Pet Transport from China to Iceland

If you are relocating a pet from China to Iceland, the process is manageable once you know the sequence. This is one of the more demanding routes, so allow around 22-28 weeks and …

22-28 wks

Preparation needed

14 days

Quarantine on arrival

Very High

Route complexity

Managed

Full door to door

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Lead time needed

22-28 weeks

Quarantine

14 days

Route complexity

Very High

Airlines

3 carriers on this route

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In short: Preparing to move a pet from China to Iceland typically takes around 22-28 weeks. Expect 14 days of quarantine on arrival. A rabies titre test is required, which adds a fixed waiting period, so start early.

Regulations checked July 2026

Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team

Step by step

The import process, in full

Before anything else is booked.

Confirm eligibility: gather proof of at least 6 months of ownership and residency in China, and evidence the owner is genuinely relocating to Iceland.

Responsible: Owner

Start of planning, at least 5 months before travel.

Implant the ISO microchip, then begin the rabies and leptospirosis vaccination course.

Responsible: Vet in China

The 90-day Category 2 wait starts from this date.

Draw blood for the titre test at least 30 days after vaccination, send to an EU-approved laboratory.

Responsible: Vet and laboratory

As soon as the eligibility documents are ready.

Apply to MAST for the import permit, including the residency and ownership evidence.

Responsible: Owner or agent

As early as possible; slots are limited.

Book isolation station space at Reykjanesbae or Mosel.

Responsible: Owner or agent

Close to departure, within MAST's validity window.

Complete China's export inspection and MAST's Category 2 certificate, matched to the residency and ownership evidence.

Responsible: Vet in China, endorsed per GACC export process

On travel date, once the 90-day wait is complete.

Fly a Chinese hub to a European connection via Air China or Cathay Pacific, then on to Keflavik via Icelandair.

Responsible: Cargo handlers and MAST border check

Immediately after arrival.

Minimum 14 days in isolation before release.

Responsible: Quarantine station staff

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

ISO 11784/11785 microchip required, implanted before the rabies vaccination course begins. Source: MAST, mast.is, checked July 2026.

Rabies vaccination

Primary rabies vaccination after the microchip, plus leptospirosis at least 14 days before entry and the standard distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza course. Source: MAST guidance notes, checked July 2026.

Rabies titre test

Required once MAST accepts the import under Category 2 conditions: blood drawn at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination, minimum 0.5 IU/ml, with a further 90-day wait from that draw. China does not appear on MAST's published Category 1 or Category 2 list, so the route only proceeds if the owner qualifies for MAST's relocation exception, or MAST agrees, case by case, to treat the country as Category 2. Source: MAST, mast.is, checked July 2026.

Quarantine

Mandatory minimum 14 days at Einangrunarstodin i Reykjanesbae or Einangrunarstodin Mosel, for every dog and cat entering Iceland regardless of origin. Source: MAST, mast.is, checked July 2026.

Import permit

Requires proof that the pet has lived with its owner in China for at least 6 months and that the owner is genuinely relocating to Iceland, because China is absent from both of MAST's approved lists. Without that, the alternative is applying to have China assessed, a review MAST runs roughly every 6 months. Base fee around ISK 40,000 once accepted. Source: MAST, mast.is, checked July 2026.

Health certificate

MAST's Category 2 import certificate, completed by the vet in China and matched to the residency proof above.

Export permit

Export inspection and quarantine certificate from China's customs and quarantine authority, required for any pet leaving the country. Source: GACC, checked July 2026.

Health certificate

Not the standard certificate China issues for most destinations. A vet must complete MAST's own Category 2 certificate form instead, since China sits outside MAST's published country list entirely. Source: GACC; MAST, mast.is, checked July 2026.

We handle the regulations for every animal, every country, every airline, so nothing on your China to Iceland 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.

Air China

Covers the leg from a Chinese hub such as Beijing or Shanghai to a European connection point, the first stage of this route since no carrier flies direct to Keflavik.

Cabin and Cargo

Cathay Pacific

An alternative first leg via Hong Kong, worth comparing against Air China for live animal cargo capacity on the connecting date.

Cargo Only

Icelandair

Handles the final leg from a European hub into Keflavik. Since 1 November 2024, pets travel only as manifested cargo through Icelandair Cargo, never as checked baggage.

Cargo Only

Costs

What this route typically costs

Vet fees, vaccinations and titre test in China: CNY 3,000-7,000

MAST import permit base fee: around ISK 40,000 (roughly CNY 2,000)

Quarantine, 14 days: around ISK 220,000 for a dog (roughly CNY 11,000), less for a cat

IATA-compliant travel crate: CNY 1,000-3,500

Two-leg cargo fare, a Chinese hub to a European hub to Keflavik: CNY 20,000-35,000

Agent fee for the eligibility check and two-leg booking: CNY 4,000-8,000

Total typical range: CNY 40,000-65,000

Critical points

China is not on MAST's Category 1 or Category 2 list at all. Unless the owner has genuinely lived with the pet in China for 6 months and is relocating to Iceland, MAST has no standard route open for this move. Confirm eligibility with MAST (petimport@mast.is) before booking a single vaccination.

This is close to the reverse of a much lighter route on this site: Iceland to China benefits from Iceland's place on GACC's own designated rabies-free country list, which at minimum exempts a titre test. MAST does not return an equivalent recognition of China, so this direction runs on a narrow ownership exception instead of routine paperwork.

The 90-day wait runs from the titre blood draw date, not from vaccination. Combined with the 30-day pre-titre wait and the eligibility paperwork, budget five to six months minimum before booking a flight.

The 14-day quarantine at Reykjanesbae or Mosel applies regardless of how the eligibility question resolves.

No airline flies direct from any Chinese city to Keflavik. Every routing runs through at least one European hub, adding a second cargo booking to coordinate.

The rules for bringing a pet into Iceland

Iceland runs a strict import regime, so every document is checked closely on arrival. Build your plan around the fixed waiting periods, because they set the pace for everything else.

How to keep this move on track

Get your pet used to the travel crate weeks in advance. A calm, crate-familiar animal travels far better than one meeting the crate for the first time at the airport.

Confirm live animal acceptance on every flight segment before booking. Not all aircraft or connections take pets, and cargo terms can differ leg to leg.

Keep every original document together and take copies. Border officials want originals, and a missing signature or date can hold up clearance.

Work backwards from your travel date and add a buffer. Fixed waiting periods mean a single slipped appointment can push the whole move back by weeks.

FAQ

Common questions

Only if you qualify for MAST’s exception for non-listed countries: the pet must have lived with you in China for at least 6 months, and you must be genuinely relocating to Iceland with it. China is not on MAST’s approved Category 1 or Category 2 list. Confirm your situation with MAST (petimport@mast.is) before starting any vaccination schedule.

Because China’s own regulator, GACC, already places Iceland on its designated list of rabies-free countries and exempts it from the titre test on that leg. MAST has not made the equivalent classification for China, so pets moving this way default to the stricter Category 2 process instead.

Yes, once MAST accepts the import under Category 2 conditions: blood drawn at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination, minimum 0.5 IU/ml, followed by a 90-day wait from the blood draw before travel.

Yes, a mandatory minimum 14 days at Einangrunarstodin i Reykjanesbae or Einangrunarstodin Mosel, applying to every pet entering Iceland regardless of origin.

Between 22 and 28 weeks, roughly five to six months. Most of that comes from the 30-day pre-titre wait plus the 90-day post-titre wait, alongside the time needed to gather the residency and ownership evidence MAST wants before it will treat a Chinese departure as eligible at all.

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