Moving with a dog or cat between France and Japan

At a glance

Japan → France

Bringing a pet from Japan to France

Japan is listed in Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636, so a dog or cat arriving from Japan needs no rabies antibody titre test. It does need:

• An ISO microchip, implanted before or on the same day as the rabies vaccine.
• A rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks or older, with the primary course at least 21 days old on the day it enters the EU.
• An EU animal health certificate following the Annex III model of Regulation (EU) 2026/705, signed or endorsed by the Japanese veterinary authority no more than 10 days before arrival.
• The owner's written declaration that the move is non-commercial.
• Arrival through a travellers' point of entry, where the pet is declared and presented to customs.

The AQS export inspection

In Japan, the Animal Quarantine Service (AQS) of the Ministry of Agriculture (MAFF) inspects the pet before departure:

• you apply online through the NACCS system at least 14 days before departure; an inspection slot can only be booked after applying;
• the inspection takes place within the 10 days before departure, for example at Narita, Haneda or Kansai, daily from 8:30 to 16:30, and lasts 30 to 60 minutes;
• AQS states that the export inspection is free of charge; vet fees remain the owner's.

From 1 January 2027, applying at least 14 days before export becomes mandatory for dogs. AQS warns that slots are scarce, so book early.

The AQS export page does not mention the EU model. The EU requires the Annex III certificate of Regulation 2026/705, signed or endorsed by the competent authority of the departure country; how AQS handles it (endorsing the EU model or issuing its own certificate) is something we confirm for each file. Certificates on the old model (Regulation 577/2013) are only accepted if issued before 1 October 2026.

French residents coming home from Japan

A pet that lives in France and returns from a short stay in Japan can come back on its EU pet passport, as long as its rabies vaccination is valid. If a booster was given in Japan, French customs say the passport alone is no longer enough: the pet needs the health certificate endorsed by the Japanese authorities. The same applies after settling in Japan for good.

France → Japan

Moving to Japan with a dog or cat

Japan's "designated regions", the places it treats as rabies-free, are only Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii and Guam. France is a non-designated region: a pet leaving France goes through the longest procedure, with no shortcut for animals living in the EU.

The steps AQS requires

• A 15-digit ISO 11784/11785 microchip, implanted before the first rabies vaccination (or on the same day). AQS refuses numbers starting with "900 202" and published a notice in December 2025 about duplicated numbers under other 900 prefixes, so have your vet check the chip.
• At least two rabies vaccinations: the first at 91 days of age or older and after the chip; the second at least 30 days after the first and while it is still valid. Inactivated or recombinant vaccines only (live and RNA vaccines are not accepted). A dose given after the previous one lapsed restarts the sequence.
• A rabies antibody titre test after the second vaccination, at a lab designated by Japan, with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml. It is valid for 2 years from the blood draw.
• A 180-day wait: the pet must arrive at least 180 days after the blood draw (the draw counts as day 0), within the validity of both vaccine and titre. A pet arriving early spends the missing days in detention.
• At least 40 days' advance notice of arrival, through NACCS (e-mail forms exist if NACCS is hard to use). AQS then issues an approval for the import inspection. After notice, the arrival date cannot be brought forward and no animal can be added or swapped.
• A clinical examination within 10 days before boarding: no signs of rabies (and, for dogs, leptospirosis).
• A certificate issued or endorsed by the exporting country's veterinary authority, in France the DDPP (or DDETSPP). AQS recommends its "Form AC". Original paper, no pencil, no correction fluid.

On arrival

A compliant pet is held for 12 hours at most, often about an hour, for the inspection. A pet that does not comply can be detained for up to 180 days or sent back. Dogs must arrive through one of the designated ports and airports, which include Narita, Haneda, Chubu and Kansai. AQS recommends sending it a copy of the certificate before departure for checking, and so do we.

Microchip and vaccination

This is where France and Japan differ most. Travel within the EU needs only a primary vaccination, and your pet's passport may well show a single valid injection. Japan requires two, the first given after the chip: if the chip went in after the vaccine, or a booster was missed, the sequence starts again.

• Into Japan: chip first, then two inactivated or recombinant vaccines at least 30 days apart, the first at 91 days of age or older.
• Into France: chip before the vaccine (or the same day), vaccine at 12 weeks or older, primary course at least 21 days old on arrival.

Puppies and kittens: with the minimum age for the first vaccine, the second vaccine, the titre test and the 180 days, a pet leaving France cannot reach Japan before it is roughly 10 months old. For France, the practical minimum age is about 15 weeks.

Documents to prepare

• Leaving France: the AQS approval received after your notice; the certificate (Form AC recommended) endorsed by the DDPP; the titre lab report; the dates of the chip and both vaccines; the EU passport.
• Leaving Japan: the EU health certificate (2026/705 model) signed or endorsed within 10 days of arrival; the owner's non-commercial declaration; the AQS inspection certificate; the transit declaration if the route crosses an unlisted country.
• Authorised person: the owner's written authorisation if the owner is not travelling with the pet.

See veterinary documents.

Rabies antibody titre test

Japan → France: not required, as Japan is in Annex II. If your flight connects in an unlisted country such as South Korea or mainland China, sign the transit declaration (Annex V, Part 5, of Regulation 2026/705): the pet stays on board or in the international zone.

France → Japan: required. Japan's list of designated labs (updated 4 August 2026) includes three French labs, the same three as France's own approved list:

• ANSES Nancy (rabies and wildlife laboratory, Malzéville);
• Laboratoire départemental 31 EVA (Launaguet);
• INOVALYS (Le Mans).

Japan removed LDA 62 (Arras) from its list because it is no longer on France's list. The micro-RFFIT method is not accepted. Blood is drawn after the second vaccination, and the result is valid for 2 years.

For more on titre timing and pitfalls, see rabies vaccination and the titre test.

Typical timeline from France to Japan

1. Microchip and first vaccine day 0

   If a readable chip is already in place, start with the vaccine.

2. Second vaccine at least 30 days later

   While the first is still valid.

3. Blood draw for the titre test after the second vaccine

   ANSES, LD31 or INOVALYS. The day of the draw is day 0 of the countdown.

4. Notice to AQS at least 40 days before arrival

   The notified date cannot be brought forward afterwards.

5. Clinical exam and DDPP endorsement within 10 days before boarding

   DDPP Paris asks for the appointment request at least 15 days before departure.

6. Arrival at least 180 days after the draw

   We advise against aiming for the last possible day: a few days' margin avoids detention if a date was miscounted.

For a pet with no Japan-compliant vaccinations yet, allow 7–8 months. The other way, plan the export inspection request at least 14 days before departure, then the inspection and certificate in the last 10 days.

How pets travel

Japan accepts pets in the cabin, in the hold or as cargo; the airlines set the limits. ANA lists a daily Haneda–Paris service (NH215/NH216) for 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027, and Japan Airlines also links Haneda and Paris. Airline rules, as of 19 October 2026:

A pet flying without its owner, or of a breed the airline refuses, goes as air cargo. In the hold, the travel crate must meet IATA standards. We check the aircraft, space and the rules of the airline actually operating the flight when booking.

Airports and border checks

In Japan: dogs must arrive through a designated port or airport (eleven airports, including Narita, Haneda, Chubu and Kansai, and eight seaports). Export inspections take place at Narita, Haneda and Kansai, among others.

In France: a pet from Japan must enter through a travellers' point of entry. France refers to the border-crossing list published in 2021, which includes Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly, Lyon-Saint-Exupéry and Nice-Côte d'Azur; customs note that not every post can check animals. No appointment: you declare and present the pet to customs before leaving the international zone. See French airports.

After arriving in France: I-CAD registration by a French vet within 7 days for stays of three months or more.

What drives the cost

Towards Japan, most of the cost is veterinary: two vaccinations if the file is not compliant, the blood draw, the titre test, the clinical exam and DDPP certification. The AQS import inspection is free, but detention for an incomplete file is charged to the owner. The flight (cabin, hold or cargo) and the crate complete the budget. Towards France, the AQS export inspection is free; the vet visit and transport remain.

French lab and DDPP fees are not published on an official page: our quote shows them item by item.

Common mistakes

• Leaving with a single rabies vaccination, as the EU allows: Japan requires two.
• A chip implanted after the first vaccine: the vaccination sequence must be redone.
• A titre test at LDA 62 (Arras), removed from both the French and Japanese lists.
• A certificate not endorsed by the DDPP, or corrected with correction fluid.
• Arriving on day 179: the missing days are spent in detention.
• Forgetting the export application on the way back, mandatory 14 days ahead for dogs from 2027.

Frequently asked questions

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