This guide covers Singapore’s import process, with a practical focus on travel from Malaysia. Official requirements and fees checked on 25 September 2026. Use the current AVS import instructions and the conditions attached to your licence for the actual journey; check the exporting country’s formalities separately.
Is my dog eligible for import and for my Singapore home?
Check these separately before paying for transport:
- Import eligibility: AVS prohibits specified breeds and their crosses from import. Check the official prohibited-breed list against the dog’s records. AVS asks for a colour photo showing the face and body when applying to import a mixed-breed or crossbred dog.
- Your address: an importable dog is not automatically permitted in your home. Check the HDB rules and relevant schemes or the conditions for non-HDB premises. AVS lists a standard limit of three cats and/or dogs combined in non-HDB premises, with only one Specified dog within that total. Other conditions can apply to Specified dogs.
- Identification and age: AVS calls for an ISO 11784 or ISO 11785 Annex A microchip, with its number on vaccination and treatment records, and a dog aged at least 12 weeks at export. Meeting the minimum age alone does not mean a puppy has completed the required preparation.
Which imports need quarantine?
Start with the current AVS country/region schedule, then check the full conditions. Recent residence and travel history matter; do not classify a dog using only the airport on its final flight.
| AVS category | Post-arrival quarantine, if the relevant conditions are met |
|---|---|
| Schedule I | No quarantine for compliant imports |
| Schedule II, qualifying personal import | No quarantine when AVS’s personal-import conditions are satisfied |
| Schedule II, other personal import | At least 10 days of home quarantine, with approval and conditions |
| Schedule II, commercial import | At least 10 days at AQC |
| Schedule III, including Malaysia | At least 30 days at AQC; rabies vaccination on arrival |
For Schedule II personal imports, AVS’s current webpage describes arrival less than five days from the owner’s entry and continuous residence with that owner at the same address for more than six months. The Schedule II conditions also address imports involving a transfer of ownership. Submit the supporting records for AVS assessment; do not assume a newly bought or adopted dog qualifies. If eligibility is uncertain, AVS provides a home-quarantine application route for preliminary assessment.
What must I prepare for a dog coming from Malaysia?
Malaysia is not listed in Schedule I or II, so the Schedule III veterinary conditions apply. Give that document and its certificate template to your vet early.
| Preparation | Timing or detail to resolve |
|---|---|
| Rabies vaccination and blood test | The standard conditions specify sampling at least 28 days after a valid rabies vaccination, with an acceptable result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from an eligible laboratory. |
| Blood-sample date | At least 90 days and no more than 12 months before export. A passing result alone does not remove this waiting period. |
| Core vaccinations | Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and the Schedule III requirement for vaccination at least two weeks before export. |
| Health examination and certificate | Within seven days before export, using the required template and exporting government veterinarian’s endorsement. |
| Internal and external parasite treatments | Between two and seven days before export, recorded on the certificate. |
| Quarantine reservation | Reserve through AVS’s Quarantine Management System when the serology result is ready, before confirming travel. |
Keep rabies cover valid throughout preparation. AVS’s current FAQ adds a clarification for boosters given without a lapse in cover: sampling may proceed without a fresh 28-day wait. Ask your vet and AVS to confirm the timetable against your records rather than treating every booster as a new primary vaccination.
A short Malaysia trip is not exempt. AVS explicitly says a Singapore pet returning after a day trip or holiday in Malaysia is treated as an import from Malaysia and must meet the same import and quarantine requirements. Plan the return before taking the dog out of Singapore.
Which licences and appointments come next?
Obtain the dog licence first, then apply for the personal import licence through the service linked by AVS. The import licence costs S$50 normal or S$100 express, with published processing of two or one working days after complete documents. It is valid for 90 days from issue. These processing times do not cover veterinary preparation or waiting for quarantine space.
Reserve an arrival inspection with AVS. The Schedule III document specifies at least five working days before arrival; book early enough for that requirement and confirm the appointment before travelling. Prepare the import and dog licences, original endorsed veterinary certificate, vaccination records and rabies laboratory report for inspection.
Check Customs arrangements too. For a personal pet accompanying a change of residence, Singapore Customs explains GST, possible relief and the different procedures for accompanied and unaccompanied pets. Relief requires assessment and is not automatic. Its relocation applications should be submitted at least five working days before arrival. Use the procedure for your situation and confirm which permit or approval must accompany the dog.
How do arrival by road and arrival by air differ?
From Malaysia by road: AVS directs animals to its Tuas Checkpoint office for inspection, using the Tuas arrival cargo lane. Animals must be in hard crates. Check the office’s operating hours and driving directions with your confirmed appointment. Required quarantine transfers are arranged by AVS after clearance.
Through Changi by air: since 1 April 2026, an AVS-recognised pet agent must handle personal-pet import clearance at Changi Animal & Plant Quarantine Station (CAPQ). Arrange the agent before arrival. Even if the dog travels in the cabin, a compliant rigid crate is required for the transfer to CAPQ; it cannot simply leave the passenger terminal with you. Check opening and AQC transfer hours when selecting a flight, as additional holding time can apply.
The AVS import page also requires owners or agents to collect oversized containers at CAPQ or Tuas, depending on clearance location. Its threshold is external dimensions exceeding 82 cm long × 64 cm high × 58 cm wide. Uncollected containers can incur private-contractor retrieval charges.
How much should I budget for quarantine and permits?
These are selected official charges, not a complete relocation price. The AQC fee page lists the current rates and the increase from 1 December 2026.
Scroll sideways to compare all columns →
| Item | Current published charge (S$) | From 1 December 2026, where announced |
|---|---|---|
| Personal import licence | 50 normal / 100 express | Check the current licence service |
| AQC fan-cooled accommodation | 26 per day; 780 for 30 chargeable days | 36 per day; 1,080 for 30 chargeable days |
| AQC air-conditioned accommodation | 35 per day; 1,050 for 30 chargeable days | 44 per day; 1,320 for 30 chargeable days |
| Transfer from CAPQ or Tuas to AQC | 75 per dog per trip | Confirm when booking |
| Rabies vaccination at AQC, if required | 68 per dog | Confirm when booking |
For example, 30 chargeable days in a fan-cooled room + a normal import licence + one AQC transfer + the rabies vaccination = S$973 at the current listed rates. The same subtotal with air-conditioned accommodation is S$1,243. These examples exclude the dog licence, veterinary preparation, export paperwork, transport to Singapore, agent services, Customs charges, extra holding time and any additional veterinary care.
AVS notes an exception to the fee revision for quarantine-space applications submitted before 1 December 2025. Confirm the applicable charges for your booking, particularly if a stay crosses a fee-change date. Do not treat a 30-day example as a guaranteed release date or final bill.
For eligible Schedule II home-quarantine cases, AVS separately lists S$29 per animal per day or part-day for the smart-collar tag arrangement. That is not the AQC accommodation rate and is not an alternative to Malaysia’s Schedule III quarantine.
What should I have ready before travel?
Keep one folder containing the approved licences, confirmed inspection and quarantine arrangements, required originals, and the agent or transporter’s contact details. Ask your vet to cross-check microchip numbers and dates against the certificate template. Resolve missing documents before departure rather than relying on correction at the border.
If you are planning the outbound leg too, use the Singapore export paperwork guide and flight-booking guide. Import and export approvals are separate, including for a return trip.
