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.
Japan's pet import procedure is strict but predictable. Each step runs on a fixed day count set by the Animal Quarantine Service (AQS), part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). When every date lines up, your pet is released within 12 hours. When one date is wrong, detention can last up to 180 days.
Which procedure applies to you
Japan treats the United States as a non-designated region, so the full procedure below applies. Hawaii and Guam are the exception: they are rabies-free designated regions with a different procedure.
Cats follow the same rules, minus the leptospirosis check, with separate forms and more port flexibility.
The six steps, in the order Japan requires them
1. Microchip. ISO 11784/11785, 15 digits, numbers only, implanted before the first rabies vaccine or on the same day. Chips starting with 900202 are not accepted for now, and MAFF has warned about duplicate numbers on other 900-series prefixes: check its notice.
2. Two rabies vaccines 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, within the first vaccine's effective period. Only inactivated or recombinant vaccines are accepted, never live or RNA vaccines. The effective period is the immunity period on the certificate, not the expiry date. A booster given after it ends does not count, and the sequence restarts.
3. Titer test at a designated laboratory. Blood is drawn after the second vaccine (the same day is allowed). For US owners, the MAFF list includes the Kansas State University Rabies Laboratory. The US Army laboratory at Fort Sam Houston is listed too, but only for US Forces personnel. The result must be 0.5 IU/ml or more and is valid for 2 years from the draw. The original lab report needs no USDA endorsement; a copy does.
4. The 180-day wait. Your pet must arrive at least 180 days after the blood draw, the draw date counting as day 0. Arrive earlier and your pet is detained at an AQS facility, never at home, for the missing days.
5. Advance notification. File it with the AQS office at your arrival port at least 40 days before arrival, 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 form by email. The APHIS page still mentions fax or mail: follow MAFF, the authority.
6. Clinical exam. A veterinarian examines your pet within 10 days before boarding and confirms no signs of rabies and, for dogs, of leptospirosis.
A sample timeline for an adult pet
The fastest plan if the first titer passes:
| Day | Step |
|---|---|
| Day 0 | Microchip and first rabies vaccine (same day allowed) |
| Day 30, or day 31 to keep a margin | Second rabies vaccine and blood draw |
| When the result arrives | Report kept safe, NACCS account ready |
| At least 40 days before arrival | Advance notification filed |
| Within 10 days before boarding | Clinical exam, certificate, APHIS endorsement |
| Day 211 with the margin (day 210 at the strict minimum) | Earliest arrival in Japan |
Count on about 7 months for an adult pet, or about 10 months of age for a puppy or kitten. A failed titer moves arrival to the new draw date plus 180 days.
Your certificate and the APHIS endorsement
A USDA-accredited veterinarian completes the certificate and submits it through VEHCS, the APHIS online system. APHIS lists three formats for the mainland US: MAFF's Form AC; Form A plus Form C; or APHIS Form 7001 with Form A. Fill every blank, with no pencil or correction tape.
APHIS endorses dog and cat certificates for Japan digitally, and your vet prints the endorsed copy. Japan accepts US electronic certificates, but APHIS says a printed, endorsed copy must travel with your pet.
A Japan certificate normally carries one lab test, the titer: that is the USD 160 APHIS tier for one pet, plus USD 10 per extra pet on the same certificate. Vet fees are separate.
Active-duty military personnel and their families may use a military vet's certificate without APHIS endorsement.
Flying from the US to Japan
MAFF imposes no cabin or cargo rule, so airlines decide. At the time of writing:
- American Airlines' page states that pets cannot be checked as bags to Japan and that carry-on pets are not accepted on trans-Pacific trips. AA Cargo asks that the trip last 12 hours or less, which rules out most nonstop flights.
- Delta's page allows small dogs and cats in the cabin, with the kennel under the seat. Its cargo page states that it currently ships pets only for active U.S. military or State Department personnel, and bars snub-nosed breeds.
- 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 mesh, except the bottom, are not suitable.
Dogs must arrive at a designated port, such as Narita, Haneda or Kansai. Cats arriving elsewhere: contact AQS first.
Plan it with the kit
The USA to Japan kit turns these MAFF and APHIS rules into a plan for your dates. It contains a user guide, a timeline workbook that computes every date from your flight date, a vet visit brief, a document and airline checklist, and letter templates.
USA to Japan pet move kit
Japan's full procedure from the US: 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
- USDA APHIS: pet travel from the US to Japan
- USDA APHIS: VEHCS
- USDA APHIS: cost to endorse a health certificate