Japan is one of the most rule-bound countries in the world for bringing a pet in, and one of the most predictable for taking a pet out. Most of the work in a Japan to US pet move happens on the Japanese side, through a formal export inspection by the Animal Quarantine Service, the government body that also runs Japan's famously strict import system. The US side is light. Japan is not on the CDC list of high-risk countries for dog rabies, so a Japanese dog follows the simplest US entry path. The two things that catch people out are a firm advance-application deadline for the export inspection, and what happens if you ever want to bring the pet back to Japan.
This guide is part of our inbound-to-the-US series. The Europe to the US hub covers how the US side works for low-risk origins in more detail, and our guide to importing a dog into the US covers the full federal rules.
The US side, briefly
Japan does not appear on the CDC high-risk country list, so a dog that has spent the previous six months only in Japan or other low-risk countries needs four things: to be at least six months old, a microchip a universal scanner can read, to look healthy on arrival, and a receipt from the online CDC Dog Import Form. Cats need no CDC paperwork at all. Japan is also not on the USDA list of screwworm-affected regions, so the extra screwworm inspection certificate required from much of South and Southeast Asia does not apply to a dog leaving Japan.
The Japanese export inspection: the step that sets your timeline
Every dog or cat leaving Japan must pass an export inspection by the Animal Quarantine Service, often shortened to AQS. The steps are set out on the AQS departure page for dogs and cats. You apply through NACCS, Japan's online customs and quarantine system, at least 14 days before the date you want the inspection. That 14-day advance application is the deadline most people miss. Owners who assume they can walk up to the quarantine counter on travel day, the way they might in other countries, find there is no appointment available.
The inspection itself happens within 10 days before departure, unless the destination country sets a different window. On the day, you bring the animal and the original documents to the quarantine office at the departure airport. The officer checks the paperwork, confirms the microchip and physically examines the animal, then issues an export quarantine certificate in English. AQS says this usually takes around 30 to 60 minutes, longer with several animals. Inspection appointments at the major airports, including Narita, Haneda and Kansai, generally run during daytime office hours, so a late-night departure usually means an inspection earlier the same day or within the preceding days.
What to bring to the AQS inspection
- The original veterinary certificates you attached to the NACCS application, including vaccination records.
- The microchip record, since the officer will scan and match the number.
- A power of attorney if someone other than the applicant is presenting the animal, which matters if a shipper or friend is handling the departure for you.
- For US military members with SOFA status, the AQS page lists an ID card, PCS orders and DD forms 2208 and 2209 at inspection.
Because the US asks for so little for a low-risk dog, the Japanese vet paperwork for a US-bound pet is mostly about proving identity and good health. Many owners also bring proof of rabies vaccination, which dogs in Japan are generally required to have annually under Japanese law, because several US states and many landlords will ask for it after arrival.
Plan the return before you leave
This is the single most important Japan-specific point. Japan's import rules for dogs and cats arriving from countries like the US involve a microchip, two rabies vaccinations, a rabies antibody test and a waiting period that can stretch to 180 days, with quarantine at the airport if the paperwork falls short. AQS itself advises on its dog and cat quarantine page that if you may return to Japan, you should take measures to meet the import requirements before departure. In practice, that means getting the rabies antibody test done in Japan before you leave, so the waiting period clock is already running. Families on a two or three year US assignment who skip this step can find the pet cannot come home without months of preparation or quarantine. Our US to Japan guide walks through the return timeline in detail.
Airlines from Japan: no cabin pets on the Japanese carriers
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways do not carry pets in the passenger cabin on international flights. Dogs and cats fly in the climate-controlled hold, either as baggage on your flight or as cargo, depending on the carrier, route and animal. Expect per-kennel fees in the hundreds of dollars each way on a transpacific route. Both carriers restrict snub-nosed breeds. Bulldogs and French bulldogs face year-round bans, and a much longer list of short-nosed breeds, including pugs, boxers, shih tzus and Boston terriers, is restricted during the hot summer months. If you own a brachycephalic breed in Japan, plan to move outside summer and talk to a specialist shipper early.
US carriers do not fill the gap for most travelers. Delta and United carry pets as cargo only for military and State Department personnel on orders, and cabin pet acceptance on transpacific routes varies by carrier and aircraft, so confirm directly. For a small cat or dog, this is the biggest difference from a European move: there is no easy under-seat option from Japan, so plan for hold or cargo travel even for small pets. Our cargo vs cabin guide explains what that means for the animal.
| Step | When | Who handles it | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm age, microchip, health | 2 to 3 months out | Your Japanese vet | Chip that a universal scanner cannot read |
| Rabies antibody test if you may return | Before leaving Japan | Vet plus approved lab | Skipping it and facing a long wait on return |
| Book the pet on the flight | 6 to 8 weeks out | Airline or shipper | Assuming a seat booking reserves pet space |
| NACCS export inspection application | At least 14 days before inspection | You or your shipper | Applying the week of departure |
| AQS export inspection | Within 10 days before departure | Animal Quarantine Service | Arriving without original documents |
| CDC Dog Import Form | Before travel | You | Mismatched arrival airport on the form |
US military families: Okinawa, Yokosuka, Misawa, Iwakuni and Yokota
Japan hosts one of the largest US military populations abroad, and military pet moves have their own channel. The Patriot Express, the government-procured flight between Seattle and bases including Yokota, Iwakuni and Kadena, carries dogs and cats for PCS travelers, but pet space is very limited and booked first come, first served. Families are generally limited to two pets, and the transportation office must have a signed risk acknowledgement on file before pet space is booked. Space-available travelers cannot bring pets. Details are on Military OneSource's PCS pet transportation page. If Patriot Express pet space is full, Delta and United's cargo service for personnel on orders becomes the main fallback. Base veterinary treatment facilities on Okinawa and at Iwakuni publish their own checklists that line up with the AQS steps above, and are worth getting early. Our guide to flying with a pet on military orders covers the booking process, and our military pet reimbursement guide explains what the Department of Defense will repay on an overseas move.
Getting to the departure airport inside Japan
Many foreign residents live far from Narita, Haneda or Kansai, and the trip to the airport is part of the move. Japanese rail operators generally allow small pets in a fully enclosed carrier for a small fee, within published size and weight limits, which works for cats and small dogs. A medium or large dog cannot ride the train, so plan a car, a pet taxi or a shipper collection. If the AQS inspection falls on the day of departure, leave generous time, because a delay on the way to the airport can push you past your inspection slot. Families leaving from Okinawa or another outlying area often fly domestically to Tokyo first, which adds a domestic pet booking and another crate check-in to the plan, so count it in the timeline.
Two or more pets, and the hidden scheduling problem
Each animal needs its own NACCS application details, its own inspection and usually its own kennel, and airlines cap how many animals they will take in the hold on a single flight. Two dogs on the same departure is normally fine if booked early, but three or more may need to be split across flights or moved as cargo through a shipper. Book every animal at the same time, confirm all of them in writing, and make sure the AQS appointment covers every pet you are presenting, since the inspection takes longer with several animals.
Cats from Japan
Cats still need the AQS export inspection, the same 14-day NACCS application and the same hold or cargo travel. What they do not need is any CDC form on arrival. Because cats cannot fly under the seat on JAL or ANA internationally, a calm, well-ventilated crate the cat already knows matters more than anything else. Introduce it weeks ahead, and put familiar bedding inside on travel day.
Summer heat and the best time to move
Japanese summers are hot and humid, and summer is when airline breed restrictions bite hardest and when hot US arrival cities add their own cargo limits. American Airlines Cargo, for example, will not move animals when temperatures anywhere on the route exceed 85F. If your posting dates are flexible, a spring or autumn move is easier to book and kinder to the animal, especially for older dogs or any breed with a shorter muzzle.
Arrival airports and the last leg in the US
A low-risk dog from Japan can arrive at any US airport, as long as it matches the airport on the CDC form. West Coast gateways such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle are the usual landing points from Tokyo and Osaka. If your new home is far inland, check whether you can stay on one through ticket with the pet to your final city. US domestic airlines rarely carry pets in the hold for the general public, so a pet landing in Seattle on the way to Texas may need a ground transporter for the final leg. Book that before you fly, not after landing.
What it typically costs from Japan
For a small pet flying in the hold with you on JAL or ANA, the main costs are the airline kennel fee, an IATA-compliant crate and the vet visits, often totaling several hundred to around a thousand dollars. A full-service shipper handling a medium or large dog door to door from Tokyo to a US city commonly runs into the low-to-mid thousands of dollars, and more for very large dogs or two pets. If you add a rabies antibody test to protect the option of returning, budget for that lab fee as well. Our international pet shipping cost guide breaks down the line items.
Using a shipper in Japan
Because the export inspection requires a NACCS application in a Japanese government system, many foreign residents use a Japan-based pet shipper or relocation agent even for a simple move. A good agent files the NACCS application, books the airline, provides a compliant crate and can present the animal at inspection under a power of attorney if you have already left. If you do it yourself, start with the AQS English page, call the quarantine office at your departure airport to confirm appointment hours, and keep printed copies of everything.
A short checklist
- Confirm the dog is at least six months old and the microchip reads on a universal scanner.
- Decide whether you may return to Japan, and if so start the rabies antibody test before leaving.
- Book the pet with JAL, ANA or a shipper, or book Patriot Express pet space if you are on orders.
- File the NACCS export inspection application at least 14 days ahead.
- Attend the AQS inspection within 10 days of departure with original documents.
- Complete the CDC Dog Import Form and plan the US last leg.