Cats are not required to have a license in Shanghai. Dogs, however, are. The license fee for a dog in Shanghai is 2000 RMB in the city, 1000 RMB outside of the Inner Ring Road and only 100 RMB for outside the Outer Ring Road. The license is valid for one year, after which you must reapply for a renewal of the license and pay the license fee again.

In rural parts of China, rabies is a real problem. Seemingly unfairly, authorities in Shanghai and other major cities are at times very aggressive in pursuing unlicensed dogs. Having a dog license means that the dog has been vaccinated against rabies (and that the owner has paid the hefty annual fee). The dog catchers can be very brazen and stern. If an owner does not have the dog license on them at the moment they’re confronted by a dog catcher, the dog is often taken. When a dog is taken, the owner is almost guaranteed never to get him or her back. In many cases, the dog catcher will not even allow the owner to go upstairs to fetch the license. There have been well-publicized roundups of unlicensed dogs in expat compounds. Thus, it is vital to get your dog licensed and take it with your dog at all times!

Fortunately, the dog license application process has improved over the years and is now a fairly straight forward process once you confirm the list of requirements, paperwork to complete and where to go to submit them. However, in the past, it was not uncommon to find different requirements from one district to another (we learned this from personal experience). The completed paperwork should be taken to the designated police station in your district that is responsible for the handling of dog license applications. Oftentimes, there are special hours for processing dog license applications, so call ahead before you go there. You’ll be directed to the specific person in charge of the dog license department. Note though that you won’t find anyone there who speaks English, so it’s best to bring along a Chinese friend or colleague to help translate.

Below are the basic requirements for applying for a dog license in Shanghai.

·         A completed Dog License application form. Note that if you are renting an apartment in a compound, you are required to get the management company to chop the application form.

·         Dog owner’s Passport

·         Your apartment lease (if you’re renting) or proof of ownership

·         One 1” color photo of the owner and one 3” color photo of the dog (where the whole body is visible in photo)

·         Proof of work/business in Shanghai

If someone else is applying on your behalf, a written authorization and the ID of the representative are required.

Note that foreigners can only get the permit if they are staying in Shanghai for more than one year. It normally takes 10 days to process the application after all forms have been submitted.