Singapore Pet Quarantine: Rules, Tips, and Expert Guidance

Singapore Pet Quarantine: What USA Pet Owners Need to Know

Singapore has strict biosecurity rules, but quarantine is not automatic for most pets arriving from the United States. Whether your pet needs quarantine, and what type applies, depends on the country schedule, your pet's ownership history, and the timing of your pet's arrival compared with your own.

That is the part many people miss. A pet can meet every veterinary requirement and still trigger quarantine because of how the move is structured.

How Singapore Classifies Incoming Pets

Singapore's Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) assigns every country a rabies risk schedule, and that schedule determines the veterinary requirements and quarantine rules that apply. As of February 2026, the USA is listed under Schedule II, the middle tier. Schedule I covers a short list of rabies-free countries (Australia, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom). Schedule III covers everywhere not listed under Schedules I or II.

Most of the documentation requirements for USA pets, including the rabies titer test, flow from Schedule II status. The quarantine rules are tied to it as well.

Do USA Pets Have to Quarantine?

For Schedule II countries including the USA, post-arrival quarantine is not required by default. But two specific situations trigger a mandatory 10-day home quarantine:

• The pet arrives more than 5 days after the owner enters Singapore.
• The pet has been under the owner's or immediate family's direct care for less than 6 months at the time of import, meaning recently adopted, rescued, or purchased pets.

If neither applies and all veterinary conditions are met, no quarantine is required. If one applies, a 10-day home quarantine is required at your Singapore residence, not at a government facility.

Home Quarantine: How It Works

Home quarantine is a formal AVS program, not simply keeping your pet indoors. You must apply for approval before the import license is issued. AVS processes applications within 5 working days. Once approved, you must comply with AVS's published home quarantine conditions.

AVS uses smart collar tags to verify the pet remains at the quarantine address for the full period. The current fee is S$29 per animal per day for eligible pets.

You will need to provide your Singapore residential address, confirm the residence accepts pets, and submit supporting documents as part of the application. This is why the quarantine question should be settled early. It affects not just the arrival plan but also the paperwork sequence before travel.

When Facility Quarantine Applies

Pets arriving from Schedule III countries are subject to a mandatory minimum 30-day quarantine at Singapore's Animal Quarantine Centre (AQC). Pets from Schedule III countries are also vaccinated against rabies on arrival at AQC. Quarantine space must be reserved in advance through AVS's Quarantine Management System (QMS) before travel. Spaces fill up, so this needs to be arranged early.

This does not apply to most USA-to-Singapore moves, but it matters if your pet has lived in a Schedule III country recently.

The Animal Quarantine Centre (AQC)

If your pet requires facility quarantine, it will be housed at the Animal Quarantine Centre. AQC provides kennels with indoor rooms and outdoor runs for dogs, and cattery rooms for cats. Rooms are available with or without air conditioning. Fees as of December 1, 2025 are S$26 per day (fan) or S$35 per day (air conditioned). Transport from the airport inspection station to AQC is S$75 per pet.

AQC staff provide daily veterinary checks and morning walks for dogs. Owners can bring bedding and toys, though AQC is not responsible for items left at the facility. If your pet requires medication, indicate this during the QMS application. AQC staff will only administer medication with a prescription and instructions from your veterinarian.

During visiting hours, owners can use the exercise field (15 minutes, first come first served, book on the day) and grooming rooms (30 minutes, book at least 2 days in advance at the AQC reception).

Visiting hours:

• Tuesday and Thursday: 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
• Saturday: 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
• Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, and public holidays: closed

Release hours: 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM daily, including public holidays. Pets must be collected on the specified release date. Extension of quarantine is not allowed.

AQC address: 2 Jalan Lekar, Singapore 698919. Tel: (65) 1800 476 1600.

What USA Pets Need Before Arrival

Quarantine status aside, all Schedule II pets must meet the same documentation requirements. Before your pet travels from the USA to Singapore, you will need:

• An ISO-standard microchip (ISO 11784 or 11785). The microchip number must appear on every vaccination and treatment record.
• A valid rabies vaccination followed by a blood sample for rabies serology testing. The blood draw must occur at least 28 days after a valid rabies vaccination, at least 90 days before export, and within 12 months of export. Testing must be done at a WOAH reference laboratory or an approved laboratory in a Schedule I or II country.
• Core vaccinations: dogs need distemper, adenovirus type 1, and parvovirus; cats need calicivirus, herpesvirus-1, and panleukopenia.
• A veterinary health certificate completed by your USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA APHIS, issued 2 to 7 days before departure.
• A captain's declaration form, endorsed by the airline at check-in.
• An AVS import license applied via GoBusiness (S$50 standard, S$100 express). Valid for 90 days.
• A dog or cat license from AVS, obtained before the import license application.
• A Customs GST permit obtained through a licensed forwarding agent before arrival.
• An inspection appointment at Changi Animal and Plant Quarantine Station (CAPQ), booked at least 5 days before arrival. Arriving without an appointment results in an inspection fee of S$133 per hour.

Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old at the time of export.

Important Arrival Change From April 1, 2026

For pets arriving on or after April 1, 2026, AVS requires pet owners to appoint an AVS-recognized pet agent to handle import clearance procedures at CAPQ. If your pet is arriving after that date, confirm the current agent requirement and updated CAPQ operating hours directly with AVS before travel.

Breed Restrictions

Several dog breeds are prohibited from import to Singapore regardless of documentation. These include Pit Bull types (American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, and crosses), as well as Akita, Boerboel, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Neapolitan Mastiff, Tosa, and Perro de Presa Canario. First through fourth generation Bengal and Savannah cat crosses are also prohibited. Fifth generation and above may be imported with documentation confirming generational lineage from the wild ancestor species.

Verify breed eligibility before starting the process. This is not something to discover after titer testing is complete.

Dog Licensing After Arrival

All dogs imported to Singapore must be licensed through AVS. Before a license is issued, owners must complete an online Pet Ownership Course, which takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes. The license must be obtained before the import license application, so plan for this step early.

Timeline

The titer test window drives the overall timeline. Because the blood draw must occur at least 90 days before export and must follow a valid rabies vaccination by at least 28 days, most USA-to-Singapore moves require 4 to 6 months of preparation. Start early, especially if quarantine space at AQC may be needed.

If you want help coordinating the vet paperwork, import license, and logistics for your Singapore move, contact PetRelocation and we will walk through the details with you.