Start with the destination rules
Before selecting a koi, confirm whether your country requires an import permit, advance notification, approved origin facility, laboratory testing, health certificate or post-arrival quarantine. Requirements can change, so the destination authority or a licensed importer should provide the final answer.
- Import permit and permitted entry airport
- Required disease tests and certificate wording
- Importer registration or broker requirement
- Quarantine and inspection after arrival
Use an exporter familiar with your country
An experienced exporter coordinates the Japanese side of the shipment and understands airline schedules, packing density and document timing. The importer remains responsible for satisfying destination requirements, so both sides must review the same checklist.
- Confirm recent shipments to your destination
- Request the estimated box count and chargeable weight
- Agree who bears losses caused by delays or refusal at the border
Health and facility status matter
Some destinations accept koi only from facilities that meet specified aquatic-animal health conditions. A public registration or association listing is a useful starting signal, not proof that a particular fish is currently eligible for every country.
- Ask where the koi is currently held
- Confirm any testing and isolation period
- Match the facility and exporter information to the certificate
Plan the shipment around the fish
Koi are normally fasted before packing and placed in oxygenated bags inside insulated boxes. Weather, flight connections and customs opening hours affect risk. A cheaper route with long transfers may not be the safest route.
- Avoid avoidable weekend or holiday holds
- Have a prepared quarantine tank at destination
- Do not mix new arrivals directly into the main pond
What to send with an inquiry
Tell us the destination country and airport, expected budget, number and size of koi, preferred timing, and whether you already have a licensed importer. Koi Atlas uses that information to identify the most suitable next contact.