Pet Transport from Iceland to Japan
A move from Iceland to Japan with a dog or cat is mostly about preparing the documents in the right order. Preparation is relatively light here, so plan on about 6-9 weeks to be comfortable. Your pet will spend 180 days in quarantine after landing. This route …
The Iceland to Japan import process
Every step must be completed in sequence. A single missed deadline can add months to your timeline. We own the entire process.
Responsible: Owner
Responsible: Icelandic vet
Responsible: Owner or agent
Responsible: Owner
Responsible: Owner or agent
Responsible: Japan AQS
What your pet needs to enter Japan
Every item must be verified before your pet can board. We track each one against current standards.
What this route typically costs
Critical points
The 180-day residency waiver only applies to a pet that has genuinely lived in Iceland that long, or since birth. A pet imported into Iceland recently, even from another Category 1 country, has not met that clock and does not qualify for the waiver.
Missing the 40-day advance notification deadline is the most common way to lose the 12-hour clearance and end up facing a longer AQS process instead.
No airline flies Keflavik direct to Tokyo. Every routing goes through a European hub, so the connection window between the two cargo legs needs a realistic buffer.
Japan has no breed-specific import ban, but individual airlines apply their own seasonal and brachycephalic restrictions on the Tokyo leg. Confirm current policy with Japan Airlines or ANA before booking.
Approved carriers for this route
Not all airlines accept live animals. We book only with carriers that handle live animal cargo correctly.
Japan entry requirements at a glance
Getting the details right
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.
Check the airline’s crate size and labelling rules early. An undersized or wrongly labelled crate is a frequent reason pets are refused at check-in.
Ask about temperature embargoes for your travel window. Summer and winter cargo restrictions can rule out certain routes and dates entirely.
Microchip before you vaccinate. The microchip must be in place before the rabies shot for the vaccination to count, and getting this order wrong is the most common and costly mistake.