USA to Hong Kong
Pet Shipping from the USA to Hong Kong
We provide international pet transport from the USA to Hong Kong, planned around its import rules, the season and your move date.
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.
- Airline booking
- The travel crate
- The export and import paperwork
- Check-in at your US airport
- Pickup in Hong Kong with delivery to your new address
Hong Kong at a glance
Full requirementsHong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department says final travel arrangements should wait until its special permit is granted, which is valid for 6 months and for one consignment only.
- Microchip
- ISO or AVID standard. If AFCD cannot read it on arrival, the owner’s side supplies a reader or the pet may be sent back
- Rabies vaccination
- At least 30 days and no more than a year before export. A first shot counts only if the pet was 90 days old or more
- Other vaccinations
- Distemper, infectious canine hepatitis and parvovirus for a dog; panleukopenia and the feline respiratory disease complex for a cat. At least 14 days and no more than a year before export
- Import permit
- AFCD’s Special Permit: HK$432 for the first animal and HK$102 for each further one it covers, issued 5 working days after the department receives the application and fee
- Health certificate
- APHIS’s form for the continental United States, one pet each, issued within 14 days before departure and endorsed by APHIS, with the vaccination records attached. It certifies that the pet has lived in the United States for the past 180 days, or since birth, and that no rabies in any animal except bats was reported within 10 km of the home over the same period
Pet Shipping from the USA to Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, AFCD, sorts dogs and cats by where they come from, and it lists the continental United States in Group II. Hawaii sits in another of its groups and has an APHIS certificate of its own. A pet from the mainland comes in on a Special Permit, and the terms printed with it are the conditions it has to meet. If you would like a simple overview of international moves first, start with our guide to international pet shipping destinations. Bringing a pet the other way, into the United States? See our US import guide.
Which route does a pet take into Hong Kong?
As manifested cargo, as directly and quickly as possible. AFCD’s permit terms for Group II, form DC-02v05, read September 25, 2026, do not allow a pet to travel as excess or hand-carried baggage, and a stopover in a Group IIIA or IIIB place needs the department’s approval first. The crate and its labels follow IATA’s Live Animals Regulations, and the captain or airline staff sign a certificate, form PC101, that the pet stayed in its crate for the whole journey and met no other animal.
Route details: USA to Hong Kong
- Route
- USA to Hong Kong
- Arrival airports
- Hong Kong International Airport, where AFCD clears pets at the HACTL, Asia Airfreight and Cathay Pacific cargo terminals
- How the pet flies
- As manifested cargo by the most direct route; AFCD’s permit terms do not allow excess or hand-carried baggage
- Import permit
- AFCD Special Permit, issued 5 working days after AFCD receives the application and fee; valid 6 months for one consignment
- Health certificate
- Issued by a USDA-accredited vet within 14 days of departure, one per pet, then endorsed by USDA APHIS
- Quarantine on arrival
- AFCD puts the continental USA in Group II: a pet can be exempted from quarantine when every permit term is met
- Time to get ready
- At least 30 days: AFCD wants the rabies shot given at least 30 days before export, at 90 days of age or older
Work out your pet’s dates for this route
From official sources, read October 29, 2026: AFCD, dogs and cats from Group II places; AFCD, permit terms DC-02v05; AFCD, collecting a pet at the airport; USDA APHIS, pet travel to Hong Kong.
What are the entry requirements for pets going to Hong Kong?
The short answer
From the United States, APHIS says an import permit, issued by AFCD, is required before travel. A USDA-accredited veterinarian then issues the health certificate, which lists one pet only and goes to APHIS for endorsement, and what it certifies is set out below.
Which pets can enter Hong Kong?
Four dog types cannot be imported into Hong Kong at all: the Pit Bull Terrier, also known as the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Japanese Tosa, the Dogo Argentino and the Fila Braziliero, along with any crossbreed of them. A Staffordshire Bull Terrier is allowed but travels with a statutory declaration confirming the breed. A dog or cat under five months old must not be imported, and neither may an animal more than four weeks pregnant.
That age limit is set in the permit terms. The notes on AFCD’s certificate form, VC-DC2, read September 25, 2026, put it differently: an animal under 5 months is quarantined until it reaches that age, and one under 60 days is refused. Raise a young pet with AFCD before booking anything. For cats, Bengals and their crosses need papers showing at least five generations of domestic ancestry, and the Group II terms state that they do not apply to Savannah cats.
For birds, and for reptiles, rodents and miscellaneous pet mammals, AFCD publishes separate import rules, and APHIS’s Hong Kong page lists US paperwork for chinchillas, birds and rabbits. AFCD’s dogs and cats page also sets out an arrangement for a disability assistance dog, which leaves out emotional support dogs. Ready to start? Request a quote.
What vet work and documents does a pet need for Hong Kong?
Two vaccination windows, a microchip AFCD can scan, and APHIS’s health certificate for a dog or cat from the continental United States, which certifies them along with where the pet has lived. A USDA-accredited veterinarian issues it and can send it through VEHCS for APHIS to endorse digitally, and the printed copy goes with the pet. Read on September 25, 2026, neither AFCD’s Group II permit terms nor that certificate asks for a rabies antibody titer test. Before the pet ships, AFCD’s airport office will check copies of the prepared documents free of charge.
| Requirement | Hong Kong, from the United States |
|---|---|
| Microchip | ISO or AVID standard. If AFCD cannot read it on arrival, the owner’s side supplies a reader or the pet may be sent back |
| Rabies vaccination | At least 30 days and no more than a year before export. A first shot counts only if the pet was 90 days old or more |
| Other vaccinations | Distemper, infectious canine hepatitis and parvovirus for a dog; panleukopenia and the feline respiratory disease complex for a cat. At least 14 days and no more than a year before export |
| Import permit | AFCD’s Special Permit: HK$432 for the first animal and HK$102 for each further one it covers, issued 5 working days after the department receives the application and fee |
| Health certificate | APHIS’s form for the continental United States, one pet each, issued within 14 days before departure and endorsed by APHIS, with the vaccination records attached. It certifies that the pet has lived in the United States for the past 180 days, or since birth, and that no rabies in any animal except bats was reported within 10 km of the home over the same period |
| Quarantine | AFCD says a Group II pet may be exempted when the permit terms are met in full. Without proper documents, a pet may be quarantined for at least 4 months at the owner’s expense or returned |
Every source here was read on September 25, 2026. AFCD publishes the dogs and cats import page and describes its free document checking service separately. Its Group II page links the permit terms, the health certificate form and the application steps. From APHIS come its Hong Kong pet travel page, last modified July 22, 2026, and the certificate for a dog or cat from the continental United States.
Planning Timeline for Pet Shipping to Hong Kong
AFCD’s own steps for Group II put the permit first and the vaccinations second. A pet with no rabies shot in date needs one at least 30 days before export, and the other vaccinations 14. Within two weeks of departure the certificate is issued and endorsed, copies may be sent to AFCD’s airport office for checking, and the duty officer is told of the arrival at least 24 hours ahead.
Moving to mainland China instead? It is a separate set of rules, including a rabies titer, so start with our China page.
Taking a Dog or Cat to Hong Kong: What to Expect
On arrival at Hong Kong International Airport, AFCD scans the microchip, and a number that differs from the one on the certificate makes the pet ineligible to enter. The owner keeps the white original of the permit to collect the pet, and an airline may ask for the yellow copy before accepting the pet at departure. A dog 5 months or older then needs a Hong Kong dog license, issued on arrival at the owner’s expense, and a dog whose chip does not meet Hong Kong’s rules has a conforming one implanted.
Every Pet Travels
Differently
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Because timelines, airline rules, and Hong Kong’s entry requirements all affect each other, we build a plan that fits your pet and your move date.
Destination-Focused Planning
On this route the Special Permit is applied for before the vet work, so its terms decide the vaccination dates rather than the other way round.
Smart Routing and Logistics
We help choose practical routes, travel windows, and handoff procedures so your pet’s trip is safer and more predictable.
Personalized Support
Pet Travel Advisors assigns a move coordinator who keeps you updated and checks details before travel so nothing important is missed.
Questions about moving a pet to Hong Kong
Request a QuoteWhat does it cost to ship a pet from the USA to Hong Kong?
Costs depend on your pet’s size and crate, the route and airline, vet and document fees, and whether the move is door to door. The fastest way to get a real number is a quote based on your origin city and travel date. Request a quote here.
How does Pet Travel Advisors help with a move to Hong Kong?
Pick the services that help: the Special Permit application, manifested cargo flights, a travel crate, APHIS’s certificate and its endorsement, check-in at departure, and collection in Hong Kong with the drive to the new home. Door-to-door relocation books them together.
How do I take my dog to Hong Kong from the US?
Apply to AFCD for the Special Permit first, because its terms set everything after it.
The dog then needs a microchip that can be scanned on arrival, its rabies and core vaccinations inside AFCD’s windows, and APHIS’s certificate issued and endorsed in the two weeks before it leaves, and it flies as manifested cargo. Each step is set out above.
Ready to start?
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.