Required Documents for International Pet Transport from Vietnam

The required documents for a pet leaving Vietnam start with three: a microchip record, a vaccination booklet with a rabies shot, and the export certificate Form 13a.

The destination adds the rest, such as a rabies antibody test, an import permit and its own certificate form. The airline adds its own booking and crate rules. The order you prepare them in matters as much as the list.

Quick answers about pet transport documents from Vietnam

• What does every pet need? A microchip record, a vaccination booklet with a rabies shot, Form 13a and a copy of the owner’s passport.
• What depends on the destination? A rabies antibody test report, an import permit or advance notice, the destination’s own certificate form and a parasite treatment certificate.
• What does the airline need? A confirmed booking for the pet, a crate that meets its rules and, for cargo, an air waybill.
• How long does it take? About a month where no antibody test is needed. About 4–5 months for the EU, and 7 months or more for Japan.
• Bringing a pet into Vietnam? The list is different: the origin country’s export certificate, then Form 3 and Form 15a in Vietnam.

Which documents does every pet leaving Vietnam need?

Four documents appear in every export file, whatever the destination.

• Microchip record: an ISO 11784/11785 chip, implanted before or on the same day as the rabies vaccine. The same number must appear on every later document. Our guide to pet microchips for travel explains the order.
• Vaccination booklet: the rabies vaccine with its date, product and batch, given after the chip. Core vaccines (DHPPI for dogs, FVRCP for cats) usually appear too. Few destinations require them by law, but Japan’s MAFF recommends them.
• Form 13a: Vietnam’s export animal health certificate. The airport animal quarantine station issues it after a government vet checks the pet. The application, Form 2a, goes in about 3–7 days before the flight. Our animal health certificate guide covers who issues it and how long it lasts.
• Copy of the owner’s passport: filed with Form 2a. Names on the vaccine records and certificates should match this passport.

Paperwork and fitness to fly are separate questions. A fit-to-fly vet check looks at whether the pet can cope with the journey itself.

Which documents depend on the destination?

Each destination decides which extra documents it wants from a pet leaving Vietnam. The four below are the most common.

Rabies antibody test report

This blood test shows the rabies vaccine worked, at 0.5 IU/ml or more. The EU, the UK, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea and the UAE require it for pets from Vietnam. Without it, China quarantines a pet for 30 days and the US quarantines a dog for 28 days.

Some destinations also set a wait after the blood draw. The EU wants at least 90 days before the certificate is issued, and Japan 180 days before arrival. Our rabies titer test guide walks through the timing.

Import permit or advance notice

This is the destination’s approval before the pet flies. The UAE issues an import permit through MOCCAE, valid 90 days. Taiwan wants the permit application at least 20 days before arrival. Singapore needs a pet licence and then an import licence. Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos and Hong Kong also issue permits.

Japan works differently. It wants an advance notification at least 40 days before arrival, not a permit. The EU issues no import permit for pets at all. Our pet import permit guide covers each country’s process.

Australia does not accept pets flying directly from Vietnam. The pet must first live in an approved country, and the Australian permit is applied for from there.

The destination’s own certificate form

Many destinations want their own certificate form next to Form 13a. Examples are the EU certificate under Regulation (EU) 2026/705, Japan’s Form AC, the UAE’s Annex 3, Taiwan’s Form 002 and the Great Britain pet health certificate. For dogs going to the US, it is the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip. The Vietnamese government vet signs and stamps the form when issuing Form 13a.

Parasite treatment certificate

Some destinations set a window for internal and external parasite treatment. The UAE wants both within 14 days before shipment. Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland and Norway want dogs treated for tapeworm 24–120 hours before entry. Daisy Pet has every pet treated before export, whether or not the destination asks, and the clinic issues a certificate. See how parasite treatment before travel works.

Official sources: European Commission, Japan MAFF, UAE MOCCAE and US CDC.

Which documents does the airline need?

The airline checks the government papers at check-in. It also has requirements of its own, and it can refuse a pet over these even when every government document is correct.

• A confirmed booking for the pet on that flight, whether in the cabin, as checked baggage or as manifest cargo.
• A crate that meets the airline’s rules, based on the IATA Live Animals Regulations. Our IATA pet crate guide covers size and build.
• An air waybill for pets sent as manifest cargo, issued at the cargo terminal.

Rules differ by carrier and route. Our overview of airline pet policies and restrictions compares them.

In what order should the documents be prepared?

Each document depends on the one before it. A step done out of order can push the departure back by months.

1. Microchip, first or on the day of the rabies vaccine.
2. Rabies vaccine, recorded with the chip number.
3. Blood draw for the antibody test, if required, after the gap the destination sets.
4. Import permit or advance notice, as soon as the test result allows.
5. Destination form and vet check, about 10 days before the flight.
6. Form 2a and Form 13a, 3–7 days before the flight.

A Daisy Pet file for the EU took 4.7 months in 2026. The chip and rabies vaccine were done on 3 April, the blood draw on 3 May, and the pets flew on 23 August.

A real file: one dog from Hanoi to Abu Dhabi, June 2026

A poodle flew from Hanoi to Abu Dhabi on 25 June 2026. The route changed airlines in Bangkok: Vietnam Airlines VN611 to Bangkok, then Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi. The file held these documents:

• The vaccination record with the microchip number.
• The rabies antibody test report.
• A parasite treatment certificate.
• The UAE import permit from MOCCAE, issued on 22 June 2026 and valid for 90 days.
• Form 13a and the UAE’s Annex 3, signed by the Noi Bai Animal Quarantine Station.
• A transit notification from Thailand’s Department of Livestock Development, issued on 24 June 2026.
• An Abu Dhabi customs declaration and both flight tickets.

Moving a pet to Vietnam instead?

The list reverses. The pet needs an export health certificate from the government of the country it leaves. Daisy Pet files Form 3 (Mẫu 3) with the arrival airport’s quarantine station about 48 hours before landing. The station inspects the pet on arrival and issues Form 15a, the import quarantine certificate. Our page on bringing pets to Vietnam covers the full process.

Where can you check the documents for one destination?

This list covers the documents that recur across destinations. Each country’s own rules, timing and forms are in our destination guides. Daisy Pet’s documentation page shows which steps Daisy Pet handles and which the vet and the government do.

FAQ about pet travel documents from Vietnam

Do I need a pet passport to fly my pet out of Vietnam?

No. Vietnam does not issue pet passports. Pets leaving Vietnam travel on Form 13a plus the documents the destination asks for.

Which document is prepared last?

Form 13a. The application goes in about 3–7 days before the flight, after every other document is ready.

Can I book the flight before the documents are ready?

It is safer to wait until the destination has approved the permit or notice and the airline has confirmed the pet. A delay in either can change the flight date.

Does a pet flying in the cabin need the same documents as one in cargo?

Yes. The government documents are the same in the cabin, as checked baggage or as cargo. Only the airline’s own papers change.

Does Vietnam issue a separate export permit for pets?

No. For a pet dog or cat, Form 13a is the export document from Vietnam. Any permit in the file comes from the destination, not from Vietnam.