Pet Transport Thailand to Japan: 2026 AQS Compliance Guide

Thailand’s Department of Livestock Development (DLD) is the Thai authority for certifying pets for export. Before your pet leaves Thailand, you need a DLD export permit and a health certificate endorsed by DLD in Japan AQS format. Allow 2 to 4 weeks for DLD processing. The permit and health certificate originals must travel with your pet: copies are not accepted at the Japanese border.

Japan’s AQS classifies Thailand as a non-designated region because Thailand has endemic rabies in its dog population. This classification triggers the most thorough import protocol regardless of your individual pet’s health or location within Thailand. There is no exemption for pets from specific cities or for pets with previous vaccinations done before the AQS sequence began.

The preparation sequence for Japan from Thailand runs: ISO microchip (before first vaccination), first rabies vaccination (dog at least 91 days old), minimum 30-day wait, second rabies vaccination, minimum 30-day wait, blood draw for FAVN titre test. From that blood draw date: 180 days before your earliest possible Japan arrival.

The FAVN test (fluorescent antibody virus neutralisation) is the specific test method Japan AQS requires. It is not the same as an ELISA titre test. The blood is drawn by your DLD vet in Thailand and shipped to a MAFF-approved laboratory by international courier. KSVDL in the USA and CSIRO AAHL in Australia are among the approved options. Confirm your lab is on the current MAFF-approved list before the blood draw.

A passing result is 0.5 IU/ml or above. If the result is below threshold, a booster vaccination is given, an appropriate wait follows, and the blood is drawn again. The 180-day clock restarts from the new draw date, adding roughly 6 to 7 months to the total timeline.

Bangkok has direct flight connections to Tokyo Narita and Osaka Kansai on Thai Airways, ANA, and JAL. All three carriers handle live animal cargo. The BKK to NRT sector is a relatively short flight by international standards, typically 6 to 7 hours, which reduces transit stress compared to longer journeys.

Before finalising the flight, file the AQS advance import notification. This must be submitted to the AQS office at the arrival port at least 40 days before your pet’s flight lands. The notification includes the pet’s details, vaccination and titre test history, and the confirmed flight number and arrival date. Without this notification, AQS will not have the import on their records and clearance on arrival becomes much harder.

On arrival at Narita or Kansai, AQS staff read the microchip, inspect the health certificate, check the vaccination records, and verify the FAVN titre test date and result. If the full timing chain is confirmed, the inspection completes in approximately 12 hours and your pet is released.