Importing Your Pet into Hong Kong | ExpatWoman.com
 

Importing Your Pet into Hong Kong

We understand your pets are part of the family, so naturally you'll want to bring them with you.

Posted on

9 March 2014

Last updated on 16 August 2017
Importing Your Pet into Hong Kong

Many Expats prefer to bring the furry (or slightly less furry) members of their families when they move to Hong Kong. The rules on animal importation to Hong Kong are quite strict, but easy to follow as the guidelines are clearly set out. We have the regulations from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department , who are responsible for the control and importation of animals.

These regulations pertain specifically to the importation of cats and dogs. The department has detailed rules on the importation of birds, reptiles and equine animals which makes it easy to understand the requirements and procedures.

 

Rules for the importation of Dogs and Cats

SPECIAL PERMITS
Dogs and cats should not be brought into Hong Kong (either  import or transshipment/transit) unless a Special Permit to do so is obtained in advance from this Department.

THE RELEVANT ORDINANCE
Public Health (Animals and Birds) Ordinance Cap. 139, and the Rabies Ordinance Cap. 421 are enforced by this Department through regulating the import of animals and birds for the prevention and introduction of animal diseases including rabies into Hong Kong. 

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
The applicant should submit the application in a prescribed form (Form No. AF240) (PDF format). Facsimile copies are available from the interactive telephone: (852) 2708 8885. The form can also be obtained by dialing (852) 1823.

PAYMENT OF PERMIT FEE
Fee must be paid at the time of the application. The fee for one animal is HK$432 and HK$102 for every additional animal. Crossed local cheque or e-payment is acceptable for local application. For details regarding the e-payment, please contact our officer at Tel: (852) 2150 7065. For overseas application, the fee should be paid by a bank draft in Hong Kong currency payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". The bankdraft must be drawn upon a licenced bank in Hong Kong. Please do not send cash by post.

WHERE TO APPLY
Either in person or by post to:
Permit & Certification Unit (Counter No. 10), Import & Export Division, 5th Floor, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Office hours: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 noon, 1:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. (Close on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.)

PROCESS TIME
5 working days from the date of receipt of application form and permit fee to the date of issue, subject to provision of all required information.

Please apply well in advance and make allowances for mailing time, and meet the health requirements such as vaccinations and/or blood tests.


Importing pets into Hong Kong

DISPATCH OF PERMIT
By ordinary mail (local) or air mail (overseas) to the address as indicated in the application form. Please enclose a self-addressed envelope together with the application (No stamp is required). To avoid postal delay, the applicant may choose to pick up the permit at the licensing office in person or by an appointed agent. The permit will not be dispatched by fax.

OVERSEAS APPLICATION
To minimise inconvenience and to expedite urgent applications, overseas applicants may nominate a person or agent in Hong Kong to apply for the permit on their behalf.

VALIDITY OF THE PERMIT
Valid for 6 months and for one consignment only. Animals must be imported on or before the expiry date of the permit.

IMPORT REQUIREMENTS -GROUP I COUNTRIES/PLACES
Dogs and cats imported direct from U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii and Japan are normally exempted from quarantine, subject to full compliance with the permit terms Attachment No.: DC-01v01 (PDF Format).
For dogs and cats from a Group I country/place of origin, the animals must be accompanied by the certificates stipulated in Table 1 (Form No. G102a) (PDF format).
To facilitate correct certification, it is strongly recommended to use our Form (Form No. VC-DC1)(PDF format) for preparation of the Animal Health Certificate. This certificate is specified for the use of exporting dogs and cats from the above 7 Group I countries/places to Hong Kong .

IMPORT REQUIREMENTS -GROUP II COUNTRIES/PLACES
Dogs and cats imported from the following 39 countries/places may be exempted from quarantine provided the animals comply fully with the permit terms Attachment No.: DC-02v01 (PDF Format). As the rabies status or other factors may change in these countries/places, the list is subject to ongoing review.

Austria Bahamas Bahrain Belgium Bermuda
Brunei Canada Cayman Island Cyprus Denmark
Finland France Germany Gibraltar Guam
Iceland Italy Jamaica Luxembourg Malasiya
Maldives Malta Mauritius Norway New Caledonia
Papua New Guinea Portugal Seychelles Singapore Solomon Islands
South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland The Netherlands
Taiwan USA (Continental) Vabuatu Virgin Islands  

For dogs and cats from a Group II country/place of origin, the animals must be accompanied by the certificates stipulated in Table 2 (Form No. G102b) (PDF format).
To facilitate correct certification, it is strongly recommended to use our Form (Form No. VC-DC2)(PDF format) for preparation of Animal Health Certificate. This certificate is specified for the use of exporting dogs and cats from the above 39 Group II countries/places to Hong Kong .

IMPORT REQUIREMENTS -GROUP III COUNTRIES/PLACES
Dogs and cats imported from countries/places other than Group I and II are subject to a minimum 4-month quarantine at the Animal Management Centre of this Department. In order to prevent the infection of the diseases to the other animals under quarantine, dogs and cats should have been fully vaccinated before coming to Hong Kong to ensure they have built up sufficient antibody and prevent the spread of infectious agents. Please refer to permit terms Attachment No.: DC-03v01(PDF Format) and Guidelines of Full Vaccination (Form No. G122) (PDF Format) for details.
For dogs and cats from a Group III country/place of origin, the animals must be accompanied by certificates stipulated in Table 3 (Form No. G102c) (PDF format). Due to fluctuation in the demand for Government Animal Management Centre quarantine facility and to avoid delay in your plan to import your dogs/cats, please complete the Form (Form No. PC100) (PDF format) to book the quarantine facility as soon as possible. We recommend you to book 3 months in advance.
For dogs and cats imported from Mainland China, importers must obtain an Import Permit in advance. The animals are subject to a minimum 4-month quarantine upon arrival in Hong Kong. The applicant must submit the application in prescribed Forms (Form No. AF301 and Form No. PC100) (PDF format) and comply with the permit terms Attachment No.: DC-05v01 (PDF format). No permit fee is required for animals imported from Mainland China.
To facilitate correct certification, it is strongly recommended to use our Form (Form No. VC-DC3)(PDF format) for preparation of the Animal Health Certificate. This certificate is specified for the use of exporting dogs and cats from the Group III countries/places to Hong Kong .

TRANSSHIPMENT OF DOGS AND CATS
Special Permits are required for animal transshipments (involving change of aircraft or mode of transport in Hong Kong). If the animals remain in the same aircraft or vessel, no permit is required. However, importers must comply with the requirements imposed by the country/place of destination. Transshipment requirements are summarised in Table 4 (Form No. G102d) (PDF format) and stipulated in the permit terms Attachment No.: DC-10v01 (PDF format).
For dogs and cats transported from Mainland China to the overseas via Hong Kong,  Import Permits are required. Please complete the application form (Form no. AF301) (PDF format) and comply with the permit terms Attachment No.: DC-11v01 (PDF format). No permit fee is required for animals transhipped from Mainland China.

REMINDER
• Two sets of carbonised Special Permits will be sent to the applicant. Please retain the original (white) copy for the retrieval of pets on arrival. The carrying airline and shipping company may require the shipper to produce the duplicate (yellow) copy before accepting the carriage of pets in the exporting country/place.
• Do not arrange for the transportation of your pets unless a Special Permit/Import Permit has been obtained from this Department.
• Pets which have left Hong Kong are subject to the importation and quarantine restrictions as outlined above on their return to Hong Kong. Special Permits/Import Permits to bring back pets which have left Hong Kong need to be obtained from this Department in advance.
• If deemed necessary (for instance, animals of doubtful history; animals showing clinical signs of diseases), the quarantine period for dogs and cats from all countries/places (Group I, II and III) may be extended. Dogs and cats without proper documentation may be required to undertake a minimum of 6-month quarantine at the owner's expense or returned to the country/place of origin.
• To obtain a copy of Airline Certificate (Captain's Affidavit), please download the Form (Form  No. PC101) (PDF format).

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT FOR THE IMPORTATION OF DISABILITY ASSISTANCE DOGS
A Disability Assistance Dog (DAD) is defined as a dog that has been trained to help people with physical disabilities to gain more personal independence. DADs are non-aggressive, highly obedient and hard-working. Their health conditions are regularly and closely monitored by veterinary surgeons and they would have a good history of vaccination against the major infectious diseases.
Therefore, this Department has introduced a new policy for the importation of DADs. This policy exempts DADs from quarantine and the requirement of 6-month residency in the exporting country/place on the basis of one blood test for Rabies antibody, which should be performed at least 6 months prior to entry to Hong Kong. Such policy is applicable to DADs imported from all countries/places.
To apply for the Special Permit, the applicant should submit to this Department the permit fee as well as the following documents:

1. Completed Application Form – Form No. AF240 (PDF format)
2. Completed Declaration Form – Form No. PC102 (PDF format)
3. DAD Certification –  issued by the organization recognized by the official body to certify that the animal is a qualified DAD
4. Rabies Antibody Test Report
5. Completed Supplementary Certificate – Form No. PC103 or PC 104 (PDF format)
6. Vaccination Record(s)

The overseas certification requirements for importation of DADs are summarized in Table 5 (Form No. G102e) (PDF format) and stipulated in the permit terms Attachment No.: DC-13 (PDF format).
To facilitate correct certification it is strongly recommended to use our form (Form No. VC-dad) (PDF format) for preparing the Animal Health Certificate. For detailed information on the Rabies antibody test, please refer to the notes for rabies antibody test (Form No. G113) (PDF format).
Approval must be obtained in advance from this Department before travelling the DADs in-cabin. Please contact us for granting the approval before the shipment.

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT FOR THE IMPORT/TRANSSHIPMENT OF RESCUE DOGS
Rescue dogs assist in locating victims of disasters. Prompt delivery of rescue dogs to the scene of a disaster improves the chance of success. AFCD has simplified the procedures for importation/transshipment of rescue dogs, which are closely monitored by qualified veterinarians.
When rescue dogs are employed in a rescue mission in Hong Kong, a Special Permit is required for importation and it is free of charge. No quarantine is required provided that the qualification of the rescue dogs is certified by a competent authority and the dogs are accompanied by health certificates including current vaccination against rabies and major infectious canine diseases.
A Special Permit is not required if rescue dogs remain in the same aircraft or vessel during the whole transshipment period in Hong Kong. However, a Special Permit is required if rescue dogs are transshipped from one aircraft or vessel to another in Hong Kong and the Special Permit fee will be waived. If rescue dogs need to stay in Hong Kong for more than 24 hours during the transshipment, they have to stay in AFCD’s Airport Animal Hostel. The accommodation fee, however, will be waived.

Enquiry:
1823 Call Centre Tel:(852) - 1823
Email : [email protected]