TLDR: Japan requires advance notification to the Animal Quarantine Service at your intended port of entry at least 40 days before your pet arrives. This is a separate rule from the 180-day waiting period and must not be confused with it. Missing the deadline can block your pet's entry entirely regardless of whether all other import requirements are met.
Before your dog or cat can enter Japan, you must notify the Animal Quarantine Service at your intended port of entry at least 40 days before arrival. This is one of the most misunderstood steps in the Japan import process. Missing the deadline or submitting incomplete information can block your pet's entry entirely. Here is exactly what the 40-day advance notification is, what it requires, and how it fits into the overall Japan timeline.
The advance notification is a formal submission to the AQS office at your pet's expected port of entry. It tells AQS your pet is coming, provides the details of your pet's documentation, and gives AQS the opportunity to review the paperwork before your pet boards. Once AQS reviews the notification and confirms everything is in order, they issue an Approval of Import Inspection. You will need this approval for boarding and export procedures.
The notification is not an import permit and it is not a range of dates. Your pet's arrival date must be exact at the time of submission. Many things need to be confirmed before the form can be filed.
The notification must be submitted at least 40 days before your pet arrives in Japan. In principle, it can be submitted earlier, during the 180-day waiting period, once the required steps are complete. In practice, submitting too far in advance is not recommended. Plans change, and certain modifications to a submitted notification are not accepted. Submitting around the 40-day mark gives you time to finalize your own travel arrangements before the form is locked in.
The notification is submitted by email to the AQS office at your expected port of entry. It can also be submitted through the NACCS online system. Contact information for all AQS offices is available at the AQS contact page.
Before the notification can be submitted, your pet must have completed the following steps:
The notification form itself requires your pet's microchip number, vaccination dates and vaccine details, blood draw date and titer result, your pet's physical measurements including length and height, your current home address, your destination address in Japan, and a copy of your passport. Separate notification forms are used for dogs and cats.
AQS reviews the notification and the supporting documents. If everything is in order, they issue an Approval of Import Inspection. This document is required for boarding and must accompany your pet's documentation package.
If there are any issues with the notification or the documents, AQS may request corrections or additional information. Submitting the notification with errors or omissions delays the approval and can delay your pet's travel date.
If your plans change after submitting the notification, a modification form must be submitted to the AQS office that received the original notification. The following changes are not accepted after submission: moving the arrival date earlier, increasing the number of animals, replacing one animal with a different animal, or making any change after the original scheduled arrival date has passed. Postponing the arrival date is accepted but requires a formal modification submission.
These are two separate rules that apply at different points in the Japan timeline and should not be confused with each other.
The 180-day wait is a mandatory holding period after the rabies antibody titer blood draw. Your pet must remain outside Japan for at least 180 days from the blood draw date before it is eligible to enter. This step happens months before travel.
The 40-day advance notification is an administrative deadline. It is submitted to AQS at least 40 days before your pet's scheduled arrival, during or after the 180-day waiting period. Missing it does not reset the 180-day clock, but it can block entry entirely regardless of whether all other requirements are met.
Both rules must be satisfied. Neither replaces the other.
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In principle, a notification submitted less than 40 days before arrival will not be accepted by AQS. This means your pet cannot enter Japan on the planned date regardless of whether all other requirements are met. If your timeline is tight, submit the notification as early as possible once the required steps are complete.
Yes. The notification can be submitted during the 180-day waiting period, once the microchip, vaccinations, and titer test are all completed. You do not need to wait until the 180 days are up before filing.
It is the document AQS issues after reviewing your advance notification and confirming the information is in order. It is not an import permit. It is required for export and boarding procedures and must be printed or saved digitally before your pet travels.
No. Moving the arrival date earlier than what was submitted is not accepted. Only postponements are permitted, and these require a formal modification submission to AQS.