Pets Coming From Rabies Free Countries

ICELAND NORWAY SWEDEN GREAT BRITAIN IRELAND

TAIWAN GUAM HAWAII AUSTRALIA FIJI

NEW ZEALAND

The USFJ Veterinarian offers the following recommendations to assist SOFA status personnel in the movement of their pets to Japan from countries recognized as rabies free. Designated rabies free regions include Taiwan, Iceland, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom (Great Britain and Northern Ireland), Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, and Guam. For service members entering Japan with their dogs or cats from any of these countries, it will be possible to complete the quarantine procedure within 12 hours as long as each item listed below is accomplished as soon as the military member is aware of movement to Japan. The pet must be traveling directly to Japan from the designated country. If not please see paragraph k below. This will ease the transition and acceptance of the pets into Japan.

a. Microchipping: Before completing any of the following requirements, PLEASE MICROCHIP YOUR PET FIRST. All animals must obtain a microchip before arriving in Japan. If the pet already has a microchip, please make sure that it is an ISO or ISO-compatible chip that meets the ISO 11784 and 11785 Standard. AVID^® and HomeAgain^® microchips are acceptable. The identification number of the microchip must be annotated on the Rabies Certificate, the Health Certificate, and advance notification forms.

b. Vaccinations: Rabies vaccination information or forms are not required.

c. Fluorescent Antibody Viral Neutralization (FAVN) Test: FAVN information is not required.

d. Advance Notification: Kadena AB and Yokota AB currently have capabilities for handling AMC arrivals of dogs and cats so the advance notification is not needed. If the animal is traveling by commercial air, the Government of Japan requires an advance notification of pet movement as soon as transportation is scheduled. A notification of approval will be returned and is used when checking the animal in with the airline. Therefore, in order to avoid problems at check-in with the airline, this prior notification approval form is very important. Please annotate in the "Remarks" box on the Advance Notification Form the following statement:

”This pet belongs to a US SOFA sponsored family and will be assigned to (list installation)”

The advance notification form is found on the JDVC website:

(http://www.usarj.army.mil/organization/vet/rfc.aspx)

The advance notification form is required to be sent by mail or FAX to the port of entry. Addresses and FAX numbers for the respective ports of entry may be found at this website: (http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/index.html)

All incoming animals must enter Japan through officially designated ports:

i) Seaports: Keihin, Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe, Kanmon, and Naha.

ii) Airports: New Tokyo (Narita), Tokyo (Haneda), Nagoya, Osaka (Kansai), Fukuoka, Kagoshima, and Naha (Okinawa).

iii) Military AMC ports: Kadena AB and Yokota AB.

e. Health Certificate (Forms A & B; 3 copies): : An individual health certificate is required for each animal that is moved into or out of Japan. Using the Japanese Health Certificate for import of animals from rabies free designation areas will be the easiest method for completing the requirements. The Japan Health Certificate (for pets from rabies free areas) Form A and Form B are located on the JDVC homepage: (http://www.usarj.army.mil/organization/vet/rfc.aspx). These forms can be filled out by the Military Veterinarian, signed, dated, and stamped in the Official Government Stamp Block with their military VTF Stamp showing rank and location.

f. USDA/Government Certification: If the Japan health certificate forms are issued by a licensed civilian veterinarian from Hawaii or Guam, the health certificate and rabies certificate must be endorsed by a USDA Federal Veterinarian and bear the USDA raised embossed seal. These USDA endorsed health certificates are valid up to 30 days before arrival. The airlines require a health certificate that is within 10 days of arrival. Therefore if the USDA certified health certificate isn't dated within 10 days of arrival, an additional certificate will be required within 10 days of arrival for the airline. Any certificate issued by a civilian veterinarian in any of the other designated countries will need to be endorsed by the countries government veterinarian. The endorsed certificate will be used upon arrival for processing the pet at Customs. Health certificates issued by US Military veterinary treatment facilities do not require the USDA certification.

g. Official Travel Orders (2 copies): Pet owners must submit Official Travel Orders upon arrival to the Animal Quarantine Service in the Customs area to verify SOFA status.

h. MDJ Form 270 (Pet Quarantine and Examination Certificate; 2 copies): All SOFA status personnel entering Japan with a pet are required to complete a MDJ 270. The MDJ 270 allows your pet to be released to you for transportation to your US Military Quarantine Facility in Japan. The form may be downloaded from the JDVC website and should be completed prior to arrival in Japan. You are required to submit the form to the Animal Quarantine Officer at arrival, then to your US Military Veterinary Treatment Facility within 72 hours after entry into Japan to continue and complete the quarantine process.

i. USFJ Form 380 EJ (Customs Free Import or Export of Cargo or Customs Declaration of Personal Property): This form is needed when your pet(s) enter(s) Japan unaccompanied as cargo or on a different flight as the sponsor. You do not need this form if you are accompanying the animal as baggage. You may obtain the form by having your sponsor take a copy of your orders to the transportation office at your gaining command. The base transportation officer will sign the appropriate box after verifying your orders.

j. Pet owners or their authorized representatives should be prepared to provide the following information to the Animal Quarantine Officer:

i) Military mailing address

ii) Duty phone number (Ask your sponsor for a duty number)

iii) Command information

NOTE: Placing the above certificates in a zip lock plastic bag and taping it securely on top of the pet's cage seems to work best. These forms must accompany the animal during transit. Ensure these forms are completely filled out and it is suggested that you carry in your possession the originals of each certificate. When clearing customs, all supporting documentation, including the animal's health record, needs to be available for referencing in case of any questions concerning the health and identity of the animal and validity of the records.

k. Transport: The requirements above are only valid if the animal is transported directly from the designated rabies free countries to Japan without stopping in any other country. If the pet will be transiting any other country that is not designated a rabies free country for longer than the time to change flights or airports (ie. vacationing or leave), then the pet must undergo the complete requirements of coming from a rabies designated country. If travel arrangements indicate a stop in another country to transfer flights or airports, the cage must be sealed, and the seal number, mark or other indicator must be annotated on the Japan health certificate Form B 2/2 issued by the responsible exporting country government veterinarian and also on the Transitting Certificate Annex Form (located on the JDVC website: http://www.usarj.army.mil/organization/vet/rfc.aspx) if any of these conditions exist:

1) Transport by land from the exporting country to a third country airport (seaport) to load on an airplane or ship

The transport cage shall be sealed before leaving the exporting country. In addition, please have the animal quarantine agency, customs, the airline company or another official body certify that the seal has not been broken before loading.

2) Transfer to a different airplane in a third country after loading on an airplane in the exporting country

Before leaving the exporting country seal the transport cage, or have the animal quarantine agency, customs, the airline company or another official body certify the name of the airport of transfer and that the pet was not taken out of that airport and wasn't in contact with other susceptible animals.

3) Transport from the exporting country by ship making calls in seaports outside the designated regions

Before leaving the exporting country seal the transport cage, or have the ship's captain or other authority certify the names of the locations of the visited seaports and that the pet did not leave the ship at these seaports and didn't have contact with other susceptible animals. At the time of arrival in Japan, if the above requirements cannot be verified (for example, the seal is broken, or the seal form does not correspond with the inspection certificate, etc.), the pet will be held in detention at an Animal Quarantine Service
Service for the required quarantine detention period (up to 180 days).

*For pets kept for less than 180 days in the rabies free country before arrival in Japan

The date of entry into the exporting country and the names of the countries (regions) where the animal had been before shall be clearly indicated on the Japan health certificate (Form B 2/2) issued by the responsible exporting country government veterinarian. If the animal was in countries (regions) other than the designated regions, the pet will be assessed quarantine time by the Animal Quarantine officer to make up for the incomplete part of the 180-day residency period after arrival in Japan.