China & Shanghai Pet Export

Preparation is the key to a smooth pet move. Planning enough time and budget reduces the stress of a move on pet owners and their pets. There are several factors that affect the costs and timeframe required to move your cat or dog from China to your next destination.

Relevant China pet export and destination pet import regulations

These are often not the same, but all steps must be completed at either end regardless of any differences in export and import requirements. Mainland China pets may be subject to additional import rules such as a rabies titre blood test.

Flight transportation options and restrictions

From in-cabin, to excess baggage, and cargo, costs vary significantly. Destination, airline, and weather (temperature) restrictions may apply.

Potential quarantine requirement

Some jurisdictions impose quarantine on pets from Mainland China while not on animals from other jurisdictions, due to the higher risk of rabies.

Notable Pet Import Restrictions for Mainland China Pets

Ban on the Direct Import of Pets from Mainland China

Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan are the only jurisdictions that outright ban the direct import of pets from Mainland China. Pets from Mainland China moving to these destitations must spend 6 months in an approved transit country. Pets may still be subject to quarantine on arrival.

Australia recently amended its pet import regulations to allow pets microchipped, vaccinated, and with a rabies titre blood test in Australia or in an approved country, to move from high rabies risk countries to Australia with a reduced 45 days in transit. Realistically, the new regulations benefit qualified returning Australian pets and pets originating in approved transit countries and currently living in Mainland China.

Shanghai and China Pet Export Regulations

The focus of this section is Shanghai, but many of the export requirements are similar and pet owners should confirm other Chinese cities' pet export regulations with the relevant quarantine bureau.

Note that under PRC regulations, only cats and dogs are considered pets for export. Cats and dogs should be minimum 4 months old.

Basic Steps for Pet Export (applies to all pets/all destinations)
Official Shanghai Pet Export Veterinary Clinic

Step 1 - 1st Visit to the Shenpu Pet Hospital

- Pets receive a microchip (RMB300) if not already
chipped with a readable ISO standard chip
- Pets receive a rabies vaccination (RMB170)
This rabies vaccination is required regardless of
vaccination status from another clinic

Step 2* - 2nd visit to the Shenpu Pet Hospital

At least 30 days after and within 1 year from the 1st visit, pets return to the Shenpu Pet Hospital 7 days before departure for a health check.
Bring passport ID, flight details, and Shenpu vaccination booklet. Pay for export certificate (RMB600-800) and keep receipt for pick up at the quarantine bureau.

* See below for interim step between 1 and 2 for rabies titre blood test for certain jurisdictions (e.g. EU, UAE, Singapore and Japan) *

Step 3 - Pick up Export Certificate at Quarantine Bureau (Bund area)

3 days before departure, bring the receipt for the export certificate issued by the Shenpu Pet Hospital to the quarantine bureau on the Bund (address and office hours in the receipt provided by Shenpu). Bring passport ID for signing in at security desk.

Shenpu Pet Hospital

565 Xujiahui Road
near the Pullman hotel - click here for Google map
Open 24 hours
Tel: +86 21 5301 8000
www.shenpucw.com (Chinese)
Some English speaking staff

Additional Step (between 1st and 2nd Shenpu clinic visits) for Pet Export - Rabies Titre Blood Test

Applies to some destinations (e.g. E.U., UAE, Singapore, Japan)

In between Step 1 and Step 2, some countries impose a rabies titre blood test to measure antibodies. Mainland China is considered a high risk country for rabies. Pets moving to the EU, Japan, Singapore, UAE, and dogs (not cats) moving to South Africa must pass a blood test demonstrating a sufficient level of rabies antibodies.

A rabies titre test can be done minimum 30 days after the Shenpu Pet Hospital vaccination. Then there is a minimum 90-day wait from the date of the blood test before export.

The blood test requirement is easily met, however, the extended waiting time from the date of the test to export-import permission can be long:
EU and UAE: plan at least 4 months ahead of move
Singapore and Japan: plan at least 6 months ahead of move

International-standard veterinary clinics in Shanghai (e.g. Shanghai and Pudong PAW) offer this service through affiliated certified domestic and international labs.

A rabies titre blood test costs between RMB1,500-RMB2,750 per pet at international-standard pet clinics, with some clinics offering a discount on multiple pet tests. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO USE THE BLOOD TEST SERVICES OFFERED BY THE SHENPU PET HOSPITAL.

*Note: due to several instances of dogs with only the one mandatory rabies vaccination from the Shenpu failing the titre test, SCAA highly recommends pets receive an additional rabies vaccination either 3-4 weeks before the Shenpu rabies vaccination.

Many factors can influence vaccination failure - from the quality and storage of the vaccine, the animal's size/weight, and animal's stress/anxiety on and post vaccination. Failing and repeating the test is not only costly, it adds additional export preparation time.

Flight Transportation Options

Flight transportation costs vary wildly depending on the method of transport. Some options may be unavailable on certain airlines, limited to a certain # of pets per passenger, and restricted during certain times of the year (ie. the hottest and coldest months):

In-cabin transport: Available on many airlines at low cost, subject to pet's size & weight, one-per-per-passenger, and limit on number of pets per cabin. Not available for destinations that require pets arrive as cargo (e.g. UK, UAE and Hong Kong)
Excess baggage transport: Available on a limited number of airlines for reasonable set fee or based on pet & crate total size and weight, subject to limits of pets per passenger and, for US and Canadian airlines, not available during hottest and coldest times of the year. The best airlines for consistent excess-baggage transport include Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, and Singapore Airlines.
Cargo transport: Most expensive transport option, required for all pets travelling unaccompanied, and required for import into certain destinations (e.g. UK, UAE, Hong Kong), required by North American airlines during hottest and coldest months, and requires use of a pet transport agent for Customs Clearance.

NOTE: for the UK - All pets arriving in the U.K. by air must arrive as manifest cargo. But the cost of a pet move can be significantly reduced by breaking up the journey into two flight segments; in-cabin or excess baggage from Shanghai to Amsterdam or Paris (if travelling with your pet) and then a cheaper and shorter cargo flight for the second/final leg or taking the Eurotunnel from CDV (several transport companies specialize in driving pets + owners this route).