Animal quarantine inspection for dairy products

Update: Jul., 18, 2025

Animal quarantine regulations for dairy products have taken effect on 1 November 2017.
Dairy products to be imported and exported are subject to inspection by Animal Quarantine Service (AQS).

Regulated dairy products

Regulated dairy products are classified by HS code.

0401（e.g. milk, cream）
＊exempted goods: long-life milk specified as a product storable at room temperature by Ministerial Ordinance*
0402（e.g. milk, cream）
＊exempted goods: evaporated milk AND evaporated skimmed milk specified by Ministerial Ordinance*
0403（e.g. butter milk）
＊exempted goods: fermented milk AND fermented milk drink specified by Ministerial Ordinance*
0404（e.g. whey powder）
0405（e.g. butter）
＊exempted goods: butteroil (including ghee) specified by Ministerial Ordinance*
0406（e.g. cheese）
＊exempted goods: processed cheese
3502.20、3502.90（made from raw milk or dairy products. e.g. milk alubumin, concentrated whey）
＊exempted goods: fractionated and purified α-lactalubumin
2309.10、2309.90（made from raw milk or dairy products. e.g. petfood, feed）
＊exempted goods: 'dry petfood' and 'goods meet the following A), B), C), and D)(PDF : 56KB)'
   A) NOT intended for cloven-hoofed animals consumption
   B) NOT necessary any processing so it can be put up for retail sale (only repacking is accepted)
   C) raw milk or dairy products as raw materials in the goods is less than 50% (NOT include added water)
   D) shelf-stable

＊The following dairy products are exempted from animal quarantine requirements.

Those imported (or exported) as personal baggage accompanying a person who arrives from a foreign country (or leaves from Japan) in a vessel or aircraft.
（However, it is preferable to obtain an inspection certificate issued by a competent authority of the exporting country if those are used for commercial or business, over 10kg, or used for feed.)
Canned products, bottled products, and retort products (only products that are heat-sterilised after being packaged in containers.)
Specified as a product storable at room temperature by Ministerial Ordinance*
Those NOT used for commercial or business, AND are less than 10kg (other than those used for feed)
Dairy products classified in HS code other than those above

*: Ministerial Ordinance on Milk and Milk products Concerning Compositional Standards, etc.

Import inspection for dairy products

1．Animal health requirements are establishd for dairy products of cloven-hoofed animals

〈Listed countries〉
Australia, Austria,Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Brazil (State of Santa Catalina only), Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Italy(Including Sardinia island), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom (Great Britain and Northern Ireland only), Ukraine, U.S.A. (Mainland, Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico only) and Vanuatu

Germany and Indonesia were removed from the listed countries on January 15, 2025.
Hungary and Slovakia were removed from the listed countries on March 10, 2025.

2．Obtain an inspection certificate issued by a competent authority of the exporting country

For dairy products of cloven-hoofed animals

Model inspection certificate

Listed countries：PDF(PDF : 99KB)、Microsoft Word(WORD : 41KB)
Countries other than listed countries：PDF(PDF : 97KB)、Microsoft Word(WORD : 40KB)

＊The following countries notify us that they use model inspection certificate.

Israel, Vietnam, South Korea, China, Hong Kong (other than human consumption), Peru (other than human consumption)

＊Inspection certificate form established between Japan and the exporting country.

Europe
Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Ukraine, United Kingdom (Great Britain and Northen Ireland only), Estonia, Austria, Netherlands, Guernsey, Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, San Marino, Jersey, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Slovakia, Serbia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Hungary, Finland, France, Bulgaria, Belarus, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Romania, Russia
The Americas
Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Colombia, Chile (human consumption), Brazil, USA, Peru (human consumption), Mexico
Asia (including the Middle East)
United Arab Emirates, Iran, India, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey, Nepal, Philippines, Bhutan, Malaysia, Mongolia
Oceania, Africa
Australia, New Zealand, South Africa

For dairy products of animals other than cloven-hoofed animals

An inspection certificate issued by a competent authority of the exporting country and stating that it is confirmed that the said items are not likely to spread pathogens of animal infectious disease is necessary to import.

3．Dairy products need to be imported at one of the designated airport or seaport

4．Dairy products need to be carried in one of the location for inspection designated by AQS

5．Application for import inspection to AQS

6．Import inspection by AQS

Export inspection for dairy products

The following dairy products need to be inspected by AQS.
1) Aforementioned regulated dairy products
2) Dairy products for which the destination country requires certification

Please refer to the following page for the procedures.
https://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/product/export.html

Leaflet

Dairy products leaflet(PDF : 115KB)