decides whether a titer test is needed — and if it is, you start from vaccination, which changes the timeline completely.

1. Microchip

   First

   Implant an ISO 11784/11785 microchip. The number must appear on the quarantine certificate and is checked during quarantine on arrival in Korea. If you plan to vaccinate, the chip must come first for the dose to be recognized.

2. Confirm the birth country

   Before anything else

   Korea’s release criteria depend on where your pet was born. A pet born in a rabies-free region qualifies for same-day release on a microchip check alone. A pet born in a rabies-endemic region and aged 90 days or older needs a titer test. Pets under 90 days of age are outside the titer requirement. If you are not certain where your pet was born, prepare as if it were a rabies-endemic region — there is no provision that lets long-term residence stand in for the place of birth.

   Where your pet was born decides whether the shot and titer test apply. Pick the birth country in the app. Check in the app →

3. Rabies vaccination (if it applies)

   After the microchip

   Departing from Japan, rabies vaccination is not a requirement for entering Korea; APQA recommends it. But if your pet was born in a rabies-endemic region and needs a titer test, vaccination has to come first. The dose counts only if it is given after the microchip.

4. Rabies titer test (if it applies)

   After vaccination

   For a pet born in a rabies-endemic region and aged 90 days or older, the rabies antibody level must be 0.5 IU/mL or higher, and that value must be recorded on the quarantine certificate. The blood draw must be within 24 months before arrival in Korea. Check in advance that the laboratory is one the destination authority accepts.

   If the test applies, the draw date and its validity also have to hold. Enter them and the app checks. Check in the app →

5. Request the export inspection

   At least 14 days ahead

   Apply to the Animal Quarantine Service office covering your departure airport, online through NACCS or by email. The request must be made at least 14 days before the date you want the inspection, so it is safest to apply as soon as your flight is booked.

6. Health certificate (if needed)

   Before the export inspection

   The document Korea requires is the quarantine certificate issued by the Japanese government, so a veterinary health certificate is not itself required. However, if you take the export inspection outside the office’s regular hours, a health certificate from a private veterinarian must be submitted, and airlines sometimes ask for one at check-in.

7. Export inspection and quarantine certificate

   Within 10 days before departure

   Take the export inspection at the Animal Quarantine Service. The officer checks identification details (breed, sex, coat color, date of birth, microchip number) and your pet’s condition, and on passing issues the export quarantine certificate in English. This certificate is the central document for entry into Korea.

8. Departure and arrival in Korea

   Departure day

   Submit your documents at the APQA import inspection counter at Incheon or your arrival port and take the clinical exam. If the release criteria are met you can take your pet home the same day. If a titer result is required but missing or below the threshold, your pet may be held in extended quarantine for up to 90 days.

Documents to carry on arrival day

• Export quarantine certificate (issued by Japan’s Animal Quarantine Service, in English)
• Microchip identification (recorded on the certificate)
• Rabies vaccination certificate (if vaccinated)
• Titer test result (0.5 IU/mL or higher, where it applies)
• Veterinary health certificate (for after-hours export inspection or airline check-in)

Frequently asked questions

Sources and verification dates

• Animal Quarantine Service (MAFF) — exporting dogs and cats from Japan · 2026-08-27
• Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) — import health conditions for dogs and cats · 2026-08-27
• Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) — pet quarantine guide · 2026-07-25

This guide is reference information compiled from publicly available official rules. Final decisions rest with APQA, 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 with dates and scheduling

Enter your pet’s vaccination dates and planned departure in the TabiPet app, and it lays out the steps above around your own dates. Your first diagnosis is free.

• What to prepare based on the birth country
• Document deadlines and D‑Day alerts
• Airline boarding conditions by weight and breed

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