HDB Approved Dog Breeds for Imported Dogs

Owners usually discover this list late. The vet work is done, the crate is bought, the quarantine dates are pencilled in, and then someone asks which flat the dog will live in.

This guide covers what the approved list is, what it is not, how imported dogs and crossbreeds are treated, and the two figures that circulate online without appearing in the published rules. For the wider route, start with our pet relocation service from Malaysia and the Malaysia to Singapore corridor guide. The video below covers the same question from the Singapore side.

This is the single most useful thing to understand before you spend money. The rule is administrative, not behavioural.

• The list is closed. HDB’s Keeping Pets page numbers the approved breeds 1 to 62 and states that only one dog from that list may be kept in a flat.
• The penalty is real. Flat owners who breach the rule face a fine of up to S$4,000 under the Housing and Development (Animals) Rules 2024.
• No HDB approval application exists. HDB says you need not seek its approval to keep a dog, as long as it is of an approved breed. There is no form to argue your case on.
• The AVS licence is separate. AVS states plainly on its licensing requirements page that a dog licence is not approval to keep the dog at the stated premises. Getting a licence issued proves nothing about the address.

Enforcement is split, which is why owners get conflicting answers. HDB enforces the one-approved-dog rule, while AVS issues the licences.

One quirk explains why the number is often quoted as 61. HDB lists Poodle and Poodle (Miniature) separately, and republished versions merge them. Count the rows on HDB’s own page and you get 62.

The Shiba Inu row catches people out. The Akita is a Part 1 breed and cannot be imported, while the Shiba Inu appears on neither list. Malaysia draws its own lines too, as our guide to dog breeds banned or restricted in Malaysia sets out.

Owners who need more than three pets in a private home can write to AVS for case-by-case approval, judged on space, licensing, health and handler control.

The March 2020 row matters more than it looks. The weight limit still quoted in most guides was removed six years ago, and the removal was formalised in 2022.

Two separate judgements sit behind a crossbreed, and owners often assume clearing one clears both.

• At the border, AVS is screening for Part 1 breeds. Crosses of the Part 1 breeds are themselves prohibited, which is why the photo requirement exists on the import steps page.
• At the flat, HDB is matching a name to its list. A poodle cross is not the same entry as “Poodle”, and nothing in the published HDB rule sets out how a cross is assessed.
• Local mixed breeds have their own door. That door is Project ADORE, and it runs through adoption, not import.

The published wording stops short of describing a crossbreed test for flats, so put this one to AVS and HDB in writing, against your dog’s actual paperwork, before you commit.

ADORE is worth understanding anyway, because it is the source of nearly every size figure quoted in HDB pet discussions.

• The 55cm limit is an ADORE limit. It applies to local mixed-breed dogs rehomed under the scheme, not to the 62 approved breeds.
• Conditions are strict. Dogs must be licensed, microchipped, vaccinated and sterilised, and adopters must complete obedience training with an AVS-accredited trainer.
• One dog per unit still applies. ADORE does not raise the count, only the type of dog allowed.
• Retired sniffer dogs have their own track. The K-9 scheme covers Labradors, English Springers, Cocker Spaniels and Pointers.

The conditions on a Part 2 dog are heavier than most owners expect, and they are financial as well as practical.

• Third-party insurance of at least S$100,000 must be in force, covering injury to people or animals and damage to property.
• A banker’s guarantee of S$2,000 for a Part 2 dog, or S$5,000 for a Part 1 dog, must be lodged within four weeks of the licence application or the dog’s arrival, whichever is later.
• Muzzle and leash in public apply at all times, and the dog must complete the applicable training.
• Only one Specified dog per private unit is licensed, and it counts towards the three-pet total.

German Shepherds are the breed we field most questions about, and the answer has more moving parts than a yes or no. We have set it out in full in can you bring a German Shepherd into Singapore.

We flag this because it is a live example of why dates matter more than confidence in this space.

• What AVS says. Its limits of ownership page, last updated 31 October 2025, states a maximum of two cats and one approved small-breed dog per flat.
• What HDB’s page still says. A legacy paragraph on Keeping Pets says cats are not allowed in flats, which reflects the position before 1 September 2024.
• What we do about it. We work to the more recent page and ask AVS to confirm in writing where a client’s plan turns on it.

The same caution applies to the size figures. Neither number appears in HDB’s published approved-breed rule. Both trace back to Project ADORE, where the weight limit was removed in 2020.

1. Check the Part 1 Specified dogs list first. If the breed or a cross of it appears there, the dog cannot enter Singapore and nothing else matters.
2. Check the breed name against HDB’s 62 entries. Match the name as published, not a nickname or a marketing name used by a breeder.
3. Count the pets already at the address. One dog per flat, two cats, and three in total for private premises, counted per unit rather than per owner.
4. Then apply for the dog licence on PALS. AVS requires the licence before the import licence application, which our guide to the Singapore dog licence and import permit order walks through.
5. Only then commit to dates. Book the quarantine space, the flight or Causeway crossing, and the crate once the address question is settled.

Owners driving down face the same checks at Tuas rather than Changi, as our guide to driving a dog to Singapore via the Causeway explains.

Nothing about this rule is negotiable at the counter, and no agent can widen the list. What an agent can do is tell you early, before money goes into a route that ends at a door the dog cannot walk through.

If the breed clears, the rest is sequencing: licence, import permit, quarantine booking, crossing. Our cost guide for moving a pet between Singapore and Malaysia and the pricing page cover the cost.

1. How many HDB approved dog breeds are there?

HDB’s Keeping Pets page numbers the approved breeds 1 to 62. Some republished lists show 61 because they merge Poodle and Poodle (Miniature) into a single entry. Only one dog from that list may be kept in a flat, and a breach carries a fine of up to S$4,000.

2. Is there a height or weight limit for HDB approved dogs?

Not on the approved-breed rule itself. HDB publishes a list of breed names, and the 55cm height figure quoted widely online belongs to Project ADORE, which covers local mixed-breed dogs. AVS records that ADORE’s 15kg weight limit was removed in March 2020 and formalised in 2022.

3. Can I import a Golden Retriever or Corgi into Singapore?

Yes, both may be imported. Neither appears on the list of Specified dogs, so there is no import bar. Neither appears on HDB’s approved list either, so the dog can only be kept in private, non-HDB premises, subject to the three-pet limit per unit.

4. Do the HDB rules apply to a dog imported from Malaysia?

Yes. AVS’s import steps ask you to confirm the dog is allowed at your intended residence before applying, and links to HDB’s approved list at that point. The dog licence itself is not approval to keep the dog at the address, so an issued licence does not override the flat rule.

5. Are cats allowed in HDB flats now?

AVS pages updated in late 2025 state that up to two cats are allowed per flat under the Housing and Development (Animals) Rules 2024. A transition period for existing cats runs to 31 August 2026. HDB’s Keeping Pets page still carries an older paragraph saying cats are not allowed, so confirm your case with AVS in writing.