CN
China
✈️
CR
Costa Rica
Pet Transport from China to Costa Rica
20
Sourced facts for this journey
7 Oct 2026
Independently checked
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China is on the US CDC's high-risk list for dog rabies, so a dog changing planes in the US must fly in the hold and stay with the airline without clearing customs, or meet CDC entry rules. In Shanghai, Customs recommends applying online 10 to 14 days before departure. Costa Rica asks for no titre test and no quarantine.
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Official rules on this page checked
What does China require for Costa Rica before the flight?
- In Shanghai, Customs recommends filing the online application for a departing pet's health certificate 10 to 14 days before departure, and having the physical inspection seven to 10 days before travel.
How to get a pet's health certificate for overseas travel (Shanghai Municipal People's Government portal, source: Shanghai Customs, 9 September 2025), checked 7 October 2026 - In Shanghai, the physical inspection of a departing pet takes place at the Sanmen Road Customs Office in suburban Baoshan district.
How to get a pet's health certificate for overseas travel (Shanghai Municipal People's Government portal, source: Shanghai Customs, 9 September 2025), checked 7 October 2026 - For the Shanghai online application, owners upload a valid rabies vaccination certificate and a photo of the pet, and in some cases a rabies antibody test report from a government-recognised laboratory.
How to get a pet's health certificate for overseas travel (Shanghai Municipal People's Government portal, source: Shanghai Customs, 9 September 2025), checked 7 October 2026 - Shanghai Customs guidance says the health certificate for a departing pet is usually valid for 14 days, and only 10 days for the European Union.
How to get a pet's health certificate for overseas travel (Shanghai Municipal People's Government portal, source: Shanghai Customs, 9 September 2025), checked 7 October 2026 - Pudong Airport Customs carries out no additional quarantine inspection of pets leaving through Shanghai Pudong; owners who need help obtaining documents for the departure are told to contact Huangpu Customs, part of Shanghai Customs (+86-21-6889-4323).
What are the customs and quarantine requirements for pets entering or leaving China via Shanghai Pudong airport? (Shanghai Municipal People's Government portal, source: Shanghai Customs, 18 August 2026), checked 7 October 2026
Which airlines take pets from China to Costa Rica?
- KLM's own destination page says that, together with its global network, it offers flights to Shanghai, serving Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG).
The cheapest flights to Shanghai (KLM), checked 7 October 2026 - A KLM cabin pet travels under the seat in front, so the bag or kennel can weigh no more than 8 kg with the pet inside.
Reservation for pets (KLM), checked 7 October 2026 - In KLM's hold, the pet and kennel together must weigh under 75 kg.
Reservation for pets (KLM), checked 7 October 2026 - KLM does not carry most snub-nosed dogs and cats in the hold, citing breathing trouble from high temperatures and stress.
Reservation for pets (KLM), checked 7 October 2026 - KLM does not carry pets in the hold on its Boeing 787-9, Boeing 787-10 and Airbus A321neo flights, nor on German Airways flights.
Reservation for pets (KLM), checked 7 October 2026
Where does the journey connect and land?
- The US CDC lists China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) as a high-risk country for dog rabies, which decides what a dog from China needs on a US connection.
High-risk countries for dog rabies (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last reviewed 15 April 2026), checked 7 October 2026 - A dog with a layover in the United States does not need to meet CDC importation requirements only if it travels as cargo or checked baggage, does not go through US customs, stays with the airline until the next flight and continues to another country; otherwise it must meet them.
Layovers (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last reviewed 29 April 2026), checked 7 October 2026 - A dog vaccinated outside the US that has been in a high-risk country in the 6 months before travel, and that has to meet CDC rules, needs a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility and an itinerary landing at that facility's US airport.
Layovers (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last reviewed 29 April 2026), checked 7 October 2026 - The Dutch NVWA lets a dog or cat from outside the EU change planes at Schiphol without meeting EU import requirements only if it stays in the airport's international transit zone and has no contact with other animals; it may not leave that zone, even if the flight is delayed.
Travelling with your pet and making a transit (NVWA, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, updated 22 May 2026), checked 7 October 2026 - A pet travelling as cargo that is held in one of the sheds at Schiphol must meet the EU import requirements.
Travelling with your pet and making a transit (NVWA, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, updated 22 May 2026), checked 7 October 2026 - Not listed: mainland China is in neither Annex I nor Annex II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 on the European Commission's listing page (Hong Kong and Taiwan are in Annex II), so it is not among the origins exempt from the EU rabies titre test.
Listing of territories and non-EU countries (European Commission, Food Safety), checked 7 October 2026 - KLM says it offers flights to San José, serving Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), which is on SENASA's own list of border inspection posts (rule cr-costa-rica#97373bcae4).
The cheapest flights to San Jose, CR (KLM), checked 7 October 2026 - KLM does not take a pet in the hold when the transfer time is 3 hours or more; for longer transfers the pet goes through KLM's Cargo service.
Reservation for pets (KLM), checked 7 October 2026
Where can the rabies blood test be done?
- The European Commission's list of designated rabies titre laboratories in non-EU countries includes laboratories in mainland China, among them the Shanghai Customs technical centre's animal quarantine laboratory at 1208 Minsheng Road, Pudong (approved 26 March 2021, no expiry listed).
Designated laboratories performing rabies antibody titration tests: non-EU countries (European Commission, Food Safety), checked 7 October 2026
What do the published charges come to?
- KLM publishes a pet charge of EUR 70 to EUR 500 per one-way flight.
Reservation for pets (KLM), checked 7 October 2026
These are published charges only, not the full cost of a move. Prices change with your pet's size and crate, the airline and routing, the season, fuel surcharges and exchange rates. Your quote may differ.
Which Costa Rica rules depend on a pet coming from China?
Costa Rica sorts countries into 2 groups, and China falls in “All other origins”.
SENASA's general instruction for dogs and cats (IN-006 V11, in force 19 July 2024) and the MAG summary of 18 December 2025. One list of requirements for all origins, plus a titre document for pets from the EU, UK and EFTA that will return to their origin (section 5.7). Official source
The rules that apply to every pet entering Costa Rica, whatever the origin, are listed with their official sources in our Costa Rica guide.
What does China require before your pet leaves?
- Export health certificate: National rule for all ports (GACC Measures on Quarantine of Articles Carried by Inbound and Outbound Persons, as amended 23 November 2018, article 24): where the destination country or region or the traveller requires quarantine for a pet leaving China, the traveller applies to customs, which inspects the pet and issues the certificate. The GACC online service guide for traveller quarantine says no fee is charged. Applies to dogs and cats leaving China through any port.
出入境人员携带物检疫管理办法（海关总署）, checked 5 October 2026
FAQ
Common questions
Yes, but the CDC lists China as high risk for dog rabies, so the rules are strict. A dog escapes CDC entry rules only if it travels as cargo or checked baggage, stays with the airline, doesn't go through US customs and flies on to another country. Otherwise, a dog vaccinated outside the US that has been in China within six months needs a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility and must land at that facility's airport.
The Dutch NVWA lets a dog or cat from outside the EU skip EU import rules only if it stays in Schiphol's international transit zone with no contact with other animals. A pet travelling as cargo that waits in an airport shed must meet EU import rules, and mainland China isn't on the EU lists that exempt pets from the rabies titre test. If you need that test, the EU list of designated laboratories includes the Shanghai Customs technical centre.
Shanghai Customs recommends filing the online application 10 to 14 days before departure and having the physical inspection seven to 10 days before you fly. You upload a valid rabies vaccination certificate and a photo of your pet, and the inspection is at the Sanmen Road Customs Office in Baoshan. Pudong Airport Customs does no extra quarantine check on departure, and the certificate is usually valid for 14 days.
On a KLM connection, a pet can't go in the hold if the transfer is 3 hours or more, and KLM's Cargo service carries those pets instead. There's also no hold space for pets on KLM's Boeing 787-9, 787-10 and Airbus A321neo flights, and most snub-nosed breeds can't go in the hold. In the cabin, the bag or kennel can weigh no more than 8 kg with your pet inside; in the hold, pet and kennel must stay under 75 kg.
KLM publishes a pet charge of EUR 70 to EUR 500 per one-way flight. Prices change with your pet's size and crate, the airline and routing, the season, fuel surcharges and exchange rates.
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Sources
Requirements on this page were checked against the authorities below. Rules change, so confirm current conditions with the relevant authority before you travel.
- IATA · International Air Transport Association, Live Animals Regulations
- SENASA Costa Rica · Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal, Costa Rica