TürkiyeThe rules look like the EU’s, but the certificate window, the pet limit and the airline’s own rules belong to Türkiye alone—everything for moving a dog or cat from Vietnam.
Last updated 15 Oct 2026i
Four things that don’t match the EU rules most owners expect.
Türkiye’s health certificate must be signed no more than two days before travel.
After a passing titer, about three months pass before the pet can enter.
A third pet, or one flying without its owner, enters as an import.
Six breeds, including Pit Bull types and American Bully, cannot enter.
Türkiye treats a pet that arrives with its owner very differently from one that doesn’t.
Fees and processing times for the import lane are not published in the sources we checked, so confirm them with your Turkish importer before you book.
The way your pet is carried decides which lane it enters Türkiye in.
Pet and carrier together up to 8 kg, in a soft bag up to 23×30×40 cm under the seat in front. The pet travels with its owner in the passenger lane.
Up to 50 kg with the crate, in a hard crate up to 75×75×125 cm with a lateral lock. Same flight as the owner, so the passenger lane applies.
The pet travels under a separate Air Waybill. Used for larger crates, breeds that cannot fly as baggage and pets without their owner, and it enters through the import lane.
Six requirements, and the order they come in matters as much as the list.
An ISO 11784/11785 chip, implanted before the rabies vaccine is given. Border officers scan it against every document. See our guide to pet microchips for international travel.
Inactivated or recombinant, valid on arrival and dated on or after the chip. A booster given after the previous dose expired counts as a first vaccination.
At least 0.5 IU/ml at an EU-approved lab, drawn 30 days after vaccination, then about 90 days of waiting. See the rabies titer test guide.
Türkiye’s own bilingual model, one per pet, signed within two days of travel. See how an animal health certificate is issued.
Ticks and tapeworm treated 30 to 14 days before travel and recorded, with a parasite-free statement for the airline.
Istanbul, Sabiha Gökçen, Ankara Esenboğa, Antalya and İzmir Adnan Menderes accept live animals, and flights from Vietnam land at Istanbul.
Four stages, roughly four to five months from the first vaccine.
Microchip and Rabies Vaccine
Chip first, then the vaccine. Every later date counts from that first vaccination.
Blood Test and Lab Result
Blood is drawn 30 days after vaccination and shipped to an EU-approved lab, and the result takes weeks to return.
The 90-Day Wait
Istanbul Airport counts it from the lab result, while the regulation counts it from the blood draw.
Certificate and Flight
The certificate is signed no more than two days before departure, and the pet lands at Istanbul.
The airline decides which lane your pet enters Türkiye in.
Two different lists: what Türkiye’s law bans, and what the airlines refuse.
Six breeds cannot enter the country: American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa, American Staffordshire Terrier and American Bully. The ban covers importing, breeding, owning and selling.
Turkish Airlines and Turkish Cargo also refuse crosses of the banned breeds. The IATA Timatic database, which airline staff check at the counter, lists a longer set as not allowed to enter, including Rottweilers, Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, mastiffs, Bandogs and Tosa Inus. Turkish Cargo may consider some as cargo, so confirm in writing before you book.
Applied to every pet flying the Türkiye route with Turkish Airlines or Turkish Cargo.
Turkish Cargo does not carry cats or dogs under 10 weeks old. In the cabin, pet and carrier together stay within 8 kg, and pregnant animals are not accepted.
Snub-nosed dogs and cats do not fly in the hold. Heavier ones go with Turkish Cargo only when it is below 27°C at both ends, in a crate one size larger with ventilation on four sides.
A hard surface, a lateral locking system, ventilation and a watertight base, and the pet wears a collar. On flights of eight hours or more a water dispenser is required. See the IATA crate guide.
A sedated pet is refused at the counter. Crate conditioning on a six-week schedule does that work instead.
Pet owners work with a single point of contact from the first titer test to the flight out of Vietnam. We have also handled the opposite route, Istanbul to Hanoi, through Turkish Cargo.
Professional pet relocation involves complex global logistics. We show what our service covers and what stays with you, so there are no hidden fees.
Every journey is different — see how we handled real relocation cases for pets traveling between Türkiye and Vietnam.
An English Setter shipped as manifest cargo, whose Turkish export health certificate could only carry the owner’s name — so the air waybill had to match it.
A cat reunited with his owner after months apart, flying as checked baggage on her flight from Istanbul.
Our process is designed to be simple and fully guided, so pet owners always know what to expect at every stage of the journey.
Submit a Quotation Request
Pet owners begin by sending essential information about their pet, destination and travel needs through our online form.
Consultation and Quotation
Our team reviews your case and provides a clear travel plan with a detailed quotation.
Documents and Preparation
We handle the Vietnam-side paperwork and health documentation, and plan the dates so Türkiye’s 48-hour certificate lands inside its window.
Travel and Handover
Your pet travels according to the approved plan, with professional handling from departure in Vietnam.
Last updated 15 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.
Tell us about your pet and destination. Our team will review your case and provide a clear, tailored quotation.