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Q: Is it difficult to take pets out of China?
I know a girl in Harbin, she said she couldn't bring her cat home. I thought the process was relatively easy. I have exported cats all over the world, so I know about vaccinations and the paper work.
There are different processes for dogs, cats, and the like. It requires some paperwork but it can be done. A cat or dog needs to be quarantined at the port of departure for seven days before leaving, at least in the case of Beijing and Shanghai. The best thing to do is to use a pet immigration service -- they actually exist. The animal will be vaccinated against rabies, and a cat will be checked for feline leukemia, etc., etc. An IATA approved animal carrier must be used but that is usually included in the price that the pet immigration service will charge. Regulations are very specific for Japan and Great Britain and more lax for Canada and the United States. If it is a small cat, airlines such an Asiana out of Korea and ANA out of Tokyo will allow the cat to travel in the passenger cabin; other airlines will put the animal in a pressurized special hold. The service that I have used is called Pet Immigration China and here is the website. The cost for shipping a cat to the United States is RMB 9,000.
You need to check regulations for all countries you will be traveling through. In the case of animals also ask a vet (not a Chinese one because they don't care) about what length of travel you can subject the animal to. Maybe you need to have a stopover so you and the animal can stretch.
We brought a dog from home to China ourselves. The cost for doing this was some paperwork + €100 for the dogs ticket. Depending on airline small animals will be allowed in the cabin. There is typically a maximum weight and size for the cage you can bring. Take into consideration that if an animal needs to spend hours in a container, there must be room for it to stand and stretch.
We flew with Lufthansa, but while researching I found that all European airlines allow pets in the cabins. E.g. Air France has specific rules that if you have a stopover with a dog, you must have at least 3 hours, so there is time to take the dog for a walk.
When it comes to things like rabies shots etc. The actual drug used must be approved by the country you are going to, so avoid knock of drugs.
The pet immigration service is the easier way, doing it yourself is not impossible.
