Pet Transport from Singapore to China
Singapore sits on China’s designated country list under GACC Announcement 2019 No. 5, and that single fact removes the two things owners fear most: a compliant Singapore-origin pet needs no rabies titre test and faces no quarantine, …
The Singapore to China pet import process
Each step must be completed in a precise sequence. Start early. We manage every stage and deadline.
Which China rules depend on a pet coming from Singapore?
China sorts countries into 2 groups, and Singapore falls in “Designated countries or regions”.
Exempt from quarantine with a valid microchip and a satisfactory on-site inspection; no rabies antibody report needed Official source
These rules apply to that group, on top of the rules every pet follows:
- Quarantine: Exemption 1: pets from designated countries or regions with a valid microchip that pass on-site inspection are exempt from quarantine. Applies to dogs and cats from GACC designated countries or regions.
海关总署公告2019年第5号（关于进一步规范携带宠物入境检疫监管工作的公告）, checked 3 October 2026 - Rabies titre test: Not required: pets from GACC designated countries or regions do not need a rabies antibody (titre) test and may enter through any port with the correct health and vaccination certificates (Shanghai municipal government guide (sources: Shanghai Customs, Pudong Airport Customs, Huangpu Customs; updated 16 October 2025)). Applies to dogs and cats from GACC designated countries or regions.
How to bring a pet to Shanghai, checked 3 October 2026
The rules that apply to every pet entering China, whatever the origin, are listed with their official sources in our China guide.
What does Singapore require before your pet leaves?
- Export permit: An AVS export licence is required for all pets leaving Singapore, applied for via GoBusiness within 90 days of departure; S$50 normal or S$100 express; valid 90 days. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Singapore.
Exporting dogs and cats, checked 1 October 2026 - Export health certificate: A licensed private vet examines the pet and issues the veterinary health certificate; AVS can convert it into a QR verifiable certificate (S$23 normal, S$46 express) or manually endorse the importing country's template. The QR certificate is valid 7 days from issue. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Singapore.
Exporting dogs and cats, checked 1 October 2026 - Export health certificate: Where the destination requires its own template, AVS manually endorses it. Applies to dogs and cats leaving Singapore.
Exporting dogs and cats, checked 1 October 2026 - Other conditions: Not required: an AVS-recognised pet agent is not mandatory for export; AVS states licence applications may be made by the pet owner or through an agent, and the export page names no agent requirement. Applies to personal pets leaving Singapore.
List of AVS-Recognised Pet Agents, checked 1 October 2026
What this route typically costs
Critical points to read before you book
One dog or one cat per person per entry, in the regulation's own words. A couple can bring two pets; a solo traveller cannot. Plan the family's flights around this before anything else.
Scoot carries no pets, SIA's B737 aircraft carry none either, and the brachycephalic ban lists are long across all carriers on this corridor. Aircraft type and breed decide the booking.
Carriers approved for this route
Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. We know which carriers to use and how to book.
Why the designated list matters, and what failure costs
China’s 2019 framework splits arrivals three ways. Pets from designated countries with chip and valid official certificates clear quarantine-free at any port. Pets from non-designated countries need those documents plus a titre of at least 0.5 IU/ml from a GACC-designated lab. Everything else does 30 days in customs isolation, and must land at a port that has isolation facilities: Beijing Capital, Shanghai Pudong and Hongqiao among the airports.
Singapore is on the designated list alongside the likes of New Zealand, the UK, Japan and Hong Kong, so the first track applies. Respect what that means in practice: the concession travels with the paperwork, not the passport. The final week’s admin (AVS endorsement, certificate dates, matching chip numbers) is where this route is won.
One quiet exemption: guide, hearing and search-and-rescue dogs with certification and training documents clear after on-site inspection regardless.
Booking the flight: SIA or a Chinese carrier
Singapore Airlines is the fully dependable option. No pets ride in its cabin, but AVIH checked baggage in the temperature-controlled bulk hold covers pet-plus-crate up to 32kg, charged at excess-baggage rates, booked at least two weeks ahead. Mind the aircraft type: crate height caps run from 60cm on the A380 to 101cm on the B777, and SIA’s B737s carry no animals at all. The banned-breed list is long, from Pugs and all Bulldogs to Persian and British Shorthair cats.
Air China, China Eastern and China Southern all move pets in the hold on their own nonstops with similar 32kg caps and breed bans, but their published rules are written for China departures, so have the airline confirm acceptance on the Singapore sector in writing. China Southern adds a hard rule of its own: no pets on connecting itineraries, nonstops only. And Scoot, whatever its fares look like, carries no animals of any kind.
Heat is a year-round note rather than a season here: Chinese carriers refuse animals above roughly 29C tarmac temperature, which Singapore exceeds most afternoons, while SIA’s temperature-controlled bulk hold sidesteps the problem. Early-morning departures help whichever carrier you pick.
Common questions about Singapore to China pet transport
Get a free, fully itemised quote for your Singapore to China pet move. Our specialists will map out the entire timeline and costs. No surprises.
Sources
Requirements on this page were checked against the authorities below. Rules change, so confirm current conditions with the relevant authority before you travel.