Import and Quarantine Policy's for Cats

Import and Quarantine Policies

Index of Destinations
A B C D E F G H I J K L
M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

You'll notice Current in the Health Certificate column for many destinations. This means the source supplying the information wasn't more explicit about their requirements so I'd suggest the certificate be issued as close to your departure date as possible, with a maximum of 30 days before travel. Be sure that the health certificate includes the vet's name, address, and license #. Any official stamps your local or federal government can add usually makes the customs officials are happier!

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Albania	<12 months	Current	None	No		Aug 2006
Andorra	<12 months	Current	None	No		Aug 2006
Argentina	>30 days and <12 months	<30 days	None	No		Aug 2006
Australia	>30 days and <120 days	Current	Min 30 days	Yes	No quarantine if arriving from New Zealand Read a detailed description of one woman's experience about importing her cat from the USA to Australia.	Aug 2006
Austria	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No	One site recommended the certificate for rabies vaccination be translated into German. We got away with an all English version without any comment from officials.	Aug 2006
Azores					see Portugal	Aug 2006

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Bahamas	>30 days and <10 months	Current	None	Yes	Import permit can now be downloaded from web. It must be approved before arrival.	Aug 2006
Bahrain	>30 days and <12 months	<4 days	Yes *	Yes	Pet must be microchipped (do not use the "Going Home" chip). Cats must have current Feline Rhinotracheitis, Calici, Panleukopaenia shots. Pets arriving with a "Pet Passport" (i.e., the pet has had a FAVN Anti Titre Rabies blood test) do not have to be quarantined. See here for more details.	Mar 2006
Barbados	>30 days and <12 months	Current	6 months	Yes	If cat/dog is arriving from UK, Ireland, Jamaica, St.Kitts - Nevis, Antigua, St.Lucia and St.Vincent, then no quarantine is required. Quarantine may have to be in UK.	July 2004
Belgium	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No	Rabies certificate must include the type of vaccine used and expiration date, the name of the manufacturer and the manufacturer's batch number. See additional details about the European Union requirements.	July 2004
Belize	>30 days and <12 months	<30 days	None	Yes		July 2004
Bermuda	>30 days and <12 months	<10 days	None	Yes	Requires microchip and parasite treatment on the day certificate issued. Also, certificate must show rabies vaccination history. International Health Certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian and duly stamped by the local office of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) attesting: That the pet is in good health one week prior to boarding; That no contagious disease was verified in the area of origin in the 40-day period prior to boarding; and That the pet was vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days before boarding and no more than 12 months. IMPORTANT: Please note that this certificate has a validity of 30 days only. Sanitary and Phytosanitary certificates must be authenticated by the Consular Office. The fee for authentication is US$ 20.00. Payment can be made in cash, money order or company check payable to "Consulate General of Brazil". Personal checks are NOT accepted.	Aug 2006
Brazil	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No	Health certificate must be stamped by local Brazilan consulate	July 2004
British Virgin Islands	>30 days and <12 months	<10 days	None	Yes	Must obtain import license before arrival. Quarantine if not from rabies free country (3-6 months); serum test results; internal parasites treatment; notify of arrival details 24 hr ahead	Aug 2006
Burma					See Myanmar

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Cambodia	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No		June 2001
Canada	>30 days and <36 months	Current	None	No	Certificate should identify the animal, as in breed, colour, weight, etc., plus indicate the name of the licensed rabies vaccine used (trade name), serial number and duration of validity.	Jun 2006
Chile	<12 months	Current	None	No	If you are leaving Chile after a stay longer than 1-2 months, you should get a current health certificate from a local vet. At least 1 day before departure, take the certificate to the SAG office at the international airport to receive an authorized international certificate.	Aug 2006
China, mainland	> 30 days and <12 months*	Current*	30 days*	Yes*	You many only import a pet if you are a resident; only 1 per person and only 2 per address. Visitors may not bring pets into China. *Each province has its own regulations. The info here applies to Shanghai and Beijing. For more details, see these messages on the Message Board here and here. Cats must also be vaccinated against Enteritis (E3) within 12 months of arrival. If traveling from USA, health certificate needs USDA stamp. See Hong Kong for details about visiting this city in China. You must obtain an export license before leaving the country. First, you'll need a rabies vaccination at least 30 days before departure at an authority designated clinic (you can't select a vet yourself). Second, go for a health check at this same clinic (maximum 7 days before leaving the country). Then, take the health certificate to Customs where the export permit will take 3 days to process. As of 2004, costs were approximately 600 renminbi.	Nov 2004
Columbia	<12 months	Current	None	No		July 2004
Costa Rica	<12 months	Current	30 days	Yes	If traveling from USA, health certificate needs USDA stamp Also, requires export license if pet stays in country an extended period. Contact Colegio de Medicos Veterinarios at 233-5822 in San Jose for details.	Aug 2002
Cyprus	>30 days and <12 months	Current	6 months	Yes	Home quarantine may be possible. Certificates must be signed by an official government officer of origin country.	Aug 2002
Czech Republic	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No		Mar 2001

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Denmark	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No	If traveling from USA, health certificate needs USDA stamp See additional details about the European Union requirements.	July 2004
Dominican Republic	>30 days and <12 months	<15 days	None *	No	Animals that don't meet these guidelines will be quarantined 8-30 days, depending on the country of origin. Need export license issued 72 hours before departure	Aug 2006

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Ecuador	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No	If traveling from USA, health certificate needs USDA stamp	July 2000
Egypt	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No	Signed letter from pet store stating the pet's country of origin	Dec 2000
El Salvador	<12 months	<3 months	None	No	Recommend that you get health certificate stamped by El Salvadorian consulate (cost about US$10)	July 2000
England					see United Kingdom
Estonia	>30 days and <12 months	Current	No	Yes	See additional details about the European Union requirements.	July 2004
European Union	>30 days and <12 months	Current	No	No *	Pets must have a tatoo or microchip. See Article 4 for more details. * You should also see what specific requirements each country in the EU has as they can be more restrictive than the general regulations.	July 2004

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Fiji	>30 days and <12 months	Current	3 months	Yes		Aug 2002
Finland	>30 days and <12 months	<10 days	None	No	Also, certificate must show animal received dosage of praziquantel against tapeworm. Certificate requirements are very precise so be sure to check the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry's specifications.	Aug 2003
France	>30 days and <12 months	<10 days	None	No	See additional details about the European Union requirements.	July 2004
French Polynesia					Pets are generally not allowed, unless Service du Développement Rural de Polynésie Français grants permission.	July 2004

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Germany	>30 days and <12 months	<10 days	None	No	If traveling from USA, health certificate needs USDA stamp See additional details about the European Union requirements.	July 2004
Ghana	<6 months	<10 days	None	Yes		July 2000
Great Britain					see United Kingdom
Greece	>6 days and <6 months	<=10 days	None	Yes	See additional details about the European Union requirements.	July 2004
Guam	>30 days and <12 months	<=14 days	120 days	Yes	Also need certificate of immunization against feline distemper, pneumonitis and Feline Leukemia. No quarantine if arriving from Hawaii or UK. Must have reservation at private kennel for quarantine before arrival.	Aug 2002
Guadeloupe	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No		June 2003
Guatemala	<12 months	<1 month	None	No	Recommend health certificate be stamped by Consulate. More info	Aug 2002

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Hawaii	<6 months	<14 days	5 days or less *	No	* Your pet must go through 120 days of in home quarantine and special blood testing so be sure to review the >official site for full details.	Jun 2004
Honduras	<12 months	Current	None	No	Recommend that you get health certificate stamped by Honduran consulate (cost about US$15)
Hong Kong	<12 months	Current	None if from approved country; otherwise 4 months	Yes	Need certificate for Feline Panleucopaenia and Feline Respiratory Disease Complex vaccinations. Must have import permit approved before arrival.	Jun 2006
Hungary	<12 months	<1 week	None	No	See additional details about the European Union requirements. Also see more info	July 2004

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Iceland	>3 months and <12 months	<48 hours	8 weeks	Yes	6 weeks quarantine if arriving from United Kingdom, Norway, or Sweden. Must be vaccinated against feline panleucopenia two or three months prior to entry.	Aug 2002
India	>30 days and < 12 months	Current	None	No	If traveling from USA, health certificate needs USDA stamp	Apr 2001
Indonesia	>30 days and < 12 months	5 days	None	Yes, if moving to Indonesia with pet	Import duties due upon arrival if importing pet, not just visiting as tourist. More info	Aug 2002
Ireland	<6 months	Current	6 months	No	No quarantine if imported from Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, or United Kingdom with approved paperwork. See Bringing Pets to Britain as Ireland is keeping pace with UK's quarantine changes	Aug 2002
Israel	>30 days and <12 months	<7 days	None	No	If pet is accompanied by owner, they don't need import license. Pets younger than 3 months won't be admitted.	Feb 2006
Italy	>30 days and <12 months	<30 days	None	No	If you click on the jump point for Italy, page down to see the info about pets. See additional details about the European Union requirements.	July 2006

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Jamaica	Must not vaccinated	<10 days	None, if arriving from UK, NI, RI	Yes	Only cats and dogs arriving from the UK, Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland are allowed in Jamaica.	March 2003
Japan	>30 days and <12 months	<10 days	12 hours to 180 days	Yes	Regardless what country you are arriving from, you must: 1) have your pet microchipped with an ISO standard chip; 2) notify the Japanese authorities 40 days in advance that you're importing your pet; and 3) have the health certificate stamped by the exporting country's quarantine authorities (e.g., USDA stamp. If you are arriving from a country with rabies, then your pet will only be subjected to 12 hours of quarantine, if he also: 1) has received 2 rabies shots after the microchip was inserted; 2) has a blood test administered at least 180 days, and no more than 2 years, before arriving in Japan which shows the rabies antibody level are 0.5IU/ml or above; and 3) the health certificate shows that your pet has remained in the same country for 6 months or more. If transferring through a Japanese airport with pet, then there is no quarantine, but you nor pet may leave airport during transfer.	November 2004

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Kenya	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	Yes	Import permit must be obtained prior to arrival.	Aug 2002
Kuwait	>30day and <12 months	<10 days	None	Yes	Only legal residents of Kuwait can bring their pets into the country. If traveling from USA, health certificate needs USDA stamp	July 2000

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Laos	>30 days and <12 months	<7 days	None	No		May 2002
Lebanon	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No		Sep 2002
Liechtenstein	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No		Feb 2003
Luxembourg	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No	See additional details about the European Union requirements.	July 2004

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Malaysia	>30 days and <12 months	<10 days	7 to 120 days	No	Pets are not subject to quarantine if they have lived in the UK, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, or Singapore. for at least 6 months. Click here for a possible way around the quarantine.	July 2004
Malta	<12 months	Current	183 days	Yes	Quarantine is only 21 days if arriving from United Kingdom	Mar 2002
Martinique	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No		June 2003
Marshall Islands	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No	Pet will be inspected upon arrival and must have current immunization records. No quarantine if records and animal in order.	May 2005
Mauritius	>30 days and <12 months	<Current	6 months	Yes	The import license must be obtained before arriving in Mauritius from the Veterinary Services / Ministry of Agriculture / Food Technology and Natural Resources.	March 2005
Maynmar	>30 days and <12 months	7 days	None	No		Oct 2004
Mexico	<12 months	<1 week	None	No		July 2000
Morocco	<12 months	Current	None	No	If traveling from USA, health certificate needs USDA stamp	Sep 2000

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Nepal	<12 months	Current	None	No		Feb 2002
Netherlands	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No	See additional details about the European Union requirements.	July 2004
New Caledonia	<12 months	Current	Yes *	Yes	Only allowed to import pets from rabies free countries.	Sept 2004
New Zealand	<12 months	Current	30 days to 6 months	Yes	No quarantine if arriving from Australia or Norfolk Islands; In home quarantine if arriving from Hawaii, Ireland, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, or United Kingdom. Not allowed to import if arriving from certain countries, so be sure to check NZ's list.	Jan 2005
Nicaragua	<12 months	Current	None	No		July 2000
Norway	<12 months	Current	120 days plus 60 days in-home	Yes	No quarantine if arriving from Australia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, or United Kingdom	Apr 2001

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Oman	>30 days and <6 months	<48 hours	6 months	Yes	No quarantine generally if importing from rabies-free country. Pet must arrive in cargo hold if arriving by air.	Aug 2002

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Panama	<12 months	<10 **days	No*	No	$146 fee to avoid quarantine *Health certificate must be certified by consulate	June 2003
Peru	>30 days and <12 months	<30 days	None	No	Health certificate should include info on all current vaccinations, including for rabies and FVCRP, and must be stamped by exiting country's animal health authority (e.g., USDA if leaving from US).	Jan 2005
Phillipines	>2 months and <6 months	<10 days	None	Yes	Obtain the import permit from the Bureau of Agriculture / Diliman, Quezon City. When requesting the permit include details of your cat (species, breed, age, weight, expected date of arrival, your fax number). Fees for the permit can be paid at the airport or an embassy/consulate.	March 2005
Poland	>4 weeks and <6 months	<3 days	None	No	The health certificate should also state that within last 3 months and in a 10 miles radius, no rabies incidents were recorded. Both documents should be translated into Polish and verified by a Polish consulate. See additional details about the European Union requirements.	July 2004
Portugal	<12 months	<10 days	None	Yes	Health certificate must be stamped by local Portuguese consulate. If traveling for the USA, it must also have the local USDA's seal. See additional details about the European Union requirements.	July 2004
Puerto Rico	>1 week and <6 months	<30 days	None	No	If traveling from USA, health certificate needs USDA stamp	July 2000

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Qatar	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	Yes		January 2003

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Russia	>30 days and <12 months	<10 days	None	No	To export a pet, you need proof of vaccination against rabies and feline infectious diseases plus a health certificate from a state licensed Russian vet 3 days before departure. Cats also need vaccination against feline infectious diseases to import into Russia.	June 2003

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Saudi Arabia	>30 days and <12 months	<10 days	None	No	Health certificate must be stamped by local Saudi consulate. If traveling from USA, health certificate needs USDA stamp	July 2000
Scotland					see United Kingdom
St. Barts	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No		July 2000
St. Martin	>30 days and <12 months	Current	None	No		July 2000
Serbia	<12 months	Current	None	No	Certificate must be legalized by government official at point of original (e.g., USDA stamp).	Aug 2002
Singapore	>30 days and <12 months	<7 days	30 days	Yes	No quarantine if arriving from Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, or United Kingdom.	July 2004
Slovakia	<12 months	Current	None	No	See additional details about the European Union requirements. Also see more info	July 2004
Slovenia	<12 months	Current	None	No	See additional details about the European Union requirements.	July 2004
South Africa	>2 months and <12 months	Current	None	Yes	Animals must arrive as manifested cargo, not in cabin of aircraft. Health certificate must state that the dog/cat comes from an area within a radius of 25 km. free from rabies for 6 months prior to export of the pet and the pet was vaccinated against rabies at least 2 months and no more than 1 year prior to arrival.	Nov 2003
South Korea	>30 days and <12 months	<10 days	None	No	The official site is in Korean. Here's a note, written in English, from the authorities that provides more details. You might also see if the Korean Customs Department has any more information.	May 2005
Spain	>30 days and <6 months	<10 days	None	Yes	If traveling from USA, health certificate needs USDA stamp See additional details about the European Union requirements.	July 2004
Sri Lanka	>30day and <12 months	Current	None	Yes	More info	Aug 2002
Sweden	<12 months	Current	0 to 120 days*	Yes	*No quarantine if arriving from EU, EFTA, or "low risk" countries. All pets must have a tatoo or a microchip; likely they'll need blood reports 120 days before arrival demonstrating the rabies vaccine is valid, etc. If arriving from the EU , then they need a pet passport. See the official site for full details about which countries qualify as "low risk" (i.e., most of EU, USA, Canada, most island states). More info	Jun 2004
Switzerland	>30day and <12 months	Current	None	No		Feb 2003

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Taiwan	>30 days <12 months	Current	21 days	Yes	Cat will be monitored for 6 months after 21 days quarantine. Info about the quarantine facility are at web site and you can send questions to vmnchu@mail.nchu.edu.tw	Mar 2006
Thailand	>21 days and <12 months	< 7 days	None	No	Your cat will need an export license. Contact the Quarantine Office at the international airport where you're leaving 3-5 days before departure. Bring your cat's current rabies vaccination certificate. There's no need to bring your cat. It costs about 500 baht.	Sep 2004
Trinidad and Tobago	>6 months and <12 months	Current	30 days to 6 months	Yes	Pets may enter without quarantine from: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Dominica Great Britain, Jamaica, Luxemburg, Malta, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Seychelles, Singapore, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Sweden	Apr 2005
Turkey	>30 days and <12 months	<10 days	None	No	Recommend that health certificate be stamped by local Turkish consulate. If traveling from USA, health certificate needs USDA stamp	July 2000
Turks & Caicos	<12 months	Current	None	No	More info	June 2003

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
United Arab Emirates	>30 days and <12 months	<10 days	None	Yes	The import license is good for 30 days and must be obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries.	Oct 2004
United Kingdom	<12 months	Current	183 days	No	No quarantine if imported from Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, and the United States with the approved paperwork. It takes at least 6 months for the prep work to avoid quarantine. See Bringing Pets to Britain for additional information and possibly other countries that can qualify. If your cat is unable to avoid quarantine, then I found a few of people recommending catteries in the UK. I'm not familiar with these people. Ladyhaye (+44 (0) 1342 832161), Cherry Trees (+44 (0)1483 473912), and Bengal Cats (+44 (0)1253 810235). See additional details about the European Union requirements.	Jan 2004
United States of America	<12 months	No	None	No	Animal must appear to be in good health. Strongly recommend a current health certificate.	March 2004
Uruguay	>30 days and <12 months	<30 days	None	No	If you can get the health certificate translated to Spanish, or at least, the description of the rabies vaccination translated, it might make your passage through Customs smoother, especially if you're crossing at a land border. If you're leaving Uruguay and going to the USA, then you'll need special export paperwork.	July 2004

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Venezuela	>30 days and <12 months	30 days	No	None	The health certificate must be certified by the Venezualan consulate. If traveling from the US, there is also a consular fee of US$70, as of 2006.	Feb 2006
Vietnam	>30 days and <12 months	Current	No	None		Feb 2003
Virgin Islands, British					see British Virgin Islands	July 2000

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Wales					see United Kingdom

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Xanadu	None	None	None	No	Ok, Xanadu isn't a real country, but I don't know of any destinations that starts with X and have policies about cats. :) I'm confident that Xanadu's policy would be to welcome all!	July 2004

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Yemen	<12 months	Current	None	Yes		July 2000

Destination	Rabies Shot	Health Certificate	Quarantine	Import Permit	Notes	Verified
Zimbabwe	<12 months	Current	None	Yes		July 2000