Pet Transport from Macau to South Korea

If you are relocating a pet from Macau to South Korea, the process is manageable once you know the sequence. Give yourself close to 6-10 weeks so none of the fixed waiting periods …

6-10 wks

Preparation needed

None

Quarantine on arrival

Moderate

Route complexity

Managed

Full door to door

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Lead time needed

6-10 weeks

Quarantine

None

Route complexity

Moderate

Airlines

4 carriers on this route

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In short: Preparing to move a pet from Macau to South Korea typically takes around 6-10 weeks. There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets. A rabies titre test may be required depending on your pet's origin, so check the requirements below.

Regulations checked July 2026

Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team

Step by step

The import process, in full

Before any rabies vaccination.

Confirm the ISO microchip is implanted and scannable.

Responsible: Vet in Macau

At least 30 days before a titre blood draw, if one applies.

Confirm or administer the rabies vaccination.

Responsible: IAM-recognised veterinarian

At least 30 days after vaccination; the result is valid for 24 months.

Draw blood for the rabies titre test at an accredited laboratory, treating it as required pending direct APQA confirmation.

Responsible: Vet and an accredited laboratory

Close to departure.

Obtain the IAM-issued health certificate.

Responsible: Vet in Macau / IAM

2-4 weeks before travel.

Choose the route: a small pet books a cabin seat on Korean Air or Jeju Air's nonstop MFM-ICN service; a larger dog needs the Hong Kong transfer and a Cathay Pacific Cargo booking instead.

Responsible: Owner or agent

On landing.

Arrival at Incheon: APQA document check and clinical exam. Release the same day if everything matches.

Responsible: APQA officer

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 compliant, implanted before any rabies vaccination is given.

Rabies vaccination

Required and current. Must be given after the microchip for the record to count toward the titre test that follows, if one is needed.

Rabies titre test

Required for dogs and cats aged 90 days or older arriving from a country or region not on APQA's own rabies-free roster. That list names Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, the UK and roughly fifty other places, but no source checked for this guide confirms Macau appears on it by name. Treat the test as required until confirmed otherwise directly with APQA: a rabies-neutralising antibody titre (RNATT) of at least 0.5 IU/mL, from an accredited laboratory, with blood commonly drawn at least 30 days after vaccination. The result stays valid for 24 months from the draw date. Source: Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA), 'Bring a dog or a cat to Korea,' qia.go.kr, accessed 2026.

Quarantine

No blanket mandatory hold. A pet whose documents check out and who passes the clinical exam at the port of entry can be released the same day. Extended quarantine, averaging around 10 days at the owner's cost, only applies if paperwork is missing or the microchip doesn't match the certificate. Source: APQA, 2026.

Import permit

None required for a personal import of up to four animals. Anyone bringing ten or more cats or dogs must file advance notification with APQA and secure facility approval first.

Health certificate

Official veterinary health certificate confirming microchip, vaccination and, where relevant, titre result, issued shortly before departure.

Export permit

No separate export permit for a personal pet dog or cat leaving Macau, beyond the standard health certificate process handled by IAM.

Veterinary inspection

Pre-export check by an IAM-recognised veterinarian, confirming the microchip reads correctly and the vaccination record is current before the certificate is issued.

Health certificate

Official veterinary Health Certificate of Animal (form PS-1086), recording microchip number, rabies vaccination date and, if a titre test applies, its result, reformatted to meet APQA's entry requirements.

We handle the regulations for every animal, every country, every airline, so nothing on your Macau to South Korea move gets missed.

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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.

Korean Air

Flies Macau to Incheon nonstop on an Airbus A321neo, one of three carriers on this city pair. Small pets travel in the cabin under Korean Air's usual weight limits. What it can't do on this specific route is carry a pet in the hold: Korean Air restricts cargo-hold pet transport on Boeing 737 and Airbus A321 aircraft for international sectors, and the A321neo is exactly what flies this route, so a dog too large for the cabin isn't going on this direct flight regardless of how Korean Air markets its pet service elsewhere.

Cabin Only

Jeju Air

Also operates Macau-Incheon nonstop. Jeju Air doesn't accept checked or cargo-hold pets on any route it flies; everything travels in the cabin, combined pet and carrier weight capped at roughly 9kg, one carrier per adult passenger, for a fee typically KRW 70,000-100,000 on international sectors.

Cabin Only

Air Macau

The third airline on this nonstop route. It doesn't carry animals in the cabin or as cargo on any service, a policy this site has documented on several other Macau corridors. The flight exists; the pet still can't use it.

No Pets

Cathay Pacific Cargo

The practical option for a dog too big for a cabin carrier: a road or ferry transfer from Macau to Hong Kong International Airport, roughly an hour across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, then a widebody Cathay Pacific Cargo sector direct to Incheon with full live-animal hold capability.

Cargo Only

Costs

What this route typically costs

Health certificate and IAM paperwork in Macau: MOP 400-900

Rabies titre test and laboratory fee, if required: MOP 1,200-2,000

IATA-compliant travel crate: MOP 600-1,800

Korean Air or Jeju Air cabin pet fee, nonstop Macau-Incheon (small pet only): KRW 70,000-150,000 one way

Cross-border transfer, Macau to Hong Kong, for a larger dog (ferry or bridge coach, crate handling included): HKD 300-1,000

Cathay Pacific Cargo, Hong Kong to Incheon, for a larger dog: KRW 900,000-1,800,000 depending on crate size and season

Total typical range: roughly KRW 250,000-500,000 equivalent for a small cabin pet, or KRW 1.5-2.3 million equivalent for a larger dog routed through Hong Kong cargo

Critical points

Korean Air's only nonstop Macau service flies an A321neo, and Korean Air's own rules block cargo-hold pets on that aircraft type internationally. A dog too big for the cabin can't use Korean Air's direct flight, whatever the airline's general pet policy suggests.

Jeju Air never carries a pet in the hold, on any route it operates. It's a small-pet-in-cabin option only, capped around 9kg combined weight.

Air Macau flies the same nonstop city pair as the other two carriers but accepts no animals at all, cabin or cargo.

Macau doesn't appear by name on APQA's published rabies-free list in any source checked for this guide, unlike Hong Kong, which does. Plan for the titre test and confirm directly with APQA before assuming an exemption.

The genuinely good news: once the titre test clears, APQA adds no further waiting period. Travel is possible as soon as a passing result is confirmed, a real contrast with the 90-day EU wait or Japan's 180-day rule that appear on other routes this site covers.

South Korea import rules, explained

South Korea keeps its requirements reasonable, though a few steps have fixed timing. Map those out first and the rest falls into place.

Practical tips for this move

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

For a small pet, yes. Korean Air and Jeju Air both fly Macau to Incheon nonstop and both accept small pets in the cabin. Air Macau flies the same route but carries no pets at all. A dog too big for the cabin can’t use Korean Air’s direct flight either, since that service flies an A321neo and Korean Air restricts cargo-hold pets on that aircraft type internationally.

Treat it as required. APQA waives the test only for countries and regions on its published rabies-free list, which includes Hong Kong, Japan, Australia and the UK among others, but Macau isn’t confirmed by name on that list in any source checked for this guide. Confirm directly with APQA before assuming an exemption.

No, not as a blanket rule. A pet whose documents and microchip match the certificate typically clears inspection and is released the same day. Extended quarantine, averaging around 10 days at the owner’s cost, only applies when paperwork is missing or doesn’t match.

The blood draw needs to happen at least 30 days after vaccination, and the result stays valid for 24 months. Unlike several other destinations this site covers, APQA adds no extra waiting period after a passing result: travel is possible as soon as the result is confirmed.

Not in the hold. That service flies an Airbus A321neo, and Korean Air’s own policy excludes Boeing 737 and A321-family aircraft from carrying cargo-hold pets on international routes. A larger dog needs the alternative routing through Hong Kong, crossing by ferry or bridge, then flying Cathay Pacific Cargo into Incheon.

Not for a personal import of up to four animals. APQA only asks for advance notification, plus facility approval, from anyone bringing in ten or more cats or dogs.

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