The first question every pawrent asks is some version of: "Do I have to quarantine my pet?"

The honest answer is: it depends where you're coming from.

Singapore assigns every origin country a rabies-risk schedule — I, II, or III. Your schedule determines your vet requirements, your documentation, your timeline, and whether your pet comes home with you on arrival day or spends the next 30 days at a government facility first.

Most people don't know which schedule they're on when they start planning. Some find out mid-process, when the timeline they assumed is no longer possible.

So. Which one are you?

Schedule I — the good news tier

A short list of countries AVS considers rabies-free: Australia, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. (Schedule I list as at June 2026 — verify at avs.nparks.gov.sg before travel, as categories can change.)

If you're coming from one of these, and your paperwork is in order, your pet does not need a rabies vaccination or serology test, and there's no quarantine on arrival. You still need an import licence, a health certificate, and parasite treatments timed to export — but the process is manageable and the timeline is shorter.

Schedule II — the "probably fine, but plan ahead" tier

A much longer list: the USA, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong SAR, and most of Western Europe, among others.

Pets from Schedule II countries need a valid rabies vaccination and a rabies serology test — also called a titer test — which confirms your pet has sufficient immunity. The test must be done at an AVS-approved laboratory, and the timing is strict: the blood sample must be taken at least 28 days after the rabies vaccination, and the test result must be at least 90 days old at the time of export (and no older than 12 months).

What that means practically: if your pet hasn't been vaccinated yet, you're looking at a minimum of four months of lead time before they can fly. Vaccination, then wait 28 days, then blood draw, then wait 90 days. Miss the window and you're not delaying by a week — you're starting the clock again.

Post-arrival quarantine is not required for most Schedule II personal imports. But it can be triggered in two specific situations: if your pet arrives more than five days after you enter Singapore, or if your pet has been in your care for less than six months. In those cases, a minimum 10-day home quarantine applies — which requires an AVS application and approval before travel.

Schedule III — the hard one

Everywhere not listed in Schedule I or II. If your country isn't on either of those lists, this is you.

Pets from Schedule III countries face a mandatory minimum 30-day quarantine at Singapore's Animal Quarantine Centre (AQC) — no exceptions, regardless of vaccination status. Animals are also vaccinated against rabies on arrival at AQC. Quarantine space must be reserved in advance through AVS's Quarantine Management System; it fills up, and a confirmed booking is required before AVS will issue your import licence. If your preferred travel date has no availability, the travel date moves.

The things that catch people out

The USA is not Schedule I. Neither is Japan, Canada, or most of the EU. These are Schedule II — which means titer tests, timing constraints, and the possibility of triggered home quarantine. Coming from a low-risk country does not mean a low-admin process. Schedules can change. AVS updates the lists. A country that was Schedule II when you started researching may need re-checking closer to your travel date. Check the official AVS site at the time of import, not just at the time of planning. Your pet's recent history can matter. If your pet has spent time in a Schedule III country recently, that history may be relevant even if your origin country is Schedule I or II. This is worth raising directly with your agent or AVS.

So what do you do right now?

Go to avs.nparks.gov.sg and find your country on the schedule list. That single lookup changes your planning horizon — from "I have plenty of time" to "I needed to start three months ago" — faster than anything else in this process.

If you're Schedule I: good news. Get your paperwork list and start. If you're Schedule II: check whether your pet's vaccination is current and when it was done. The titer test clock may already be running — or you may be behind it. If you're Schedule III: start with the AQC quarantine booking before you do anything else. Availability drives the timeline.

Knowing your schedule is step one. What to do in what order after that — including which steps interact with each other in ways that aren't obvious — is what Cleared for Landing maps out.