Bringing Pets from Taiwan to Vietnam: APHIA (BAPHIQ) Export, Flights and Arrival

To bring pets from Taiwan to Vietnam, you need to meet three sets of rules: Taiwan’s export rules, Vietnam’s import rules and the airline’s conditions. Taiwan asks for one export inspection at APHIA, the agency formerly called BAPHIQ. Vietnam sets the health requirements, and the airline decides whether your pet flies in the cabin, as checked baggage or as cargo.

Short Answer: Can You Bring a Pet from Taiwan to Vietnam?

• Is it possible? Yes. One or two personal pets need no Vietnamese import permit and no quarantine.
• How long does it take? About ten days if the rabies vaccination is valid. About five weeks if the pet needs a new shot.
• Can the pet fly with me? Yes. In the cabin on Vietnam Airlines up to 6 kg, or as checked baggage on all three direct airlines. Cargo is for heavier pets or pets flying alone.
• Who is involved? A vet and APHIA in Taiwan, the airline, and the airport quarantine station in Vietnam. Cargo also needs an agent.
• Can the pet go back to Taiwan later? Yes. A blood test done before you leave lets it skip quarantine on return.

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

What Does Your Pet Need Before Flying from Taiwan to Vietnam?

Check these four things before you book. If one is missing, the flight date moves.

• Microchip. Taiwan requires a microchip and registration under its Animal Protection Act. Implant the chip before the rabies vaccination. The number must match on every document.
• Rabies vaccination. Given at least 30 days before the flight. It must be no more than 12 months old when the pet arrives in Vietnam. A three-year label still counts as 12 months.
• Age. Taiwan vaccinates pets from three months of age. With the 30-day wait, the earliest departure is at about four months old.
• Breed. Airlines refuse some breeds. EVA Air refuses snub-nosed breeds all year on Southeast Asia flights. Vietnam Airlines lists breeds it does not accept, such as Pugs, French Bulldogs and Persian cats.

See how rabies vaccine validity is counted for travel.

Snub-nosed breeds face limits on most airlines. Our page on breed restrictions for Vietnam imports explains why.

Not needed: a rabies titer test, a Vietnamese import permit or quarantine. This applies to one or two personal pets. Three or more pets in one shipment follow Vietnam’s commercial import process.

Cabin, Checked Baggage or Cargo: Which Can Your Pet Use?

The airline decides how your pet flies, not Taiwanese or Vietnamese law. Weight, breed and aircraft type set the limits.

• Cabin (Vietnam Airlines only). Pet and carrier together weigh 6 kg or less. The carrier measures up to 35 × 30 × 20 cm. Book at least 24 hours ahead.
• Checked baggage, Vietnam Airlines. Pet and crate together weigh up to 32 kg.
• Checked baggage, EVA Air. Pet and crate up to 45 kg. EVA Air does not carry pets on its A321 aircraft.
• Checked baggage, China Airlines. Household dogs and cats only. Book at least 48 hours ahead. China Airlines does not carry pets on aircraft it codes B738 and 32C.
• Manifest cargo. For heavier pets, pets flying without you, or any case a passenger booking cannot take. An agent handles it at both ends.

Short regional routes often use narrow-body aircraft. Ask the airline which aircraft flies your exact flight number before you pay.

The cabin and baggage limits come from the Vietnam Airlines pet travel page.

China Airlines sets its terms on its pets as baggage page.

If these terms are new to you, see how cabin, checked baggage and manifest cargo differ.

Other carriers and transit routes are in our overview of airlines flying pets into Vietnam.

6 Steps to Bring a Pet from Taiwan to Vietnam (About Five Weeks)

The plan below assumes the pet needs a new rabies vaccination. If the current one is still valid, start at Step 2. The move then takes about ten days.

• Day 1: rabies vaccination.
• Day 3: book the pet on the flight and choose the carrier or crate.
• Day 28: APHIA export inspection.
• Day 31: Form 3 filed in Vietnam.
• Day 33: departure from Taiwan.
• Arrival day: quarantine and customs in Vietnam.

A day-by-day plan that covers every origin country is in our pet import timeline for Vietnam.

Step 1 (Day 1): Rabies Vaccination, and Decide Whether the Pet May Return to Taiwan

Who: a vet in Taiwan and you.

The vet gives the rabies vaccine and issues the vaccination certificate. The certificate must show the microchip number, the vaccine name and the batch number. On the same day, decide whether the pet may ever return to Taiwan. If it may, the vet must take a blood sample before departure. The section on returning to Taiwan below explains why.

Step 2 (Day 3): Book the Pet on the Flight and Choose the Carrier

Who: you and the airline. For cargo, an agent books the space.

Tell the airline the breed, the weight and the size of the carrier or crate. Ask it to confirm the aircraft type for your flight number. Get every answer in writing. Then start getting the pet used to its carrier.

A crate for the hold must let the pet stand, turn and lie down. See how to size an IATA-compliant pet crate.

Step 3 (Day 28): APHIA Export Inspection

Who: you and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA).

APHIA has no online application for pet exports. You book an appointment with the APHIA branch office or inspection station for your departure airport: Taoyuan for TPE, Kaohsiung for KHH. Book it in advance, for a date in the week before departure.

• Bring: the pet, the rabies vaccination certificate, your identity card or passport, and your plane ticket. For cargo, bring the cargo declaration instead of the ticket.
• Someone else can go: with a simple authorisation letter and identity documents for both of you.
• You receive: Taiwan’s export quarantine certificate. It has no fixed validity period. APHIA recommends applying within the week before departure.

Most rejections come from small errors. One digit of the microchip number differs between documents, or the vaccine batch is missing. Check every document against the chip before the appointment.

Step 4 (Day 31): File Form 3 in Vietnam

Who: you, or the agent if the pet flies as cargo.

Form 3 is the quarantine declaration for the airport quarantine station at Noi Bai or Tan Son Nhat. File it about 48 hours before landing, with copies of the APHIA certificate. Form 3 is a declaration, not an import permit.

How to fill it in is explained in our guide to Vietnam’s Form 3.

Step 5 (Day 33): Departure from Taiwan

Who: you, the airline, and the agent for cargo.

A cabin or checked-baggage pet checks in with you at the passenger counter. A cargo pet goes to the cargo terminal with the agent. Keep the original APHIA certificate and the original vaccination record with the pet. The officer in Vietnam checks originals, not copies.

Step 6 (Arrival Day): Quarantine and Customs in Vietnam

Who: the airport animal quarantine station, customs, and you or the agent.

A pet that flew with you is cleared with you at the airport. A cargo pet is cleared at the cargo terminal through the agent.

• Inspection: the quarantine officer checks the original documents, scans the microchip and examines the pet.
• Form 15a: if the pet passes, it receives Form 15a, the import animal quarantine certificate. It is valid for 60 days.
• Fees and duty: you pay the quarantine fee and import duty. Duty applies to one or two pets as well.
• Release: customs releases the pet.

Doing it yourself: for a cabin or checked-baggage pet, you can file Form 3 and attend the inspection yourself. A cargo pet needs an agent, because only a declarant with a customs account can file the cargo declaration.

Flying on to another province: the pet is cleared at the first airport where it lands in Vietnam, before any domestic flight.

If the pet does not pass: there is no fixed list of outcomes. The quarantine officer decides based on the pet and the documents.

What Does Bringing a Pet from Taiwan to Vietnam Cost?

There is no single price, because several parties charge separately. Costs fall into three groups:

• In Taiwan: the vet visit and rabies vaccine if due, any APHIA inspection fee, the carrier or crate, and the blood test if the pet may return.
• The flight: the airline’s pet charge. It depends on the method and on the weight of the pet with its carrier or crate.
• In Vietnam: the quarantine fee and import duty, plus an agent’s fee if you use one. Cargo always needs an agent.

Current ranges by route and pet size are in our pet shipping cost guide for Vietnam.

Can Your Pet Return to Taiwan Later Without Quarantine?

Yes, if you prepare before you leave. Taiwan treats Vietnam as a country with rabies. A pet arriving from Vietnam normally needs an import permit, a rabies antibody test and up to 7 days of quarantine. Rules amended in February 2024 give pets that left Taiwan a shorter path.

• Blood sample before you leave: a vet in Taiwan takes a rabies antibody blood sample after a valid rabies shot. A laboratory on APHIA’s approved list tests it.
• Return within one year: a pet that re-enters Taiwan within one year of the sample date is exempt from post-entry quarantine.
• Import permit: you apply at least 20 days before re-entry. You may also apply before the pet leaves Taiwan.
• Rabies shot on return: it must be given 30 days to a year before re-entry. A long stay may need a booster in Vietnam.

Without that sample, the pet needs a new test in Vietnam and at least 90 days of waiting. Keep the APHIA export certificate as well. Applications go through the APHIA dog and cat import permit system.

The full entry rules are in our guide to Taiwan’s pet import regulations.

Bringing a cat? Our guide to bringing a cat to Vietnam covers carriers and settling in.

FAQ: Bringing a Pet from Taiwan to Vietnam

Can my dog or cat fly in the cabin from Taiwan to Vietnam?

Only on Vietnam Airlines, and only if the pet and its carrier weigh 6 kg or less together. EVA Air and China Airlines do not take ordinary pets in the cabin.

How long is the APHIA export certificate valid?

It has no fixed validity period. APHIA recommends applying within the week before departure, and Vietnam sets no validity period of its own.

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

About ten days if the rabies vaccination is still valid. About five weeks if the pet needs a new shot, because the shot must be given at least 30 days before the flight.

Can my pet return to Taiwan later without quarantine?

Yes, if a vet takes a rabies antibody blood sample before the pet leaves Taiwan. A pet that re-enters within one year of that sample is exempt from quarantine. It still needs a Taiwanese import permit.

Can I fly a snub-nosed dog or cat from Taiwan to Vietnam?

It is difficult. EVA Air refuses snub-nosed breeds all year on flights to or from Southeast Asia. Vietnam Airlines also lists breeds it does not accept. Ask the airline in writing before you book.

Can I clear my pet through quarantine and customs in Vietnam myself?

Yes, if the pet flies with you in the cabin or as checked baggage. A pet flying as cargo needs an agent in Vietnam, because only a declarant with a customs account can file the cargo declaration.

For questions about Vietnam’s side that apply to every route, see our Vietnam pet import FAQ.