Bring Your Dog or Cat to Japan

The complete 8-step import timeline — from microchip to clearing quarantine at the airport.

1 Microchip - ISO 11784/11785, implanted before any vaccines

2 Rabies vaccine #1 - Pet must be 91+ days old

3 Rabies vaccine #2 - 30+ days after #1, within effective period

4 Titer test - FAVN/RFFIT at a MAFF-designated lab

5 180-day wait - From blood draw date (Day 0)

6 AQS notification - Submit 40+ days before arrival

7 Vet exam + endorsement - Within 10 days of flight

8 Arrival inspection - AQS clears your pet at the airport

Quarantine Avoidance Checklist

Miss one step and your pet can be detained up to 180 days — and the owner pays the costs. This guide covers the mistakes that trigger it:

Microchip implanted after vaccines (invalidates records)

Wrong vaccine spacing or expired effective period

Using a non-designated lab for the titer test

Flying before Day 180 or after 2-year titer expiration

Certificate errors (correction fluid, missing endorsement)

Also Included:

MAFF-approved titer test labs list

Airline pet transport policies & crate requirements

Full cost breakdown (vet, endorsement, airline, quarantine)

Printable checklist — every step with dates to fill in

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Note: Based on MAFF/AQS rules as of early 2026. Always verify at the official source before starting your timeline.