Bringing your pet to Korea

These are instructions for how to bring a dog to South Korea. A cat will go through a similar procedure but make sure to consult the USDA website provided below as well as talk with your veterinarian to make sure you obtain all necessary immunizations and documentation.

Note: This process can take 6 weeks or longer to complete, and the Health Certificate issued is only valid for 10 days, so timing is crucial in this process!!! Please make sure to start the paperwork process with plenty of time before your departure to account for any delays.

The first step is to find a USDA certified veterinarian who can administer both the rabies vaccine and administer the antibodies test (FAVN). The USDA requires a USDA-accredited veterinarian to complete the Certification of U.S. Rabies Vaccination form and the Veterinary Health Certificate for Export of Dogs and Cats, which can be accessed through the USDA's Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS).

The rabies FAVN report can take 6 weeks or longer to process, so please consult with your veterinarian regarding an estimated processing time and begin your paperwork early. Once you have the results from the FAVN report, you will go back to the vet to obtain the Health Certificate stating that all the vaccinations are up to date and the dog/cat is healthy and able to travel. This certificate is only valid for 10 days, which means you must arrive in Korea within that 10-day window. Please plan the timing of this certificate carefully so that it matches up with your departure to Korea.

The Health Certificate must have a veterinarian signature done in BLUE ink. Please obtain 2 copies of all the paperwork. The dog must also be microchipped with a valid chip. Ask your veterinarian to verify that the chip is valid. If it is not valid, you will need to get another chip implanted. They will check the chip in Korea.

When you are ready to begin the process, the steps to take are as follows:

1. Go to the USDA certified vet and get the vaccinations and blood drawn, as well as request the paperwork.

2. Get the results and completed paperwork

3. When you purchase your airplane ticket, apply for in-cabin travel or cargo (if the dog is larger) with the airline. Korean Air has a temperature-controlled cargo area and is supposed to be safer for pet travel, and it comes highly recommended. Remember that you will have to pay a fee for your pet, so please budget for the pet airfare.

For further information on pet travel with Korean Air click below:

Here are examples of the paperwork:

FAVN Report

Health Certificate Page 1

Certificate of Rabies Vaccination

Health Certificate Page 2