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Rabies titer tests (FAVN / RNATT): validity and waiting periods by country
The test goes by several names — FAVN and RNATT are the standard laboratory methods; CDC simply calls it a rabies serology titer. What is consistent: the blood must be drawn after microchipping and after vaccination, by or under an authorised vet, and tested at a laboratory your destination recognises. A result from the wrong laboratory is a common and expensive failure.
The waiting periods are not interchangeable. Japan counts 180 days from the sampling date. Australia counts 180 days from the sample arriving at the laboratory. The UAE requires the test for US pets but its USDA page states no wait after the draw — only that the sample be under 12 months old. Read your destination's page, not a generic summary.
| Destination | Required? | Pass mark | Wait / window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | Yes — MAFF-designated lab | ≥0.5 IU/ml | Arrive ≥180 days after sampling; result valid 2 years |
| Australia | Yes — recognised lab + USDA-endorsed declaration | ≥0.5 IU/ml | Export ≥180 days after sample reaches lab; valid 12 months |
| New Zealand | Yes | ≥0.5 IU/ml | Sample 3–24 months before shipment |
| UAE | Yes for US pets | ≥0.5 IU/ml | Sample ≤12 months old; no official post-draw wait |
| Hawaii | Yes — FAVN only, RFFIT not accepted | ≥0.5 IU/ml | Arrive ≥30 days after lab receives sample (and ≤36 months) |
| United Kingdom | No — US is a listed country | — | — |
| Into the US (high-risk, foreign-vaccinated) | Yes, from a CDC-approved lab — or 28-day quarantine | ≥0.5 IU/ml | Drawn ≥30 days after first vaccine, ≥28 days before entry; valid for life if vaccination never lapses |
Related questions
My pet failed the titer test. Now what?
Revaccinate and redraw. CDC recommends waiting at least 14 days between revaccination and a new sample; other destinations have their own sequencing — check the route page.
Can any laboratory run the test?
No. Japan requires a MAFF-designated lab; CDC requires a CDC-approved lab; Australia requires a lab recognised by the exporting country's government. The wrong lab means the result does not count.
Does a titer test replace vaccination?
Never. It measures the response to vaccination, and every system requires vaccination to stay continuously in date afterwards.
Official sources for this page
- CDC — Dogs from rabies-free and low-risk countries
- CDC — Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries
- CDC — U.S.-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries
- CDC — Dog Import Form instructions
- CDC — High-risk countries for dog rabies
- USDA APHIS — Pet travel to Japan
- Australia DAFF — Rabies and RNATT
We check each rule against the exporting country's official page and the destination country's official page. If the two disagree, we show the disagreement instead of guessing.