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, …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Singapore to China
typically takes around 4-6 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
A rabies titre test is not required.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The Singapore to China pet import process
Each step must be completed in a precise sequence. Start early. We manage every stage and deadline.
1
Count the travellers: one dog or one cat per person per entry
Responsible: You + GACC rule
A two-pet household needs two adults crossing together.
2
Rabies vaccination in the window
Responsible: Your vet in Singapore
30 days to 12 months before arrival; annual vaccines only.
3
Book SIA AVIH space
Responsible: You + Singapore Airlines
At least two weeks ahead, with breed, age, weight and crate dimensions.
4
AVS export licence via GoBusiness
Responsible: You + AVS
S$50, 2 working days, valid 90 days.
5
Vet exam and AVS-endorsed health certificate
Responsible: Licensed vet + AVS
Final week: the QR-verifiable certificate lasts only 7 days.
6
Fly nonstop, on-site inspection at the Chinese port, release
Responsible: You + Chinese customs
No quarantine and any port of entry for a compliant designated-country pet.
Requirements
What your pet needs to enter China
Every item below must be in place before your pet can travel. We manage and verify each one.
Microchip
Required (ISO 11784/11785 15-digit) for all pets under GACC Announcement 2019 No. 5.
Rabies vaccination
Required, given 30 days to 12 months before arrival, on official certificates from the exporting country's quarantine authority. China does not recognise multi-year vaccines beyond a year.
Rabies titre test
Not required from Singapore, which sits on GACC's designated country list. The titre route exists only for non-designated origins.
Quarantine
None for a compliant Singapore-origin pet, which may enter at any port after on-site inspection. A pet whose paperwork fails is quarantined 30 days in customs isolation and must arrive at a quarantine-equipped port.
Import permit
Not required. The rule that bites instead: one dog or one cat per person per entry, in the regulation's own words.
Health certificate
Required. Official quarantine and rabies vaccination certificates issued by AVS, the exporting authority. The AVS QR-verifiable certificate is valid only 7 days from issue, so it belongs to the final week.
Export permit (Singapore)
AVS export licence for dogs and cats, applied for on the GoBusiness portal within 90 days of export: S$50 normal service (2 working days) or S$100 express (1 working day), valid 90 days.
SIA AVIH charged at excess-baggage rates by weight and route, never within the free allowance
IATA crate within the aircraft-specific height caps
Vet examination and vaccination top-ups
Contingency worth knowing: a failed document set means 30 days of customs quarantine at your cost
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.
Singapore's designated status is what removes the titre and quarantine. It applies only while the paperwork holds: a lapsed vaccination or wrong certificate drops the pet into 30-day customs isolation at a quarantine-equipped port.
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.
Airlines
Carriers approved for this route
Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. We know which carriers to use and how to book.
SINGAPORE
Singapore Airlines
The verified accompanied option: no cabin pets, but AVIH checked baggage in the temperature-controlled bulk hold up to 32kg including container, charged as excess baggage. Two weeks' notice minimum. Crate height caps vary by aircraft (70cm A350, 60cm A380, 101cm B777); no pets on B737s. Long brachycephalic ban list including Pugs, Bulldogs, Persians and British Shorthairs. Nine mainland nonstops from Changi.
Cargo Only
AIR CHINA /
Air China / China Eastern / China Southern
All three carry pets in the hold on their own nonstops with 32kg caps, 24-48 hour applications and brachycephalic bans, but their published rules centre on China departures; confirm acceptance on the Singapore sector at booking. China Southern refuses pets on connecting itineraries entirely.
Cargo Only
SCOOT
Scoot
Carries no live animals at all apart from trained service dogs. No cabin, no hold, no cargo.
No Pets
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. A rabies certificate 13 months old, or a health certificate outside its 7-day validity, converts a no-quarantine arrival into a 30-day stay at your expense. 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.
FAQ
Common questions about Singapore to China pet transport
Neither, provided the paperwork is right. Singapore is on GACC’s designated country list, so a pet with an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination 30 days to 12 months old and valid AVS-issued certificates clears quarantine-free after on-site inspection, at any Chinese port. The titre pathway exists only for non-designated origins.
Only with two people. GACC’s rule is one dog or one cat per person per entry, so a couple travelling together can bring two animals but a solo traveller cannot. Families with more pets stagger entries or add travellers; there is no permit that overrides the limit.
Singapore Airlines is the verified option: AVIH checked baggage in its temperature-controlled bulk hold up to 32kg including crate, booked two weeks ahead, no pets on its B737s, long brachycephalic ban list. Air China, China Eastern and China Southern carry hold pets on their nonstops but confirm the Singapore sector at booking; China Southern bans connections outright, and Scoot carries no animals.
S$50 for the AVS export licence via GoBusiness (2 working days, valid 90 days; S$100 express) and S$23 for AVS endorsement of the vet health certificate (S$46 express). The QR-verifiable certificate is valid just 7 days, so the endorsement belongs to the final week before departure.
Thirty days of quarantine in customs isolation at your expense, and the pet must have arrived at a port with isolation facilities (Beijing Capital and Shanghai Pudong among them). A lapsed vaccination or an expired certificate is the usual cause, which is why the 7-day AVS certificate window and the 12-month vaccine ceiling deserve exact dates.
Airline guides
Singapore Airlines
Air China / China Eastern / China Southern
Scoot
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.