These are the questions Daisy Pet gets most often about moving a dog or cat from Vietnam to Türkiye—the short version of each answer, with the reasoning behind it where that matters. For the full picture, see our complete Vietnam-to-Türkiye pet shipping guide.
Can I bring my dog or cat to Türkiye from Vietnam?
Yes. A pet from Vietnam needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination given on or after the chip date, a rabies titer test of at least 0.5 IU/ml at an EU-approved lab, a waiting period of about 90 days, and a Turkish-model health certificate signed within 2 days of travel. The Türkiye pet import requirements guide lists every step with its source.
Does Türkiye require a rabies titer test?
Yes, for a pet’s first entry. The blood sample is taken at least 30 days after the last rabies vaccine and tested at an EU-approved laboratory. Later trips don’t need a new test if every rabies booster was given before the previous one expired. Our guide to the rabies titer test explains how the result is reported.
How long is the wait after the blood test?
About 90 days. The regulation counts three months from the day the blood was drawn, while the Istanbul Airport border office counts 90 days from the date of the test result. For a pet from Vietnam the two dates can differ by weeks, so Daisy Pet plans from the later one. The Vietnam to Türkiye pet shipping timeline shows both dates on a calendar.
How many pets can I bring?
Two per passenger. Dogs, cats and birds are counted together, and each animal needs its own certificate. A third animal, or any pet that travels without its owner, moves into the import lane and needs a control certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Can my pet fly separately from me?
Yes, but as cargo. The pet loses the personal exemption that customs give to a pet travelling with its passenger, and it needs a control certificate, an invoice, an importer’s undertaking and customs clearance through an agent. The health conditions stay the same as for a pet travelling with you. Our guide to airlines that carry pets to Türkiye shows which carriers put a pet into this lane.
What is the minimum age for a pet to travel to Türkiye?
In practice, about 7 months. The rabies vaccine is given from three months of age, the blood draw follows 30 days later, and a wait of around three months comes after that. The regulation lets the Ministry admit unvaccinated puppies and kittens under three months, but Turkish Cargo does not carry animals under 10 weeks, and Turkish Airlines accepts unvaccinated animals under three months only on European flights.
Which dog breeds are banned in Türkiye?
Türkiye’s law bans six: American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa, American Staffordshire Terrier and American Bully. The ban covers importing, breeding, owning and selling them. Airlines go further: Turkish Airlines and Turkish Cargo also refuse crosses of these breeds, and the IATA Timatic database that airline staff check at the counter also lists Rottweilers, Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, several mastiff types, Bandogs and Tosa Inus as not allowed to enter. If your dog is on either list, confirm with the airline before booking.
Is there quarantine in Türkiye?
Not as a routine step. A pet that meets every requirement is released after the border veterinary check. Quarantine appears only as a measure for animals that fail the check, and any costs of checks and quarantine fall on the owner.
How close to the flight must the health certificate be signed?
Within 2 days of travel. Türkiye’s regulation sets that window, and Turkish Airlines applies its own check at the counter: a certificate issued and stamped within the last 48 hours that states the animal is free of parasites. Our animal health certificate guide explains how the document is issued in Vietnam.
Do I need tick and tapeworm treatment?
Yes, in practice. The Turkish certificate marks both treatments “when required,” but the IATA Timatic database asks for internal and external parasite treatment at least 14 days before departure, and Turkish Airlines asks for a certificate stating the animal is free of parasites. Daisy Pet recommends treating ticks and tapeworm between 30 and 14 days before travel and recording it on the certificate.
Which airports in Türkiye accept pets?
Istanbul Airport (IST), Sabiha Gökçen (SAW), Ankara Esenboğa, Antalya and İzmir Adnan Menderes accept live animals, according to the Ministry’s list of approved ports. Muğla Milas handles live fish only. Turkish Airlines flights from Vietnam land at Istanbul Airport.
Can my pet transit Istanbul on the way to another country?
Yes. A pet that only transits Türkiye and never enters the country doesn’t have to meet Türkiye’s conditions, only those of its destination. The airline’s own transit rules still apply, so confirm them when booking.
Which airlines fly pets from Vietnam to Türkiye?
Turkish Airlines is the only carrier we found flying nonstop between Vietnam and Istanbul, and it takes pets in the cabin, in the hold or as cargo. Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines connect through their hubs and can carry pets as checked baggage. Emirates and Etihad carry pets from Vietnam as cargo only.
Can a snub-nosed dog or cat fly to Istanbul?
Only in limited ways. Turkish Airlines does not carry dogs and cats with flat or upturned noses in the hold as checked baggage, though they may fly in the cabin within 8 kg. Heavier animals go with Turkish Cargo, which requires a larger crate, ventilation on four sides, an indemnity letter and a temperature below 27°C at both ends.
Are the rules the same for cats?
Yes. Türkiye’s regulation covers dogs, cats and ferrets with the same chip, vaccine, titer and certificate steps, and no cat breed is banned by Turkish law. The limits come from the airline: Turkish Cargo does not accept Sphynx cats, and cats with short noses face the same cabin and cargo rules as dogs.
Is Türkiye’s process the same as the EU’s?
The medical steps match, but the details differ. Türkiye wants its own certificate model signed within 2 days of travel, allows two pets per traveller instead of five, treats a pet travelling without its owner as an import, and bans six dog breeds nationwide. Our EU pet import laws guide covers the other side.
What happens if my pet doesn’t meet the requirements?
An animal that fails the border check can be returned to its country of origin, held in quarantine while its status is verified, or, if neither is possible, destroyed without compensation, all at the owner’s expense. Most failures come from date errors made months earlier, which is why the calendar is worth building before any ticket is booked. The airline may also refuse the pet at the check-in counter if the conditions aren’t met.
Do I need my own microchip reader?
Only if the chip isn’t ISO 11784/11785 compliant. Türkiye puts the duty of providing a reader on the person responsible for the animal when the chip can’t be read by a standard ISO scanner. Our guide to pet microchips for international travel explains how to check a chip before you start.
Last updated 3 Oct 2026
Compiled by our specialists from the regulations in force on the date above, for reference only. Rules may change after this date. Please verify with the competent authorities or contact us for the most accurate information.
