Bringing Your Dog or Cat to Japan on PCS Orders
Japan has some of the strictest pet import rules in the world. The good news: if every step is done in the right order, your dog or cat is released within hours of landing. The hard part is time — the process takes at least seven months, and PCS orders often arrive with less notice than that.
This guide walks through Japan’s requirements step by step, how they fit around a PCS timeline, what the military reimburses, and what to do if your report date doesn’t leave enough time. Across The Pond Pets helps military families move pets to bases across Japan and Okinawa, including from our team at SEA-TAC, the Pacific gateway for the Patriot Express.
Start as soon as Japan is on the table — even before orders are final. The 180-day clock starts on the day of the blood draw, not the day you get orders. Microchipping, vaccinating, and testing early costs little and keeps the 180-day wait from becoming 180 days in quarantine.
Japan Pet Import Requirements, Step by Step
The United States is not on Japan’s list of rabies-free regions, so dogs and cats from the U.S. follow the full process below. Order matters: a step done out of sequence doesn’t count.
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First, before anything else
ISO-compliant microchip
Your pet needs an ISO 11784/11785 microchip implanted before the rabies vaccinations that count for Japan. Have your vet scan it and make sure the number matches exactly on every document from here on.
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About 7+ months before arrival
Two rabies vaccinations, at least 30 days apart
Both vaccinations must be given after the microchip, when your pet is at least 91 days old, and the first must still be valid when the second is given. Shots given before the microchip don’t count toward Japan’s requirement.
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After the second vaccination
Rabies antibody (FAVN) blood test
Your vet draws blood and sends it to a laboratory approved by Japan. The result must be at least 0.5 IU/mL. The date of the blood draw is what starts the 180-day clock, and a passing result is valid for two years.
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180 days from the blood draw
Waiting period
Your pet can’t arrive in Japan until 180 days after the blood sample was taken. Arriving earlier means your pet serves the remaining days in quarantine at your expense.
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At least 40 days before arrival
Advance notification to Japan’s Animal Quarantine Service (AQS)
Notify the AQS office at your arrival airport at least 40 days ahead. You can file during the 180-day wait. AQS reviews it and issues an Approval of Import Inspection, which you’ll need at arrival.
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Within 10 days before departure
Pre-departure exam and USDA-endorsed health certificate
A USDA-accredited vet examines your pet and completes Japan’s health certificate, which USDA APHIS then endorses. Japan accepts electronically endorsed certificates from the U.S. Errors on this certificate are one of the most common causes of quarantine, so have the draft checked before endorsement.
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Arrival day
Import inspection in Japan
AQS checks the microchip and documents at your first airport of entry. When everything is in order, the inspection usually takes less than 12 hours and your pet goes home with you.
What happens if something is missed. Pets that don’t meet every requirement — including errors on the certificate — are held at an AQS detention facility for up to 180 days. The owner pays for all care and boarding, and pets can’t leave the facility during that time except to return to the U.S.
Your PCS Countdown
Work backward from your report date. If your orders don’t leave this much time, see short-notice options below.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| As soon as Japan is likely | Microchip, first rabies vaccination, and a call with us to map your dates |
| 30+ days later | Second rabies vaccination, then the FAVN blood draw |
| 6+ months before arrival | Blood draw must be done by now; results take a few weeks |
| 2–4 months before | Request Patriot Express pet space through your transportation office, or book commercial |
| At least 40 days before | Advance notification filed with AQS; approval received |
| Within 10 days before | Vet exam, health certificate, and USDA endorsement |
| Travel day | Crate, documents, and AQS approval in hand |
Summer is peak PCS season. Airline heat embargoes and limited pet spaces make June–August the hardest time to book, so plan the flight early.
Patriot Express, Reimbursement, and Getting Your Pet There
Patriot Express
The military’s contracted flight from Seattle-Tacoma serves bases in Japan and carries a limited number of pets. For transoceanic moves, the JTR requires using government transportation when it’s available.
Pet spaces go fast in summer. Request yours through your transportation office as soon as you have orders.
Up to $2,000
For PCS orders effective on or after January 1, 2024, the Joint Travel Regulations reimburse qualifying costs for one household pet (a dog or cat) on an OCONUS move — such as microchipping, titer testing, quarantine, boarding, and transport.
Commercial shipping is only reimbursable with a non-availability letter from your transportation office. Confirm details with your finance office.
Our SEA-TAC team
Our Seattle team is based at the Patriot Express gateway. We can prepare your pet’s paperwork, meet you at SEA-TAC, or ship your pet commercially when Patriot Express space isn’t available.
From elsewhere in the U.S., our partner network connects your pet to Seattle or Los Angeles.
Moving more than one pet, or costs above the cap? The JTR allowance covers one pet per PCS order. Your branch’s relief society — Army Emergency Relief, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, or Air Force Aid Society — may offer help with pet travel costs on overseas moves.
Orders Came Too Fast? Your Options
If your report date is less than about seven months away and your pet hasn’t started the process, you still have options. Which one is best depends on how much time you have and your family’s situation.
Your pet follows laterYour pet stays with family or boards in the U.S. until the 180 days are up, then we ship them to Japan. Often the least stressful option for the pet.
Arrive and serve the remaining daysIf the blood draw is done, your pet can arrive with you and spend the rest of the 180 days in AQS quarantine at your expense. Space and costs vary by facility.
Check existing records firstIf your pet already has a microchip, two qualifying vaccinations, or a recent FAVN result, the timeline may be much shorter than you think. Send us the records.
Talk to your command earlyYour sponsor and transportation office can advise on report-date flexibility and travel options. The sooner they know about your pet, the better.
Other Things to Plan For
Flat-faced breeds and summer heatBulldogs, Pugs, Frenchies, Persians, and similar breeds face airline restrictions, and summer heat embargoes can block cargo travel. Plan these moves for cooler months when possible.
Puppies and kittensBecause the first vaccination can’t be given before 91 days old, followed by a second shot, the blood test, and 180 days, a young pet will be roughly 10 months old before it can enter Japan without quarantine.
Base housing pet rulesMilitary housing in Japan commonly limits the number of pets and may restrict certain breeds. Check your new installation’s housing policy before you move.
The right crateAirlines and the Patriot Express require an approved hard-sided crate sized to your pet. Crate and pet weight also affect your cost. See our crate guidelines.
U.S. Military Installations in Japan We Support
Japan’s import rules are the same nationwide, including Okinawa. Your pet clears quarantine at the first Japanese airport where it lands, and we plan the arrival airport around your installation.
Whether you’re headed to the Tokyo area, northern Honshu, Kyushu, or Okinawa, we’ve helped service members and their families bring their dogs and cats along — with the paperwork done right so the family arrives together.
| Installation | Branch | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Yokota Air Base | Air Force | Western Tokyo |
| Camp Zama | Army | Kanagawa (Tokyo area) |
| Yokosuka Naval Base | Navy | Kanagawa (Tokyo area) |
| Naval Air Facility Atsugi | Navy | Kanagawa (Tokyo area) |
| Misawa Air Base | Air Force / Navy | Aomori, northern Honshu |
| MCAS Iwakuni | Marine Corps / Navy | Yamaguchi, western Honshu |
| Fleet Activities Sasebo | Navy | Nagasaki, Kyushu |
| Kadena Air Base & Marine Corps camps | Air Force / Marine Corps | Okinawa |
Leaving Japan: Your Pet’s Next Move
When your tour ends, your pet needs an export inspection from Japan’s Animal Quarantine Service before departure, plus the U.S. entry requirements. Japan is not on the CDC’s high-risk rabies list, so dogs returning to the U.S. need to be at least 6 months old, have a readable microchip, and have a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. Cats follow state and airline rules. Patriot Express flights from Japan arrive at SEA-TAC, where our Seattle team can meet your pet and get it to your new base — see our PCS Back to the U.S. with Pets guide for the full checklist.
Headed to Guam instead? Guam treats Japan, including Okinawa, as rabies-free, so a pet that has lived here at least 120 days and flies directly to Guam can be exempt from commercial quarantine. See our PCS to Guam guide.
PCS to Japan with Pets: FAQs
How long does it take to prepare a pet for Japan?
At least seven months for a pet starting from scratch: about a month for the microchip and two rabies vaccinations, then the blood test, then a 180-day wait counted from the date of the blood draw.
Does the 180 days start from the blood draw or the test result?
From the date the blood sample was taken, not the date you receive the result. The result must be at least 0.5 IU/mL and is valid for two years.
What if my PCS orders don’t leave 180 days?
Your pet can stay in the U.S. with family or in boarding and follow you once the wait is complete, or arrive with you and serve the remaining days in AQS quarantine at your expense. We’ll help you compare both options.
Can my pet fly on the Patriot Express to Japan?
Yes, the Patriot Express from Seattle-Tacoma carries a limited number of dogs and cats to Japan. Spaces are limited and fill quickly in summer, so request space through your transportation office as soon as you have orders.
Will the military reimburse my pet’s move to Japan?
For PCS orders effective on or after January 1, 2024, the JTR reimburses qualifying expenses for one dog or cat up to $2,000 on an OCONUS move. Commercial shipping requires a non-availability letter from your transportation office. Confirm your eligibility with your finance office.
Are the rules different for Okinawa?
No. Okinawa follows the same national import rules as the rest of Japan. Your pet clears quarantine at the first Japanese airport where it lands.
Do cats have to meet the same requirements as dogs?
Yes. Dogs and cats from the U.S. both need the microchip, two rabies vaccinations, the antibody test, the 180-day wait, advance notification, and an endorsed health certificate.
Got Orders to Japan? Let’s Map Your Pet’s Dates
Send us your report date and your pet’s records. We’ll tell you the earliest date your pet can enter Japan without quarantine and handle every step from there.
