General information, not veterinary advice. Requirements are set by the destination authority and can change: confirm with the official authority, your accredited vet and your airline.
Moving to Japan with a pet from the UK takes planning, but little guesswork. Japan's Animal Quarantine Service (AQS), part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), publishes exact day counts. On the UK side, everything comes together in one export health certificate, EHC 6407.
The UK follows Japan's non-designated region procedure: chip, vaccines, titer test and a 180-day wait.
Start with the microchip and two rabies vaccines
Your pet needs an ISO 11784/11785 microchip with a 15-digit code, implanted before the first rabies vaccine or on the same day. A vaccine given before the chip is invalid unless MAFF's specific conditions apply.
Japan then requires at least two rabies vaccinations after the chip:
- The first at 91 days of age or older, the date of birth counting as day 0.
- The second at least 30 days after the first, and within the first vaccine's effective period. The EHC 6407 guidance writes "more than 30 days", so leaving 31 days keeps you safe under both wordings.
- Only inactivated or recombinant vaccines count. Live and RNA vaccines are not accepted.
The effective period is the immunity period on the vaccination record, not the expiry date. Keep every booster inside it until arrival, or the sequence restarts.
MAFF is not accepting chips starting with 900202 for now, and it has issued a duplicate-number warning on other 900-series prefixes. If your pet's chip starts with 900, check the notice and contact AQS once your arrival date is set.
The titer test: APHA only
The blood sample is drawn after the second vaccine (the same day is allowed) and tested at a MAFF-designated laboratory. In the UK, that means the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) laboratory in Addlestone, Surrey.
BioBest Laboratories was removed from the MAFF list on 25 June 2025, and the EHC 6407 guidance says it cannot be used until further notice. If you hold a BioBest certificate issued between 27 November 2024 and 25 June 2025, MAFF asks you to contact the AQS office at your arrival airport.
The result must be 0.5 IU/ml or more. It stays valid for 2 years from the blood draw date.
Counting the 180 days and the 40-day notice
Arrival must fall at least 180 days after the blood draw, the draw date counting as day 0. Arrive earlier and your pet is held at an AQS facility for the days still missing.
At least 40 days before arrival, you notify the AQS office at your arrival port through NACCS, Japan's online system. NACCS asks for the titer result, so file once it is back. If NACCS is difficult, MAFF accepts the notification form by email. AQS returns an approval for import inspection, and its receipt number goes onto your EHC 6407. Once filed, you cannot move the arrival date earlier.
| Milestone | Rule | Anchor |
|---|---|---|
| Microchip | Before or with the first vaccine | First vaccine |
| First rabies vaccine | Pet 91 days old or more | Date of birth (day 0) |
| Second vaccine and blood draw | At least 30 days later (31 is safer) | First vaccine (day 0) |
| Earliest arrival | 180 days or more | Blood draw (day 0) |
| NACCS notification | At least 40 days before | Arrival |
| Clinical exam | Within 10 days before, preferably within 48 hours | Boarding |
From scratch, that is about 7 months for an adult pet, and about 10 months of age for a puppy or kitten.
Your export health certificate: EHC 6407
EHC 6407, "Export cats and dogs to Japan", replaces Japan's model Parts A and C, which should not be completed. In England, Scotland and Wales you apply online through the GOV.UK export health certificate service, with a Government Gateway account and a Defra account. In Northern Ireland, applications go through the DAERA DECS system.
An Official Veterinarian signs and stamps it in ink other than black. Part B, the certificate at embarkation, can be signed by the same OV or another. The OV needs from you:
- The receipt number of the AQS approval of import inspection.
- Your written declaration that the container meets IATA standards.
- A direct-travel declaration if the container is not sealed.
Japan requires the clinical exam within 10 days before boarding. The EHC 6407 guidance asks for it immediately before embarkation, preferably within 48 hours. An OV visit close to departure satisfies both.
If your pet does not fly directly to Japan, contact AQS: extra documents may be needed. GOV.UK publishes no fee for EHC 6407, and OV charges are private, so ask for a quote.
Getting there by air
MAFF sets no cabin or cargo rule here, so your airline decides. At the time of writing, ANA's page states that pets cannot travel in the cabin, and that short-nosed dog breeds are refused from 1 May to 31 October. Japan Airlines' page describes pets carried in an air-conditioned hold and says crates made entirely of welded or wire mesh, except the bottom, are not suitable. Ask JAL about breed and seasonal rules on your international flight.
Dogs must arrive at a designated port, such as Narita, Haneda or Kansai. For a cat arriving at another port, contact AQS in advance.
Plan it with the kit
The UK to Japan kit applies these MAFF and EHC 6407 rules to your own flight date. It contains a user guide, a timeline workbook that computes every date from the flight date, a vet visit brief, a document and airline checklist, and letter templates.
UK to Japan pet move kit
Japan's full procedure from the UK: two rabies vaccines, a designated-lab titer, the 180-day wait and NACCS notice, dated from your flight.
See the kitSources
- MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: importing dogs and cats from non-designated regions
- MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: designated laboratories
- MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: FAQ on dogs and cats
- MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: NACCS
- GOV.UK: Export cats and dogs to Japan, certificate 6407
- GOV.UK: EHC 6407 guidance notes
- GOV.UK: Get an export health certificate