In many ways, Animal Quarantine Services in Japan has made it a little easier for military families to bring their pets into the country. The main benefit in moving to Japan with the military is that your pet won’t need to stay in The U.S. for 180 days like civilian pets do. Military moves do require some extra paperwork, so we thought we’d make things easy by providing an easy-to-reference guide! 

cat and dog relocating to Japan In order to facilitate your pet’s relocation following the military process, your Relocation Coordinator will need the following items: 

  • Military I.D. 

  • Military orders 

  • MJD Form 

Note: Your Relocation Coordinator will complete the MJD form on your behalf, but we need the following to do so: 

  • Name and title/rank of owner/last 4 digits of DOD ID number. 
  • Contact phone number of pet owner in Japan.
  • Gaining unit/Installation 
  • E-mail address of owner 

Frequently Asked Questions 


Exactly how do we waive the 180-day waiting period in The U.S.? 

Active duty military families who intend to live on-base can have their pets’ 180 day waiting period waived. Your pet can serve out the time required after the FAVN test while in Japan only if your family has secured military housing. 

Japanese cherry blossom What if I don’t have military housing yet? 

If you haven’t secured housing on base, your pet may be able to bypass the 180-day waiting period so long as he or she is quarantined at a kennel on base. Please let your Relocation Coordinator know if this is your situation so we can determine the best course of action. 

What if I cannot provide a military I.D.? 

If you cannot provide your military I.D., you must provide a scanned copy of your SOFA (status of armed forces) stamp in your passport instead. 

Do we still need to complete the 40-90 day advanced notification? 

Yes! Although Japan permits military families to skip the 180 day waiting period after the FAVN test, we still need to comply with the other steps. If you have questions about the advanced notification, please ask your Relocation Coordinator for clarification. 
 

Final Thoughts 

Ultimately, our ability to follow the military relocation process for pets is contingent on your own personal situation with the military. If you find that you cannot provide some or all of the items mentioned, your pet may need to follow the standard 180-day waiting period in The U.S. 

Still have questions? Contact us for more information on moving pets to Japan (or anywhere else in the world) today!

Author:

PetRelocation Team

Topic:

Military Moves

Pet:


Country:

Japan
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