Schedule III · Malaysia
Pet relocation from Malaysia to Singapore
Malaysia is Schedule III. It is the shortest journey and the longest set of requirements: a rabies blood test, the full waiting periods, and quarantine at the AQC on arrival.
Proximity misleads people here. A pet can be driven across the Causeway in an afternoon, but Malaysia is not on the Schedule I or II lists, so the same rabies vaccination, 28-day wait, blood test and 90-day wait apply as they would from anywhere else — followed by a compulsory stay at the Animal Quarantine Centre.
The quarantine space has to be reserved through AVS's Quarantine Management System before the import licence can be issued, which reverses the usual order of paperwork. Space is finite, so the booking often sets the arrival date rather than the other way round.
Every live animal arriving by road must come through Tuas Checkpoint, between 7am and 10am, Monday to Saturday, with the AVS inspection booked at least five days ahead. You enter via the lorry and arrival-cargo lane, declare to ICA, then proceed to the AVS office at Bay A4. After clearance an AVS-appointed transporter takes your pet to the AQC.
Your dates and costs
Every deadline between today and arrival.
Schedule
III
Quarantine on arrival
Earliest landing
5 Mar 2027
If the microchip goes in today
Typical total
S$3,958–9,173
Approximate — our fee plus costs at cost
Malaysia is a Schedule III country.
Every country not on Schedule I or II. Rabies vaccination, blood test and waiting periods, plus compulsory quarantine at the Animal Quarantine Centre on arrival.
Starting today, the earliest flight lands 5 Mar 2027
That's about 4 months of preparation. Your pet then serves quarantine at the AQC, so you'd have them home around 4 Apr 2027. Dates assume nothing goes wrong — a failed blood test restarts the middle section.
What these dates assume›
- The microchip goes in today and the rabies vaccination the next day.
- Blood is drawn on the first day AVS allows it — 28 days after vaccination — and the result passes first time at 0.5 IU/ml or above.
- Export happens on the first day after the 90-day wait, with the result still inside its 12-month validity.
- Your pet has lived in the exporting country for the previous six months, or since birth.
- Cargo space is available on the date we want, and the arrival is not a Sunday or public holiday.
- Quarantine runs the minimum stay; AVS sets the actual length.
- 6 Nov 2026You
Microchip
An ISO microchip is implanted and the number recorded. Every later document must show this number.
- 7 Nov 2026You
Rabies vaccination + core vaccinations
Rabies is given after the microchip, along with feline calicivirus, herpesvirus-1 and panleukopenia.
Starts the 28-day wait before blood can be drawn
- 5 Dec 2026You
Rabies blood test (serology)
Blood is drawn at least 28 days after the vaccination and sent to an approved lab. It must read 0.5 IU/ml or more.
Starts the 90-day wait — and the result is only valid for 12 months
- 19 Dec 2026You
Lab result expected
Typical turnaround. A failed test means re-vaccinating and starting this stage again.
- 29 Jan 2027We
Quarantine space + import licence
We reserve the AQC quarantine space first — the import licence can't be issued without it — then book the flight and crate.
- 28 Feb 2027You
Vet visit & parasite treatment
The government-endorsed health certificate is issued, with flea/tick and worm treatment 2–7 days before travel.
Treatments must fall 2–7 days before export
- 5 Mar 2027We
Earliest arrival in Singapore
We clear your pet at CAPQ; an AVS transporter takes it to the AQC for quarantine.
- 4 Apr 2027We
Out of quarantine, home with you
After the AQC stay. Visiting is allowed Tue & Thu 3–5pm and Sat 2–5pm.
What it typically costs (approximate)
Our fee is for handling. Everything else is a third-party cost we pass through at cost, itemised, with no markup.
| Line item | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Our handling fee | S$650 – S$2,800 | CAPQ clearance only, up to a fully managed move |
| Air cargo | S$900 – S$2,600 | Depends on crate size, airline and route |
| IATA-approved crate | S$180 – S$450 | By weight class |
| Origin vet & paperwork | S$400 – S$900 | Varies by country |
| Rabies blood test | S$120 – S$350 | Approved laboratory, varies by country |
| AVS import licence | S$50 – S$100 | S$50 standard, S$100 express |
| Cat or dog licence (PALS) | S$15 – S$90 | Sterilised to unsterilised, per year |
| AQC quarantine (30 days) | S$1,223 – S$1,463 | AVS rate S$36–44/day, plus S$75 transport and S$68 rabies vaccination |
| Our quarantine handling | S$420 | Booking, transfers, welfare checks |
| Estimated total | S$3,958 – S$9,173 | Before 9% GST on declared value |
All prices are approximate and for guidance only, not a quote. Third-party costs — air cargo, crates, vet work — move with the market, and AVS fees and requirements change from time to time (AQC daily rates rise again on 1 December 2026). We confirm every figure against the current AVS guidelines before you commit to anything.
Want this checked against your actual dates?
Send us your cat's vaccination records and we'll confirm the schedule, every deadline and a firm quote — at no charge.
Estimates follow the AVS Pet Agents Handbook (28 Oct 2025) and are a guide, not a quote. Full rules are on our import rules page.
Questions
Malaysia, answered.
Does a pet from Malaysia need quarantine in Singapore?
Yes. Malaysia is a Schedule III country, so cats and dogs serve a compulsory quarantine at the Animal Quarantine Centre after clearance. Fees are S$26 a day for a fan-cooled kennel or S$35 air-conditioned, plus S$75 transport and S$68 for the rabies vaccination given on arrival.
Can I drive my pet across the Causeway myself?
Live animals must enter through Tuas Checkpoint, not the Causeway at Woodlands, arriving between 7am and 10am Monday to Saturday, with the AVS inspection booked at least five days beforehand.
Does the rabies blood test apply to Malaysia?
Yes. Schedule III requires rabies vaccination, a serology test reading at least 0.5 IU/ml, a blood draw at least 28 days after vaccination, and export no less than 90 days and no more than 12 months after sampling.
Start the conversation
Tell us where your pet is — we'll map the route home.
Every import is a little different. Send us the origin country and your timeline, and we'll come back with a clear plan and an honest quote.