A dog or cat moving from the United States to Japan typically runs $2,200 to $5,500. Japan charges nothing at all for the import inspection, so the cost is entirely flight, crate, vet and paperwork.
What Japan costs you is time. There is a 180 day waiting period after a passing rabies titer test before your pet can enter, and a notification that has to be filed at least 40 days ahead. Start late and no budget fixes it.
Airlines price live animals on chargeable weight: whichever is greater, the actual weight or a volume figure worked out from the crate. For pets the volume figure almost always wins, which is why crate size drives the flight cost more than the animal does.
The divisor is published by Air Canada Cargo at 166 cubic inches per pound. The rates come from the American Airlines Cargo public tariff, the tariff these estimates are calculated against. Current version checked July 2026.
| Crate size | Approx. dimensions | Chargeable weight | Freight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (cat or toy dog) (size 100) | 21 x 16 x 15 in | 14 kg | $715 |
| Medium (size 200) | 28 x 20.5 x 21.5 in | 34 kg | $1,122 |
| Large (size 400) | 36 x 25 x 27 in | 66 kg | $2,033 |
| Giant (size 700) | 48 x 32 x 35 in | 147 kg | $2,940 |
These are our own calculation from the published rate and divisor, for a direct booking. A connecting routing or a carrier that quotes rather than publishes will differ.
| Cost | Amount | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|
| Import inspection | Free. Japan charges nothing. | Japan Animal Quarantine Service |
| Advance notification (40 days minimum) | Free | Japan AQS |
| USDA export endorsement (titer required, 1 to 2 tests) | $160 per certificate | USDA APHIS |
| Rabies titer test, lab fee only | $79 to $90 | Laboratory |
| IATA crate | $65 to $378 depending on size | Retailer |
| Microchip and two rabies vaccinations | Set by your clinic | Your vet |
| Airline live animal processing | $150 per air waybill | Airline |
| Quarantine | Minimal for a fully compliant pet | Not applicable |
Japan is unusual: the government side is genuinely free, and the Animal Quarantine Service states so plainly. Any figure you see quoted as a Japanese import fee is somebody else’s charge.
The endorsement moves into the $160 band because a titer test is required, so a test count drives it rather than the destination itself.
Not every US laboratory is approved for Japan. Check before booking the blood draw, because a test at the wrong lab has to be done again and the 180 day clock restarts.
Your vet sets their own fees. The examination, the certificate paperwork and any blood draw are priced by your clinic and vary between practices. Ask your vet directly. Every laboratory we checked states plainly that the draw is the clinic’s charge, not theirs.
Ground transport at either end is quoted per route. Our coordination fee is included in the total we quote you and itemised on your invoice.
The 180 day wait is the whole story. It runs from the date of the blood draw, not from the result, and there is no way to shorten it. A pet that is not compliant on arrival can face quarantine of up to 180 days at the border instead.
Two rabies vaccinations are required, spaced correctly, before the titer test. Getting that sequence wrong is the most common reason a Japan timeline collapses.
Crate size still drives the flight cost, and breed restrictions still apply. Our guide to breed restrictions covers those.
Figures verified July 2026. Government fees change, so each links to the authority that publishes it. If you are reading this long after that date, check the source first.
Terms used here are defined in our pet relocation glossary.
Send us the route, the breed and roughly when you want to travel. Request a quote and we will reply with an itemised plan, a timeline and clear next steps, usually within two business hours.
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