Bringing a dog or cat into Korea: microchip, rabies antibody test, certificate and quarantine
Numbers checked against the official source on 2026-10-19
To bring a dog or cat into Korea you need a government-issued quarantine certificate from the country you leave, and the animal must carry an ISO microchip. If it is 90 days old or older and does not come from a rabies-free area, it also needs a rabies neutralizing antibody result of at least 0.5 IU/ml, from a blood sample taken within 24 months before arrival. Meet all of that and the animal can be released the day it arrives. Fewer than 10 animals can come in without advance notice. The agency's pages print no import quarantine fee, but it does print costs you carry if the animal is held: for example a government antibody test at KRW 110,000 per animal.
Sources: the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA; its older address qia.go.kr now redirects to apqa.go.kr). The agency's English page says "Rules to take effect as of December 1, 2012". Its Korean import-method and FAQ pages print no revision date; we read them on 2026-10-19. The numbers in the English and Korean pages match each other, except where the table near the end says otherwise.
What the animal needs (checklist)
Timeline: what to do and when
- Before you book: check your origin. Rabies-free areas can change at any time, so the agency tells you to confirm with the quarantine agency before you enter Korea. This decides whether the antibody test applies.
- Microchip. The chip number has to be written on the quarantine certificate together with the antibody result. For a dog or cat younger than 90 days the chip is still required, but the antibody test is not.
- Blood sample for the antibody test. The test is valid for 24 months counted from the date the blood was taken. A result below 0.5 IU/ml does not pass. The FAQ suggests talking to your vet about a booster or waiting before retesting.
- Certificate from the exporting country's government agency. Details that must appear: date of birth, microchip number, antibody result, test date, laboratory name, the issuing office, issue date and the signer's name and signature, plus a statement that the animal is clinically healthy and not likely to spread livestock disease.
- On the plane: list the animal on the customs declaration card the crew hands out.
- At the airport: before the customs inspection point, hand the certificate to the animal quarantine officer. With correct papers, a chip that matches the certificate and a passing antibody level, the animal is released the same day.
Quarantine outcomes
| Situation at arrival | What happens |
|---|---|
| Age 90 days or older, chip matches, antibody 0.5 IU/ml or more | Released the same day ("당일"). |
| Under 90 days, or from a rabies-free area, chip implanted | Released the same day. |
| No microchip, or chip number differs from the certificate | Held until a chip is implanted, at the owner's expense. |
| 90 days or older, no antibody test, or result below 0.5 IU/ml | Held until a vaccination and test show 0.5 IU/ml or more. Tests at the agency's own laboratory are paid by the owner. The English page says the average extended stay is 10 days and may be longer. |
| No health certificate | Cannot enter Korea; the animal is returned to the exporting country, at the owner's cost. |
| Australia (cats) or Malaysia (dogs, cats) without the Hendra/Nipah statement | Held for 21 days, then released if nothing is wrong. |
What it costs
For any inspection fee, check the official source below. What they do print:
| Item | Amount printed |
|---|---|
| Antibody test at the agency (government institution rate, per animal) | KRW 110,000 |
| Quarantine certificate issue fee (per case) | KRW 10,000 |
| Quarantine certificate for a dog or cat leaving Korea | KRW 10,000 per case ("검역수수료는 10,000원/건") |
| Transport, holding-pen care, microchip implant, vaccine | Owner's contract with the vet or company; no price printed |
The FAQ says the owner pays transport, care during holding, the antibody test, the chip, and the certificate fee if the animal fails the standards. It says the KRW 110,000 and KRW 10,000 amounts apply for a government agency and that the other costs are a matter between the owner and the vet or company. Call the airport number below if you need a firm quote.
Airport numbers printed by the agency
| Airport | Phone |
|---|---|
| Incheon, Terminal 1 | 032-740-2660 |
| Incheon, Terminal 2 | 032-740-2028 |
| Gimpo | 02-2664-2601 |
| Gimhae | 051-971-1925 |
| Jeju | 064-746-0761 |
Where the agency's pages differ
| Topic | Import pages (English and Korean) | Another agency page | What we follow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animals allowed without advance notice | English: ten or more need advance notification. Korean: 9 or fewer. | An APQA "dog and cat quarantine conditions – general conditions" page prints "4 animals or fewer". | 9 or fewer, from the import-method pages. The "4 animals" page also shows a rabies-vaccination table that conflicts with the import method, so we treated it as older or about a different direction of travel. Confirm with the airport office. |
| Date of the rules | English page: effective 1 December 2012. Korean pages: no date. | The numbers agree between the English and Korean import pages. |
Related: if you carry food or plants with you, see what food, meat, fruit and plants you cannot bring into Korea. Duty-free limits are on the duty-free allowance page.
Checked 2026-10-19. Confirm the current requirements for your departure country with the agency before you book, since rabies-free status and certificate formats can change.
Official sources
- APQA (English) — Bring a dog or a cat to Korea — English rules page: microchip, antibody test, 90 days, 10 or more animals, Hendra/Nipah; says rules effective 1 December 2012 (checked 2026-10-19)
- APQA (Korean) — 개·고양이 수입검역방법 (how to import dogs and cats) — microchip, 0.5 IU/ml, 24 months, release timing, 9 or fewer animals; no revision date printed (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
- APQA (Korean) — 수입검역제도 FAQ — certificate contents, who pays, KRW 110,000 and KRW 10,000 amounts; no revision date printed (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
- APQA (Korean) — 개고양이 검역절차 (dog and cat quarantine procedure) — step-by-step arrival procedure and the KRW 10,000 export certificate fee; no revision date printed (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
- APQA (Korean) — 개고양이 검역조건 일반조건 — older general-conditions table that prints '4 animals or fewer'; no revision date printed (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
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