Pawscleared

Bringing your cat from Portugal to Hong Kong

Bringing a cat to Hong Kong from a Group II country is relatively simple: an AFCD Special Permit obtained in advance, an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination and a veterinary health certificate. No quarantine, no rabies titre.

⏳ Allow 1–2 months
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You must obtain the AFCD Special Permit BEFORE travelling — a cat cannot be imported without it, and it must be issued before the cat is loaded onto the plane. From Group II countries (most of the EU, USA, Canada, Switzerland) there is no rabies titre test and cats are exempt from quarantine when fully compliant.

Calculate your deadlines

Enter your travel date: we work back in time to give you the deadline for each step, personalised for Portugal → Hong Kong.

The 6 steps, in order

  1. 1. Implant an ISO-compliant microchip

    Have an ISO 11784/11785 microchip implanted. It identifies your cat on the Special Permit and on the health certificate, and is checked on arrival.

  2. 2. Rabies vaccination

    Vaccinate the cat against rabies after the microchip is implanted, and keep it valid through to entry.

  3. 3. AFCD Special Permit

    Apply for the Special Permit from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) before travel. The permit is mandatory and must be in hand before the cat is loaded onto the flight.

  4. 4. Veterinary health certificate

    Have the AFCD veterinary health certificate (Form VC-DC2) completed and signed by a veterinarian shortly before travel, confirming the microchip, rabies and other vaccinations, residency and good health.

  5. 5. Book the air transport (early, direct flight)

    Book your cat's flight as early as possible. Cats usually travel as manifested cargo and slots are limited — this date is a comfortable recommendation to book early, not a hard deadline.

  6. 6. Travel to Hong Kong

    The cat travels to Hong Kong with the Special Permit and the VC-DC2 health certificate. Compliant Group II cats are not quarantined.

From another country?

Official sources:

Pawscleared provides preparation guidance based on official sources. The binding conditions are those published by the AFCD. Group III (higher-risk) countries face stricter rules (titre, quarantine). Always confirm with official sources.