Moving to Japan with a Dog or Cat: Import Timeline for US-Based Movers

Moving to Japan with a dog or cat takes advance planning. Japan's Animal Quarantine Service (AQS) requires identification, rabies vaccinations, an antibody test, a 180-day wait, advance notification, export certification, and an arrival inspection in a set sequence. Confirm the current requirements for your pet, route, and port with AQS before booking non-refundable travel or housing.

Key Takeaways

For the non-designated-region pathway, the microchip must be in place before the first valid rabies vaccination.
The antibody-test blood draw starts the 180-day arrival clock; it is the earliest date to calculate before choosing flights.
Notify AQS at the expected port at least 40 days before arrival, then keep the arrival date and documents aligned.
Airline acceptance and a landlord's pet policy are separate from Japan's import rules.
Dogs and cats follow the same AQS authority, but confirm the current requirements for the individual animal and journey.

Start with the import date, not the flight date

For dogs and cats arriving from a non-designated region, AQS sets a dependency chain: microchip identification comes before rabies vaccination; the antibody test follows the required vaccinations; and the animal must arrive after the waiting period. AQS says the wait is 180 days from the blood-sampling date, counted as day 0, and the pet must still be within the valid periods for its rabies vaccination and antibody test on arrival. See AQS's dog and cat import requirements for non-designated regions for the current rule and forms.

Use the blood-sampling date, not the intended moving date, as the first date in your plan. If it falls too late, change the relocation plan before committing to a flight, lease, or temporary-care arrangement.

Before you set the pet schedule, confirm the family's lawful route to Japan with the moving to Japan requirements guide. The US-to-Japan moving guide puts the pet timeline alongside immigration, documents, and shipping.

Build the dated AQS sequence

Record actual dates and documents in the table rather than estimated completion dates. AQS handles the import process; the veterinarian, export authority, airline, and arrival port each have a separate role.

Milestone	What to record	Confirm with
Microchip	Number, implantation date, and that the number can be read	Veterinarian and AQS guidance
Rabies vaccinations	Dates, vaccine details, effective periods, and the pet's microchip number	Veterinarian and AQS guidance
Rabies antibody test	Blood-sampling date, result, designated laboratory, and report	Veterinarian, laboratory, and AQS guidance
Waiting period	Earliest eligible arrival date: 180 days after the blood sample	AQS guidance
Advance notification	Expected port, arrival date, submitted notification, and AQS approval	AQS at the port of entry
Pre-export examination and certificate	Examination date, certificate details, and government endorsement	Veterinarian and US export authority
Travel and arrival inspection	Airline booking conditions, original documents, and inspection plan	Airline and AQS

AQS requires a microchip before the first rabies vaccination. Its non-designated-region instructions say that dogs and cats need at least two rabies vaccinations after microchipping; the second must be at least 30 days after the first and within the first vaccination's effective period. AQS also requires the blood sample for the rabies antibody test after the second vaccination, with a result from a designated laboratory meeting the stated threshold.

The dates on a calendar do not prove that the import is approved. Record each document as it is issued and ask AQS about any gap, changed date, or conflicting record.

Put the 40-day notification on the calendar

AQS says the importer must notify the Animal Quarantine Service at the expected port of entry at least 40 days before arrival. The authority examines the notification and related documents before issuing its approval for import inspection. A later change can require a modification, and AQS notes that some changes are not accepted in principle.

Put two dates on the calendar: the earliest eligible arrival after the 180-day wait and the notification deadline 40 days before the planned arrival. Leave room for AQS to review the notification and for travel plans to change. AQS's quarantine overview for dogs and cats explains that import inspection happens on arrival and that an animal that does not meet requirements can face detention quarantine or be returned.

The relocation checklist is the right place to keep the AQS dates alongside passport, visa, housing, and travel tasks. The arrival-cash worksheet for moving from the US can help separate pet-related travel and temporary-care costs from the household's wider arrival budget.

Keep the export certificate and arrival documents aligned

Within 10 days before boarding, AQS requires a clinical inspection by a veterinarian. For the import certificate, AQS requires documentation issued by the exporting country's government authority with the pet's identifying information, microchip and vaccination records, antibody-test details, and pre-export examination information. Its recommended Form AC is designed to collect that information.

For a US departure, coordinate the required certification with your veterinarian and the USDA APHIS pet-travel guidance for Japan. Ask them which current form, endorsement, timing, and submission method apply to your animal. Carry the original certificates and antibody-test report required for AQS inspection; do not rely on a scan if the authority requires an original.

At arrival, apply for import inspection with AQS. The agency checks the documents and the animal, then issues an import quarantine certificate if there are no problems. Every date and microchip number should match across the vaccination record, laboratory report, notification, and certificate.

Treat cats as a separate case

AQS handles imports of both dogs and cats, and its non-designated-region instructions list the same core milestones for each. That does not make their airline, crate, health, transit, or housing arrangements interchangeable. Ask AQS, the airline, the veterinarian, and any transit jurisdiction what applies to the specific animal and itinerary.

Housing is another independent decision. Before signing a lease, ask whether the named property permits your animal, whether there are size or number restrictions, and which charges or approvals apply. The guide to renting an apartment in Japan as a foreigner covers the contract questions to settle before transferring money.

Check these dates before committing

Keep the pet on the same relocation date only when you can answer yes to each question:

Is the microchip and rabies-vaccination history valid for the AQS pathway that applies to this pet?
Does the antibody-test date support an arrival after the full 180-day wait and within all validity periods?
Can the AQS notice be filed at least 40 days before the intended port-of-entry arrival?
Can the veterinarian and US export authority complete the required inspection and certificate in the required window?
Has the airline accepted the animal and has the housing plan confirmed the pet policy in writing?
Is there a fallback plan if AQS, the airline, the export authority, or the landlord changes a requirement or timing?

Import and travel rules can change, and the documents needed depend on the pet, origin, route, and port. Confirm the current import requirements with AQS and the export requirements with USDA APHIS, your veterinarian, airline, and any transit authority before relying on this plan.

This article provides general planning information, not veterinary, legal, immigration, or transport advice.

Last reviewed by John on October 1, 2026; verified against the Japan Animal Quarantine Service.