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JAPAN
Pet Travel and Relocation to and from Japan
Whether Japan is your next home or a place you hope to enjoy together, your dog or cat is part of the plan. Ferndale helps families relocate pets to and from Japan and prepare for suitable pet holidays from Hong Kong or Singapore. With caring, veterinary-led support and established partners in Japan, we bring the travel arrangements together so you have someone to guide you through the journey.
Personal care throughout your Japan journey
Ferndale helps you look forward to being together in Japan while we coordinate the preparations. Our team and long-established local partners support your dog or cat’s wellbeing and help you navigate Japanese-language documents and arrangements beyond Tokyo. You have a point of coordination through a process that can take months, whether the goal is a new home or a suitable holiday. Learn more about our international pet relocation services.
Relocating to Japan or taking your pet on holiday
We help families relocate their dogs and cats between Japan and Hong Kong, Singapore or Thailand. We also help plan suitable pet holidays from Hong Kong or Singapore; our Thailand-to-Japan service focuses on relocation. Japan-side logistics are arranged with established partners we have worked with for many years.
Your destination does not have to be Tokyo. Talk to us about a move to Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto or elsewhere in Japan. We will work out a suitable arrival airport, such as Narita, Haneda or Kansai, and coordinate the onward journey to your destination.
Taking your pet on holiday from Hong Kong or Singapore
A Japan holiday can be a chance to spend time together with your dog or cat instead of leaving them behind. Ferndale helps owners in Hong Kong and Singapore assess a suitable trip and plan the pet’s outward and return journeys. Tell us where you hope to go and when, and we will help you understand the preparations your pet needs.
Please speak to us before booking your holiday. A short visit can still need months of preparation, depending on your pet’s records. Return requirements depend on your home destination and route; we plan those alongside entry to Japan, rather than assuming the same rules apply both ways.
A Japan journey in practice
Read Goalie’s move to Japan for a real Ferndale journey.
What our Japan pet travel and relocation service includes
You can ask Ferndale to arrange a door-to-door relocation or help with the stages needed for an eligible Japan pet holiday. Depending on your route and plans, our service can include:
- Planning a suitable route, arrival point and timetable for your pet.
- Coordinating microchipping, rabies vaccinations, antibody testing, veterinary inspection and certificates in the right order.
- Arranging advance notification to Japan’s Animal Quarantine Service and coordinating the documents.
- Helping you measure and choose a travel crate, and prepare your dog or cat to use it.
- Pet cargo booking or advice on accompanied or excess-baggage arrangements where available.
- Collection, departure handling and airline or cargo handover.
- Arranging arrival support and suitable onward delivery with our established partners in Japan.
- Helping with permanent moves and suitable pet holidays.
Ferndale has been caring for travelling pets since 1994. Our veterinary expertise and long-established partners in Japan help us bring the preparations and local arrangements together, with one point of coordination for you.
Planning a Japan relocation or a pet holiday from Hong Kong or Singapore?
Start the veterinary sequence early
We guide you through Japan’s veterinary preparation and help coordinate the appointments and documents in the right order. For dogs and cats arriving from a non-designated region, Japan’s Animal Quarantine Service (AQS) requires:
- A readable microchip before the first qualifying rabies vaccination.
- At least two qualifying rabies vaccinations after microchipping, with the second given at least 30 days after the first and while the first remains effective.
- A rabies-antibody test at a designated laboratory after the second vaccination, with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml.
- A waiting period of at least 180 days from the blood-sampling date, while the vaccine and antibody-test validity remain current.
- Advance notification to the expected port of entry at least 40 days before arrival.
- A pre-export clinical inspection and a government-issued or endorsed certificate containing the required details.
We check your dog or cat’s records against the current Japanese import guidance and build these steps into your travel timetable before dates are fixed.
We arrange the advance notification to Japan
We arrange the advance notification to Japan’s Animal Quarantine Service, which must reach the expected port of entry at least 40 days before arrival. We coordinate the supporting records for checking and help manage any required changes if your plans move. Preparing this together with the certificates and transport arrangements helps avoid last-minute document problems.
Choosing the right arrival point for your pet
We check the arrival airport and airline arrangements for your dog or cat and coordinate the local handover. Dogs normally need to arrive through a designated entry point; cat and assistance-dog rules can differ. Narita, Haneda and Kansai are common options, and we check the current requirements, capacity and handling arrangements for your particular journey.
Plan the return before you leave
If you are taking your dog or cat to Japan for a holiday, we help plan the return as well as the outward journey. The requirements depend on the country you are returning to, and some preparations need to be completed before you leave home.
Tell us your return destination and dates at the start, so we can check the veterinary records, permits and any quarantine requirements alongside your Japan arrangements.
Cargo or accompanied travel
Ferndale can book cargo travel for your pet. Where the airline and route allow accompanied or excess-baggage travel, we advise and liaise with the airline on your pet’s breed, size and crate details; you arrange payment with the airline. You book your own passenger ticket. We help you understand the available options for your dog or cat’s journey.
Why timing the veterinary work matters
Getting the order right matters: a vaccination given before the qualifying microchip, or a blood test taken too early, may mean repeating a step. We check the veterinary milestones and bring them together with the waiting period, notification and flight plan. If you would like to understand the paperwork, our guides to pet passports for international travel and pet relocation documents and certificates explain the background.
Veterinary input for this page was provided by Dr Matthew Murdoch, Veterinary Surgeon and Director. Ferndale has been caring for travelling pets since 1994 and has been an IPATA member since 1997.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early should I start preparing for Japan?
Please contact us before you fix your travel dates. For dogs and cats arriving from a non-designated region, preparation includes a waiting period of at least 180 days after the rabies-antibody blood sample, alongside the vaccination, notification and certificate steps. We can review your pet’s records and help you build a realistic timetable.
Why does the order of the veterinary work matter?
The qualifying microchip must come before the rabies vaccinations, and the required vaccinations before the blood sample. We help check those records and timings so your dog or cat’s preparations stay on track and steps do not have to be repeated unnecessarily.
Can my pet enter through any Japanese airport?
Not every airport is suitable for every pet. Dogs normally enter through designated airports or seaports, while cats and assistance dogs can have different rules. We check the current Japanese entry requirements, airline handling and onward arrangements, then help you choose a suitable route.
Will my dog or cat need quarantine in Japan?
When all Japanese import requirements are met, the arrival inspection is normally completed within 12 hours. If the requirements are not met, detention can last up to 180 days, or the pet may be returned. We help coordinate the preparation and document checks before departure so your pet arrives with the required records.
Can Ferndale arrange cargo or accompanied travel?
Yes. We can book cargo travel for your dog or cat and advise on accompanied or excess-baggage options where available. We help with the pet’s arrangements and preparation, while you book your own passenger flight.
Which documents are checked on arrival in Japan?
Japan’s Animal Quarantine Service checks the government-issued or endorsed certificate, rabies-antibody test report and import-inspection application. Cargo journeys also need the transport document, and further records may be requested. We help prepare and coordinate your pet’s documents before departure.
Can Ferndale support routes involving Hong Kong, Singapore or Thailand?
Yes. We help with pet relocations between Japan and Hong Kong, Singapore or Thailand. Our own teams work with long-established partners in Japan to coordinate the local arrangements and handovers for your dog or cat.
Can Ferndale arrange delivery beyond Tokyo?
Yes, we can help arrange onward delivery beyond Tokyo. Tell us where your new home is—whether Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto or another destination—and we will check the best available arrival and local transport arrangements for your pet.
Our Japan Destination Pet Shipping Team!
Meet Ferndale's experts behind your pet's move!
Stories and Tips about relocating pets to Japan!
Read experiences of others who moved pets to Japan successfully.
