TLDR: Pets transiting through Tokyo Narita or Haneda Airport on the same airline are not subject to Japan's pet import requirements. The transit exemption applies as long as your pet remains in airline custody and you do not clear…
TLDR: Moving a pet from Japan to the United States is significantly simpler than the reverse. Japan is classified as a low-risk country under CDC rules, which means dogs only need a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, an ISO-compatible microchip,…
TLDR: JAL operates the only nonstop flight from Boston to Narita at approximately 14 hours. Connecting options via Seattle, Dallas, Chicago, Denver, and Houston are available through JAL and ANA. United no longer accepts general pet cargo. All flight selections must…
TLDR: Japan requires an ISO 11784/11785-compliant microchip implanted before or on the same day as the first rabies vaccination. Japan also only accepts inactivated or recombinant/modified rabies vaccines. Live virus and RNA vaccines are not accepted. An error at…
TLDR: Japan does not quarantine every pet that arrives. Dogs and cats that complete all requirements correctly are inspected on arrival and typically released within a few hours. The 180-day detention quarantine is the penalty for arriving without meeting the…
TLDR: For New Zealand, the microchip must be implanted before or at the exact same time as the rabies vaccination and titre test. An RNATT or rabies vaccine conducted before a microchip is confirmed in place is entirely invalid. This…
TLDR: Non-desexed dogs traveling to New Zealand require the owner to sign a declaration confirming the dog has not mated in the 44 days prior to shipment. There is one exception: mating with a dog of equal Brucella canis health status…
TLDR: As of March 1, 2026, New Zealand removed the crate seal requirement for pets traveling from Category 3 countries including the US mainland. Crates no longer need to be sealed before departure. However, Certificate B still contains the seal wording from before…
