Bringing a dog from mainland China to the United States is one of the more demanding inbound moves, because China is on the CDC list of high-risk countries for dog rabies. That single fact decides almost everything: which forms you need, which US airports your dog can land at, whether it needs a blood test, and whether it risks a 28-day quarantine on arrival. The good news is that the rules are clear once you know which of two paths your dog is on, and the path is decided by one question: where was the dog's rabies vaccine given?
This guide explains both paths, the timing that catches people out, the Chinese export side, and what it costs. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are excluded from CDC's China listing and follow the easier low-risk rules, so if your dog is leaving from one of those, the steps are different. This guide is part of our inbound-to-the-US series alongside the Europe to the US hub and the India to the US guide, which follows the same high-risk logic.
Why China means the high-risk rules
Since August 1, 2024, CDC sorts every dog by the countries it has been in during the six months before entering the US. The CDC high-risk country list includes China, with Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan excluded. Any dog that has been in mainland China during the last six months, even for a short visit, is treated as a high-risk dog. Unvaccinated dogs from high-risk countries cannot enter the US at all.
Every dog, on either path, must also be at least six months old, carry a microchip that was implanted before the rabies vaccine, appear healthy and travel with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. The microchip order matters more than people expect: if the vaccine was given before the chip went in, CDC treats that vaccination as invalid, and the dog needs a new vaccine after the chip, with all the waiting that follows.
Path 1: a dog vaccinated in the US, now coming home
This is the path for American families returning after a posting in Beijing, Shanghai or Shenzhen with the dog they took out with them. According to the CDC page for US-vaccinated dogs returning from high-risk countries, the key document is the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination. A USDA-accredited veterinarian completes it and submits it to USDA for endorsement before the dog leaves the US.
That timing is the trap. The form has to be done before departure, at least 28 days after the dog's first rabies vaccination. If you left for China without it, the dog is no longer on this path. CDC does accept one alternative: a USDA-endorsed export health certificate issued no later than July 31, 2025 that shows the dog's age, microchip number and a current rabies vaccination. Dogs that left the US on an endorsed certificate before that date can use it.
Dogs on this path can arrive at any airport, seaport or land crossing that matches the location on the CDC receipt. They do not need a titer test or a care facility reservation. CDC lets you reuse the form for repeat returns as long as the rabies vaccine recorded on it is still valid. Watch the expiry date: if that vaccine runs out while you are in China, a booster given there is a foreign vaccination, and the dog moves onto the harder path. Our guide to moving back to the US with a pet covers the wider return process.
Path 2: a dog vaccinated in China
This is the path for most dogs adopted, bought or born in China, and for dogs whose US paperwork lapsed. The CDC page for foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries sets out four requirements on top of the basics.
- The Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form. Your vet completes it, and an official government veterinarian in China must endorse it. It is valid for 30 days after signing and must travel with the dog.
- A rabies titer from a CDC-approved laboratory. The blood must be drawn at least 30 days after the first valid rabies vaccination and at least 28 days before the dog enters the US. A passing result is valid for the life of the dog, as long as rabies vaccination never lapses.
- Arrival at an airport with a CDC-registered Animal Care Facility, and a confirmed reservation there before the dog flies. The facility examines the dog and gives it a US-licensed rabies vaccine.
- Documents in English, or with a certified English translation.
If the dog arrives without a valid titer, the care facility revaccinates it and holds it in quarantine for 28 days, at the owner's expense, and that quarantine has to be booked in advance as part of the reservation. A titer is almost always cheaper and kinder than a month in a facility.
Getting the titer done in China
China has more CDC-approved serology laboratories than most countries. The CDC list of approved rabies serology laboratories includes several Chinese facilities, among them the rabies antibody centres at the military veterinary research institute in Changchun. The result must come directly from the approved lab; CDC will not accept results routed through a third-party lab that sent your sample on. Ask your vet which approved lab they use before the blood is drawn, and get the result in English.
Plan backward from your flight. The earliest realistic schedule for a dog with no valid vaccine is: microchip, rabies vaccine, wait at least 30 days, draw blood, wait for the result, and fly no sooner than 28 days after the draw. That is roughly two to three months at minimum, before booking delays. For more on the test itself, see our guide to the rabies titer test for pets.
Which US airports your dog can land at
Dogs on Path 2 can only arrive at an airport with a CDC-registered Animal Care Facility. CDC keeps the current list on its page of registered animal care facilities; at the time of writing the airports were Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia, Seattle (cargo arrivals only) and Washington Dulles. Notice what is missing for travellers from China: San Francisco, Chicago and Houston, all common gateways from Beijing and Shanghai, are not on that list. Booking your own seat into one of those cities and expecting the dog to follow you through is a common and expensive mistake. Route the dog through a listed airport and connect onward, or have it met there.
Book the facility reservation as early as you book the flight. Facilities have limited space, and the reservation has to exist before the dog boards.
Leaving through Hong Kong does not reset the clock
Some families move a dog from Shanghai or Guangzhou to Hong Kong first, because flights and agents there are familiar with US moves. That can be a good logistical choice, but it does not change the dog's CDC status quickly. The six-month look-back counts every country the dog has been in, so a dog that left mainland China two months ago is still a high-risk dog, even though Hong Kong itself is excluded from the list. Only after six full months outside high-risk countries does the dog qualify for the low-risk rules. If your timeline allows it, that can be worth knowing; if it does not, plan for the full Path 1 or Path 2 requirements whichever city the dog flies from.
Mistakes that ground dogs on this route
Most failed China to US moves come down to a short list of avoidable errors:
- Chip after vaccine. A dog vaccinated before it was microchipped has no valid vaccination in CDC's eyes. Re-vaccinate after the chip and restart the clock.
- Titer drawn too late. If the blood draw is less than 28 days before arrival, the titer does not count and the dog goes to quarantine.
- Wrong arrival city. Booking into San Francisco or Chicago because that is where you live, then discovering the dog cannot land there.
- Expired foreign vaccination form. The endorsed CDC form is valid for 30 days after signing. A delayed flight can push you past it.
- Lapsed vaccine. A booster given late breaks continuous coverage, and can invalidate an earlier titer.
- Missing translation. Certificates only in Chinese must have a certified English translation.
An experienced agent will catch most of these, but it is worth checking each one yourself against your own documents.
The Chinese export side
Dogs leaving China need export clearance from Chinese customs, which runs animal and plant quarantine at the border. In practice that means an inspection and an official health certificate issued shortly before departure, and the same official veterinary authority is the one that endorses CDC's foreign vaccination form. Procedures and booking systems differ between cities and change often, so most families use a local pet relocation agent who knows the customs office at their departure airport. Ask the agent for the current timing between inspection and departure, and line it up with the 30-day validity of the CDC form.
Airlines add their own layer. Most long-haul carriers on China to US routes take pets as checked baggage or cargo rather than in the cabin, with crate, breed and seasonal heat rules. Snub-nosed breeds are widely restricted. Confirm the airline, the aircraft and the routing into a care facility airport before you commit.
Cats from China
Cats avoid almost all of this. CDC does not require a rabies certificate, titer or import form for a pet cat, and cats can arrive at any airport. The cat must look healthy, and airlines and some states may still ask for a health certificate and rabies vaccination, so carry both. The Chinese export inspection applies to cats as well.
Adopting a dog from a Chinese rescue
Many dogs reach the US from Chinese rescue groups. If a rescue is importing the dog to rehome it, the import is commercial and USDA rules on dogs for resale or adoption apply on top of CDC's, including an import permit, core vaccines and a minimum age of six months. If you are adopting the dog personally and it travels as your pet, the personal rules above apply. Either way, the CDC high-risk rules still decide the titer, the form and the airport. Our guide to bringing a rescue dog from overseas covers how to vet the rescue and the transport.
What it typically costs
These are planning ranges in US dollars from the published figures in our international pet shipping cost breakdown, not quotes. The care facility fee is set by the facility and paid by you.
| Item | Typical range (USD) | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Rabies titer test | Extra on top of a vet visit; ask the lab | Path 2 dogs |
| Vaccinations | About $20 - $100 per vaccine | Both paths, as due |
| Animal Care Facility exam and vaccine | Set by the facility | Path 2 dogs |
| 28-day quarantine at the facility | Set by the facility; adds a month of boarding | Path 2 dogs without a valid titer |
| IATA-compliant crate | About $70 - $450 | Dogs flying as cargo or checked baggage |
| Airfreight, China to US | About $1,000 - $4,000+ | Driven by weight, route and season |
| Relocation agent coordination | About $1,000 - $4,000+ | Optional but common |
| CDC Dog Import Form | Free | Both paths |
If the move is a work relocation, ask your employer early whether the relocation package covers pet transport. Many packages do, but only if the cost is approved before the move, and some cover the agent and airfreight but not a care facility stay. Getting a written quote that separates the titer, the facility reservation, the crate, the airfreight and the agent fee makes that conversation much easier. Our guide to moving overseas for work with a pet covers how to raise it with HR.
A workable order of operations
- Decide which path your dog is on. Check whether a US vaccination form was endorsed before the dog left the US.
- Confirm the microchip was implanted before the rabies vaccine. If not, re-vaccinate after the chip.
- For Path 2, draw the titer at an approved lab and count 28 days from the draw.
- Choose a flight into a care facility airport and book the facility reservation.
- Arrange the Chinese customs inspection and the endorsement of the CDC foreign vaccination form within its 30-day validity.
- Complete the CDC Dog Import Form and carry every document in English.