International dog relocation between the US and Asia

What we coordinate for your dog

A dog's international move is a chain of dated steps, and one link out of order can cost months. Our part is to design that chain and keep it moving:

• The plan and timeline, worked backward from your travel date, with a clear answer early on if the date is not realistic for your dog.
• Veterinary documentation guidance: the order of microchip, rabies vaccinations, titer blood draw and health certificate, coordinated with your own veterinarian.
• Permits and import applications where the destination requires them, such as Taiwan's import permit, Singapore's import license or Hong Kong's special permit.
• Flight booking arrangements: which travel mode is possible for your dog's size and breed on your route, and the booking itself.
• Crate guidance so the kennel fits your dog and the airline's rules.
• Arrival coordination: what happens at the destination airport and what you need to have ready.

Ground transport to and from the airport, boarding before or after the flight, customs brokerage and home delivery are arranged through local partners where available. When a route has no partner for a step, we tell you what you will need to do yourself.

Your veterinarian performs the exams and vaccinations; government authorities issue or endorse the official documents. We do not replace either, and no one can shorten a government waiting period.

Who this service is for

• Americans moving to Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong or elsewhere in Asia with a dog.
• Families and expats moving from Asia to the United States, and Americans returning home after an assignment abroad.
• Owners of large dogs, snub-nosed breeds or seniors, whose flight options are narrower.
• People moving for work or on military orders: see corporate relocation and military relocation.

Leaving the US for Asia: what drives the timeline

Each destination classifies the US mainland differently, and that classification sets the calendar.

• Japan treats the US mainland as a non-designated region. A dog needs an ISO 11784/11785 microchip, two or more rabies vaccinations given after the chip, and a titer of at least 0.5 IU/ml. It may only arrive once 180 days have passed since the blood draw, and the animal quarantine office must be notified at least 40 days before arrival. A dog that does not meet the rules can be detained for up to 180 days or sent back (MAFF). Details: USA to Japan and our guide on moving a dog to Japan.
• Taiwan requires an import permit and a rabies titer test declaration for dogs from rabies-infected areas, which include the US mainland, and arrivals go to a quarantine premise. The import of Pit Bull Terriers has been banned since March 1, 2022 (APHIA). See USA to Taiwan.
• Singapore lists the USA in Schedule II. You need an import license, valid 90 days. Post-arrival quarantine is waived for personal imports that meet AVS's conditions; otherwise a minimum 10-day home quarantine applies (AVS). See USA to Singapore.
• South Korea requires an ISO microchip, a rabies antibody test within 24 months of the blood sample and a government-issued health certificate. Compliant dogs can be released on the day of arrival (APQA). See USA to South Korea.
• Hong Kong requires a special permit before final travel arrangements are made. Dogs must travel as manifested cargo, not as excess or cabin baggage, must be at least 5 months old, and need a rabies vaccination given 30 days to 1 year before export (AFCD). See USA to Hong Kong.

On the US side, a USDA-accredited veterinarian prepares the destination's health certificate and submits it to USDA APHIS for endorsement (APHIS). Our US pet export service covers that step in detail.

Coming to the US from Asia: CDC rules for dogs

The CDC sets entry rules for dogs, and they depend on where the dog has been in the previous six months. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong are not on CDC's high-risk list; the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and mainland China are (CDC).

A dog coming only from low-risk or rabies-free countries must be at least 6 months old, have a microchip detectable with a universal scanner, appear healthy, and travel with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. It can enter at any airport, seaport or land border (CDC).

Routing matters. CDC considers a dog to have entered a country if it clears customs there, which can happen when it flies in the cabin or changes airlines (CDC layovers). A connection that clears customs in a high-risk country turns a low-risk dog into a high-risk one. We check the routing for that before booking.

Dogs from high-risk countries face stricter rules, and some must land at a specific US airport: see US airports for pet arrivals and US pet import. Route pages: Japan to USA, Taiwan to USA, South Korea to USA, Hong Kong to USA, Singapore to USA.

Size, breed and age change the options

Two dogs on the same route can have very different plans.

• Large dogs usually cannot fly in the cabin and need a hold or cargo option, plus a larger crate. Our guide to cabin, checked baggage and cargo explains the three travel modes.
• Snub-nosed breeds (bulldogs, pugs and similar) are refused by many airlines in the hold or in cargo, or only in certain months. See brachycephalic pets.
• Puppies cannot enter the US before 6 months of age, cannot enter Hong Kong before 5 months, and need time for the vaccination sequence before Japan's 180-day wait even starts.
• Senior dogs deserve a veterinary opinion on fitness to fly before anything is booked. See senior pets flying.
• Restricted breeds: some destinations ban certain breeds outright, as Taiwan does for Pit Bull Terriers. We check this before anything else.

Airline policies change often. We confirm the carrier, aircraft and travel mode for your dog at booking rather than relying on last year's rules.

How a dog relocation runs with us

1. Enquiry: route, approximate date, and your dog's breed, weight, age and vaccination history.
2. Plan and quote: the steps, the dates they depend on and a written quote listing what is included and what goes through local partners.
3. Veterinary calendar: we send your veterinarian the sequence and track each result as it comes in.
4. Permits and booking: applications filed in the right window; flight and crate arranged.
5. Travel and arrival: departure checklist, then arrival coordination until your dog is released.

Start early. For Japan, the realistic minimum from scratch is around seven months; read how early to prepare.