Moving to Hong Kong with pets may be even trickier than you thought. While you may feel like they are an equal member of your family, the customs office perceives this differently. Pets fall under special regulations when moving abroad, and Hong Kong is no exemption. Don’t worry, though, as the procedure is transparent and only requires you to follow the rules. You’ll need to provide some documents to get health clearance for your pet, but that’s not all. After successfully getting the pet into Hong Kong, you’ll need to address the big transition that no animal takes lightly. There’ll be both stresses from getting through the customs as well as adapting to your new home and outside surroundings. If you hire movers Hong Kong, they can help with your belongings as well as with your pets.
Preparing for the move to Hong Kong
If you are moving to Hong Kong, there are a few things you’ll need to take care of first. This doesn’t mean neglecting your pets, but there are many steps towards a successful move. You’ll need to pack your belongings, have them shipped and get clearance for your pets and your family to move to Hong Kong. Besides the government clearance, there are also other things you’ll need to do. In case you couldn’t part with an old piece of furniture or off-season clothes, but it doesn’t fit into your new home, don’t worry. You could opt for using some of the storage Hong Kong facilities to leave more space for exercising your imagination in your new home. You should also register your new address with your employer and discuss the tax rate with the accounting department at your company.
What do you need to know before moving to Hong Kong with pets?
Pets require special care and moving to Hong Kong can be complicated for them. This is both because of the strict regulations and procedures, and the fact that you’ll need to help your pets adapt afterward. Every part of the process can be stressful for your pets, beginning a few months before the move.
Hong Kong authorities require the animal keepers to provide a special permit when attempting to import an animal from abroad. The department of Import of Animals and Birds will review your case and issue the permit if everything is in order. The main reason for enforcing these rules is to prevent the uncontrolled spread of animal diseases, such as rabies. Rabies is in fact, the first thing you’ll need to check. You should go see your vet and inform them that you plan to move to Hong Kong. They might be able to help you summarize all the checkups you’ll need to do, but that information is also easy to find online.
Here is the full list of forms and documents you’ll need to provide:
- Form No.UN110 (Special Permit)
- Form No. PC102 (Importation of Disability Assistance Dogs)
- DAD Certification
- Vaccination Records
- Rabies Antibody Test Report
- Completed Supplementary Certificate
Make sure to double-check you didn’t forget anything
If you don’t provide some of the necessary documents, many things can go wrong. For example, border officials can quarantine and vaccinate any animal that poses a potential health risk. This can be extremely stressful for your pet. Being taken by force and being vaccinated by anyone else besides the vet they’re familiar with can have dire consequences. That’s why you should make sure you don’t expose your pets to any unnecessary stress.
How to help your pets get through border control?
Just like the paperwork, your pets might be examined by the border control. They might want to confirm that the papers belong to the animal before them, and this may cause stress to your little friend. Depending on how the officials handle the process, your pet might be parted from you for some time which can be hard for them. Additionally, waiting in line at the border control can also disturb their well-being. However, if you hire pet movers Hong Kong relocation can turn out to be much less stressful, for both you and your pets.
Professional pet movers in Hong Kong will know every little detail about the procedure. It’s best to contact them a few months before the move and ensure you didn’t miss anything. Professional pet moving services will often include a climatized chamber for your animal. If your pets travel in comfort, the whole process will be easier to get through. They won’t be as anxious, and this will help everything go more smoothly.
Make sure you check with pet movers if your pets are allowed to enter Hong Kong. Some regulations forbid the import of many breeds of pets, including certain dogs and cats.
What to expect from pets after moving to Hong Kong?
You shouldn’t expect the same kind of behavior from every type of animal. While the climate and your new home will be a big change for any type of pet, some of them can experience the transition more intensely. For example, dogs and cats have much wider social space than birds for example. While birds may react to the temperature and need some time to acclimatize, you’ll need to put in real effort to help cats and, especially, dogs.
Dogs and cats will have to interact with their social surroundings eventually, and it might be tricky for them to get used to totally different landscape. From the friendly neighborhood familiar faces, to how the culture treated them in general, everything will change after moving to Hong Kong with pets. You should be very patient with your dogs and cats and not push them into anything that causes stress. Your main goal is to help them feel at home. Don’t worry if the process goes slowly. Relocating to a different apartment in the same city can be a big thing for them, let alone moving across the globe. Your bond can help them if you show them to trust their new surroundings.
