Country entry guide · Asia
Traveling to Japan with your dog
Japan welcomes dogs, but it applies one of the world's strictest rabies-control schemes — not the EU framework. For almost every country, the process is long and cannot be rushed: an ISO microchip, then at least two rabies vaccinations, a rabies antibody test at a designated laboratory, and a compulsory 180-day waiting period after the blood is drawn before your dog may arrive. You must also notify the Animal Quarantine Service (AQS) at least 40 days before arrival. Only a short list of rabies-free "designated regions" (Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii and Guam) follows a simpler path. If every condition is met, quarantine on arrival is under 12 hours; if not, your dog can be detained for up to 180 days. Start at least seven months ahead.
📋 At a glance
| Dogs allowed | Yes |
| Microchip (ISO) | Required |
| Rabies vaccination (twice or more) | Required |
| Rabies antibody test (≥0.5 IU/ml) | Required (non-designated regions) |
| 180-day waiting period | Required (non-designated regions) |
| Advance notification to AQS (≥40 days) | Required |
| Government veterinary certificate | Required |
| Quarantine on arrival | ≤12 h if compliant; up to 180 days if not |
⏱️ Estimated preparation time
Times are indicative. The rabies antibody test alone adds a fixed 3-month wait.
⚠️ Important
- MyDogCanFly provides general information — not veterinary or legal advice.
- Only a veterinarian and the Animal Quarantine Service (AQS) can confirm the exact procedure for your individual dog.
- The 180-day waiting period after the blood draw is fixed and cannot be shortened — plan at least seven months ahead.
- Requirements depend on: the country of origin, previous travel history, identification, vaccinations, the itinerary and the travel date.
Always consult your veterinarian before booking your trip.
Find a flight to Japan
🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact steps depend on three things — Japan (your destination) is only the first.
- 1 Country of destination — Japan★★★★★
Japan runs its own scheme through the Animal Quarantine Service: ISO microchip, two rabies vaccinations, an antibody test ≥0.5 IU/ml, a 180-day wait and advance notification. It does not use the EU pet-passport system.
- 2 Country of departure★★★★★
Departing from a rabies-free 'designated region' (Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, Guam) skips the antibody test and the 180-day wait. Every other region follows the full scheme.
- 3 Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆
Designated-region rules require continuous residence (since birth, or at least 180 days before export). A recent stay elsewhere breaks that status and forces the full non-designated procedure.
So read the requirements below as Japan's framework, then confirm your dog's exact origin, residence history and timeline with your vet and the AQS.
✅ Entry requirements
| Requirement | Required? | When | Exceptions | Official reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO microchip | Required | Implanted before the first rabies vaccination; ISO 11784/11785 (15-digit numeric code). | A non-ISO microchip is accepted only if you bring a reader that can read it; contact the AQS at the port of entry. | AQS/MAFF — Import (Step 1) |
| Rabies vaccination (twice or more) | Required | 1st shot: dog ≥91 days old and after the microchip. 2nd shot: ≥30 days after the 1st and within its validity. Inactivated or recombinant vaccine only. | Live-virus and RNA rabies vaccines are NOT accepted. A vaccination before microchipping is invalid. | AQS/MAFF — Import (Step 2) |
| Rabies antibody test | Required (non-designated regions) | Blood drawn after the 2nd vaccination, at an AQS-designated laboratory; result ≥0.5 IU/ml; valid 2 years from sampling. | Not required from designated regions (Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, Guam). | AQS/MAFF — Import (Step 3); designated laboratories |
| 180-day waiting period | Required (non-designated regions) | Dog may arrive only after 180 days have passed from the date of blood sampling (day of sampling = day 0), and within vaccine and titre validity. | Not required from designated regions. Arriving early means detention quarantine for the missing days. | AQS/MAFF — Import (Step 4) |
| Advance notification to AQS | Required | Notify the AQS at the expected port of entry at least 40 days before arrival, via NACCS online or the notification form by e-mail. | A notification submitted less than 40 days before arrival is, in principle, not accepted. | AQS/MAFF — Import (Step 5) |
| Pre-export clinical inspection | Required | By a veterinarian within 10 days before boarding; dog free of clinical signs of rabies and (for dogs) leptospirosis. | — | AQS/MAFF — Import (Step 6) |
| Government veterinary certificate | Required | Certificate issued/endorsed by the exporting country's government agency (recommended Form AC / Form AB) recording microchip, vaccinations, titre and clinical exam. | Deficient certificates lead to detention quarantine (up to 180 days) or return of the animal. | AQS/MAFF — Import (Step 7) |
| Import inspection on arrival | Required | Apply to the AQS on arrival; if all conditions are met, clearance is within 12 hours and an import quarantine certificate is issued. | Dogs may enter only through designated airports/seaports. | AQS/MAFF — Import (Step 8) |
| Detention quarantine | Only if non-compliant | Dogs that do not meet requirements (early arrival, deficient certificate) are detained at an AQS facility for the necessary period, up to 180 days, at the owner's cost. | Compliant dogs are cleared within 12 hours and are not quarantined. | AQS/MAFF — Import inspection |
| Puppies / minimum age | Effectively ~9–10 months | 1st rabies shot only valid at ≥91 days old; +30 days to the 2nd shot, +180-day wait — so a dog cannot complete the process much before ~9–10 months of age. | A shot given under 91 days old is invalid under Japanese rules and the procedure must restart. | AQS/MAFF — Import (Steps 2–4) |
🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin
Designated (rabies-free) regions — simplified
From Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii or Guam the process is simpler: ISO microchip, proof of continuous residence (since birth, or at least 180 days before export, or since import from Japan), a pre-export clinical inspection, a government certificate (Form AB) and the 40-day advance notification. No rabies vaccination, antibody test or 180-day wait is required, and compliant dogs clear in under 12 hours.
All other regions — full scheme completed
From every other country (including the EU, the US, Canada and the UK), your dog needs an ISO microchip, at least two rabies vaccinations, an antibody test ≥0.5 IU/ml at a designated laboratory, a compulsory 180-day wait after the blood draw, advance notification ≥40 days, a pre-export clinical inspection and a government certificate (Form AC). Done correctly and in advance, quarantine on arrival is under 12 hours — but it takes about seven months to prepare.
Arriving non-compliant — detention quarantine
If a dog from a non-designated region arrives before the 180-day wait is complete, with a missing antibody test, or with a deficient certificate, the AQS detains it at a quarantine facility for the necessary period — up to 180 days — at the owner's expense, or returns it to the exporting country. This is why the whole procedure must be finished before departure.
🛬 Arrival
What happens when your dog reaches Japan depends entirely on whether every condition was completed before departure.
- Dogs may enter only through designated airports (New Chitose, Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, Osaka Itami, Kobe, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Naha) and designated seaports.
- Apply for import inspection with the AQS on arrival, presenting the original government certificate and the antibody-test result report.
- If all conditions are met, inspection takes under 12 hours and the AQS issues an import quarantine certificate — keep it, as it cannot be reissued.
- If conditions are not met, the dog is held in detention quarantine for up to 180 days at the owner's expense, or returned.
- Failing to have a dog inspected is an offence punishable by up to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥3 million.
- After entry, register the dog with the local municipality within 30 days and keep up the annual rabies vaccination required in Japan.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 Restricted dogs
Japan has no breed-specific import ban: no dog breed is prohibited from entering the country, and requirements are the same for every breed provided the rabies scheme is completed.
There is no national list of banned or 'dangerous' breeds at import. Breeds restricted elsewhere (pit-bull types, Tosa, Rottweiler, etc.) are not prohibited from entering Japan — the Tosa is itself a Japanese breed.
Dangerous-dog control in Japan is handled locally: some prefectures and municipalities can designate an individual dog as dangerous (often after a biting incident) and impose keeping conditions. This is case-by-case conduct-based regulation, not a breed import restriction.
Because rules can vary by prefecture and city, check the local municipality's ordinances for the place where the dog will live, and confirm airline breed policies separately.
✈️ National airlines
Carriers registered in this country that accept dogs — see each airline's MyDogCanFly fiche.
🛂 Airports in Japan
Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.
🧾 Preparation checklist
- ☐Microchip (ISO 11784/11785) implanted before the first rabies vaccination
- ☐Two or more rabies vaccinations (1st at ≥91 days, 2nd ≥30 days later; inactivated/recombinant vaccine)
- ☐Rabies antibody test ≥0.5 IU/ml at an AQS-designated laboratory (non-designated regions)
- ☐Count the 180-day waiting period from the blood-draw date before booking arrival
- ☐Advance notification to the AQS at least 40 days before arrival (NACCS or e-mail)
- ☐Pre-export clinical inspection within 10 days and government certificate (Form AC/AB)
- ☐Arrive through a designated airport or seaport; carry original documents
- ☐Airline reservation and suitable IATA crate if travelling in the hold
📚 Official sources
- Animal Quarantine Service (MAFF) — Import and export quarantine of dogs and cats
- AQS (MAFF) — Import dogs and cats from Non-designated regions
- AQS (MAFF) — Import dogs and cats from the designated regions
- AQS (MAFF) — Designated regions (Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, Guam)
- AQS (MAFF) — Rabies antibody testing designated laboratories
- AQS (MAFF) — Frequently asked questions (dogs and cats)