IMPORT PERMITS

Dogs and cats should not be brought into Hong Kong (either import or transshipment/transit) unless a Special Permit to do so is obtained in advance from this Department.

THE RELEVANT ORDINANCE

Public Health (Animals and Birds) Ordinance Cap. 139, and the Rabies Ordinance Cap. 421 are enforced by this Department through regulating the import of animals and birds for the prevention and introduction of animal diseases including rabies into Hong Kong.  

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

The applicant should submit the application in a prescribed form (Form No. AF240) (PDF format).

Downloading of the forms for viewing and printing can be done through the use of the Adobe(R) Acrobat(R) Reader software which is available free at the Adobe Systems Incorporated website.

Facsimile copies are also obtainable from the interactive telephone No. 2708 8885.

PAYMENT OF PERMIT FEE

Fee must be paid at the time of the application. The fee for one animal is HK$432 and HK$102 for every additional animal. Crossed local cheque or e-payment is acceptable for local application. For details regarding the e-payment, please contact our officer at Tel: 2150 7062. For overseas application, the fee should be paid by a bank draft in Hong Kong currency payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". The bankdraft must be drawn upon a licenced bank in Hong Kong.

WHERE TO APPLY

Either in person or by post to:

Permit Issuing Desk (Counter No. 10), 5th Floor, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Office hours: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 noon, 1:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. (Close on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.)

PROCESS TIME

5 working days from the date of receipt of permit fee to the date of issue, subject to provision of all required information.

Please apply well in advance and make allowances for mailing time, and meet the health requirements such as vaccinations and/or blood tests.

DISPATCH OF PERMIT

By ordinary mail (local) or air mail (overseas) to the address as indicated in the application form. Please enclose a self-addressed envelope together with the application. To avoid postal delay, the applicant may choose to pick up the permit at the licensing office in person or by an appointed agent. The permit will not be dispatched by fax.

OVERSEAS APPLICATION

To minimise inconvenience and to expedite urgent applications, overseas applicants may nominate a person or agent in Hong Kong to apply for the permit on their behalf.

VALIDITY OF THE PERMIT

Valid for 6 months and for one consignment only. Animals must be imported on or before the expiry date of the permit.

IMPORT REQUIREMENTS -GROUP I COUNTRIES/PLACES

Dogs and cats imported direct from U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Hawaii are normally exempted from quarantine, subject to full compliance with the permit conditions. Please refer to Special Permit Attachment No. 11 (PDF Format).

For dogs and cats from a Group I country/place of origin, the animals must be accompanied by the certificates stipulated in Table 1 (Form No. G102a) (PDF format).

IMPORT REQUIREMENTS -GROUP II COUNTRIES/PLACES

Dogs and cats imported from the following 40 countries/places may be exempted from quarantine provided the animals comply fully with the permit conditions. Please refer to Special Permit Attachment No. 12 (PDF Format). As the rabies status or other factors may change in these countries/places, the list is subject to ongoing review.

For dogs and cats from a Group II country/place of origin, the animals must be accompanied by the certificates stipulated in Table 2 (Form No. G102b) (PDF format).

To facilitate correct certification it is strongly recommended to use our Form (Form No. VC-9R) (PDF format). This certificate is specified for the use of exporting dogs and cats from the above 40 Group II countries/places to Hong Kong .

IMPORT REQUIREMENTS -GROUP III COUNTRIES/PLACES

Dogs and cats imported from countries/places other than Group I and II are subject to a minimum 4-month quarantine period. Please refer to Special Permit Attachment No. 13 (PDF Format).

For dogs and cats from a Group III country/place of origin, the animals must be accompanied by certificates stipulated in Table 3 (Form No. G102c) (PDF format). Due to fluctuation in the demand for Government Animal Management Centre quarantine facility and to avoid delay in your plan to import your dogs/cats, please complete the Form (Form No. PC100) (PDF format) to book the facility as soon as possible. We recommend you to book 3 months in advance.

DOGS AND CATS IN TRANSIT

Import permits are required for animal transshipments (involving change of aircraft or mode of transport in Hong Kong). Import requirements are stipulated in Table 4 (Form No. G102d) (PDF format). Please also refer to Special Permit Attachment No. 10 (PDF format). 

If the animals remain in the same aircraft or vessel, an Import Permit/Special Permit is not required. However, importers must comply with the requirements imposed by the country/place of destination. If in doubt, please contact your transportation company or airline.

REMINDER

• Two sets of carbonised permits will be sent to the applicant. Please retain the top (white) copy for the retrieval of pets on arrival. The carrying airline and shipping company may require the shipper to produce the second copy before accepting the carriage of pets in the exporting country/place.

• Do not arrange for the transportation of your pets unless a Special Permit has been obtained from this Department.

• Pets which have left Hong Kong are subject to the importation and quarantine restrictions as outlined above on their return to Hong Kong. Special Permits to bring back pets which have left Hong Kong need to be obtained from this Department in advance.

• If deemed necessary (for instance, animals of doubtful history; animals showing clinical signs of diseases), the quarantine period for dogs and cats from all countries/places (Group I, II and III) may be extended. Dogs and cats without proper documentation may be required to undertake a minimum of 6-month quarantine at the owner's expense or returned to the country/place of origin.

• To purchase AVID type of microchips, please visit the website of the supplier at http://mail.avidid.com/web/directory/index.html

• To obtain a copy of Airline Certificate (Captain's Affidavit), please download the Form (Form  No. PC101) (PDF format). 

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT FOR THE IMPORTATION OF DISABILITY ASSISTANCE DOGS

A Disability Assistance Dog (DAD) is defined as a dog that has been trained to help people with physical disabilities to gain more personal independence. DADs are non-aggressive, highly obedient and hard-working. Their health conditions are regularly and closely monitored by veterinary surgeons and they would have a good history of vaccination against the major infectious diseases.

Therefore, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has introduced a new policy for the importation of DADs. This policy exempts DADs from quarantine and the requirement of 6-month residency in the exporting country/place on the basis of one blood test for Rabies antibody. Such policy is applicable to DADs imported from all countries/places.
To apply for the Special Permit, the applicant should submit to this Department the following:

1. a completed application form – Form No. AF240 (PDF format)
2. a completed declaration form – Form No. PC102 (PDF format)
3. permit fee

The overseas certification requirements for importation of DADs are summarized in Table 5 (Form No. G102e) (PDF format) and stipulated in the permit terms (PDF format).

To facilitate correct certification it is strongly recommended to use our form (Form No. VC-dad) (PDF format) for preparing the Animal Health Certificate. For detailed information on the Rabies antibody test, please refer to the notes for rabies antibody test (Form No. G113) (PDF format).

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT FOR THE IMPORT/TRANSIT OF RESCUE DOGS

Rescue dogs assist in locating victims of disasters. Prompt delivery of rescue dogs to the scene of a disaster improves the chance of success. AFCD has simplified the procedures for importation/transshipment of rescue dogs, which are closely monitored by qualified veterinarians.

For Import: When rescue dogs are employed in a rescue mission in Hong Kong, a Special Permit is required for importation and it is free of charge. No quarantine is required provided that the qualification of the rescue dogs is certified by a competent authority and the dogs are accompanied by health certificates including current vaccination against rabies and major infectious canine diseases.

In Transit: A Special Permit is not required if rescue dogs remain in the same aircraft or vessel during the whole transit period in Hong Kong.

A Special Permit is required if rescue dogs are transshipped from one aircraft or vessel to another in Hong Kong. The Special Permit fee will be waived. If rescue dogs need to stay in Hong Kong for more than 24 hour during the transshipment, they have to stay in AFCD’s Airport Animal Hostel. The accommodation fee, however, will be waived.

Enquiry:

1823 Citizen's Easy Link (CEL) Tel:(852) - 1823
icsenquiry@afcd.gov.hk