Your Pet Is in AQC Quarantine Singapore: What Happens During the 30 Days

The hardest part of Singapore quarantine isn’t the paperwork — it’s the thirty days your pet spends apart from you while you have almost no information about what’s happening inside. The Animal Quarantine Centre at 2 Jalan Lekar, Choa Chu Kang, is Singapore’s only authorised quarantine facility for imported pets, and every dog and cat arriving from Vietnam must complete a mandatory 30-day stay there — no exceptions, no early releases. This guide explains exactly what those 30 days look like: arrival day procedures, daily care routines, the visiting schedule, grooming and exercise access, fees, and how to collect your pet on release day.

If you haven’t yet secured your quarantine booking, read our step-by-step AQC slot booking guide first — that step must be completed well before your pet flies. For the complete Singapore import process from Vietnam, see our Singapore Pet Shipping: 2026 Complete Guide.

Day One: How Your Pet Arrives at AQC

Your pet’s journey into quarantine begins not at AQC itself, but at Changi Airport. Upon landing, your pet enters the CAPQ (Changi Animal & Plant Quarantine) facility at Changi for border inspection and clearance. From there, the transfer to AQC follows a strict timetable: pets are moved from CAPQ to AQC only between 10:00 AM and 10:30 AM, Monday through Friday. This is not a flexible window — it is a fixed operational procedure.

If your flight arrives too late in the day for CAPQ processing to complete before 10:00 AM, your pet will stay overnight at CAPQ and be transferred to AQC the following morning. This adds one day to the total quarantine period from your pet’s perspective. To avoid this, flights should arrive at Changi early enough — ideally before 8:00 AM — to allow inspection to complete within the transfer window.

---

Daily Life Inside AQC: What Your Pet Experiences

AQC operates as a professional veterinary quarantine facility, not a boarding kennel. The daily routine is structured around animal welfare and disease surveillance — which is the legal purpose of the quarantine period. Here is what happens on a typical day:

• Daily veterinary health checks: A veterinarian or veterinary technician inspects every animal in the facility each day. Any signs of illness are flagged immediately. This is the primary biosecurity function of quarantine.
• Food included in the daily rate: Meals are provided as part of the quarantine fee — there is no separate food charge. The food is standard commercial pet food appropriate for each species.
• Morning walks for dogs: Dogs receive a morning walk each day. This is part of the standard care routine.
• Exercise fields (free, booking required): Dedicated exercise areas are available at no additional cost. Sessions last 15 minutes and must be pre-booked directly with AQC. You can request an exercise session during your visit or by contacting the facility in advance.
• Grooming room (free, booking required): AQC provides access to a grooming room at no extra charge. Sessions are 30 minutes and require a prior booking with AQC. This is a meaningful benefit for long-haired breeds during a 30-day stay.

Pets are housed in either fan-fitted or air-conditioned kennels and catteries depending on the room type you booked. For heat-sensitive breeds or long-haired cats, the air-conditioned option is strongly advisable — and for most Vietnamese clients arriving in Singapore’s year-round tropical climate, it is what we recommend.

---

Visiting Your Pet: The Official Schedule

One of the most important things to understand before your pet’s quarantine begins is that visiting hours are restricted to specific days and times. Many owners assume they can visit daily — this is not the case. AQC’s official visiting schedule is:

This means that during a standard 30-day stay, you will have approximately 12–13 visiting opportunities — roughly every two to three days on the days the schedule allows. While this is less frequent than many owners would prefer, visits play a real role in reducing your pet’s stress. Familiar faces, familiar scents, and even the sound of your voice provide meaningful comfort to animals in an unfamiliar environment. To see exactly how this plays out across a full month, follow Lloyd’s complete 30-day AQC stay — a real case of a Golden Retriever relocated from Hanoi to Singapore, documented from day one through release.

One critical rule: pets cannot be taken out of AQC during the quarantine period. Visits take place on-site. Your pet remains inside the facility for the full 30 days regardless of the circumstances — this is a legal requirement of the quarantine process, not an operational preference of the facility.

AQC is located at 2 Jalan Lekar, Singapore 698919, near Choa Chu Kang MRT station (North-South Line). You can reach the facility by Bus 975 or Bus 172. Parking on-site is limited — public transport is recommended, especially during peak visiting hours on Saturdays.

---

AQC Fee Structure: What You Are Paying For

The daily rate covers accommodation, food, and routine veterinary monitoring. In short: SGD 26/day (fan-fitted) or SGD 35/day (air-conditioned), plus a one-time SGD 75 transport fee from CAPQ to AQC. For one dog in an air-conditioned kennel, the 30-day total comes to approximately SGD 1,125, with a non-refundable deposit of around SGD 425 due when you confirm the booking. Rates increase from 1 December 2026. For the complete fee table, deposit policy, cancellation rules, and amendment fees, see our complete AQC quarantine guide.

---

Release Day: Collecting Your Pet After 30 Days

After 30 full days, your pet is cleared for release. Collection hours are 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM. You will need to present identification and the QMS booking confirmation. Plan to arrive before noon — late pickups may need to be rescheduled to the following day.

The 30-day countdown begins from the day your pet enters AQC — not the day your pet lands at Changi. If your pet spent a night at CAPQ before transfer, that overnight stay does not count toward the 30 days. Make sure you account for this in your planning, especially if you have housing or employment start dates dependent on your pet’s release.

---

What Daisy Pet Recommends Before Quarantine Begins

Based on our experience managing Singapore cases, here is what makes the 30-day quarantine easier for both pets and owners:

• Book an air-conditioned kennel/cattery. The additional cost over the fan-fitted option is modest — approximately SGD 270 over 30 days — and the welfare difference in Singapore’s climate is real, especially for brachycephalic breeds (Bulldogs, Persian cats, Shih Tzus).
• Bring a familiar scent item on visit day. A small piece of unwashed clothing or a familiar toy can reduce anxiety during the quarantine period. Ask AQC staff about their policy for leaving comfort items.
• Pre-book grooming sessions early. Grooming slots fill quickly, especially on Saturdays. Contact AQC as soon as your pet’s arrival date is confirmed.
• Plan your visiting schedule in advance. Map out your Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday visits across the 30-day window before your pet arrives — this makes the separation more manageable emotionally and logistically.
• Coordinate release day with your housing schedule. AQC’s 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM release window is narrow. If you have a work commitment or housing move on release day, arrange someone to collect your pet within that window.
• Relocating multiple pets? Up to 3 cats can share one cattery (select in QMS booking form). Up to 3 dogs can share one kennel — request via email to qms@nparks.gov.sg before arrival.

Related: Pet Shipping from Vietnam to Singapore: 2026 Complete Guide — full regulatory overview, medical preparation timeline, cost breakdown, and the 5-month compliance roadmap.