Bringing your dog to the US from Japan

Japan is low risk for the CDC, so the trip to the US takes one free form. Coming back to Japan is the hard part: plan its rabies steps before you leave.

Japan on the CDC list

Japan is not on the CDC list of high-risk countries for dog rabies. A dog that has only been in low-risk countries during the last 6 months follows the simplest pathway.

If your dog has also been in another country in the last 6 months, that country counts too.

Low risk

What your dog needs

From Japan, the requirements are short:

CDC Dog Import Form receiptFree on cdc.gov. Show the receipt to the airline and at the border, on paper or on your phone.
At least 6 months old on arrivalYounger dogs cannot enter the US, whatever their papers.
A microchipAny brand, as long as a universal scanner can read it. Ask your vet to check it.
Healthy on arrivalA dog that looks sick can be refused boarding or entry.

Where your dog can arrive

Any US airport, land border or seaport.

In short

Japan is low risk for the CDC. A dog that has only been in low-risk countries in the last 6 months needs the free CDC Dog Import Form receipt, and nothing else from the CDC.
The outbound trip is easy. Coming back to Japan from the US mainland is strict: ISO microchip, two rabies vaccinations, a titer test and a waiting period of 180 days from the blood sample.
Do those steps in Japan before you leave, so the wait runs while you are away.
Hawaii and Guam are designated regions for Japan, with lighter return rules.

Before you leave Japan

For the CDC, your dog must be at least 6 months old on arrival, look healthy and carry a microchip a universal scanner can read. That is all the CDC asks of a low-risk dog.

For the return to Japan, your vet visit before departure matters much more. Japan’s Animal Quarantine Service (MAFF) asks dogs coming from non-designated regions, which include the US mainland, for:

an ISO 11784/11785 microchip (15 digits), implanted before the first rabies vaccination;
two rabies vaccinations: the first at 91 days old or more, the second at least 30 days after the first and within its period of validity;
a rabies antibody test (titer) at a MAFF-designated laboratory, on blood drawn after the second vaccination, with a result of at least 0.5 IU/mL. The result is valid for 2 years from the blood draw;
a waiting period of 180 days from the blood draw before arrival in Japan;
an advance notification to the Animal Quarantine Service at least 40 days before arrival.

MAFF’s export page advises checking the re-entry rules before you go and doing the microchip, vaccinations and blood sample in Japan, with certificates. Keep the export quarantine certificate and the titer report: MAFF asks for copies with your notification when your dog comes back.

Applying for the export inspection

Leaving Japan with a dog also takes an export inspection by the Animal Quarantine Service. MAFF asks you to apply through NACCS at least 14 days before export, and the inspection takes place within 10 days before departure. The US does not require that inspection for the CDC, but Japan does, and it produces the certificate you will want for the way back.

Flights to the US

A low-risk dog can arrive at any US airport. Airline rules matter more than CDC rules on this route: carriers set their own limits on cabin or hold travel, crate size, temperature and short-nosed breeds. Confirm the booking for your dog early. The low-risk receipt stays valid for 6 months for multiple entries, as long as your dog always departs from Japan.

Coming back to Japan

From the US mainland, your dog follows the non-designated region procedure above, with health certificates issued by the US government and arrival at one of Japan’s designated ports. From Hawaii or Guam, both designated regions, MAFF asks mainly for a microchip, a clinical inspection and certificates from the exporting government. Hawaii has its own entry rules for dogs arriving from Japan: see Hawaii and Guam.

Questions travelers ask

Does my dog need a titer test to fly from Japan to the US?

Not for the CDC. Japan is not on the CDC high-risk list, so a dog that has only been in low-risk countries recently needs the CDC Dog Import Form receipt. Japan, however, will ask for a titer test when your dog comes back from the US mainland.

Is the US a designated region for Japan’s import rules?

Only Hawaii and Guam are. Japan’s designated regions are Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii and Guam, so a dog returning from the US mainland follows the full procedure for non-designated regions.

Can my dog wait out Japan’s 180 days while we are in the US?

The waiting period runs from the date of the blood sample for the titer test. If that sample is taken in Japan before you leave, the time your dog spends abroad counts, which is why MAFF advises preparing the return before departure.

What happens if we come back before the waiting period is over?

MAFF says the import quarantine can last from within 12 hours up to 180 days, depending on the measures taken. A dog that arrives without meeting the waiting period can face a long quarantine on arrival.

Ready to fill in the form?

Do it yourself, for free

The official CDC Dog Import Form is free. Use this page and fill it in on cdc.gov.

Go to the free CDC form

Or let us do it

We check your documents, file the form and send you the receipt. Our fee covers this service only.

See what we do

Sources: CDC: Bringing a dog into the United States (opens in a new tab), CDC: High-risk countries for dog rabies (opens in a new tab), CDC: Dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries (opens in a new tab), CDC: Approved rabies serology laboratories (opens in a new tab), MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: Importing dogs from non-designated regions (opens in a new tab), MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: Designated regions (opens in a new tab), MAFF Animal Quarantine Service: Exporting dogs from Japan (opens in a new tab)