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Estimate — confirm with official authority

Flying to South Korea with a pet

Requirements reviewed: April 2026 · Official authority: Korea APQA — Pet import

Veterinarian gently examining a Labrador on a clean examination table

Entry requirements at a glance

Microchip
Required

ISO 11784/11785 standard 15-digit microchip. Must be implanted before or at the time of the first rabies vaccination — never after.

Rabies vaccine
Required. Current and properly documented. Specific timing requirements apply.
Health certificate
USDA APHIS-endorsed health certificate. South Korea uses a specific form — confirm the correct form with the Korean Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) before travel.
Rabies titer test
Not required Not required for pets from non-rabies-free countries like the U.S.
Quarantine on arrival
Mandatory quarantine 5 days if arriving without proper documentation; none if all requirements met.

Step-by-step process notes

The U.S. is not considered a rabies-free country by South Korea, so a titer test is not required but documentation is still important. South Korea requires the USDA APHIS-endorsed health certificate with the APQA-specified format. Pets must enter via Incheon International Airport. Declare your pet to customs on arrival. Maximum 2 pets per person.

Confirm with the official authority

This page summarizes South Korea's pet-import requirements as of April 2026. Pet-import rules change. Always verify with the official government authority before travel.

Korea APQA — Pet import

Build your travel checklist

Use the Pet Travel Readiness tool to turn South Korea's requirements into a sequenced, dated checklist — microchip, vaccines, titer test wait period, and USDA health certificate window — from your travel date.

Build my South Korea checklist

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