Pet Air Travel to China

Name: Yi
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Cat
Pet Breed: Mixed
From: Berlin, Germany
To: Shanghai, China

Hello There,

I have a pet cat (three years old) that I wish to bring to China from Germany and I have a few questions that I hope you can help me answer:

1. How easy is it to bring a pet to China and will there be a quarantine period? I've read conflicting documents that there's no quarantine for animals coming from the EU, to ones that say that there's a 30-day quarantine period.

2. How easy will it be to bring the cat back to Germany from China? Is there a quarantine period? Should I get a EU pet passport before I fly to China so it's easier for the animal to come back here?

3. What will be the cost (door-to-door or airport-to-airport) to bring the cat from Berlin to Shanghai? I just need a ballpark figure so I can work out the details of the move.

Thank you so much for your help and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Cheers,

Yi

Hi Yi,

It's great to hear from you and we'd be happy to offer some information.

To start, take a look at the pet import requirements for China. Whether or not you face a quarantine primarily depends on the port of entry, and we highly recommend hiring some professional assistance so as to avoid any delays in helping your cat make a smooth transition into the country.

We also recommend choosing a pet friendly airline and working to help get your cat as comfortable in the travel crate as possible. Here are a few helpful pet travel tips to get you started.

If you're looking for door-to-door services we'd be happy to speak to you further and offer a cost estimate, but roughly speaking our charges for a move like this would start at around $2500 USD. If you just want help for part of the move, we recommend checking with IPATA.org or Globy Pet Relocation to find local, knowledgeable agents.

As far as returning to Germany, you can find more information here and here. China is a "third country" so the rules are a little different (and not as easy) as if you were returning from another EU country. That's not to say it's impossible, though (and there isn't a quarantine) -- you'll just need to make sure you follow the guidelines carefully.

Again, please let us know if you'd like some help with any of this, and good luck with everything!