Your dog is not going in the container. Pets travel by air on their own booking, with their own paperwork and their own timetable, and that timetable starts months before the one for your furniture.
We arrange the household shipment and the packing, and can point you towards specialist pet relocation. Good movers keep the two separate. International movers who tell you they will handle a pet inside a household move have misunderstood the question, and you should be wary of the rest of their advice too.
The paperwork is the long pole. Microchip, rabies vaccination, a blood test at an approved laboratory, waiting periods between each, then official certification close to travel. Miss the order and you start again.
Each step depends on the one before it, which is why this cannot be compressed.
Microchip first. It has to be implanted and readable to the recognised international standard, and it has to be in place before the rabies vaccination. A vaccination given before a microchip generally does not count, and people have had to start again over this.
Rabies vaccination. Administered after the microchip, with a minimum period before travel.
Antibody blood test. A sample sent to an approved laboratory to confirm the vaccination has worked. There is a waiting period after the vaccination before the sample can be taken, and then time for the result.
Waiting period after the test. Depending on the destination and the route, there is generally a further wait before entry is permitted.
Official health certificate. Issued close to travel by a vet and endorsed by the relevant government authority. This one has a short validity window, so it is the last step rather than an early one.
Booking the flight. Pets fly as manifest cargo or as accompanied baggage depending on size, airline and route. Not every airline carries pets to China and not every route is permitted, so this needs arranging alongside the paperwork rather than after it.
On arrival. Entry is through designated ports rather than any airport. With complete documentation the quarantine period is short and can often be served at a designated location. Incomplete paperwork means a longer period at a facility, at your cost.
Then registration. Most Chinese cities require pets to be registered locally after arrival, with a fee and sometimes a further vaccination.
Pet relocation is priced separately from your household move and by a different provider. These are broad planning figures, since the total depends heavily on size, route and whether quarantine is extended.
Several hundred pounds
Vet fees, laboratory work and official endorsement.
The largest single element
Varies enormously with size, airline and route.
Modest with clean paperwork
Considerably more if documentation is incomplete.
We will handle the household shipment. Start the pet paperwork now, because it takes longer than everything else on your list.
We match you with your vetted mover, which means one team handles the whole relocation. It is free, with no obligation. Get a quote today and hold your dates.
Send your move detailsCall 07551 855 064 or +447551855064. Message us on WhatsApp.
Getting the animal into China is a national question. Keeping it where you actually live is a local one, and the local rules surprise people.
Height restrictions. Several major cities restrict dogs above a certain shoulder height in central districts. Beijing is the best known example and it catches a great many people who arrive with a labrador and discover it cannot be registered in the district they have rented in. The limits and the districts they apply to vary and do change, so check for your specific area.
Breed restrictions. Some breeds are prohibited outright in certain cities, generally those classed as large or aggressive. Lists differ between municipalities.
One animal per household. Several cities limit the number of dogs registered to one address.
Compound rules. Separately from municipal law, a great many residential compounds have their own pet policies, including outright bans, size limits and rules about lifts and communal areas. Confirm this before signing a tenancy, not after.
Registration. Most cities require registration with a fee, and it is generally annual. Some require a further vaccination administered locally regardless of what the animal had before it travelled.
Cats are simpler than dogs almost everywhere, both for entry and for local rules.
Coming home to the UK is its own process with its own requirements, including tapeworm treatment for dogs within a set window before arrival and travel on an approved route with an approved carrier. Plan the return before you go if the posting has an end date.
The pet timeline is longer than the shipping one, so it should start first even though it is arranged separately.
A move usually means moving money too, whether that is a deposit on a Chinese flat or funds coming back the other way. We have helped customers with currency exchange in any currency through trusted partners for many years, and our partners can help with the money side of your move. Mention it on the form and it gets included.
Experts in currency exchange
No hidden fees
5 star consumer ratings
Competitive exchange rate
No. Pets travel by air on their own booking with their own paperwork and their own timetable. Any firm suggesting an animal can go with a container has misunderstood the question, and it is worth being wary of their other advice too.
Months rather than weeks. Microchip, then rabies vaccination, then an antibody blood test at an approved laboratory, then waiting periods, then official health certification close to travel. Each step depends on the one before it, so it cannot be compressed.
Because a rabies vaccination given before the animal was chipped generally does not count towards the requirements. People have had to restart the whole sequence over this, losing months. Chip first, vaccinate second, test third.
Short with complete documentation, and it can often be served at a designated location rather than a facility. Incomplete paperwork means a considerably longer period at a facility at your own cost, which is the main reason to get the sequence right.
Yes, and they catch a lot of people. Several major cities restrict dogs above a certain shoulder height in central districts. Beijing is the best known. Check the rules for the specific district you are renting in before you commit to bringing a large dog.
Not necessarily. Separately from municipal rules, many residential compounds have their own policies including outright bans, size limits and rules about lifts and communal areas. Confirm before signing a tenancy rather than after.
Generally yes, both for entry and for local rules. Height and breed restrictions are aimed at dogs, and compounds are usually more relaxed about cats. The vaccination and testing sequence is broadly the same.
Its own process with its own requirements, including tapeworm treatment for dogs within a set window before arrival and travel on an approved route with an approved carrier. If your posting has an end date, plan the return before you go.
It depends on the length of the posting, the animal's age and health, and whether your city and compound permit it. For a posting under a year, the process at both ends is a great deal to put an animal through for a short stay.
Send your collection address, your Chinese destination, a rough idea of the volume and your date. A vetted mover from our network checks the route, the paperwork and the access, then comes back to you with the price.
Send your move detailsWe match international moving enquiries with vetted moving companies in the AGM Group network, each holding FIDI FAIM certification and BAR Overseas membership.
We are not a removal firm ourselves. We find you the one that suits your route, and you deal with them directly from there.