BRINGING A CAT FROMSingapore to United States

Download PDF
Prep time about 0 weeks

No quarantine. Needs arrival inspection.

Always confirm with the destination's official authority and your airline before travelling.

Entry requirements

Tap the seal to stamp a step done.0 OF 1 STAMPED

No federal documents for pet cats: they only have to look healthy on arrival. No rabies proof, no CDC form, any airport, seaport or land border. The destination state (Hawaii: see us-hi-* rules) and the airline may require more.

01
Arrival inspection
before travel

Cats must appear healthy; they are inspected at the port and may be refused or sent for a veterinary examination at the owner's expense if they show signs of a disease transmissible to people.

DETAILS +

Cats must appear healthy; they are inspected at the port and may be refused or sent for a veterinary examination at the owner's expense if they show signs of a disease transmissible to people.

  • No rabies vaccination proof is required federally (recommended; states may require it). — U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • USDA APHIS has no animal-health requirements for pet cats. — USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
  • Any U.S. airport, land port or seaport (see the entry points).
  • Cats arriving in Hawaii or Guam face local quarantine rules even from the mainland. — U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

No quarantine

Timeline

Working out your dates…

Documents

The published steps for this route produce no paper we can name.

Official fees

The official pages we researched for this route name no fee. Vet, lab and airline charges are not covered here.

Entry points

Where a pet may enter the United States, per the rules.

Airlines

Airline rules are separate from entry rules and change without notice — confirm in writing when you book. Only what the carriers' own pages say, read 25 Sep 2026. All airlines

  • CabinYes
    HoldYes
    Snub-nosedHold: no · Cargo: restricted
  • CabinNo
    HoldYes
    Snub-nosedCargo: only Nov – Apr
  • ANA (All Nippon Airways) NHhold: conditions on this route
    CabinNo
    HoldYes, up to 45 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: not 1 May – 31 Oct
  • CabinNo
    HoldCargo only
    Snub-nosedNot stated
  • Delta Air Lines DLcabin: not on this route
    CabinYes
    HoldNo
    Snub-nosedHold, cargo: no
  • KLM KL
    CabinYes, up to 8 kg incl. carrier46 × 28 × 24 cm
    HoldYes, up to 75 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: no
  • CabinYes, up to 8 kg incl. carrier46 × 28 × 24 cm
    HoldYes, up to 75 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: no · Cargo: restricted
  • CabinNo
    HoldCargo only
    Snub-nosedCargo: restricted
  • CabinNo
    HoldYes, up to 75 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: restricted

Announced changes

Return trip to Singapore

Hard for a returning pet (no separate returning-resident rule; standard import rules apply), about 17 weeks of preparation. No quarantine when the paperwork is in order.

  • Residence period — 6+ months before departure: Continuously resident in the country of export or in any Schedule I or II country for at least 6 months before export, or since birth, or since being imported directly from Singapore.
  • Rabies antibody (titer) test — the blood draw must happen before you leave, so plan it into the outbound trip: WOAH-prescribed rabies neutralising antibody test, result at least 0.5 IU/ml. Blood sample at least 28 days after the primary vaccination or last booster (no wait if a booster was given without a lapse — AVS FAQ), and at least 90 days but not more than 12 months before export. Lab: a WOAH reference laboratory for rabies, or a lab in a Schedule I or II country approved by that country's authority. The report travels with the certificate.
  • Quarantine booking: Apply for home quarantine through AVS's FormSG (go.gov.sg/avs-homeq); AVS replies within 5 working days; only then apply for the import licence. During home quarantine the pet goes straight home with an AVS-designated pet transporter, stays isolated (no visitors, no other animals except those on the licence), wears a smart collar tag (S$29 per day, paid upfront) and is released after a final AVS check.
  • Import permit — within 90 days before arrival: AVS import licence (personal) via GoBusiness: S$50 (2 working days) or S$100 express (1 working day); valid 90 days from issue, no extension. To qualify for no quarantine, attach the confirmed flight booking and vet records showing the owner's particulars. Mixed/cross-breed dogs: colour photo. Show it at check-in.
  • Advance notice to the authority — 5+ working days before arrival: Book the arrival inspection on AVS eServices at least 5 working days before arrival (web pages: 5 days); S$133 per hour without a booking.
+1 more

Full checklist for a cat from United States to Singapore

Leaving United States with the pet

  • Taking a U.S.-vaccinated dog to a CDC high-risk country and back: have a USDA-accredited vet complete the CDC Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination and get it endorsed by USDA BEFORE leaving; it cannot be issued afterwards.
  • Pets living in Hawaii must finish the rabies vaccines and pass the FAVN test before leaving the state to avoid quarantine on return.
  • Taking a dog to Mexico (or any other screwworm-affected country) and back: on return it needs the screwworm certificate (inspection within 5 days before shipment). From Mexico a SENASICA-trained and approved clinical vet may sign it (SENASICA's MVRA directory).
  • Export papers for the destination country (USDA APHIS endorsement of the health certificate) were not researched.
+2 more

What they actually checked at the border

Reports from people who made this trip, read by a person before publishing.

No traveller reports here yet. If you have made this trip, tell the next person what was actually checked at the border.

Share your trip

Sources

Every requirement above comes from one of these pages. Last researched 25 Sep 2026. Seen a change? Tell us.

Keep this checklist

Download PDF

More routes

Checklists for nearby trips — same rules engine, same official sources.