Globetrotting with Pets in Tow

Name: Sienna
Number of Pets: 2
Pet Type: Dogs
Pet Breed: Terrier mix, German Shepherd mix
From: USA
To: Australia/Japan/Hong Kong

Dear PetRelocation,

We are just considering a move next year that would involve living in Australia, Japan, and Hong Kong for 3 months each. Would it even be possible to bring our dogs with us or are the quarantine procedures such that it would be too difficult?

Thank you in advance!

Sienna

Hi Sienna,

Thanks for contacting us with your question!

Honestly, these are not the easiest countries when it comes to importing pets and going from one to the next with two dogs would be a pretty big challenge. To undertake this you'd have to spend quite a bit of time researching the details, gathering the right paperwork and making sure you have all logistics (flights, quarantines, rabies vaccines, etc.) carefully scheduled.

For example, Australia requires about 190 days of preparation to bring pets into the country, including 10 days of quarantine upon arrival. Japan and Hong Kong are also somewhat strict when it comes to importing pets, and no matter what order you're wanting to arrange these visits you'd need to find veterinarians in each place to help you obtain the necessary documents/vaccines. Your dogs would also need to be comfortable spending time in their travel crates, and you'd need to be able to spend quite a bit of money on these trips, as the cost of flights and import documents, etc. can quickly add up.

You'd also want to take into account the travel experience for your dogs -- this will be taxing for them, and often pet owners decide it may not be worth the time, stress and expense to vacation with pets (as opposed to bringing them along for a permanent relocation, which most find a much easier decision to make). When handled correctly pet travel is very safe, but in regards to taking relatively short trips, the reality may be that it's better to leave your dogs with a trusted pet sitter.

For your reference, here is more information about bringing pets to Hong Kong, bringing pets to Japan and bringing pets to Australia. Please take a look at what each country entails and let us know if you have more questions.

Hopefully this information will help you make a decision! We also recommend talking to your vet, of course.

Good luck, and please let us know if there is anything else PetRelocation can do to assist you as you move forward.