Do I need a permit to bring a dog into Hong Kong?

Yes. A Special Permit issued in advance by the AFCD is required for import and also for transit. Apply at least 3 to 5 working days before you need it, and never book travel until it is granted.

How long is quarantine for a pet entering Hong Kong?

It depends on the country group. Group I and Group II countries normally enter with no quarantine if the permit conditions are met; Group IIIA is a minimum of 30 days; Group IIIB is a minimum of 120 days.

Can my pet fly as excess baggage to Hong Kong?

No. The animal must travel to Hong Kong as manifested cargo. Excess baggage and hand-carried baggage are expressly refused, and stopovers in Group IIIA or IIIB countries need prior AFCD approval.

How much does the Hong Kong permit cost?

HK$432 for a single animal, plus HK$102 for each additional animal on the same permit and the same shipment.

Which country group is my country in?

The AFCD publishes the full list. Group I includes the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Hawaii, New Zealand and Fiji; Group II includes France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the USA and Canada.

Bringing your dog or cat to Hong Kong in 2026

Last updated: September 24, 2026: verified against the AFCD (Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong) import requirements and the permit terms DC-01v05 to DC-03V04.

Hong Kong sorts the country your pet is coming from into four groups, and that single fact decides everything: the form your vet fills in, the vaccines required, and whether your pet walks out of the airport or goes into quarantine. Get the group right and most pets arrive with no quarantine at all. Get it wrong, or miss one certificate, and the animal can be held for months or sent back at your expense.

Manifested cargo, not a passenger pet

Hong Kong does not accept pets as excess baggage or hand-carried baggage. Your dog or cat must fly as manifested cargo, through a freight agent, on the fastest and most direct route. This is the rule that catches out the most travellers.

Permit first · cargo only

A dog on the tarmac before a flight to Hong Kong — Rules verified September 24, 2026.

The four country groups

Find your country below. The group decides the quarantine period and the health certificate your vet must complete.

Group INo quarantineUnited Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Hawaii, New Zealand, Fiji, Bailiwick of Jersey

Group IINormally no quarantineFrance, Spain, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, USA (continental), Canada, Singapore, Jamaica, South Korea, Taiwan, and more

Group IIIAMinimum 30 daysChinese Mainland, Hungary, Lithuania, Macao, Malaysia, Thailand

Group IIIBMinimum 120 daysAll other countries and places

The steps, whichever group you are in

Special Permit before you fly: Hong Kong requires a Special Permit issued in advance by the AFCD (Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department), for import and for transit. Applications go by email, post or in person, and the permit takes at least 3 working days, in practice 5, once the file and the fee are complete. Never book anything before the permit is in hand.
Manifested cargo only, never in the cabin: This is the rule almost everyone gets wrong. The animal must travel as manifested cargo. Excess baggage and hand-carried baggage are expressly refused. Book a freight agent who handles live animals, not a passenger ticket with a pet option.
Direct route, stopovers need prior approval: The animal must take the fastest and most direct route. Any stopover in a Group IIIA or IIIB country needs prior approval from the AFCD, otherwise the pet may be refused or quarantined.
Microchip that can actually be read: An ISO or AVID microchip, readable by an AVID or ISO-compatible reader. If it cannot be scanned on arrival, the owner must supply a reader or the animal is returned to the country of origin at the owner's expense. The number must match every document.
Certificates dated within 14 days: The Animal Health Certificate, the Residence Certificate and the Vaccination Certificate must be dated not more than 14 days before export, signed by a government veterinary officer or a registered vet endorsed by one, and cover a single animal.
Tell the duty officer 24 hours ahead: The import and export section must be notified at least 24 hours before arrival. Keep the original white copy of the permit for collection at the airport; the airline may ask for the yellow duplicate before boarding.
The breeds that cannot enter at all: Pit Bull Terrier (American Staffordshire Terrier), Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and any crossbreed are prohibited. Savannah cats are excluded from the permit terms, and Bengal cats need paperwork proving 5th generation or higher domestic ancestry.
The Hong Kong Dog Licence on arrival: Under the Rabies Regulation, every dog aged 5 months or more gets a Hong Kong Dog Licence on arrival, at the owner's expense, which includes a rabies vaccination and, if the existing chip does not meet local requirements, a new one.

The two traps worth reading twice

Cargo, not luggage. A pet booked as excess baggage will not be accepted into Hong Kong, whatever the airline told you. Start with a live-animal freight agent before you buy anything else.

The permit takes longer than people think, and it is not instant. Processing is at least 3 working days and in practice 5 once the form (AF240), the fee and the supporting documents are all in. It is valid 6 months for one shipment only, so time it against the flight, not before it.

What it costs

AFCD Special Permit: HK$432 for one animal, HK$102 for each additional animal on the same permit.
Air freight as manifested cargo: quoted by the airline or a live-animal freight agent, and priced by weight and route, not like a cabin pet.
Quarantine, only if your group requires it: charged per day by AFCD, or at the SPCA Licensed Quarantine Centre (7 dog and 14 cat spaces).
Vet fees and certificate endorsement in the country of origin.

What each group actually requires

Four groups, four different files. Find the group of the country your pet is leaving from, then read the row: it tells you the quarantine, the certificate form your vet completes, and what changes.

Group	Quarantine	Certificate form	What it adds
Group I	no quarantine	VC-DC1	No rabies blood test. Rabies vaccine not required.
Group II	normally no quarantine	VC-DC2	Rabies vaccination (30 days to 1 year before export), plus 180-day residence.
Group IIIA	30 days quarantine	VC-DC3A	Microchip before the rabies vaccine and before any blood sampling.
Group IIIB	120 days quarantine	VC-DC3B	Full vaccination records and a quarantine space booked before travel.

Group I: the simplest route

Group I covers the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Hawaii, New Zealand and Fiji. There is no quarantine, and no rabies blood test to organise. Your vet completes form VC-DC1. Minimum age at import: dogs and cats under 60 days old must not be imported.

Group I still requires a 180-day residence certificate: the animal must have been continuously in the country of origin for the 180 days before export, or since birth. A pet that moved countries inside that window does not qualify, and drops into a stricter group.

Group II: no quarantine, but a rabies clock

Group II covers most of the EU (France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Switzerland), plus the USA (continental), Canada, Singapore, Jamaica, South Korea and Taiwan. Normally normally no quarantine, so the outcome is still favourable, but Group II adds something Group I does not have: a rabies vaccination given not less than 30 days and not more than 1 year before export, with the animal at least 90 days old at the primary vaccination. Your vet completes form VC-DC2.

The residence condition is also stricter: 180 days in the country of origin, and no rabies in any species within 10 km of the animal's home for the 180 days before export. Minimum age at import is 5 months, because the 30-day rabies clock cannot start before 90 days of age.

Group IIIA: quarantine starts at 30 days

Group IIIA covers the Chinese Mainland, Hungary, Lithuania, Macao, Malaysia and Thailand. Quarantine is a minimum of 30 days. The order of operations changes and it is unforgiving: the microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination and before any blood sampling, or the titre is invalid. Your vet completes form VC-DC3A.

Group IIIB: 120 days, and it must be booked

Group IIIB is everywhere else: any country or place not listed in the other three groups. Quarantine is a minimum of 120 days, in an AFCD or SPCA quarantine centre, and the space must be reserved before travel using the reference number issued with the permit. Availability is limited: 7 dog and 14 cat spaces at the SPCA Licensed Quarantine Centre. Your vet completes form VC-DC3B.

Why the group matters more than anything else. Two pets leaving two different countries, both healthy and both fully vaccinated, can arrive to a 0-day release and a 120-day quarantine respectively. Nothing about the animal decides it: only the country it is coming from. Check the group on the AFCD list before you plan anything.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for transiting Hong Kong?

Yes. A Special Permit is required for transhipment and transit as well as for import, and transhipment has its own published arrangement.

Is there a quarantine-free route?

Group I countries are normally exempt from quarantine, and Group II countries may be exempt, both subject to full compliance with the permit conditions. Any missing document can trigger quarantine instead.

What happens if my documents are incomplete?

The animal may be returned to the country of export at your expense, or quarantined at the Senior Veterinary Officer's discretion. Animals without proper documentation may face a minimum of 4 months quarantine.

Does this cover cats as well as dogs?

Yes. The groups, the permit and the certificate forms apply to dogs and cats together, with the vaccination list differing by species.

Generate my personalized checklist with deadlines →

Start with the Special Permit and with the freight booking, in that order. Almost every Hong Kong problem traces back to a pet booked as passenger luggage, or to a permit applied for too late to allow for the 5 working days and the mail.

Official sources

AFCD, import of dogs and cats (country grouping and application procedure): https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/quarantine/qua_ie/qua_ie_ipab/qua_ie_ipab_idc/qua_ie_ipab_idc.html
AFCD Group I permit terms (DC-01v05, PDF): https://www.afcd.gov.hk/English/quarantine/qua_ie/qua_ie_ipab/qua_ie_ipab_idc/files/DC_01v05_Terms_for_import_G1_Jun25B.pdf
AFCD Group II permit terms (DC-02v05, PDF): https://www.afcd.gov.hk/English/quarantine/qua_ie/qua_ie_ipab/qua_ie_ipab_idc/files/DC_02v05_Terms_for_import_G2_Jun25B.pdf
AFCD Group IIIA page (quarantine, 30 days minimum): https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/quarantine/qua_ie/qua_ie_ipab/qua_ie_ipab_idc/qua_ie_ipab_idc_Group_IIIa.html
AFCD Group IIIB page (quarantine, 120 days minimum): https://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/quarantine/qua_ie/qua_ie_ipab/qua_ie_ipab_idc/qua_ie_ipab_idc_Group_IIIb.html

PetPass Ready is an independent tool and is not affiliated with the AFCD or any government agency. The permit terms issued with your Special Permit are the controlling document. Always confirm on the official AFCD pages before you book.