The only live animals that can be brought into the country are dogs or cats (hereinafter referred to as "pets"). Each person is limited to bringing one pet at a time.

Any person carrying a pet into the People's Republic of China shall submit to the customs authorities a valid quarantine certificate and a vaccination certificate issued by the official animal quarantine authorities of the exporting country or region. Pets shall be equipped with a microchip or other valid identification documents.

Incoming pets shall be quarantined for 30 days (including the detention period).

Pets from countries or regions where rabies occurs shall be quarantined for 30 days in a quarantine facility designated by the customs. Pets from countries or regions where rabies does not occur shall be quarantined in a quarantine facility designated by the customs for 7 days and isolated at other places designated by customs for the rest 23 days.

Any person entering China with working dogs (such as guide dogs, search and rescue dogs, etc.) shall be exempted from quarantine if the owner provides official training certification.

Customs supervises and inspects the pets under quarantine.

If any person bringing a pet into the People's Republic of China fails to provide the customs authorities with a quarantine certificate and a vaccination certificate issued by the official animal quarantine authorities of the exporting country/region, or if the number of pets exceeds the limit, the customs will either return the pets within a specified period or euthanize them.

For working dogs that cannot provide vaccination certificates, the customs can vaccinate them against rabies upon application by the owner.

If the pet is subject to mandatory return by customs authorities, the owner must retrieve the pet and exit China within the prescribed time limit with the detention voucher issued by the customs; any pet not retrieved by the owner within the specified period shall be deemed automatically abandoned.

[For details, please refer to the Regulations for the Implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine and the Administrative Measures on Quarantine of Articles Carried by Entry and Exit Passengers (Decree No. 146 of the former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, and the Annex to the Announcement No. 5 of the General Administration of Customs in 2019)]