Start with the official APQA page
Korea's Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (농림축산검역본부), usually shortened to APQA, controls dog and cat import quarantine.
Before you pay a relocation company, buy a crate, or book a flight, open APQA's current dog and cat import page. Treat airline pages, pet-shipping companies, embassy checklists, and old blog posts as planning aids only. APQA is the Korean authority that decides whether your pet is released, quarantined, or returned.
The guide below is intentionally narrow. It covers the Korean-side import and export rules that can be checked against APQA and other official Korean sources. Your exporting country can add its own certificate form, endorsement process, lab rules, or timing window, so you still need to check that country's animal health authority.
What every dog and cat needs
Every dog or cat entering Korea needs a government-issued health certificate from the exporting country.
The certificate must identify the animal and document the import-quarantine facts APQA checks at arrival. For cats and dogs under 90 days old, or cats and dogs coming from a rabies-free country or region, APQA says the certificate must state the microchip number and date of birth.
For cats and dogs aged 90 days or older coming from a country or region that is not rabies-free, the certificate must also show the rabies-neutralizing antibody titer result.
Microchip
All cats and dogs entering Korea need a microchip.
APQA says implanted chips must comply with ISO 11784 and ISO 11785. If your pet's chip uses another standard, you need to bring a reader that can identify it. If the chip cannot be read, APQA can require a new chip and extend quarantine until the animal can be identified.
Rabies titer test
The rabies-neutralizing antibody titer test applies to cats and dogs aged 90 days or older when they come from countries or regions that are not on Korea's rabies-free list.
APQA's threshold is 0.5 IU/ml or higher. The test must be done by an internationally approved laboratory or by the exporting country's competent authority. APQA says the result is valid within 24 months based on the blood collection date.
Rabies-free countries and regions
APQA maintains the official rabies-free country and region page. The page explains that the list can change when rabies outbreaks are reported, and that Korea uses WOAH-related rabies-free status criteria.
Check that APQA page close to your travel date. Do not rely on a checklist copied from a pet shipper or an old embassy PDF.
Arrival in Korea
When your pet arrives in Korea, an APQA quarantine officer checks the documents and performs a clinical inspection.
If the documents are verified and the animal passes the clinical inspection, APQA says a cat or dog can be released on the day of arrival.
If a required document, microchip, or titer result is missing or non-compliant, quarantine can be extended. APQA says the average extended quarantine period is 10 days, and it can be longer depending on the case. The owner pays the costs, including transport, upkeep, testing, microchip work, and certificate issuance.
If the government health certificate is not submitted, APQA says the animal is not allowed to enter Korea and can be returned to the exporting country, also at the owner's cost.
Bringing many pets
Travelers bringing 10 or more cats and dogs must submit an advance notification form to APQA and get prior approval for the use of an animal quarantine facility.
If you are bringing several animals, contact APQA before booking flights. Do not assume a personal-move process will apply just because the animals are your pets.
Special animal rules
Cats from Australia
Cats imported from Australia need extra Hendra virus documentation.
APQA says the certificate must show either disease-free area status or a negative test within 14 days before export, with the animal kept in a disease-free area for 60 days before departure. Without the certificate, quarantine is extended by 21 days.
Cats and dogs from Malaysia
Cats and dogs imported from Malaysia need extra Hendra and Nipah virus documentation.
APQA gives the same framework: disease-free area status or negative testing within 14 days before export, with 60 days in an area where the disease was not reported before departure. Without the certificate, quarantine is extended by 21 days.
Reptiles
Reptiles are not handled under the same simple dog-and-cat flow.
The Ministry of Environment announced that reptile quarantine began on May 19, 2024. The National Institute of Wildlife Disease Control and Prevention conducts quarantine for imported reptiles such as lizards, turtles, and snakes. The ministry notice says importers must report through the wild animal disease quarantine system for quarantine.
If you plan to bring a reptile, contact the Ministry of Environment or the National Institute of Wildlife Disease Control and Prevention before shipping the animal.
Leaving Korea with your pet
When you leave Korea with a dog or cat, the destination country's rules decide what preparation you need. Check that country's animal quarantine authority first.
On the Korean side, APQA says you apply for export quarantine by visiting an APQA office at the airport or port. Bring your pet, the vaccination certificate, and the health certificate needed for the destination country. The APQA inspector reviews the documents, performs a clinical check, and issues the veterinary certificate. The fee is ₩10,000 per case.
APQA lists airport and port contacts on its export-quarantine page. Some airport offices operate every day, while many regional offices operate Monday to Friday, 09:00-18:00, with a 12:00-13:00 lunch break and public-holiday closures. Arrival cutoffs vary by office, so confirm the office and appointment rules before your travel day.
If you need a clinic to prepare the vaccination and health paperwork in English, Seoulstart's vet directory lists English-speaking vets and animal hospitals you can browse by area.
Quick reference
If your dog or cat is under 90 days old, or comes from an APQA rabies-free country or region:
- Government health certificate from the exporting country
- Microchip number and date of birth on the certificate
- Clinical inspection by APQA at arrival
If your dog or cat is 90 days or older and comes from a country or region that is not on APQA's rabies-free list:
- Government health certificate from the exporting country
- Microchip
- Rabies-neutralizing antibody titer result of at least 0.5 IU/ml
- Titer result shown on the certificate
- Clinical inspection by APQA at arrival
Before booking, check APQA's current pages and your exporting country's animal health authority. Korea decides Korean entry. Your origin country decides its own certificate and endorsement process.