United States
Malaysia
Pet relocation from the United States to Malaysia
Malaysia does not ask US pets for a long titer wait, but it does require quarantine on arrival: at least seven days in Peninsular Malaysia, at least 14 in Sabah. The permit is applied for by a MAQIS-registered agent, and the quarantine space is booked before the permit.
At a glance
Rules on this page apply to: dogs and cats.
- US category
- Non-scheduled country under Malaysia's Department of Veterinary Services (DVS).
- Import permit
- Issued by MAQIS through e-Permit; a registered import agent applies for you.
- Quarantine
- At least 7 days on arrival in Peninsular Malaysia; can be extended up to 6 months.
- Minimum age
- 3 months at the time of import.
- Health certificate
- USDA-endorsed; export within 7 days of issue.
- Sabah
- Adds a titer test, a rabies vaccine window and 14 days' quarantine.
Who this guide is for
This page is for families moving a pet dog or cat from the United States to Malaysia, most often to Kuala Lumpur, Penang or Johor on the peninsula, and sometimes to Sabah. It covers the conditions set by Malaysia's Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), the permit and quarantine run by the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services (MAQIS), and the USDA paperwork on the US side.
Malaysia's federal rules cover the peninsula. Sabah publishes its own additional conditions, summarized below. Sarawak also has its own rules; we confirm those with the Sarawak authorities for your case.
What we coordinate
We work out the timeline from your arrival date, check vet records against DVS's non-scheduled-country conditions, and coordinate the MAQIS-registered import agent who books the quarantine space and applies for your permit. On the US side we line up the USDA-accredited veterinarian and the APHIS endorsement inside the seven-day window, and we confirm the carrier, aircraft and mode. Collection, boarding and delivery after quarantine are provided through local partners where available.
We confirm DVS's and MAQIS's current conditions for your dates before anything is paid, because Malaysia updates its country lists by notice.
Moving to Malaysia with a pet?
Get My Free Quote (opens the enquiry form in a new tab)Dogs and cats
DVS applies one set of conditions to dogs and cats from non-scheduled countries. The breed rules apply to dogs only:
- Banned dogs: Akita, American Bulldog, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa, Neapolitan Mastiff, and Pit Bull types (American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier).
- Restricted dogs: Bull Mastiff, Bull Terrier, Doberman, German Shepherd (including Belgian and East European Shepherds), Perro de Presa Canario and Rottweiler. These need written approval from the MAQIS Director-General before the permit application, with a pedigree certificate showing the microchip, a premises inspection and a signed declaration that the dog is a personal pet, kept secured and leashed and muzzled in public.
German Shepherds and Rottweilers are common family dogs in the US. In Malaysia they are restricted, so start the approval well before the move.
Timeline
Without a long titer wait, the Peninsular route is driven by bookings and documents rather than lab waits:
- Two months or more out: confirm microchip and rabies vaccination; restricted-breed dogs start the MAQIS approval.
- At least 14 days before import: the agent books quarantine space; the deposit is paid within 48 hours.
- After the booking number is issued: the agent applies for the import permit on e-Permit.
- Within 7 days before export: vet exam, health certificate and USDA endorsement.
- Arrival: inspection by MAQIS and at least 7 days of quarantine.
In practice, six to eight weeks is a comfortable plan for a vaccinated adult pet. Sabah needs longer: see the quarantine section.
Microchip
DVS and MAQIS require an ISO 11784/11785-compliant microchip, and the pet must travel with a pet passport or certificate that fully identifies it. The chip number must match on every record, the health certificate and, for restricted breeds, the pedigree certificate.
Rabies and core vaccines
DVS requires that the pet was vaccinated against rabies with an approved vaccine before export, and that other core vaccines recommended by a licensed veterinarian were given within the 12 months before export. The APHIS certificate records the date of the current rabies vaccination and the end of its validity. DVS's sheet does not set a minimum interval between vaccination and travel; we confirm with MAQIS whether your permit adds one.
Moving to Malaysia and might come back? Malaysia is on the CDC's high-risk list. Ask us about the CDC Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination now: it must be completed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA before your dog leaves the US, and it makes the return far simpler.
Titer test
DVS's conditions for non-scheduled countries, and the APHIS certificate for US dogs going to Peninsular Malaysia, do not include a rabies titer test. Sabah is different: it requires a FAVN test at a WOAH-approved laboratory showing at least 0.5 IU/ml, on a sample taken between 30 days and 24 months before shipment, with the lab report in English.
MAQIS import permit
Every pet needs a valid import permit issued by MAQIS. You do not apply yourself: you appoint an import agent registered with MAQIS, who applies online through e-Permit. APHIS notes that the permit must accompany the pet. For pets from countries that require quarantine, the quarantine booking comes first, because the booking number is needed for the permit. Rejected applications are resubmitted by the agent.
Health certificate
The pet travels with a veterinary health certificate issued by the national veterinary authority of the exporting country, and MAQIS requires export within seven days of the certificate's issue date. The APHIS certificate for dogs covers the exam and fitness to travel, six months' residence in the US before the certificate date, rabies vaccination, and up-to-date vaccinations and routine treatments. A USDA-accredited veterinarian completes it after confirming the pet meets Malaysia's requirements.
USDA APHIS endorsement
The certificate must be endorsed by APHIS. The accredited vet submits it through VEHCS; APHIS can endorse it digitally, and the owner can print the endorsed certificate, which must travel with the pet. We book the vet exam and the endorsement together so that the departure falls inside MAQIS's seven-day limit. Our USDA pet health certificate guide explains VEHCS.
Airlines
DVS requires pets to be carried by aircraft or other approved transport direct to a prescribed landing place in Malaysia. Airline policies change, so we confirm the carrier, aircraft and mode for your pet, and we confirm with MAQIS how a connection is treated. If a routing connects in Singapore, Singapore Airlines asks for a Singapore import or transshipment license for pets transiting there.
Cabin, checked baggage or cargo
The mode depends on the airline, the aircraft and your pet's size. Cabin travel is not offered on many long-haul routes, and in Sabah the veterinary inspection is done at the MAS cargo office at Kota Kinabalu International Airport, with no hand-carry. Snub-nosed breeds face extra airline limits; see brachycephalic pets.
Arrival
On arrival a MAQIS officer inspects the pet with the original import permit, the health certificate and the updated vaccination record. The pet then goes directly to the MAQIS Animal Quarantine Station. In Sabah, the Animal Quarantine Office at Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminal 1 must be told the confirmed arrival time at least two days in advance.
Quarantine
Peninsular Malaysia (DVS): pets from non-scheduled countries are placed in quarantine on arrival, may be vaccinated against rabies, and stay for a compulsory period of not less than seven days. They are released if free of any sign of infection; where DVS judges it necessary, the period can be extended up to six months on a case-by-case risk assessment.
The space is booked 14 days before import. The deposit, which covers the minimum quarantine period, must be paid in full within 48 hours and is not refundable; the booking stays valid until five working days after the planned import date.
Sabah: in addition to the federal rules, Sabah requires rabies vaccination 3–12 months before shipment for a primary vaccination (or within one year for a booster), the FAVN titer above, parasite treatment within 15 days, a health exam within 48 hours of shipment, and at least 14 days' quarantine at the Veterinary Quarantine Station in Kinarut, Papar. Sabah's breed lists differ from the peninsula's, and its restricted breeds must be neutered.
What drives the cost
MAQIS does not publish the deposit or daily quarantine fees on its pet guide, so we confirm them for your dates. The main cost drivers are the airline mode and crate size, the quarantine stay (seven days or more), the registered import agent, vet and USDA endorsement fees in the US, and transport after release. For Sabah add the titer test. See pet relocation costs.
Common mistakes
- Booking flights before the quarantine space and permit are confirmed.
- Doing the health certificate exam ten days out: MAQIS wants export within seven days of issue.
- Assuming a German Shepherd or Rottweiler needs no extra approval.
- Planning for Sabah with peninsula rules: the titer and 14-day quarantine change the timeline.
- Leaving the US without the CDC Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination, then facing the high-risk foreign-vaccinated route on the way back. See Malaysia to USA.
Questions about this route
Is quarantine mandatory for pets from the US to Malaysia?
Yes. Under DVS rules for non-scheduled countries, pets are quarantined on arrival for at least seven days in Peninsular Malaysia, and at least 14 days in Sabah.
Do I need a rabies titer test for Malaysia?
Not under DVS's non-scheduled-country conditions for Peninsular Malaysia. Sabah requires a FAVN titer of at least 0.5 IU/ml taken 30 days to 24 months before shipment.
Can I apply for the MAQIS import permit myself?
No. MAQIS asks you to appoint a registered import agent, who applies through e-Permit on your behalf. We coordinate the agent.
Which dog breeds cannot go to Malaysia?
Peninsular Malaysia bans the Akita, American Bulldog, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa, Neapolitan Mastiff and Pit Bull types. Several other breeds, including German Shepherds and Rottweilers, need prior written approval.
We may return to the US in a few years. What should we do now?
Before leaving, ask about the CDC Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination. It must be completed and USDA-endorsed before departure, and lets a US-vaccinated dog return from a high-risk country without the CDC-registered facility route.
Official sources
The requirements on this page come from these authorities.
- MAQIS — Haiwan kesayangan (pet import: permit via registered agent, quarantine booking, health certificate, microchip, age, breeds)
- DVS Malaysia — Import requirements: Anjing/Kucing (index of country sheets)
- DVS Malaysia — Regulations for the importation of dogs and cats from the non-scheduled countries (revised 13 Dec 2013) with country-list notice dated 13 March 2026
- USDA APHIS — Pet travel from the United States to Malaysia (last modified September 14, 2026)
- USDA APHIS — Veterinary health certificate for export of pet dogs from the USA to Malaysia
- Sabah Department of Veterinary Services — Import conditions (page)
- Sabah DVS — Additional conditions to import dog or cat from all countries (uploaded 2026-04)
- CDC — Entry requirements for U.S.-vaccinated dogs returning from high-risk countries (Apr. 28, 2026)
- CDC — High-risk countries for dog rabies (Apr. 15, 2026): Malaysia listed
- Singapore Airlines — Travelling with pets (transit documents for Singapore)
Requirements last verified against these sources on .
Requirements change. Before anything is booked, we confirm each one again with the authorities, the airline and your veterinarian for your pet and your dates.
Going the other way?
Other destinations
Moving to Malaysia with a pet?
Tell us your pet's breed, your US city and whether you are heading to the peninsula, Sabah or Sarawak. We will confirm the current DVS and MAQIS conditions for your dates.
Takes a few minutes. No account needed.