Pet Transport from China to Cambodia

China Southern publishes exact pet fees for this corridor, a rarity in Asia: RMB 1,380 for pets up to 8kg, RMB 2,100 to 23kg, RMB 3,500 to 32kg, cage included in the weight. The …

2-6 wks

Preparation needed

None

Quarantine on arrival

Moderate

Route complexity

Managed

Full door to door

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Lead time needed

2-6 weeks

Quarantine

None

Route complexity

Moderate

Airlines

3 carriers on this route

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In short: Preparing to move a pet from China to Cambodia typically takes around 2-6 weeks. There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets. A rabies titre test is not required.

Regulations checked August 2026

Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team

Step by step

The import process, in full

At least 30 days before arrival in Cambodia.

Rabies vaccination (annual, per Chinese practice)

Responsible: Your veterinarian

At least 21 days before import.

DHLPP (dogs) or FVRCP (cats) vaccination

Responsible: Your veterinarian

At least 48 hours ahead; approval is not automatic.

Apply to the airline for pet carriage

Responsible: You + China Southern or China Eastern

In Shanghai, exactly 8 days before the flight; the window varies by city and destination.

Customs exit exam at the designated clinic

Responsible: Customs-partner clinic (Shenpu in Shanghai)

About 3 working days after approval; valid 14 days.

Collect the GACC Animal Health Certificate

Responsible: China Customs

Notify GDAHP in advance if arriving as cargo.

Fly to Phnom Penh; owner present at customs clearance

Responsible: You + Cambodian customs and GDAHP

Checklist

What your pet needs

Every item below must be completed and verified before your pet can travel. Expand each category for the detail.

Microchip

Required (ISO 15-digit).

Rabies vaccination

Required, at least 30 days before arrival and within 12 months. Cambodia does not recognise 3-year vaccines beyond a year, which maps neatly onto China's own annual rabies schedule.

Rabies titre test

Not required for pets from most countries, including China.

Quarantine

No formal quarantine for compliant pets. Inspection on arrival; non-compliant animals risk holding or return.

Import permit

Not required for personal pets arriving with their owner. Commercial and manifest-cargo imports need a permit from the General Directorate of Animal Health and Production (GDAHP), which should also be notified before arrival.

Health certificate

Required. Government-endorsed veterinary health certificate issued shortly before travel, plus DHLPP for dogs or FVRCP for cats at least 21 days before import.

Export permit

China Customs (GACC) issues the Animal Health Certificate after online declaration and inspection at a Customs-designated clinic. In Shanghai the partner clinic is Shenpu Pet Hospital, with the pre-flight exam booked for 8 days before the flight; the certificate follows in about 3 working days and is valid 14 days.

Veterinary inspection

Health check at the designated clinic (700-800 RMB in Shanghai). Beijing and Guangzhou follow the same national framework through their own designated clinics.

We handle the regulations for every animal, every country, every airline, so nothing on your China to Cambodia move gets missed.

Pet Transport Global

Airlines

Carriers on this route

Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. Confirm the operating carrier's current policy for every flight segment.

China Southern

The workable carrier: Guangzhou to Phnom Penh nonstop with pets as checked baggage in the hold. Published international fees: RMB 1,380 (2-8kg), RMB 2,100 (8-23kg), RMB 3,500 (23-32kg). Apply 48 hours ahead; cage up to 90x60x66cm; snub-nosed breeds refused; cabin is service dogs only.

Cargo Only

China Eastern

Checked-pet service only on flights both marketed and operated by China Eastern or Shanghai Airlines; international requests more than 48 hours ahead. Kunming to Phnom Penh is its nonstop.

Cargo Only

Spring Airlines

Carries no pets on any route: most of its holds are unpressurised and the animal service is suspended outright.

No Pets

Costs

What this route typically costs

China Southern pet-in-hold fee by weight band: RMB 1,380, RMB 2,100 or RMB 3,500

Exit health check at the designated clinic: 700-800 RMB in Shanghai, plus 30 RMB certificate postage

IATA-compliant cage within 90x60x66cm

Arrival fees in Phnom Penh are modest; expat reports put the informal charge around 20 US dollars or nothing

Agent fees if using a door-to-door service (no published corridor pricing exists)

Critical points

The Chinese exit process is the strict half of this move. Miss the designated-clinic exam window and the certificate timing collapses; the certificate lasts only 14 days.

Snub-nosed breeds are refused by China Southern, and Spring Airlines carries no animals at all. Check aircraft and carrier before assuming a routing works.

Cambodian arrivals are reported by expats as light-touch, sometimes with no chip scan at all. Prepare full paperwork anyway: the rules exist, and enforcement can tighten without notice.

Leaving China: the designated-clinic system

Every pet leaving China goes through a Customs-approved exit process, and each city runs it through named clinics. Shanghai’s is the best documented: the partner clinic is Shenpu Pet Hospital, the pre-flight exam is booked for eight days before the flight, the certificate arrives about three working days after approval, and it is valid for 14 days. The health check costs 700 to 800 RMB.

Beijing and Guangzhou follow the same national framework through their own designated clinics, and the exam window shifts with the destination, so confirm your city’s clinic and timing rather than assuming a universal rule. The one constant: the timeline is unforgiving, because the exam date, certificate issue and flight date must all land inside the same fortnight.

Arriving in Phnom Penh: rules on paper, light touch in practice

Cambodia’s official requirements are short. Rabies vaccination between 30 days and 12 months old (three-year vaccines count only for their first year, which matches China’s annual schedule anyway), DHLPP or FVRCP at least 21 days out, an ISO microchip, and the health certificate. Personal pets with their owner need no import permit; commercial and cargo shipments do, from the GDAHP, which also wants advance notice of arrival.

On the ground, expats regularly report arrivals where nobody scanned the chip and the fee was 20 dollars or nothing. Treat those stories as anecdotes, not policy. Carry the full file: light-touch enforcement can tighten overnight, and the penalty for a non-compliant animal is holding or return at your cost.

FAQ

Common questions

The airline publishes its international pet-in-hold fees by combined pet-and-cage weight: RMB 1,380 for 2-8kg, RMB 2,100 for 8-23kg and RMB 3,500 for 23-32kg. Apply at least 48 hours before the flight; the cage can measure up to 90x60x66cm, and snub-nosed breeds are refused.

Not if the dog travels with you as a personal pet. Import permits apply to commercial imports and manifest-cargo shipments, arranged through the General Directorate of Animal Health and Production. Owners flying with one or two pets clear on the health certificate, microchip and rabies record.

China Customs requires an exam at a designated partner clinic in your city (Shenpu Pet Hospital in Shanghai, booked for 8 days before the flight), followed by the GACC Animal Health Certificate about 3 working days later, valid for 14 days. The exam window varies by city and destination, so confirm locally.

No, not with compliant paperwork. Cambodia inspects on arrival rather than quarantining. A pet without correct documents risks being held or returned, so the certificate dates and vaccination window need to be exact even though arrivals are often relaxed in practice.

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