South Korea to the US is one of the busiest inbound pet routes we see, and it carries three quite different kinds of traveler: expat and Korean families relocating with their own pets, US service members finishing a tour at Camp Humphreys or Osan, and rescue groups flying dogs from Korea to adopters in America. All three share the same short US checklist, because South Korea is not on the CDC list of high-risk countries for dog rabies. What differs is the Korean exit process, which runs through an in-person inspection at the airport, and the airline options, which are better for small pets than most Asian origins because Korean Air takes small dogs and cats in the cabin.
This guide is part of our inbound-to-the-US series led by the Europe to the US hub. For the full federal picture, see our guide to importing a dog into the US.
The US side, briefly
South Korea does not appear on the CDC high-risk country list, so a dog that has spent the previous six months only in Korea or other low-risk countries needs to be at least six months old, carry a microchip a universal scanner can read, look healthy on arrival, and travel with a receipt from the online CDC Dog Import Form. Cats need no CDC paperwork. South Korea is also not on the USDA list of screwworm-affected regions, so no separate screwworm certificate is needed, unlike dogs leaving the Philippines, India or much of Southeast Asia.
The six-month look-back matters in Northeast Asia
The CDC test is about where the dog has been, not the airport it leaves from. China, excluding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, is on the high-risk list, and so are several other countries in the region. A dog that spent time in mainland China within six months of arriving in the US is treated as a high-risk dog even if it flies out of Incheon, which means a rabies titer, a government-endorsed vaccination form and a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility. Families who moved from a posting in China to Seoul shortly before relocating to the US should check dates carefully.
The APQA export inspection at the airport
Korea's Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, known as APQA, issues the export quarantine certificate that travels with your pet. The process, described on the APQA dogs and cats export page, is in person: you visit the APQA office at the airport or port with your pet and documents such as the vaccination certificate and a health certificate from a Korean vet. The inspector reviews the documents, examines the animal and issues the certificate. APQA lists the fee at 10,000 won per case.
Unlike Japan, Korea does not require an online application weeks in advance for a straightforward pet export, which makes the process feel simpler. The catch is timing on the day. The export quarantine office at Incheon keeps daytime office hours, so owners on an early morning or late night flight should plan to complete the inspection the day before. Travelers who have done it report that a vet health certificate issued within about 10 days of travel is the norm, so book your Korean vet visit to fall inside that window, and bring originals plus copies of everything.
What to have ready for APQA
- A health certificate from your Korean vet, issued close to departure.
- The rabies vaccination record, ideally in English or bilingual form.
- The microchip number, which the inspector will match to the documents.
- Any document the destination requires, which for a low-risk dog to the US is mainly proof of identity and health.
- Your flight details, since the certificate is tied to your departure.
Korea also requires dogs to be registered under its pet registration system. Before you leave for good, update the registration record so it does not show an active dog at your Korean address, and keep a copy of the microchip record that registration produced.
Getting the Korean vet paperwork right
Most problems at the APQA counter come from paperwork rather than the animal. Ask your Korean vet for an English or bilingual health certificate, since the APQA certificate is issued for a foreign destination and the US airline staff checking your pet in will need to read the supporting records too. Make sure the microchip number is identical on every document, including the vaccination record and the vet certificate, because a single transposed digit is enough to stall the inspection. Clinics in Seoul's expat neighborhoods and near the major US bases handle US-bound pets routinely and know what APQA expects. A clinic that rarely does exports may still produce a perfectly good certificate, but give it a copy of the APQA page and allow time for corrections.
If you might move back to Korea
Leaving Korea is simple, but re-entry is not. Korea's import rules for dogs and cats arriving from abroad include an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination and a rabies antibody test result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from an approved lab, with a government health certificate from the exporting country. If there is a real chance you will return within a few years, keep the microchip and rabies vaccinations current throughout your US stay, and read our US to Korea guide before you book the return. It is much easier to plan the antibody test in advance than to discover the requirement a few weeks before a move back.
Moving two or more pets
Each animal needs its own APQA certificate, so budget the inspection time and fee per pet. On Korean Air, the one-pet-per-passenger cabin rule means two small pets usually need two traveling adults, or one pet in the cabin and one in the hold. Hold space for animals is limited per aircraft, so book every pet at the same time and confirm each in writing, rather than adding a second animal after the first is booked.
Korean Air: one of the few Asian carriers with cabin pets
For a small pet, Korean Air is the standout option. It accepts dogs and cats in the cabin when pet and carrier together weigh up to 7 kg, one pet per passenger in the cabin, and larger animals in the hold as checked baggage, with weight limits that depend on route and aircraft. Pet travel must be confirmed with the airline in advance, and Korean Air's flying with pets checklist notes that travel with pets is not accepted without prior confirmation. Note that 7 kg is a tighter cabin limit than the 8 kg common on European carriers, so weigh the pet and the empty carrier together before you book.
US carriers are less useful for most civilians. Delta and United carry pets as cargo only for military and State Department personnel on orders, and cabin acceptance on transpacific flights varies by carrier and aircraft, so check directly before buying a ticket. For a medium or large dog, Korean Air's hold or a cargo booking through a shipper is the usual answer.
| Traveler | Usual route | Pet travels | Key Korean step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family with a small pet | Korean Air, Incheon nonstop | Cabin, up to 7 kg with carrier | APQA inspection, ideally the day before an off-hours flight |
| Family with a large dog | Korean Air hold or cargo via shipper | Hold or manifest cargo | APQA inspection plus crate check at check-in |
| US service member on orders | Patriot Express from Osan, or Delta or United cargo | Pet space on the mission, or cargo | APQA inspection plus base vet records |
| Rescue group | Flight volunteers or cargo | Accompanied baggage or cargo | APQA inspection plus US commercial import rules |
US military families leaving Korea
Service members at Camp Humphreys, Osan, Kunsan and Daegu have a dedicated channel. The Patriot Express flies between Osan and Seattle and carries pets for PCS travelers, but pet space is very limited, booked first come, first served, and generally capped at two pets per family. A signed risk acknowledgement must be on file before the pet space is booked, and space-available travelers cannot bring pets, as Military OneSource explains. When Patriot Express pet space is gone, Delta and United's cargo service for personnel on orders is the main fallback. The base veterinary treatment facility can prepare health paperwork that lines up with what APQA checks, so start there. Our guide to flying with a pet on military orders covers bookings and reimbursement, and our US to South Korea guide covers the outbound PCS rules if you will be coming back.
Rescue dogs from Korea
Korea has become a major source of rescue dogs for American adopters, particularly since Korea passed a law in 2024 to end the dog meat industry, with farms closing and rescue groups rehoming the dogs. Many of these dogs fly with volunteer passengers who check the dog as accompanied baggage, which keeps costs down. Two rules matter here. First, the dog must still be at least six months old and meet the CDC requirements on arrival. Second, a dog imported for adoption or resale is a commercial import, and USDA APHIS applies its own Animal Care requirements on top of the CDC rules. Adopters should work only with established rescues that handle this paperwork, and read our guide to bringing a rescue dog from overseas before paying anything.
Large dogs, Jindos and breed considerations
Jindos and Jindo mixes are common among Korean rescue and family dogs. They are medium to large, strong and often wary of strangers, which makes crate training before the flight especially important. A dog that has never spent time in a crate will find a long transpacific flight in the hold much harder. Start crate training weeks ahead, use the actual travel crate, and practice short car trips in it. Snub-nosed breeds face airline restrictions in the hold, especially in summer, so owners of those breeds should lean toward the cabin if the dog is small enough or a cooler travel season if it is not.
Cats from Korea
Cats still need the APQA export inspection, but nothing from the CDC on arrival. A cat that fits within Korean Air's 7 kg cabin limit with its carrier is the easiest Korea to US pet move there is. Many US states require rabies vaccination for cats too, so bring the vaccination record.
Summer heat and the best time to move
Korean summers are hot and humid, and the US arrival cities can be hotter. Airline breed restrictions tighten in summer, and US cargo programs embargo animals above set temperatures. If you have flexibility, move in spring or autumn. If you must move in summer, choose the cabin for a small pet, or an early or late flight into a cooler gateway for a larger one.
Arrival airports and the last leg
A low-risk dog from Korea can land at any US airport, provided it matches the CDC form. Incheon has nonstop service to many US gateways, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Atlanta and Dallas, so you may be able to fly close to your final destination. Where that is not possible, remember that US domestic airlines rarely carry pets in the hold for the general public, so a large dog landing far from home usually finishes the trip by road with a ground transporter.
What it typically costs from Korea
A small pet flying in the cabin on Korean Air costs the airline's pet fee plus the vet visit and the 10,000 won APQA fee, often a few hundred dollars all in. A dog in the hold adds a larger airline fee and an IATA-compliant crate. A full-service shipper moving a large dog door to door from Seoul to a US city typically runs into the low thousands of dollars, more for very large dogs or several animals. Rescue flights with volunteers are usually cheapest, since the dog travels as the volunteer's accompanied baggage. See our international pet shipping cost guide for line items.
A short checklist
- Check where the dog has been in the last six months, especially any time in mainland China.
- Confirm age, a readable microchip and current rabies vaccination.
- Book the pet with Korean Air, a shipper or Patriot Express, and get confirmation in writing.
- Get the Korean vet health certificate inside about 10 days of travel.
- Complete the APQA export inspection, the day before if your flight is outside office hours.
- Complete the CDC Dog Import Form and plan the US last leg.