Reply To: Importing pets Into China via Chengdu

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#53693
Avatar photoj_hoke
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Hello,

You want to bring a dog into China for only four weeks? I can’t even begin to tell you how not-worth-it that would be.

At the time I brought my two cats into the country (summer 2016), I was told by officials Chengdu did not yet have room for quarantine, which is why it was so easy to bring them into the country via Chengdu (see above posts). Given that some time has passed and Chinese regulations change on a dime, it’s possible Chengdu quarantine rules have changed, too. You’re not likely to find out with any assurance before you arrive, as everything is unclear on- and offline.

Quarantine or no, you’ll need to get your dog sufficiently vaccinated, get the appropriate paperwork filled out, and assemble their “passport”——all of this is a headache and a considerable expense. In my case, these documents were not even consulted at the airport, but I still would have never dared travel without them. (Keep in mind the re-entry regulations for pets from your home country may be just as strict, or more so.)

At the time of my entry, we were able to bring pets in regardless of visa type, though I had a longterm visa anyway. It’s possible this has changed by now. You certainly cannot bring a pet in on a tourist visa in most countries, and I suspect the fact that I basically just walked in with my cats was sort of a fluke. (Keep in mind with cats and small dogs, you can often carry them onto the plane, and thus carry them through customs. If you’re trying to bring a large dog into China for mere weeks, forget it.)

On top of this, if indeed there is quarantine for dogs in Chengdu when you arrive, it’s possible it will be longer than four weeks, the length of your stay. (Many other Chinese cities do indeed have strict quarantine laws, so you’d need to fly direct to Chengdu to avoid this; if you enter China in Beijing before connecting to Chengdu, for example, you’ll pass through customs there, and your pet will be stuck in Beijing.)

Sorry I can’t give you more quarantine info. However, that’s sort of the point. You’re not likely to find out before you arrive.

Perhaps you’re a veteran pet-traveling, I dunno, but I’m surprised you’d even consider bringing your dog for such a short time. Less than, say, a year seems not only not worth the hassle and uncertainty but also not worth the stress for your dog.

Best,

 

j