USA to South Korea
Pet Shipping from the USA to South Korea
We provide international pet transport from the USA to South Korea, planned around its import rules, the season and your move date.
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.
- Airline booking
- The travel crate
- The export and import paperwork
- Check-in at your US airport
- Pickup in South Korea with delivery to your new address
South Korea at a glance
Full requirementsAPHIS says a pet going to South Korea needs a microchip meeting ISO standards, a rabies vaccine that is current and given before arrival, and an antibody test showing 0.5 IU/ml or more, and that one arriving without the chip or the test will likely be held in quarantine at the owner’s expense until they are done.
- Microchip
- ISO-compliant microchip, which APHIS says can be implanted after arrival if that could not be done first
- Rabies vaccination
- Current, and given before arrival
- Rabies titer
- 0.5 IU/ml or higher
- Health certificate
- Endorsed by USDA within 30 days of export. The form states a validity of 30 days from issue
- Quarantine
- Inspection on arrival by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency. A pet without the chip or the titer test is likely held in quarantine at the owner’s expense, APHIS says
Pet Shipping from the USA to South Korea
The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) checks each dog or cat at the airport or port where it lands, against a health certificate from the government of the country it left. For a pet leaving the United States, that is the certificate APHIS publishes for Korea, completed by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and then endorsed by USDA. If you would like a simple overview of international moves first, start with our guide to international pet shipping destinations. Bringing a pet the other way, into the United States? See our US import guide.
Approved Routes and Entry into South Korea
APQA runs quarantine posts at Korea’s airports and seaports. It lists three at Incheon Airport alone, and others at Gimpo, Gimhae and Jeju. A pet that has to be held stays in the animal quarantine facility where it landed, or at the nearest one if there is none. The owner pays for its upkeep there, and APQA says staff can take that on at Incheon.
What are the entry requirements for pets going to South Korea?
The short answer
From the United States, APHIS lists an ISO-compliant microchip, a current rabies vaccination given before arrival and an antibody titer measuring 0.5 IU/ml or above, all recorded on a health certificate from a USDA-accredited veterinarian that USDA endorses within 30 days of export. APQA accepts the antibody result for 24 months from the day the blood was drawn, and a pet under 90 days old needs neither the vaccination nor the test.
Import Eligibility for Pets
APQA’s rules cover cats and dogs. One aged 90 days or more, with a microchip matching its certificate and a titer reading of 0.5 IU/ml or more, may be released on the day of arrival once the documents and a clinical examination are checked at the port. A pet without a readable chip or a passing test is quarantined at the owner’s expense until it is microchipped or a result reaches the threshold; APQA puts the average extra stay at 10 days and says it can run longer. A pet that lands without its health certificate is sent back to the country it left, at the owner’s cost.
APHIS publishes separate certificates for ferrets, rabbits and birds. Ferrets from Hawaii or Guam need no rabies vaccination or titer; those from anywhere else in the United States must be vaccinated and tested more than 3 and less than 12 months before travel, at an approved laboratory. Ready to start? Request a quote.
What vet work and documents does a pet need for South Korea?
Your pet will need an ISO-compliant microchip, a current rabies vaccination given before arrival, a rabies antibody titer test, plus a health certificate that USDA endorses. We line these steps up in the right order and check that microchip numbers, dates, names, and signatures all match across the paperwork.
| Requirement | South Korea, from the United States |
|---|---|
| Microchip | ISO-compliant microchip, which APHIS says can be implanted after arrival if that could not be done first |
| Rabies vaccination | Current, and given before arrival |
| Rabies titer | 0.5 IU/ml or higher |
| Health certificate | Endorsed by USDA within 30 days of export. The form states a validity of 30 days from issue |
| Quarantine | Inspection on arrival by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency. A pet without the chip or the titer test is likely held in quarantine at the owner’s expense, APHIS says |
This checklist draws on four documents. APHIS’s US to Korea page, last modified January 16, 2026, was read September 23, 2026. The dog and cat certificate it links was read on September 25, 2026, and so were APQA’s rules for bringing cats and dogs into Korea and its questions and answers on import quarantine.
Planning Timeline for Pet Shipping to South Korea
The antibody test sets how early to begin rather than how long to wait. APQA accepts a result for 24 months from the blood draw, so a passing test from an earlier move may still count, and neither APQA’s pages nor APHIS’s, read in September 2026, state a waiting period between a dog or cat’s test and its travel. The certificate comes last, because USDA endorses it within the 30 days before export.
Planning the budget? See what shipping a pet from the USA to South Korea costs, fee by fee.
Every Pet Travels
Differently
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Destination-Focused Planning
The microchip number is compared across the vaccination record, the antibody result and the certificate, because APQA holds a pet whose chip does not match its papers.
Smart Routing and Logistics
We help choose practical routes, travel windows, and handoff procedures so your pet’s trip is safer and more predictable.
Personalized Support
Pet Travel Advisors assigns a move coordinator who keeps you updated and checks details before travel so nothing important is missed.
Questions about moving a pet to South Korea
Request a QuoteWhat does it cost to ship a pet from the USA to South Korea?
Costs depend on your pet’s size and crate, the route and airline, vet and titer test fees, and whether the move is door to door. The fastest way to get a real number is a quote based on your origin city and travel date. Request a quote here.
Can any dog or cat qualify?
APQA’s pages, read September 25, 2026, name no banned breed of cat or dog. APHIS notes that each airline and shipping line has its own pet policies.
How does Pet Travel Advisors help with a move to South Korea?
Pick any piece on its own: the flights, a crate for the trip, the certificate paperwork and its USDA endorsement, check-in in the US, and a meet on arrival in Korea with the drive to the new address. The whole move can run door-to-door, or only the parts that suit it.
Ready to start?
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.