Pet Transport from Japan to Nepal

Japan runs one of the world’s most precise pet export systems, and it starts a fortnight out: the export inspection application goes into NACCS, the customs IT system, at least 14 days before …

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3-7

Weeks lead time needed

Start this early minimum

See key facts

Quarantine on arrival

Moderate

Route complexity

Airlines on this route

Lead time needed

3-7 weeks

Quarantine

See key facts

Route complexity

Moderate

Airlines

3 carriers on this route

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Key facts: Japan to Nepal

Export permit: No separate export permit: apply for export inspection through NACCS (or by email) at least 14 days before the desired inspection date, then book a slot. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Japan.
Export dogs and cats from Japan, checked 1 October 2026
Rabies titre test: Not required: Per New Zealand MPI OMAR AE-09-NP, Dogs and Cats to Nepal (dated 14 January 2016, which says these are guidelines only and subject to change); used because Nepal's own sources read are silent on this point, the documents needed at import are a current veterinary health certificate and a vaccination record; its full certificate has no rabies antibody test. The Embassy of Nepal, London document list (health certificate, rabies vaccination card) also has none.
Overseas Market Access Requirements Notification AE-09-NP, Dogs and Cats to Nepal (14 January 2016), checked 5 October 2026
Import permit: Per New Zealand MPI OMAR AE-09-NP, Dogs and Cats to Nepal (dated 14 January 2016, which says these are guidelines only and subject to change); used because Nepal's own sources read are silent on this point: no import permit is required for pet dogs and cats. The Embassy of Nepal, London lists only a health certificate, rabies vaccination card and advance notice, and says its own recommendation letter is not mandatory.
Overseas Market Access Requirements Notification AE-09-NP, Dogs and Cats to Nepal (14 January 2016), checked 5 October 2026
Official sources differ
Rule 13 of Nepal's Animal Health and Livestock Services Rules, 2056 (https://vcn.gov.np/rules/animal-health-and-livestock-services-rules-2056-1999English_1504432245-1657782197.pdf) provides a DLS recommendation letter for imports under section 18 of the Act, but does not say pets travelling with their owner need one.

Taken from official government pages, last checked 5 October 2026. Rules change, so open the linked page again before you book.

Regulations checked August 2026

Reviewed by Marcus Webb, Senior Pet Relocation Consultant on 12 August 2026

Step by step

The Japan to Nepal import process

Revaccinate first if the last shot is more than a year old.

Rabies vaccination check: over 30 days, under 12 months at arrival

Responsible: Your veterinarian

At least 14 days before the inspection date.

File the export inspection application via NACCS

Responsible: You (or an agent with power of attorney)

Nepal Airlines cargo desk for the nonstop; alternatives 48+ hours ahead.

Book the flight and pet space; confirm the aircraft type

Responsible: You + airline cargo office

Within 10 days of departure; the appointment itself takes 30-60 minutes.

AQS export inspection and certificate

Responsible: MAFF Animal Quarantine Service

Accompanied baggage arrival keeps duty minimal; cargo arrival triggers ad-valorem duty.

Fly, clear Kathmandu customs with documents, pay any duty in cash

Responsible: You + Nepali customs and quarantine

Which Nepal rules depend on a pet coming from Japan?

None of the Nepal rules we have verified names Japan on its own.

The rules that apply to every pet entering Nepal, whatever the origin, are listed with their official sources in our Nepal guide.

What does Japan require before your pet leaves?

Export permit: No separate export permit: apply for export inspection through NACCS (or by email) at least 14 days before the desired inspection date, then book a slot. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Japan.
Export dogs and cats from Japan, checked 1 October 2026
Export health certificate: Dogs and cats leaving Japan must undergo AQS export quarantine: the exporter applies to AQS in advance and the animal is inspected at the date and hour the AQS officer directs. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Japan.
Import and export quarantine of dogs and cats, checked 1 October 2026
Export health certificate: Export inspection within 10 days before departure unless the destination sets otherwise; certificate usually issued in 30 to 60 minutes. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Japan.
Export dogs and cats from Japan, checked 1 October 2026
Other conditions: Export inspection is free; the exporter pays for vaccinations, tests and vet checks the destination requires. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Japan.
FAQ: Taking dogs and cats abroad from Japan, checked 1 October 2026
Other conditions: Japan itself does not require rabies vaccination for export (the destination may). Applies to dogs and cats leaving Japan.
FAQ: Taking dogs and cats abroad from Japan, checked 1 October 2026
Other conditions: Pets that may return to Japan should complete microchip, two vaccinations and the antibody test before leaving so re-entry quarantine stays within 12 hours. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Japan and returning.
FAQ: Taking dogs and cats abroad from Japan, checked 1 October 2026
Other conditions: Counterfeit supporting certificates mean no export certificate and the animal cannot be exported. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Japan.
Export dogs and cats from Japan, checked 1 October 2026

Costs

What this route typically costs

Japanese shipper handling: PetAir JPN publishes Japan-to-overseas handling from 165,000 yen, excluding airfare, crate and vet work

Airline charges: Nepal Airlines bills pets as excess baggage; corridor rate card unpublished, quote via NAC cargo

AQS export inspection itself carries no fee

Nepali customs duty: minimal for accompanied baggage, but cargo arrivals attract ad-valorem duty quoted between 40 and 60 percent of assessed value plus transport

IATA crate and pre-travel vet costs

Critical points

Fly the pet as accompanied baggage, not cargo. Nepali customs applies heavy ad-valorem duty to cargo arrivals, quoted anywhere from 40 to over 60 percent of the pet's assessed value plus transport costs.

Nepal treats every rabies vaccine as annual. A Japanese 3-year vaccine given 14 months ago is valid in Japan and invalid in Nepal.

Kathmandu weather is a schedule risk: December-February fog shuts the airport at times (it closed entirely on 29 January 2026), and the June-September monsoon disrupts flights. March-May and September-November are the reliable windows.

Airlines

Approved carriers on this route

Airline	Notes	Type
Nepal Airlines	The only nonstop, Tokyo Narita to Kathmandu, 3 flights weekly. Pets travel as checked baggage or cargo booked through NAC cargo offices, not in the cabin, and not on its A320 aircraft: the aircraft type decides whether the nonstop is usable.	Cargo Only
China Southern	One-stop via Guangzhou with pets as checked baggage in the hold, applied for 48 hours ahead. Published fees by weight band; snub-nosed breeds refused.	Cargo Only
Thai Airways	Via Bangkok, but the BKK-Kathmandu leg is often flown by A320s, which Thai Airways excludes from pet carriage. Confirm the aircraft type on your specific flight before relying on this routing.	Cargo Only

The 14-day NACCS clock and the AQS visit

MAFF’s Animal Quarantine Service accepts export applications through NACCS or by email to the relevant AQS office, no later than 14 days before the inspection you want. That fortnight is the pacing item on the Japanese side, so file the moment your travel date firms up.

The inspection is conducted within 10 days of departure. Bring the vaccination records; a signed power of attorney lets an agent attend without you. The certificate that emerges is what Nepali customs reads on arrival, alongside a health certificate issued within 10 days of entry.

One nonstop, and an aircraft-type catch

Nepal Airlines flies Narita to Kathmandu three times weekly, the only nonstop on the corridor. Pets go as checked baggage or cargo booked through NAC cargo offices, never the cabin, and not on the airline’s A320s, so the equipment on your specific date decides whether the nonstop works at all.

The usual alternatives connect once: via Guangzhou on China Southern (48-hour application, published weight-band fees, no snub-nosed breeds) or via Bangkok on Thai Airways, where the Bangkok-Kathmandu leg is frequently an A320 that Thai excludes from pet carriage. On this corridor, confirming the aircraft type is not pedantry; it is the difference between flying and rebooking.

Kathmandu arrival: baggage beats cargo, by a wide margin

How the pet arrives changes the bill dramatically. An owner-accompanied pet in the baggage system attracts minimal charges. A pet arriving as unaccompanied air cargo is assessed for ad-valorem duty quoted at 40 percent by some sources and above 60 percent by others, of the pet’s assessed value plus transport cost. The sources disagree on the rate; none of them make cargo cheap. Fly together if you possibly can.

Weather deserves respect too. Winter fog closed Tribhuvan outright in late January 2026, and the monsoon scrambles schedules from June to September. Spring and autumn are the corridor’s dependable seasons.

FAQ

Common questions about this route

Nepal Airlines flies the only nonstop, Narita to Kathmandu three times a week, and carries pets as checked baggage or cargo booked through its cargo offices. The catch: pets cannot travel on its A320 aircraft, so whether the nonstop works depends on the equipment flying your date. Confirm with NAC cargo before booking.

Customs duty. Nepal applies substantial ad-valorem duty to pets arriving as unaccompanied cargo, quoted between 40 and 60-plus percent of the pet’s assessed value plus transport costs, while an owner-accompanied pet in the baggage system attracts minimal charges. The difference can run to serious money.

About three weeks covers it if the rabies vaccination is current. The NACCS export application must be filed at least 14 days before the inspection date, and the inspection happens within 10 days of departure, taking 30 to 60 minutes at Narita, Haneda or Kansai. From a fresh rabies vaccination, add the 30-day wait Nepal requires.

Only within 12 months of the shot. Nepal counts every rabies vaccine as annual regardless of label, so a 3-year vaccine given 14 months ago fails Nepali entry rules while remaining valid in Japan. Revaccinate at least 30 days before travel if in doubt.

Airline guides

Nepal Airlines
China Southern
Thai Airways

Breed guides

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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
MAFF · Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Animal Quarantine Service