It is the exporter's responsibility to ensure that the animal meets the importing country requirements.

Information on China’s import requirements for personal pets is available at the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) website. Australia is a designated country.

For commercial consignments, a permit to import must be obtained and presented to the Department prior to export. Permits are obtainable from:

Address

State General Administration of the People's Republic of China
For Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ)
9 Madiandonglu
Haidian District
Beijing 100088 CHINA

Note

Where an importing country issues an import permit, the exporter must ensure the animal meets any requirements in the permit.

Pet dogs and cats brought into China are limited to one dog or one cat for each person per entry. A pet dog or cat is exempt from the requirement to obtain an import permit. If the human traveller has more than one pet, the pets are treated the same as a commercial consignment and therefore require an import permit.

The person bringing the pet must fill in the Registration Form for pet dogs and cats entering China.

Pet dogs and cats are required to have:

• - An Australian Government endorsed health certificate
• - A rabies vaccination certificate
• - Electronic microchip that complies with ISO 11784 and ISO 11785 international standards
• - Veterinary inspection within 14 days of arrival and show no evidence of infectious or contagious diseases or external parasites.

The Department understands that certain Chinese ports require distemper/hepatitis/parvovirus vaccination for dogs and feline panleukopenia/feline herpesvirus/feline calicivirus vaccination for cats. It is strongly recommended that pets obtain these vaccinations and present the vaccination certificates for endorsement by the Department.

In March 2026, the Chinese authority advised that a pet dog or cat is not required to travel on the same flight as the owner and may be transported separately; however, the pet must arrive within 5 days after the owner’s arrival.

Quarantine

Pet dogs and cats brought into the country must be quarantined for 30 days at a customs-designated quarantine site (including the detention period). Pets requiring quarantine must enter through ports equipped with quarantine facilities. Customs supervises and inspects pets under quarantine. Customs classifies and manages pets brought into the country according to designated and non-designated countries. Pets with the following conditions are exempt from quarantine:

(1) Pets brought into the country or region from designated countries or regions, possessing a valid electronic chip and passing on-site quarantine;

(2) Pets from non-designated countries or regions, with a valid electronic chip, providing a rabies antibody test report issued by the adopting laboratory (antibody titer or immune antibody dose must be above 0.5 IU/ml) and passing on-site quarantine;

(3) Pets that are guide dogs, hearing dogs, or search and rescue dogs must have a valid electronic chip, the carrier must provide relevant user certification and professional training certificates, and have passed on-site quarantine.

The list of designated countries or regions, the list of laboratories accepting rabies antibody test results, and the list of ports with isolation and quarantine facilities shall be subject to the announcement by the General Administration of Customs.

Note

Australia is considered a designated country.

Based on information published on the GACC website.

Entry last reviewed 18 August 2026.