A dog or cat moving to Hong Kong needs AFCD's Special Permit and the relevant health requirements. Check the animal's origin, age, breed and route before booking transport.
What to have ready
Before you start
Hong Kong groups origins as I, II, IIIA and IIIB. Fully compliant Group I and II animals can qualify for quarantine exemption; Group IIIA generally requires at least thirty days and Group IIIB at least four months. Health concerns or uncertain history can affect the actual quarantine period. The Mainland has been in Group IIIA since June 2025, and Macao must not be treated as an automatic exemption. Import and transit require the appropriate advance Special Permit, independently of the traveller's entry permission.
What to do, step by step
- Create a history sheet covering residence, movements, microchip, vaccinations and breed. Compare it with AFCD's current origin group and terms. Ask before changing a transit point, since a cheaper connection may introduce conditions that the original veterinary preparation does not satisfy.
- Apply for the Special Permit and confirm quarantine reception arrangements where applicable. Save the permit details for the animal, origin, entry point and validity. Align the transport booking with those details and resolve discrepancies before the departure rather than asking staff to overlook them on arrival.
- Have the qualified origin vet and government authority use the certificate prescribed for the applicable group. Complete microchip, vaccination and any required antibody testing in the correct order and time windows. Do not reuse an older online template merely because it was accepted for another animal.
- Verify cargo or entry arrangements, notification deadlines and original documents against the permit conditions. Confirm the carrier's acceptance requirements separately. Give each arrival inspection, quarantine and collection task an identified contact, with a contingency plan if the journey or document check is delayed.
Costs, timing, and things to check
Prohibited fighting breeds and their crosses cannot be resolved with an ordinary permit. Bengal, Savannah and related cats have ancestry and conservation-document requirements. Submit breed information early; appearance or a seller's informal breed description is insufficient for a borderline classification.
Check dog licensing and rabies requirements on arrival. A microchip accepted for legal import does not establish acceptance by every transport operator. Before planning onward travel on Light Rail, read its current carrying-pass conditions and clarify any difference involving an ISO-only imported dog.
A practical example
An owner returning from Shenzhen checks Group IIIA's minimum thirty-day quarantine and reception arrangements before fixing moving day. A cat from a Group II place separately checks every exemption condition. The two animals cannot share an assumption of immediate home collection.
Plan the complete journey from the animal's origin and permit conditions, securing quarantine and collection first.
Official information and enquiries
These are the reference and service entry points for this guide. Check current fees, eligibility, and schedules with the authority. The preparation date is not each source's official update date.