International cat relocation between the US and Asia

What we coordinate for your cat

Our role is to turn the rules of two countries and one airline into a dated plan, and then keep it moving:

• The timeline, from your move date backward, including any titer test and waiting period.
• Veterinary documentation guidance for your veterinarian: microchip, rabies vaccinations, blood draw, health certificate, in the order the destination accepts.
• Permits and import applications where the destination requires them.
• Flight booking arrangements for the travel mode your cat can use on your route.
• Crate guidance, including how to get a cat used to the carrier weeks ahead.
• Arrival coordination at the destination airport.

Airport transfers, boarding, customs brokerage and home delivery are arranged through local partners where available. If a step has no partner on your route, we tell you up front what you will handle yourself.

Who this service is for

• Americans moving to Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong or elsewhere in Asia with one or more cats.
• Families from Asia settling in the United States, and Americans returning home with a cat adopted abroad.
• Owners of Persians, Himalayans, Exotic Shorthairs, British Shorthairs, Scottish Folds and other breeds that some airlines restrict.
• Households moving both a cat and a dog, where the two follow different US entry rules: see dog relocation.

Cats are not small dogs, legally

The clearest difference is on arrival in the United States. CDC's dog import rules do not apply to cats. CDC states that cats do not need proof of rabies vaccination to enter the US, but they must appear healthy, and a cat showing signs of a disease that can pass to people can be refused or examined by a veterinarian at the owner's expense (CDC). CBP adds that pets refused entry are returned at the owner's expense and may be held at the port while their case is decided (CBP).

Two cautions. First, CDC does not require a general health certificate, but some states and many airlines do. Second, CDC still recommends rabies vaccination for all cats, and your destination state may require it. Our guide to bringing a cat into the USA covers this in detail.

Going the other way, most Asian destinations apply the same core conditions to cats and dogs. A cat headed to Japan, for example, needs an ISO microchip, two rabies vaccinations after the chip, a titer of at least 0.5 IU/ml and a 180-day wait after the blood draw, plus notification at least 40 days before arrival (MAFF).

Route by route, leaving the US

• Taiwan: the US mainland is a rabies-infected area for Taiwan, so a cat needs an import permit and a rabies titer test declaration, and goes to a quarantine premise on arrival (APHIA). See USA to Taiwan and our how-to on shipping a cat to Taiwan.
• Japan: same conditions as dogs, described above. See USA to Japan.
• Singapore: the USA is in Schedule II; an import license valid 90 days is required, and post-arrival quarantine is waived only for personal imports that meet AVS's conditions, otherwise a minimum 10-day home quarantine (AVS). See USA to Singapore.
• South Korea: ISO chip, a rabies antibody test within 24 months of the blood sample and a government health certificate; compliant cats can be released on arrival day (APQA). See USA to South Korea.
• Hong Kong: a special permit is needed before travel is booked, and cats from Group II places such as the US mainland may be exempted from quarantine only with full compliance (AFCD). See USA to Hong Kong.

The health certificate for each of these is prepared by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA APHIS (APHIS); see US pet export.

Coming to the US with a cat

For the mainland US, the federal side is light: a healthy cat, no CDC form. The work is in the departure country's export steps, the airline's own document demands, and your destination state's rules. Route pages: Japan to USA, Taiwan to USA, South Korea to USA, Singapore to USA, Hong Kong to USA.

Hawaii is the exception. Cats arriving in Hawaii or Guam, even from the US mainland, are subject to local quarantine rules (CDC). Hawaii requires two rabies vaccinations and a passing FAVN test for all dogs and cats; a cat that does not qualify for the 5-Day-or-Less program can be quarantined for up to 120 days (Hawaii Department of Agriculture). Arrival airports are compared on US airports for pets.

What makes cat moves different in practice

• Flat-faced breeds: several airlines refuse snub-nosed cats in the hold or in cargo, or limit them by season. Read brachycephalic pets and plan routing early.
• Carrier stress: cats cope better with a carrier they already know. We send a crate-training plan with the crate guidance.
• Multiple cats: certificates, permits and airline limits are often per animal. Two cats can mean two certificates and two bookings.
• Cabin or hold: a small cat may qualify for the cabin on some airlines and routes; we confirm that with the carrier for your dates rather than assuming it.