General administration of customs: 2019 notice on further regulating the quarantine and supervision of carrying pets into China

In order to further adapt to the new situation of port law enforcement, the quarantine and supervision work of carrying inbound pets (dogs and cats) should be done in a safe, scientific and standardized manner. The relevant matters are hereby announced as follows:


1. Only dogs or cats (hereinafter referred to as "pets") are allowed to bring live animals into China, and each person is allowed to bring only 1 animal at a time. If a pet is brought into China, the person carrying the pet shall provide the customs with a valid quarantine certificate issued by the official animal quarantine institution of the exporting country or region and a rabies vaccination certificate. Pets should have electronic chips.

2. Pets brought into China shall be quarantined for 30 days in quarantine designated by the customs (the detention period shall be taken into account). Pets in need of quarantine inspection shall enter the country from ports with quarantine facilities. The customs shall exercise supervision and inspection over the pets in quarantine. The customs shall classify and manage pets brought into China according to designated countries or regions and non-designated countries or regions. Pets under the following circumstances shall be exempted from quarantine inspection:

(1) pets brought into China from designated countries or regions with effective electronic chips that have passed on-site quarantine inspection;

(2) pets from non-designated countries or regions, with effective electronic chips, shall provide rabies antibody test report issued by the adoption laboratory (antibody titer or immune antibody quantity shall be more than 0.5IU/ml) and pass the field quarantine;

(3) those who carry pets belonging to guide dogs, guide dogs and search and rescue dogs and have effective electronic chips, and those who carry pets shall provide relevant user certificates and professional training certificates and pass the field quarantine.

The list of designated countries or regions, the list of laboratories that adopt rabies antibody test results, and the list of ports with quarantine facilities shall be subject to the announcement by the general administration of customs.

3. In case of any of the following circumstances, the customs shall return the pet within a time limit or destroy it according to relevant provisions:

(1) carrying pets in excess of the quota;

(2) the carrier is unable to provide the customs with a valid quarantine certificate issued by the official animal quarantine organ of the exporting country or region or a rabies vaccination certificate;

(3) bringing pets requiring quarantine inspection into China at ports that have never been equipped with quarantine and quarantine facilities;

(4) pets that fail the quarantine inspection.

Guide dogs, hearing dogs and search and rescue dogs that cannot provide vaccination certificates only may be vaccinated against rabies by qualified institutions upon application by carriers.

If the pet is returned within a specified time limit, the bearer shall obtain and carry the pet out of the country with the interception certificate issued by the customs within the specified time limit. If they do not receive it within the time limit, it shall be automatically abandoned.

4. Please refer to the appendix "quarantine requirements of the People's Republic of China on imported pets" for the specific quarantine requirements on imported pets.

Attachment：1.Quarantine requirements of People's Republic of China for pets entering China.doc

         2.The general administration of customs adopts the list of laboratories that accept rabies antibody test results.doc

         3.Entry pet (dog, cat) information registration form.doc
         4. List of ports with quarantine conditions for entering pets.doc