How to Move a Dog from Australia to Korea (and Back)
Pet Import Requirements: South Korea (2026) | Dogs & Cats
What to Know About Importing Dogs and Cats to South Korea
TLDR: Dogs and cats moving to South Korea need an ISO-compliant microchip and a USDA health certificate issued within 30 days of export, one of the most generous certificate windows in the region. Pets 90 days or older at arrival also need a current rabies vaccination and a passing titer test (0.5 IU/mL or higher, valid 24 months). Pets under 90 days at arrival skip both. A missing microchip or titer means quarantine; a missing health certificate means refused entry, with no quarantine option.
South Korea is one of the more straightforward Asian destinations, with no breed bans, no pregnancy restrictions, and one of the most generous certificate windows in the region. The one rule that changes everything is your pet's age at arrival, not at any earlier point in your planning.
The 90-Day Age Threshold
Your pet's age on the planned arrival date, not the date you start preparing, determines which requirements apply.
Pets under 90 days old at arrival need only a microchip and a health certificate. No rabies vaccination and no titer test are required. Same-day release applies once the microchip is confirmed.
Pets 90 days or older at arrival need a microchip, a current rabies vaccination, and a passing titer test. Same-day release applies only when both the microchip and the titer result are confirmed.
If your pet is close to 90 days old when you start preparing, calculate its age at your planned arrival date, not today's date. A puppy or kitten that's 85 days old at intake can easily be 95 days old by arrival, which moves the case into the full rule set partway through preparation. Flag this early, since the titer test alone takes time to arrange and process.
Microchip
Every pet needs an ISO 11784/11785-compliant microchip. Collar-worn chips aren't accepted; the chip must be implanted. If you're using a non-ISO chip, you'll need to bring a compatible scanner, since a real risk exists if your pet's chip type isn't confirmed compatible in advance.
The microchip number must match your pet's health certificate exactly. A mismatch is treated the same as having no microchip at all.
Rabies Vaccination and Titer Test (90 Days or Older Only)
Your pet needs a current rabies vaccination and a rabies-neutralizing antibody titer test result of 0.5 IU/mL or higher. The test must be performed by an internationally approved laboratory or by the competent authority of the exporting country.
The titer result is valid for 24 months from the date of blood collection, not from the date of vaccination. This matters if your pet was titered for a previous move; a passing result from up to two years ago may still be usable.
If the titer test can't be completed before shipping, or the result comes back below 0.5 IU/mL, testing can be done after arrival in Korea instead. This is a last resort, not a routine workflow: your pet is held in quarantine while that testing completes, at your expense, averaging around 10 days but potentially longer.
This page covers dogs and cats. If your move involves a different species, such as a ferret, don't apply this 24-month window; other species have stricter, different titer timelines.
Health Certificate
Your pet's health certificate must be the Korea-specific USDA form, issued and USDA-endorsed within 30 days of export. This is one of the most generous certificate windows in the region, meaningfully more scheduling flexibility than destinations like Hong Kong (14 days) or Thailand (10 days).
The certificate must record:
- Date of birth and microchip number
- Rabies titration result, test date, and testing agency name (pets 90 days or older)
- Date of rabies vaccination, vaccine name, and validity period
- Means of transport, total number of packages or containers, and identification or seal numbers
- A statement that the animal is healthy and cannot transmit infectious disease to domestic animals
- Certification that the animal originated from an area not under rabies quarantine and hasn't been exposed to rabies
Both the USDA-accredited veterinarian and the USDA veterinarian must sign the certificate with printed name and date. This is a Korea-specific form; a generic health certificate won't satisfy the requirement.
Two Very Different Arrival Outcomes
It matters which document is missing.
If your pet is missing a microchip or a valid titer, it goes into extended quarantine on arrival at your expense, averaging around 10 days but potentially longer depending on the case, while the issue gets resolved.
If your pet's USDA-endorsed health certificate is missing entirely, there's no quarantine option. Your pet is refused entry and may be returned to the USA at your cost. The health certificate is the one document that cannot be absent under any circumstances; every other requirement has a path to resolution on arrival, but this one doesn't.
What South Korea Doesn't Require
South Korea has no breed restrictions, no pregnancy restrictions, and no parasite treatment requirements. This is unusual for the region, worth knowing especially if you're moving a breed that's restricted or banned in Taiwan, Malaysia, or Hong Kong.
Moving 10 or More Pets
If you're bringing 10 or more cats and dogs together, you'll need to submit an advance notification form to QIA and get prior approval to use a quarantine facility before shipping. This doesn't apply to smaller moves.
A Realistic Timeline
A typical South Korea case runs 3 to 4 months from start to finish: microchip implantation, then rabies vaccination, then the titer blood draw, then 3 to 4 weeks for lab turnaround (usually the actual bottleneck in the whole process), then the USDA health certificate within 30 days of your export date, then travel. Starting early gives the lab result time to come back before you're racing your certificate's 30-day window.
Governing Authority
South Korea's Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (QIA) oversees pet imports. Visit qia.go.kr/english for additional information.
How PetRelocation Can Help
South Korea's process is manageable once you know where the real bottleneck is, and it's almost always the titer lab turnaround, not the paperwork. PetRelocation has coordinated South Korea moves for over 20 years and knows how to sequence the vaccination, titer draw, and certificate timing so the lab wait doesn't eat into your travel window.
Complete Support covers full coordination of your pet's microchip, vaccination, titer testing, and health certificate from start to finish. Vet Paperwork Support focuses on the health certificate and titer documentation while you manage the rest. Consultation gives you direct access to a coordinator to calculate your pet's age at arrival and confirm which rule set applies before you commit to a timeline.
Get a free quote from PetRelocation and a relocation manager will walk you through your options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my pet need a rabies titer test for South Korea?
Only if your pet is 90 days or older at the planned arrival date. Pets under 90 days at arrival need only a microchip and a health certificate.
How long is the titer test valid?
24 months from the date of blood collection, not the vaccination date. A passing result from a previous move may still be usable if it's within that window.
What happens if my pet's health certificate is missing on arrival?
Your pet is refused entry and may be returned to the USA at your cost. This is different from a missing microchip or titer, which results in quarantine instead.
Are any dog breeds banned from South Korea?
No. South Korea has no breed restrictions, no pregnancy restrictions, and no parasite treatment requirements, which is unusual among Asian destinations.
How long does the South Korea process typically take?
Around 3 to 4 months from microchip implantation to travel, with the titer lab turnaround (3 to 4 weeks) usually the biggest bottleneck.