You can bring one dog or cat per person into China, and whether you skip quarantine comes down to your country and one blood test.
You can bring one dog or one cat per person into China, and whether you skip quarantine comes down to one thing: the country you fly from and a single blood test. Pets from a list of about 19 approved places walk straight out after an on-site check. Everyone else needs a rabies antibody titer test to avoid a 30-day stay at the airport quarantine facility. Budget a few thousand dollars all in, and start three to four months out.
The one rule that shapes everything
China lets each traveller bring in one dog or one cat per entry, and only dogs and cats, under the customs rule that took effect in May 2019 and still stands in 2026. If you are moving with a second pet, it needs a separate person on the same flight or a licensed in-China agent to arrange it. Everything that follows, the paperwork and the quarantine question, hangs off this single-pet framework, so sort out who is carrying whom before you book anything. Once your pet lands, our guide to what a cat or dog costs each month in Shanghai covers the ongoing bills.
Do you skip quarantine? It depends on your country
This is the fork that decides your whole timeline. China splits the world into specified regions (a low-rabies-risk list) and everywhere else. A pet from a specified region with a microchip, a valid rabies shot and an official certificate clears customs with no isolation. A pet from anywhere else can still avoid the facility, but only by adding a rabies antibody titer test showing 0.5 IU/mL or higher. Miss that, and it is 30 days at a designated quarantine facility at the port.
| Where the pet flies from | Quarantine on arrival | The extra step |
|---|---|---|
| UK, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Sweden, Portugal, Hong Kong, Macao and the rest of the specified list | None, released after an on-site check | Microchip, valid rabies shot, official health certificate |
| Mainland USA, most of Europe, and everywhere not on the list | None if you carry a valid titer test, otherwise 30 days at a facility | Add a rabies antibody titer test at 0.5 IU/mL or higher |
The catch that trips up North Americans: only Hawaii and Guam count as specified for the United States. The mainland USA is not on the list, so most American movers need the titer test. Pets enter Shanghai through Pudong International Airport, which has the customs quarantine facility, so route the flight there.
The paperwork, in the order that matters
Order is everything here, because doing a step out of sequence can void it. Microchip first (a 15-digit ISO chip), because the rabies vaccine has to be logged against that chip to count. Then the rabies vaccination, valid at arrival. If you need the titer test, the blood is drawn on or after the day of the second shot at a customs-approved lab, and the result is good for 12 months. Last, within 14 days of the flight, your home country's government vet issues an official health certificate, which that government then endorses. China does not require a pre-arrival import permit for a single personal pet; clearance happens at the counter on landing.
The titer result alone can take four to six weeks to come back, which is why a rushed move is the enemy. If your dates are tight or the breed is large, a professional relocation agent earns its fee by owning this checklist for you, the same way our guide to leaving Shanghai in the right order maps the exit.
What it actually costs
There is no cheap version of this, and the flight is usually the biggest line. Pets fly to China as manifest cargo, not carry-on, so the bill scales with your pet plus its crate weight and the route. Here is the honest spread, at about 6.7 RMB to the US dollar as of September 2026.
| What you pay for | Cost (RMB) | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Rabies antibody titer test | ¥1,000 to ¥2,000 | 150 to 300 |
| Vet visits, health certificate, endorsement | ¥700 to ¥3,400 | 100 to 500 |
| Flight as manifest cargo | ¥6,700 to ¥27,000+ | 1,000 to 4,000+ |
| Airport clearance and delivery in Shanghai | ¥2,000 to ¥5,400 | 300 to 800 |
| Full door-to-door relocation agent | ¥13,000 to ¥47,000 | 2,000 to 7,000 |
A titer test plus certificates and a self-managed cargo flight can land near the lower end. Hand the whole thing to a door-to-door agent and you are into the thousands of dollars, more for a large dog on a long route. The 30-day facility quarantine, if you end up needing it, adds boarding fees on top, so the titer test is money well spent to avoid it.
Shanghai's own dog rules, once you land
Clearing customs is not the finish line; Shanghai has its own dog rules, run by the police, not customs. The city allows one registered dog per household, requires large dogs to be muzzled in public, and bans a list of roughly two dozen breeds from individual ownership in the central districts, including German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and pit bull types. Check your breed against the current list before you commit to the move, because a banned dog cannot be legally kept in the core city. There is no height limit in Shanghai, despite what you may have read; the 35-centimetre rule belongs to Beijing.
Once you are settled, register the dog within the first weeks at your local police station (派出所) or through the 随申办 (Suishenban) app, with your passport, proof of address and the dog's vaccination record, plus a local rabies shot from one of the city's English-speaking vets. The annual licence is modest.
| Where you live | Annual dog licence | With a spay or neuter certificate |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the Inner Ring Road | ¥500 (USD 75) | ¥250 (USD 37) |
| Outer districts and Pudong | ¥300 (USD 45) | ¥150 (USD 22) |
Cats need no city licence at all. For the app side of settling in, our guide to the Shanghai apps you actually need covers Suishenban and the rest.
Good to know
- Good for: anyone relocating to Shanghai who refuses to leave the dog or cat behind.
- What you'll pay: realistically ¥13,000 to ¥47,000 (about USD 2,000 to 7,000) door to door with an agent, less if you manage it yourself.
- Make the most of it: start three to four months out, book the titer test early, and fly into Pudong.
Can I bring my pet into Shanghai in the cabin?
Almost never on a flight into China. Chinese carriers move pets as manifest cargo on international routes, and even Western airlines that allow in-cabin elsewhere generally route China pets through cargo. Plan for a hold or cargo booking, an airline-approved crate, and a delivery agent to collect your pet at Pudong.
How long before the move should I start?
Three to four months is realistic if you need the titer test, because the blood draw has to follow the second rabies shot and the lab result alone can take four to six weeks. From a specified region without the titer, you can move faster, but the microchip, valid vaccine and 14-day health certificate still set the pace.
Which breeds are banned in Shanghai?
Roughly two dozen breeds are barred from individual ownership in the central management districts, including German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Tibetan Mastiffs and pit bull types. Large dogs that are allowed must be muzzled in public. Check your specific breed against the current municipal list before you commit, as the rules are stricter in the inner city than the suburbs.
Do I need a special import permit before flying?
No. For a single personal dog or cat that meets the microchip, vaccine, certificate and (where required) titer rules, China does not issue a pre-arrival import permit. Customs clears the pet at the port of entry. Multiple pets or a commercial import are the exception and need an agent to arrange the paperwork.
As the Tao Te Ching puts it, 千里之行，始于足下, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. With a pet, that first step is the microchip, and the calendar you start today.
Sources · 资料来源
- General Administration of Customs of China (海关总署 · GACC), Announcement [2019] No. 5 on entry of pet dogs and cats, one pet per person, quarantine and titer rules.
- USDA-APHIS pet travel guidance for exporting a dog or cat from the US to China, used to cross-check documents and timing.
- Shanghai Public Security Bureau (上海市公安局), Shanghai Municipal Regulation on Dog Keeping (上海市养犬管理条例), one-dog registration, banned breeds and licence fees.
- Confirm the current specified-region list on customs.gov.cn and your breed on the Shanghai list before you book, as both can change.
Words, maps and research by the Choice Shanghai team. Please credit us and tag our 公众号 if you share.
