Bringing Pets from Russia to Vietnam: Form 5a & Direct Flight Guide

Bringing pets from Russia to Vietnam means meeting three sets of rules: Russia’s export rules, Vietnam’s import rules and the airline’s conditions. Russia issues a veterinary certificate, Form 5a, shortly before departure. Vietnam checks the microchip and rabies vaccination on arrival, and the airline decides whether the pet flies in the cabin, as checked baggage or as cargo.

Quick Answers: Can You Bring a Pet from Russia to Vietnam?

• Is it allowed? Yes. One or two personal pets need no Vietnamese import permit and no quarantine stay.
• Does Vietnam need a titer test? No. Vietnam’s import rules do not require a rabies antibody test.
• Is there a direct flight? Yes. Vietnam Airlines flies non-stop from Moscow to Hanoi, and Aeroflot from Moscow to Ho Chi Minh City.
• Fly straight to Nha Trang or Phu Quoc? Those airports have no animal quarantine station, so landing there with a pet is hard. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are the practical choices.
• How long does it take? About five weeks if the rabies vaccination must be renewed. Less if it is already valid.
• Can my pet return to Russia later? Yes. Within 90 days the same Form 5a can be used again.

The rules that apply to pets from every country are in our Vietnam pet import service guide.

What Does Your Pet Need Before You Book Anything?

Check the items below first. Any one of them can stop the move or push the flight date back.

Vietnam’s Entry Conditions

• Microchip: a 15-digit ISO chip. The quarantine officer scans it on arrival and compares it with every document.
• Rabies vaccination: given at least 30 days before the flight, and no more than 12 months old when the pet lands. The 30 days apply to a booster too.
• Age: with the 12-week minimum for the rabies shot and the 30-day wait, the earliest trip is at about four months old.
• Not needed: no import permit and no quarantine stay for one or two personal pets.

Some rabies vaccines are labelled as valid for two or three years. Vietnam counts any rabies vaccination for 12 months only. Our article on how long a rabies vaccine counts for travel explains why.

Does Vietnam Require a Rabies Titer Test?

No. Vietnam’s import rules are in Circular 01/2026/TT-BNNMT, in force since 1 January 2026. Article 14 covers pets travelling with a passenger. It lists what the border quarantine office does:

• checks the quarantine certificate issued by the exporting country;
• examines the animal on arrival;
• vaccinates an animal not yet vaccinated against dangerous infectious diseases;
• takes samples only from an animal suspected of an infectious disease.

The article does not mention a rabies antibody test. Rosselkhoznadzor’s own list of countries that need one does not include Vietnam either. You can read the article in the official text of Circular 01/2026.

In September 2026, some Russian vet stations began asking owners flying to Vietnam for a titer result. On 8 September 2026, Rosselkhoznadzor published a Russian translation of Circular 01/2026. It came with a letter from Russia’s agriculture ministry representative in Vietnam. The letter confirms the circular mentions no titer test. If a station asks, show them Rosselkhoznadzor’s page on Vietnam’s requirements.

Russia’s Export Conditions

• Your own pet: a pet that lives with you needs no Rosselkhoznadzor permit to leave Russia.
• Two certificates: a district vet station issues Form No. 1. Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, then issues Form 5a. Steps 4 and 5 below explain both.

Breeds the Airlines Do Not Accept

• Aeroflot: does not carry bulldogs, pugs and some other dog breeds in the cabin or as baggage. These dogs can still fly as cargo.
• Vietnam Airlines: refuses snub-nosed breeds such as Bulldogs and Pugs, several large guarding breeds, and Persian, Exotic, Himalayan and Burmese cats.

The full lists and the reasons behind them are in our guide to airlines that fly pets to Vietnam.

Which Airport in Vietnam Should Your Pet Land At?

Land at Hanoi (Noi Bai) or Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat). Both airports have an animal quarantine station that inspects pets on arrival. Both have direct flights from Moscow.

Many flights from Russia go to Nha Trang and Phu Quoc, but these airports are a problem for pets:

• Nha Trang (Cam Ranh airport): there is no quarantine station at the airport. The pet must be taken to the quarantine office that covers the area. This is very hard to arrange without an agent.
• Phu Quoc: there is no quarantine station on the island. The pet must travel to the mainland by boat for its inspection.

If you are moving to Nha Trang or Phu Quoc, fly the pet to Ho Chi Minh City. It then continues by road or on a domestic flight after clearance.

How Can Your Pet Fly from Moscow to Vietnam?

Two airlines fly non-stop from Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO). Each offers three ways to fly a pet: in the cabin, as checked baggage, or as manifest cargo on its own air waybill.

• Vietnam Airlines: accepts dogs and cats from 10 weeks old, up to 9 pets as checked baggage per flight. Book at least 24 hours ahead. The rules are on the Vietnam Airlines pet travel page.
• Aeroflot: book the pet at least 6 hours ahead, or 36 hours ahead if you buy the next seat for it. These figures come from Aeroflot’s announcement reported by RIA Novosti on 6 October 2026.
• Charter flights: some tour charters fly to Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc. Ask the airline that operates the flight, and read the airport section above first.

In the cabin and as checked baggage, the pet flies on your ticket. You collect it at the arrival airport. With cargo, an agent collects the pet from the cargo terminal.

6 Steps to Bring a Pet from Russia to Vietnam

The steps run in date order. Steps 4 and 5 happen within the last five days.

Step 1 (Week 1): Check the Chip, Rabies and Arrival Airport

Who: you, with Daisy Pet.

Check the chip number and the rabies date in the vet passport. If the vaccination will be older than 12 months on arrival, renew it now and wait 30 days. Choose Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City as the arrival airport.

Step 2 (Weeks 1–3): Book the Flight and the Crate

Who: you, or our partner agent in Russia for cargo.

Pet places on each flight are limited, so book early. Measure the pet before buying a carrier or crate. A crate that is too small is refused at check-in.

Step 3 (Final Week): Send the Documents for Vietnam

Who: you send them; Daisy Pet prepares the Vietnam side.

• From you: the passport of the person travelling with the pet, the flight ticket and the vet passport.
• Address in Vietnam: where the pet will live, or your hotel.

Step 4 (Within 5 Days of Departure): Form No. 1 at the District Vet Station

Who: the district animal disease station (SBBZh) where the pet leaves from.

The vet examines the pet and issues a veterinary certificate, Form No. 1. It is created in Mercury, Russia’s state veterinary system, and printed on paper. Russian rules allow it from 5 calendar days before the trip, so do not go earlier.

Step 5 (Departure Day or Up to 5 Days Before): Form 5a from Rosselkhoznadzor

Who: the Rosselkhoznadzor vet at the airport, or at a Rosselkhoznadzor office in advance.

Form 5a is the export certificate Vietnam checks. It is in Russian and English. You exchange Form No. 1 for it at the airport vet control on departure day. To save time, you can get it up to 5 days ahead. Apply online through eCert, Rosselkhoznadzor’s certificate system, and book a visit. In Moscow the offices are the VGNKI diagnostic centre and the Rosselkhoznadzor office for Moscow, Moscow Region and Tula Region.

The process is described in Rosselkhoznadzor’s instruction for travelling abroad with a pet. Once Form 5a is issued, Daisy Pet files Form 3, Vietnam’s quarantine declaration, with a copy of it.

Step 6 (Arrival Day): Quarantine, Customs and Collecting Your Pet

Who: Daisy Pet, the animal quarantine station at Tan Son Nhat or Noi Bai airport, and customs.

The original Form 5a and vet passport travel with the pet. Keep them with you in the cabin, not in a checked bag. For cargo, they travel with the crate.

• Inspection: the quarantine officer checks the documents, scans the microchip and examines the pet. The station at the airport is staffed for arrivals.
• Form 15a: a pet that passes receives Form 15a, the import quarantine certificate, valid for 60 days. Under Circular 01/2026, it is issued within one working day of the inspection. If samples are taken, it is issued within one working day of the test result.
• Fees and duty: you pay the quarantine fee and import duty. Duty applies to one or two pets as well.
• Cargo only: a customs declaration must be filed by a declarant with a customs account, so an agent in Vietnam is required.

How quickly this goes depends on correct documents and a healthy pet. Form 3 is a declaration, not a permit; see our guide to Vietnam’s Form 3.

What Does Bringing a Pet from Russia to Vietnam Cost?

Several parties charge at both ends, so the total depends on the pet’s size and how it flies.

• In Russia: the vet visit and vaccinations, Form No. 1, Form 5a, the crate and our partner agent’s work if you need it. We quote this part for each pet.
• Airfare: Vietnam Airlines charges for the cabin and checked baggage by weight band. Aeroflot sets its own pet fees. Cargo is charged on the larger of the actual weight and the dimensional weight of the crate.
• In Vietnam, travelling with you: our clearance service is USD 350 per pet in our 2026 quotes. It includes the state quarantine fee. It does not include import duty, the Russian side or airfare.
• In Vietnam, by cargo: cargo terminal handling, customs clearance and import duty. We quote this for each shipment.

Ranges for other routes are in our pet shipping cost guide for Vietnam.

Buying a Cat or Dog from a Russian Cattery or Breeder

Breeders and owners in Vietnam often buy pedigree cats from Russian catteries. A pet bought this way usually flies as cargo, because nobody travels with it.

• In Russia: the cattery or our partner agent arranges the vet papers, Form 5a and the cargo booking.
• In Vietnam: Daisy Pet files Form 3 and clears the pet at the cargo terminal.
• Before paying: check that the kitten will be old enough. It needs the rabies shot at 12 weeks or older, plus the 30-day wait.

Our guide to bringing a cat to Vietnam covers the Vietnam side for cats in more detail.

Can Your Pet Return to Russia Later?

Yes. Russia does not ask for a rabies antibody test for a returning pet.

• Within 90 days: the Form 5a issued when you left is valid for the return. Vietnam’s state vet service must confirm, no later than 24 hours before the flight, that the pet was not in an area with an outbreak.
• After that: the pet needs Vietnamese export documents, like any pet flying to Russia.

If you may go back or move on to another country, tell us early. We then check the next country’s rules before you leave Russia. The route back is covered on our pet transport to Russia page.

Other Situations

• Three or more pets: Vietnam handles three or more pets in one shipment as a commercial import. See shipping multiple pets to Vietnam.
• Flying on inside Vietnam: the pet is cleared at the first airport it lands at, then continues on a domestic flight or by road.
• If the pet does not pass in Vietnam: there is no fixed list of outcomes; the quarantine officer decides based on the pet and the documents.

FAQ: Bringing Pets from Russia to Vietnam

Does Vietnam require a rabies titer test for pets from Russia?

No. Circular 01/2026/TT-BNNMT does not require a rabies antibody test. Rosselkhoznadzor published the circular in Russian on 8 September 2026.

Can my pet fly in the cabin from Moscow to Vietnam?

Yes. Vietnam Airlines takes pets up to 6 kg with the carrier to Hanoi. Aeroflot takes pets up to 8 kg with the carrier to Ho Chi Minh City.

Can I fly my pet directly to Nha Trang or Phu Quoc?

It is not practical. Cam Ranh airport and Phu Quoc have no animal quarantine station, so fly the pet to Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi.

How long does it take to bring a pet from Russia to Vietnam?

About five weeks if the rabies vaccination must be renewed, because of the 30-day wait. The Russian certificates take the last five days.

Which Russian document does Vietnam check?

Form 5a, the export certificate from Rosselkhoznadzor. It is issued after Form No. 1 from the district vet station.

Can my pet come back to Russia after living in Vietnam?

Yes. Within 90 days the same Form 5a is used. Later than that, the pet needs Vietnamese export documents.