A pet arriving in Hong Kong from Malaysia must serve at least 30 days of quarantine in either an AFCD Animal Management Centre or the SPCA licensed quarantine centre in Hong Kong at Tsing Yi. The government route is cheaper and published at HK$90 a day for dogs and HK$46 for cats, but it provides no vet care, no grooming and no exercise service. The SPCA centre offers all three under one roof and does not publish its rates on its main page. Both routes start with the same AFCD application, and figures here are as at AFCD's 16 June 2026 page revision.
Introduction: two centres, one decision
Hong Kong now has two places a Malaysian pet can serve its 30 days: the government Animal Management Centres run by AFCD, and the SPCA licensed quarantine centre in Hong Kong at Tsing Yi. They differ on price, on what staff will and will not do for your pet, and on how you book. The choice is yours, and you make it early.
Until recently there was no decision to make. Every imported dog and cat went to an AFCD kennel and that was the end of it. Since the SPCA opened its licensed centre, Malaysian owners have a second option and, for the first time, something to weigh up.
The two are not cheap and expensive versions of the same thing. One is a government holding facility that keeps your pet safe and fed, and expects you to arrange everything else. The other is a welfare organisation’s care centre that bundles the extras in. We plan every Malaysia to Hong Kong pet transport file around whichever one the family picks, because the booking path splits early. My Pet Mover reconfirms both sets of details before any flight is held.
Before the detail, a short explainer on the rule change that put Malaysia on the 30-day pathway in the first place.
What is the SPCA licensed quarantine centre in Hong Kong?
It is the SPCA Jockey Club Centennial Centre at Tsing Yi, licensed by AFCD to hold imported dogs and cats in quarantine. AFCD lists it at 2/F, 38 Cheung Fai Road, Tsing Yi, with seven spaces for dogs and fourteen for cats from Group IIIA and IIIB origins.
The centre is not an alternative to AFCD’s system. It sits inside it. AFCD licenses the facility, AFCD officers escort your pet there from the airport, and your file still runs through AFCD from start to finish. What changes is who keeps the kennel.
AFCD names it directly on the Group IIIA import procedure page, which is the page Malaysia falls under. The contact line given is 2232 5555, and office hours run Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.
- It is a welfare organisation, not a boarding kennel. The SPCA runs its own veterinary, animal care and grooming teams in the same building.
- It takes both species. Cats came first; dog spaces followed, and the AFCD listing now covers both.
- It is small. Twenty-one spaces in total across dogs and cats, which is the whole of the private capacity in Hong Kong today.
Not sure which centre fits your pet?
Tell us the species, the age, and whether your pet needs regular medication or grooming, and we will tell you which of the two makes more sense before you pay anything. See how pet export from Malaysia works →
Where the government quarantine centres actually are
There are two, not one. The Hong Kong Animal Management Centre at 688 Victoria Road, Pokfulam, and the Kowloon Animal Management Centre at 16 Shing Yau Street, Kai Tak. AFCD assigns the centre; you do not choose between them.
Owners often assume “the government kennel” is a single place. It is two, and they are not equivalent. The Kai Tak site is the newer of the pair, and its rooms are considerably larger.
AFCD’s own facility introduction sets out the difference plainly. A basic cat room at Pokfulam is not less than 1.35 square metres; at Kai Tak it is about 8. For dogs the gap is wider still, roughly 4 square metres against about 19.
The trade-off runs the other way on space to move. Pokfulam has two exercise areas plus an outdoor yard of around 400 square metres where owners may exercise their own dogs. Kai Tak is indoor only.
How Hong Kong’s quarantine capacity changed since 2024
Government capacity went from 21 cat and 20 dog spaces to 34 and 30 when the Kowloon centre opened in May 2025. The SPCA licence then added 14 cat and 7 dog spaces. Combined with the cut from 120 days to 30, officials estimated overall handling capacity rose six to seven times.
Hong Kong Quarantine Spaces, Late 2024 To Mid 2026
| Point in time | Cat spaces | Dog spaces | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before May 2025 | 21 | 20 | Government kennels only, all at Pokfulam |
| May 2025 | 34 | 30 | Kowloon Animal Management Centre quarantine facilities enter service |
| June 2025 | 34 | 30 | Turnover rises fourfold as the 120-day period is replaced by 30 days for Group IIIA |
| By mid 2026 | 48 (34 + 14) | 37 (30 + 7) | SPCA Tsing Yi licensed and listed by AFCD as a quarantine centre |
Compiled by My Pet Mover, August 2026. Government space counts and the fourfold turnover estimate from the Environment and Ecology Bureau’s reply to the Legislative Council of 11 June 2025. Licensed centre counts from AFCD’s Group IIIA page, revised 16 June 2026. Capacity is reviewed periodically; confirm with AFCD before planning around it.
The capacity story explains why the wait is still measured in months. Supply roughly doubled, but the shorter stay also made Hong Kong a far easier destination, and demand followed.
Twenty-one spaces against sixty-four
The SPCA centre holds 21 animals in total against 64 in the two government centres. That makes the private option roughly a quarter of Hong Kong’s quarantine capacity, and it is the reason its own waiting list can move very differently from AFCD’s.
Where Hong Kong’s Quarantine Spaces Sit
| Facility and species | Spaces | Relative share | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government, cats | 34 | AFCD | |
| Government, dogs | 30 | AFCD | |
| SPCA Tsing Yi, cats | 14 | SPCA, licensed by AFCD | |
| SPCA Tsing Yi, dogs | 7 | SPCA, licensed by AFCD |
Compiled by My Pet Mover, August 2026. Bars are proportional to the largest count shown. Government figures from the Legislative Council reply of 11 June 2025; SPCA figures from AFCD’s Group IIIA page.
Seven dog spaces is the number to sit with. A single large family moving three dogs takes nearly half the private dog capacity in Hong Kong for a month.
What you get for the daily fee at each centre
AFCD’s detention fee covers cleaning, disinfection, security and feeding. It explicitly excludes exercise, grooming and veterinary care, which owners must arrange and pay for separately. The SPCA describes in-house veterinary, animal care and grooming teams under one roof.
Included Or Arranged By You: Government Centre Against SPCA Tsing Yi
| Item | AFCD Animal Management Centre | SPCA Tsing Yi |
|---|---|---|
| Feeding | Commercial dry food provided; own diet allowed, fee unchanged | Handled by in-house animal care team |
| Cleaning and security | Included, daily cleaning and regular disinfection | Included |
| Veterinary care | Not provided. You must nominate a private vet and pay them directly | In-house veterinary surgeons on site |
| Grooming | Not provided. Owner does it or hires a private groomer | In-house grooming team |
| Exercise | Not a staff service. Areas exist; owners use them during visiting hours | Not specified publicly; ask when booking |
| Visiting | 10am to noon and 2pm to 4pm daily, registered visitors only | Not published; confirm directly with the centre |
| Published price | HK$90 per day dogs, HK$46 per day cats | Published in a separate price list document, not on the main page |
Compiled by My Pet Mover, August 2026, from AFCD’s Introduction to Animal Management Quarantine Centre (Form G109, Rev. 07/2024) and the SPCA’s licensed quarantine centre page. AFCD notes its fees are subject to revision. Confirm both before booking.
Government detention fees, and the figure SPCA keeps in a PDF
AFCD charges HK$90 per day or part thereof for a dog and HK$46 for a cat, which works out to HK$2,700 and HK$1,380 over a 30-day minimum. The SPCA does not print its rate on its main page; it links a separate price list document instead, so you have to ask.
Two things make the government figure easy to underestimate. The first is the phrase “or part thereof”, which means a partial day counts as a whole one. The second is that the daily fee sits on top of the AFCD permit. That permit costs HK$432 for one animal, plus HK$102 for each additional animal on the same permit for a single shipment.
On the SPCA side, the public page carries no rate at all. It points to a downloadable price list and asks you to contact the centre. Anyone quoting a firm SPCA daily rate from memory is guessing, so we confirm it in writing rather than repeat it. Quarantine also sits alongside airfreight, crate, export paperwork and Malaysian-side vet work, which our pet relocation pricing page breaks down.
The booking sequence: AFCD first, SPCA second
You cannot book the SPCA centre directly from Malaysia. AFCD must first accept your application and issue a waiting list reference number. Only then does the SPCA take your booking, and the SPCA’s payment confirmation is what completes your AFCD permit application.
The order matters because families often try to secure the private kennel first, thinking it will save time. It cannot be done. Here is the actual sequence.
- Complete the health work in Malaysia. Microchip, rabies vaccination, full vaccination against the other required diseases, and a satisfactory rabies antibody test from a laboratory AFCD recognises.
- Submit the AFCD application. Form AF240, the quarantine booking form PC100, vaccination records, the antibody report and a copy of your passport or HKID.
- Receive the waiting list reference number. AFCD issues it once the documents are in order, and your pet joins the government waiting list at that moment.
- Approach the SPCA with that reference number. Complete the SPCA’s own quarantine booking form and supply medical history if asked.
- Decide within one week and pre-pay. Once the booking is accepted you have a week to reserve, and pre-payment secures the slot.
- Send the SPCA confirmation email back to AFCD. That proof completes your Special Permit application.
Step one is where most Malaysian files lose time, because the antibody test has to be drawn at a recognised laboratory and at least 90 days before export. We cover which laboratories qualify in AFCD approved rabies antibody labs for Malaysia.
Want the AFCD bundle lodged correctly the first time?
We prepare and submit the AF240 and PC100 set for Malaysian families every month, and we chase the reference number so you are not guessing. See the Malaysia to Hong Kong requirements →
Two waiting lists, and why you can sit on both
Joining the AFCD list is automatic once your documents pass. The SPCA list is separate and you must approach the centre yourself. AFCD publishes about three months for dogs and six for cats on its own list; it tells applicants to ask the licensed centre directly about theirs.
This is the practical reason to consider the private centre even if cost is your main concern. Your file joins the government queue whether you want it to or not. Approaching the SPCA in parallel costs you nothing until you pre-pay, and may surface an earlier date.
It also cuts the other way. With seven dog spaces, the private list can be longer than the government one at times, not shorter. Nobody publishes it, so the only way to know is to ask on the day.
The published government figures, and how they compare with the numbers circulating on relocation blogs, are set out in the AFCD quarantine waiting list explained. It is worth reading before you fix a date.
The 4:30pm rule that catches Malaysian arrivals
If your pet cannot reach the SPCA Tsing Yi centre before 4:30pm, the SPCA states it will be escorted to AFCD’s Airport Animal Hostel for the night, with AFCD detention fees applying, and you arrange transport again the next day. Flight choice therefore decides whether you pay twice on day one.
This detail surprises Malaysian families most, and it is entirely avoidable. Three things stack up on arrival day: the landing time, AFCD’s physical and document check at the airport, and the road time from Chek Lap Kok to Tsing Yi. A morning departure from Kuala Lumpur leaves comfortable margin. A late-afternoon arrival does not, and the overnight becomes the likely outcome rather than the unlucky one.
Two other points follow from the same rule.
- You arrange the transport, not AFCD. An officer escorts the animal, but the vehicle and the driver are your responsibility on both legs.
- Pets fly as manifested cargo. AFCD requires it for air arrivals, which affects check-in timing at the Malaysian end. We explain the difference in cabin, cargo and excess baggage compared.
What that looks like at the Malaysian end on the day itself is covered in pet cargo at KLIA on flight day.
Which centre suits which Malaysian move
The government centre suits a healthy adult pet whose owner will already be in Hong Kong and can visit daily. The SPCA centre suits a pet on medication, a senior, a long-coated breed, or a family arriving weeks after the pet does. The deciding factor is who will be there to fill the gaps.
Matching The Centre To The Move
| Move profile | Usually fits | Why, and the watch-out |
|---|---|---|
| Owner already in Hong Kong | ||
| Healthy adult dog, short coat | Government centre | Daily visiting slots let you cover exercise yourself. Watch: no staff exercise service at all. |
| Healthy adult cat | Government centre | Lowest published daily rate. Watch: the cat queue is the longer of the two. |
| Pet arrives before the family | ||
| Nobody in Hong Kong for weeks | SPCA Tsing Yi | Care is staffed rather than owner-supplied. Watch: only seven dog spaces. |
| Only a proxy available locally | SPCA Tsing Yi | Avoids relying on a friend for daily visits. Watch: rate is not published publicly. |
| Pet needs more than food and shelter | ||
| Daily medication or senior pet | SPCA Tsing Yi | Vets are in the same building. Watch: confirm the exact medication protocol in writing. |
| Long or double coat | SPCA Tsing Yi | Grooming is in-house. Watch: at the government centre this is entirely on you. |
Guidance compiled by My Pet Mover, August 2026, from the published service descriptions of both facilities. It is a planning aid, not a rule. Confirm current arrangements with AFCD and the SPCA before deciding.
Conclusion
Both centres deliver the same 30 days and the same legal outcome. Pick on care and availability, not on the headline rate, and enquire with both before your antibody result comes back.
The choice between the SPCA licensed quarantine centre in Hong Kong and an AFCD Animal Management Centre is really a choice about who looks after your pet when you are not there. The government fee is genuinely low, and for a healthy pet with an owner already in Hong Kong it is the sensible answer. For everyone else, the gap closes fast once you add private vet visits and grooming.
Whichever way you go, the paperwork route is identical and it starts months out. If Hong Kong is on your horizon this year, the full corridor requirements sit on our Malaysia to Hong Kong pet transport page, and it is worth comparing with Singapore’s 30-day quarantine for Malaysian pets, which uses one facility and a booked slot rather than a queue. The background on why Hong Kong quarantines Malaysian pets at all is set out in our explainer on the rules.
Deciding between Tsing Yi and the government kennel?
Send us your pet’s species, age, coat type, any medication, and your target arrival month. We will lay out the real cost of both routes, lodge the AFCD bundle, and hold a flight that clears the 4:30pm cut-off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the SPCA licensed quarantine centre in Hong Kong?
AFCD lists it as 2/F, SPCA Jockey Club Centennial Centre (Tsing Yi Centre), 38 Cheung Fai Road, Tsing Yi, New Territories. The contact number given is 2232 5555 and the email is quarantineservice@spca.org.hk, with office hours Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.
How many pets can the SPCA centre hold?
Seven quarantine spaces for dogs and fourteen for cats, per AFCD’s Group IIIA page as revised on 16 June 2026. That is the whole of the licensed private capacity in Hong Kong, so book early, particularly for dogs.
Is the SPCA centre more expensive than the government one?
Almost certainly, though the SPCA does not publish a rate on its main page and links a separate price list instead. AFCD’s published detention fee is HK$90 per day for a dog and HK$46 for a cat. Compare like with like by adding the private vet and grooming costs you would pay separately at the government centre.
Can I book the SPCA centre before applying to AFCD?
No. The SPCA requires the AFCD waiting list reference number before it will take a booking. You then send the SPCA’s payment confirmation back to AFCD to complete your Special Permit application, so the two run in sequence, not in parallel.
Can I visit my pet during quarantine?
At the government centres, yes. Visiting hours are 10am to noon and 2pm to 4pm daily including public holidays, restricted to visitors registered in advance, and the centre closes when typhoon signal No. 8 or above, a black rainstorm warning, or extreme conditions are in force. The SPCA does not publish its visiting policy, so ask when you book.
Does the government centre provide veterinary care?
No. AFCD states the centre provides cleaning, disinfection, security and feeding only, and does not provide exercise, grooming or veterinary care. You must nominate a private registered veterinary surgeon who can be called in, and you pay those fees directly.
What happens if my pet lands in Hong Kong late in the day?
The SPCA states that if the animal cannot reach the Tsing Yi centre before 4:30pm, it is escorted to AFCD’s Airport Animal Hostel for one night with AFCD detention fees applying, and you arrange transport again the following day. Choose a morning departure from Kuala Lumpur to avoid it.
