Pet Transport from South Korea to Macau

The journey from South Korea to Macau for a pet is straightforward to plan once the key dates are mapped out. Set aside roughly 16-20 weeks for this route and keep a close eye on …

16-20 wks

Preparation needed

None

Quarantine on arrival

High

Route complexity

Managed

Full door to door

Get my free quote

Lead time needed

16-20 weeks

Quarantine

None

Route complexity

High

Airlines

4 carriers on this route

Start my quote

In short: Preparing to move a pet from South Korea to Macau typically takes around 16-20 weeks. There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.

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 South Korea

At least 30 days before the titre blood draw.

Confirm or administer the rabies vaccination.

Responsible: Vet in South Korea

At least 30 days after vaccination.

Draw blood for the rabies titre test at an accredited laboratory.

Responsible: Vet and accredited laboratory

More than three months from the draw date; this cannot be shortened.

Wait out the mandatory period from the blood draw date before entry into Macau.

Responsible: Owner

Once the titre result is confirmed; valid 30 days once issued.

Apply for the IAM Import Licence for Live Animals (PS-1092).

Responsible: Owner or agent, via the Macao SAR Government Portal

2-4 weeks before travel.

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

Responsible: Owner or agent

Certificate close to departure; inspection booked at least 1 working day ahead.

Obtain the final APQA-format health certificate and confirm the IAM arrival inspection slot.

Responsible: Vet in South Korea; IAM in Macau

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 the rabies vaccination.

Rabies vaccination

Required, current, and dated after the microchip.

Rabies titre test

Best treated as required. IAM waives the titre test only for a country or region with no rabies incidents in the past two years. South Korea doesn't clear that bar cleanly: its last domestic animal rabies case was recorded in February 2013, in the raccoon dog reservoir near the demilitarised zone, and government surveillance of that wildlife population continues. South Korea has not secured a World Organisation for Animal Health rabies-free declaration the way Japan or the UK have claimed elsewhere on this site. So this isn't the same hedge applied to those origins; it's a reasonably confident requirement. Plan for blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, a result of 0.5 IU/mL or above, then more than three months from the blood draw before entry into Macau.

Quarantine

No mandatory quarantine for a pet that meets the pre-entry requirements and passes an on-arrival inspection by an IAM veterinary surgeon, under the policy that took effect on 12 June 2026.

Import permit

Import Licence for Live Animals (PS-1092), applied for through the Macao SAR Government Portal. IAM typically issues it within 3 working days, valid for 30 days once granted.

Health certificate

Official veterinary Health Certificate of Animal (form PS-1086), covering microchip, vaccination and titre test results, issued shortly before travel.

Export permit

No formal export permit for a personal pet dog or cat leaving South Korea. APQA's role is issuing or endorsing the export health certificate rather than a standalone permit.

Health certificate

Official veterinary health certificate confirming the ISO microchip number, rabies vaccination date and titre test result, reformatted to meet IAM's entry paperwork.

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

Pet Transport Global

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 Incheon to Macau nonstop on an Airbus A321neo. Small pets travel in the cabin under Korean Air's standard limits. A larger dog can't use the hold on this specific service, because Korean Air excludes Boeing 737 and A321-family aircraft from carrying cargo-hold pets on international routes, and the A321neo is exactly what operates this sector.

Cabin Only

Jeju Air

Also flies the nonstop Incheon-Macau route. Jeju Air never carries a checked or cargo-hold pet on any service; everything travels in the cabin, combined pet and carrier weight capped around 9kg, and the fee on international routes typically runs KRW 70,000-100,000.

Cabin Only

Air Macau

The third carrier on this nonstop pairing. It accepts no animals in the cabin or as cargo on any route, a policy this site has confirmed on several other Macau corridors.

No Pets

Cathay Pacific Cargo

The workable option for a dog too large for a cabin carrier: a widebody Cathay Pacific Cargo sector from Incheon to Hong Kong, then a road or ferry transfer of roughly an hour across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge to clear IAM's inspection.

Cargo Only

Costs

What this route typically costs

APQA health certificate and vet fee in South Korea: KRW 50,000-150,000

Rabies titre test and laboratory fee: KRW 200,000-400,000

IATA-compliant travel crate: KRW 150,000-450,000

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

IAM Import Licence (PS-1092) application fee: modest, typically under MOP 900 equivalent

For a larger dog: Korean Air or Cathay Pacific Cargo, Incheon to Hong Kong: KRW 1,000,000-2,000,000, plus the Hong Kong to Macau transfer: HKD 300-1,000

Total typical range: roughly KRW 500,000-900,000 equivalent for a small cabin pet over 16-20 weeks, considerably more for a larger dog routed through Hong Kong cargo

Critical points

South Korea's rabies record is cleaner than most but not clean enough to skip Macau's titre test on the current evidence. The last domestic animal case was in February 2013, in the wildlife reservoir near the DMZ, and surveillance there continues. Treat the test as required rather than assuming an exemption.

The roughly three-month wait from the blood draw is mandatory in Macau and cannot be shortened. This runs opposite to APQA's own rule for entering South Korea, which adds no post-test wait at all, so don't assume the same timing applies in both directions.

Korean Air's nonstop Incheon-Macau service flies an A321neo, which Korean Air's own rules exclude from carrying cargo-hold pets internationally. A larger dog needs the Hong Kong cargo reroute despite the convenient direct passenger option.

Air Macau also flies this nonstop city pair and carries no pets in any form.

Macau bans import of the Tibetan Mastiff, Fila Braziliero, Dogo Argentino, Pit Bull Terrier and Japanese Tosa, and their crosses, regardless of vaccination or titre status.

Macau import rules, explained

Macau has a detailed set of import rules, and each one needs to be satisfied before travel. None of it is unusual, but the order and timing are what catch people out.

Practical tips for this move

Use an official, government-authorised vet for the health certificate, not just your usual clinic. Many destinations only accept certificates signed by an approved vet.

If this is your first international move, consider an IPATA-registered pet transport agent. They handle the documents, airline booking and crate sizing, and can troubleshoot problems.

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.

FAQ

Common questions

Treat it as required. IAM only waives the test for origins with no rabies incidents in the past two years, and South Korea’s last confirmed animal case was in 2013 within a wildlife reservoir near the DMZ that remains under active surveillance. Unlike Hong Kong, South Korea isn’t treated as a likely exemption on this site’s research.

No, provided the pet meets the pre-entry requirements, microchip, vaccination, titre test and health certificate, and passes IAM’s arrival inspection. IAM dropped its mandatory 30-day quarantine for compliant pets under a policy that took effect on 12 June 2026.

More than three months from the date the blood was drawn, a rule set by IAM on the Macau side. This is separate from and longer than the 30-days-after-vaccination window used to time the blood draw itself.

Not in the hold. That service flies an Airbus A321neo, an aircraft Korean Air excludes from carrying cargo-hold pets on international routes. A larger dog needs the alternative routing through Hong Kong, flying cargo (commonly with Cathay Pacific Cargo) and then transferring by ferry or bridge into Macau.

The Tibetan Mastiff, Fila Braziliero, Dogo Argentino, Pit Bull Terrier and Japanese Tosa, along with their crosses. This applies regardless of vaccination or titre status and is separate from any other requirement on this route.

Ready when you are

Move your pet

to Macau.

Get a free, fully itemised quote for this route. Preparation timeline, full cost breakdown, and breed specific advice. No commitment.