ENG : Bring your pet to Korea LEGALLY — Complete quarantine guide
🐶🐱 How Foreigners Bring Their Pet Into Korea
Dog / Cat Import Guide — Vaccines, paperwork, quarantine checklist
Korea is pet-friendly —
but extremely strict at the airport.
If your documents are missing or incorrect:
❌ pet can be rejected
❌ quarantine up to 30 days (owner pays fees)
Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.
✅ Mandatory Requirements (Korean government rule)
| Requirement | Details |
| ✅ Microchip (ISO 11784/11785) | MUST be implanted before vaccination |
| ✅ Rabies vaccination | After microchip |
| ✅ Rabies antibody (titer) test | Only required from non-approved countries |
| ✅ Quarantine certificate | Issued by your country (within 10 days of flight) |
| ✅ Arrival inspection declaration | Submit at airport |
✳️ Step-by-step timeline
① Microchip implant
② Rabies vaccine (after microchip only)
③ Rabies antibody test (if required)
④ Get official health certificate (within 10 days before departure)
⑤ Submit arrival documents to Korean airport quarantine desk
⑥ Pet inspection → entry approval🐕 Microchip requirement
- Must be ISO 11784/11785
- 15-digit microchip
- Microchip must be installed BEFORE vaccination
If vaccine was given before microchip, vaccination must be redone.
💉 Rabies vaccination rule
| Requirement | Details |
| Age | Pet must be at least 12 weeks old |
| Validity | Vaccine must be older than 30 days but within 12 months |
| Proof | Must appear on the health certificate |
🧪 Rabies antibody test (TITER test)
Required only if departing from a NON-rabies-controlled country.
| Item | Requirement |
| Lab | Approved by the Korean government |
| Result | ≥ 0.5 IU/mL |
| Timing | Must be within 2 years before entry |
➡️ If the titer test is missing → pet faces quarantine upon arrival
🛂 Health certificate (MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT)
Issued by government vet office from your country
(Must be within 10 days before departure)
Must include:
- Owner’s info
- Pet info
- Microchip number
- Rabies vaccination date
- Rabies antibody test result (if applicable)
📌 Korea does not accept clinic-level certificates.
It must be issued by the official government veterinary authority.
🛬 Arrival in Korea — airport process
① Go to Animal Quarantine Desk (검역)
② Submit documents
③ Pet scan (microchip check)
④ Health inspection
⑤ Approval stamp → you may exitSigns you will see:
- Animal & Plant Quarantine
- 동물검역
🗣 Useful phrases (English → Korean)
| Situation | Korean Phrase |
| “Where is animal quarantine?” | 동물검역은 어디인가요? |
| “I need to submit my pet documents.” | 반려동물 서류 제출하러 왔습니다. |
| “Here is the health certificate.” | 건강증명서입니다. |
Show this on your phone — staff will understand.
✈️ Airlines rules (general)
| Type | Condition |
| Cabin pet | Usually < 7kg |
| Cargo pet | > 7kg |
| Crate required | IATA airline-approved crate only |
➡️ Always check your airline for exact weight/size rules.
💵 Quarantine fee (at airport)
| Category | Fee |
| Pet inspection | ₩10,000 ~ |
| Extra tests (if needed) | Additional fee |
If documents are missing → quarantine fee can reach ₩1,000,000+
🚫 Reasons pets get rejected or quarantined
| Problem | Result |
| Vaccine before microchip | Entry denied |
| No rabies titer test (required countries) | Pet placed in quarantine |
| Certificate issued too early | Entry denied |
| Non-government certificate | Rejected |
Korea is strict — paperwork order matters.
✅ Pet import checklist (save this)
| Task | Done |
| Microchip installed | ☐ |
| Rabies vaccine AFTER microchip | ☐ |
| Rabies antibody test (if required) | ☐ |
| Official health certificate (within 10 days) | ☐ |
| Airline reservation for pet | ☐ |
| Arrival quarantine inspection | ☐ |
🔑 Summary
- Microchip → Vaccine → Certificate (in this order)
- Certificate must be issued within 10 days before flight
- Have all original documents printed + digital backup
If one document is wrong, pets can be denied at airport.