Bringing a pet from Australia to Shanghai

Short answer: Australia is one of China's designated countries, so a well-prepared dog or cat can walk out of Pudong with you instead of doing 30 days in quarantine. The hard parts are the timing in Australia, the one-pet-per-person rule and Shanghai's dog licence.

The short version

Australian pets need no rabies blood test for China and skip isolation quarantine if their papers and microchip check out [1][2].
Each traveller can bring one dog or cat per entry. Only dogs and cats count as personal pets [1].
You need an ISO-standard microchip, a rabies vaccination record and an Australian Government-endorsed health certificate, with a vet check within 14 days of arrival [1][2].
In Shanghai, every dog needs a licence from the local police, costing RMB 500 a year inside the Inner Ring Road and RMB 300 elsewhere, and urban homes are limited to one dog [4][5].
Think about the trip home now: mainland China isn't on Australia's Group 1 or Group 2 lists, so returning takes long planning [9][10].

Why Australian pets have it easier

China sorts origin countries into two groups. Pets from designated countries or regions, which include Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and the UK, don't need a rabies antibody test and can enter at any port with the right certificates [1]. Pets from everywhere else need a blood test from a China-approved lab, and without one they face 30 days of isolation in Shanghai [1].

For Australians, that's the big win. Australia's own export summary for China says dogs from designated countries like Australia are exempt from the usual 30-day quarantine if they have a valid chip and pass the on-site check [2]. In practice, a designated-country pet gets a clinical inspection at the airport and goes home with you [1].

The list can change, so check it with China Customs before you book [1].

What's different from moving a pet within Australia

At home, you microchip, register with your council and you're done. Moving to China adds three things Australians rarely deal with:

Rabies vaccination. Australia is rabies-free, so most pets have never had the jab. China still wants proof of vaccination [2]. Tell your vet early.
Government export paperwork. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has to endorse the health certificate before your pet can leave [3].
A police-issued dog licence and a one-dog-per-home limit in urban Shanghai [4][5].

What China needs from an Australian pet

Requirement	Detail	Source
Species	Dogs and cats only	[1]
How many	One pet per traveller per entry; extra dogs need an import permit	[1][2]
Microchip	ISO 11784 and 11785, or bring a compatible reader	[1][2]
Chip number	Must match on every document	[1]
Rabies vaccination	Record showing date, validity, vaccine type, brand and manufacturer	[1][2]
Rabies antibody test	Not needed from Australia	[1][2]
Health certificate	Australian Government-endorsed, plus China's pet registration form	[2]
Vet inspection	Within 14 days of arrival, free of infectious disease and external parasites	[2]
Other vaccines	Distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus strongly recommended	[2]
Travelling separately	Since March 2026, a dog may fly separately but must arrive within 5 days after its owner	[2]

A few details trip people up. The owner's name doesn't have to match on every document, but the microchip number does [1]. Bengal cats and other hybrids can trigger wildlife permit questions, so list a Bengal as a domestic cat on the certificate [1]. Emotional support animals get no exemption, though trained guide, hearing and search dogs can [1].

Two pets, one couple

The one-pet rule is per traveller, not per family [1]. A couple can bring a dog and a cat if each of you is on the same flight with one animal. Three pets and two adults means a friend on the plane, a separate trip, or an import permit for an extra dog [2].

The Australian side: export step by step

Allow at least three months. The rabies vaccination, vet appointments and DAFF booking all need lead time.

Book your vet early. Give them China's requirements in writing; DAFF says it's your job to supply them, and the Manual of Importing Country Requirements (MICoR) is the place to check [3].
Check or implant the microchip. Make sure it reads and meets the ISO standard [1].
Get the rabies vaccination and the recommended distemper, hepatitis and parvo vaccines [2].
Lodge a Notice of Intention with DAFF's regional office in your departure state at least 10 working days before departure [3].
Get an IATA-compliant crate and have your vet inspect it [3].
Final vet check within 72 hours of departure, with the pre-export health and welfare declaration signed by you and the vet [3].
Attend your DAFF appointment. A government vet checks everything and issues the export permit and health certificate. You pay an assessment fee, a time-based certificate fee and a permit fee [3].
Fly within 72 hours of the permit being issued [3].
Keep copies of every document for at least two years [3].

If you might bring the pet back to Australia within six months, talk to DAFF's imports team before you leave [3][9].

Arriving at Pudong

There's no appointment needed at Pudong. Take your pet to the customs declaration counter and declare it [8]. Officers check the documents and scan the chip, and with good paperwork it usually takes about as long as clearing your luggage [1].

Ask your airline whether your pet flies in the cabin, as checked baggage or as cargo. Checked pets come out at the oversized luggage area; cargo pets go through a separate air cargo customs process that takes longer [1]. If you're connecting to a domestic flight, you may also need an inter-provincial movement certificate from local animal health authorities [1].

Living with a dog in Shanghai

The dog licence

Every dog living in Shanghai needs registering with the police. Short-stay visitors don't need a licence, but should carry the entry quarantine certificate when out walking [6].

Item	Rule	Source
Who can apply	An adult with a fixed residence in Shanghai	[4]
Documents	Passport, lease, the dog's immunisation certificate, neutering certificate if neutered	[4]
Where	Your local police station, or online via the Suishenban WeChat mini-program (Chinese only)	[4]
Fee	RMB 500 a year inside the Inner Ring Road, RMB 300 elsewhere, free in rural areas	[4]
Processing	Up to 10 working days for a certificate and tag	[4]
Renewal	Yearly, within 30 days before expiry, with a valid immunisation certificate	[4]
Limit	One dog per household in urban areas	[5]

Because of the one-dog limit, tenants need the landlord's approval to register a dog at the address [4]. Raise it before you sign the lease, not after. Our guide to renting in Shanghai covers lease negotiations.

If you end up with two dogs, the options are to transfer one to someone who meets the rules or to an approved shelter [5]. An unregistered dog attracts penalties once it's discovered [5].

Breeds, leads and liability

Leads under 2 metres, held taut in crowded areas [7].
Large dogs must wear a muzzle [7].
Some breeds are prohibited as dangerous. The city's code of conduct names the Tibetan Mastiff as an example [7]. If you have a large or guarding breed, confirm with your local police station that it can be registered before you ship it.
No dogs in office buildings, schools or other public spaces [7].
You're liable for bites. Owners pay medical and other costs, and letting a pet harm someone can mean detention and fines [7]. The city encourages dog liability insurance [7].

Shanghai's licence rules above are written for dogs. Cats still need everything in the import section.

Getting your pet home again

This is the bit to think about before you leave. Australia only takes cats and dogs directly from approved countries [9]. Mainland China doesn't appear in Group 1 or Group 2 on DAFF's lists; Hong Kong is Group 2 [10]. If your export country isn't approved, DAFF says you'll need to move the pet to a Group 2 or 3 country and do the full preparation there [10].

Coming home from a rabies-present country usually means a rabies antibody test (RNATT) through the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness. A pass is valid for 12 months from the blood draw, and the rabies vaccination must stay valid the whole time: a lapse of even one day means revaccination, a new test and a 180-day wait [9]. Read our guide to bringing your pet home to Australia for the full process.

Want a vet who speaks English or a dog-friendly compound in Pudong? Ask in Cooee China, our Facebook group for Australians in China (join here).

Bringing a pet from Australia to Shanghai: no quarantine, one dog, one licence