If you plan to travel abroad from Japan with your pet for summer time, you will have to respect specific rules, depending if you go to a "designated" or "non designated" region (Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji Islands, Hawai, Guam).
1. Leaving Japan to a "non-designated region":
You must contact the Animal Quarantine Service office of the airport at least 7 days before you leave Japan to schedule an appointment the day of your flight (or the day before for an early flight). We recommend you to contact them 2 weeks before, in order to be sure to get all the documents needed and if you have to book for an appointment at your vet.
You have to apply for an exportation certificate, using this form:
Do not forget to check as well the importing rules of the country you plan to go and the airline pet rules! All the airlines companies do not accept pets in cabin and there is a limited number of pets for a same flight. Most of the time, you have to call the company to book a ticket for your pet.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of all the documents you might need for France:
- Microchip insertion certificate
- Last rabies titer (less than 2 years)
- Rabies vaccination certificates
- EU Health certificate + Part 3 Annexe IV: EU Health Certificate FR ENG.pdf
- Exportation certificate from Japanese Animal Quarantine Service office
- Certificate of treatment against internal and/or external parasite
- Last import certificate from Japanese Animal Quarantine Service office
Click here to get all the information regarding leaving Japan with your pet: Departure from Japan - Dog,Cat-：動物検疫所 (maff.go.jp)
2. Entry or re-entry to Japan:
Your pet must have a rabies titer to entry or re-entry into Japan. Keep in mind that it takes 6 months to get the 1st rabies titer. The validity of a rabies titer is only 2 years for Japan.
You have to inform the Animal Quarantine Service office 40 days before your estimated arrival date in Japan by submitting the "Notification for import (...)" form : Other regions：動物検疫所 (maff.go.jp) . We would recommend you to inform them even before you leave Japan, in order to be sure to know what kind of documents you will need and if you have to schedule an appointment to the vet.
Next step is to fill the AC form: import-other-4.xlsm (live.com) (or RE form when it's a re-entry: Form RE Re entry.pdf).
Be careful: when your return back from France, you might need to get a translation of the form AC or RE issued in English by the Japanese authorities, as the French administration do not accept to sign any document that is not written in French … Otherwise, you may ask to the Japanese Animal Quarantine Services if you can use the "Certificat sanitaire pour l'introduction au Japon de carnivores domestiques" instead of the RE form: JPAMCMAY18.doc (live.com).
The AC or RE form must be signed by a veterinary in France and by an official veterinary from the DDCSPP ( Direction Départementale de la Cohésion Sociale et de la Protection des Populations) of your area (département). You must call them to book an appointment and send them over the document to sign before visiting them. It's not necessary to bring your pet.
Then, you have to apply for the import inspection: Other regions：動物検疫所 (maff.go.jp)
Here is a non-exhaustive list of all the documents you might need for Japan:
- Microchip insertion certificate
- Last rabies titer (less than 2 years)
- Rabies vaccination certificates
- AC or RE form issued and signed within the 10 days before leaving (stating that the pet is free of clinical signs of Rabies and Lepto)
- All vaccination certificates
- Approval of Import of animals from Japanese Animal Quarantine Service office
- Certificate of treatment against internal and/or external parasite
- Last export certificate from Japanese Animal Quarantine Service office
You will find all the information regarding Exporting and Importing pets on the Animal Quarantine Service website: Quarantine for Dogs & Cats：動物検疫所 (maff.go.jp).
Do not hesitate to contact them if you have any questions, they are very helpful ! List of contacts: （指定地域）犬猫の輸入の手引き書 (maff.go.jp)
Comments