Bringing Pets from the UK to Vietnam: Export Health Certificate, Flights and Arrival (2026)

To bring pets from the UK to Vietnam, you need to meet three sets of rules: UK export rules, Vietnam’s import rules and the airline’s conditions. The UK asks for one document, an export health certificate signed by an official vet within 48 hours before the flight. Vietnam sets the health requirements, and the airline decides whether your pet flies as checked baggage or as cargo.

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

• Is it possible? Yes. One or two personal pets need no Vietnamese import permit, no blood test and no quarantine.
• How long does it take? About five weeks if the pet needs a new rabies shot. About two to three weeks if the current one is valid.
• Can the pet fly with me? Yes, as checked baggage. Vietnam Airlines flies non-stop from Heathrow to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and takes pets up to 32 kg with the crate. Heavier pets fly as cargo.
• Can the pet sit in the cabin? Only if the airline agrees. Confirm a cabin place with the airline before you buy the ticket.
• Can the pet go back to the UK later? Yes, after a rabies blood test and a 3-month wait from the sample date. Taking the sample before you leave saves time.

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

What Does Your Pet Need Before Flying from the UK to Vietnam?

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

• Microchip. Vietnam’s quarantine officer scans it on arrival, so the number must match every document. UK law already requires a chip for all dogs, and for cats in England.
• Rabies vaccination. Given at least 30 days before the flight and no more than 12 months old on the day the pet arrives in Vietnam. A three-year label still counts as 12 months for Vietnam. See how rabies vaccine validity is counted.
• Age. Vets give the first rabies shot from 12 weeks of age. With the 30-day wait, the earliest departure is at about four months old.
• Breed. Vietnam Airlines does not carry snub-nosed breeds such as Pugs, Bulldogs, Shih Tzus, Persian and Exotic cats. Its list also names Akita, Chow Chow, Rottweiler, Mastiff types and some spaniel breeds, so ask the airline in writing before you book (Vietnam Airlines breed list). Our page on breed restrictions for Vietnam imports explains why.

Breeds banned in Great Britain: a dog such as an XL Bully with a Certificate of Exemption may leave the UK. The owner must tell Defra that the dog is exported. Vietnam Airlines does not carry Pit Bull, Staffordshire, Tosa or Mastiff types.

Not needed for Vietnam: a rabies blood test, a tapeworm treatment, an import permit or quarantine. This applies to one or two personal pets. Three or more pets in one shipment follow the commercial import process.

Which Airline Can Fly Your Pet from the UK to Vietnam?

Vietnam Airlines is the only airline flying non-stop between the UK and Vietnam. For flights leaving the UK, its rule is short: “Animals are only allowed to be transported as checked baggage or cargo” (Vietnam Airlines pet policy). The three ways a pet can fly are explained in cabin, checked baggage and manifest cargo.

• Vietnam Airlines, non-stop: from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Hanoi (VN56) and Ho Chi Minh City (VN50). Checked baggage up to 32 kg for pet and crate together. Heavier pets go as cargo. Da Nang needs a domestic connection, and the pet is cleared at the first airport in Vietnam.
• Singapore Airlines, via Singapore: checked baggage up to 32 kg from Heathrow, but not from Gatwick or Manchester. Both flights must be Singapore Airlines. Singapore requires a transhipment licence for every dog or cat changing planes there.
• Qatar Airways, via Doha: checked baggage on most routes, cargo for larger pets. It does not accept snub-nosed breeds.
• Emirates, via Dubai: cargo only through Emirates SkyCargo. Snub-nosed breeds fly only from November to April. Ask Emirates which transit documents Dubai requires.
• Connections through the EU: even a pet that only changes planes in the EU must meet the EU’s entry rules.

A non-stop flight avoids transit paperwork and a second loading. Other routings are compared in our overview of airlines flying pets into Vietnam.

5 Steps to Bring a Pet from the UK to Vietnam

The plan below assumes the pet needs a new rabies vaccination. If the current one is valid for the whole trip, start at Step 2.

• Day 1: rabies vaccination, choose the airline and route.
• About 2 weeks before the flight: accounts, official vet and certificate application.
• Last two days before the flight: final exam and signed certificate; Form 3 filed in Vietnam.
• Departure day: check-in at Heathrow or the cargo terminal.
• Arrival day: quarantine, Form 15a and customs in Vietnam.

Step 1 (Day 1): Rabies Vaccination and Choice of Route

Who: you and your vet.

The vet checks the microchip, gives the rabies vaccination and records the date and batch. Choose the airline now, because it decides the method and the crate size. Book the pet with the airline when you book your own ticket.

Choose an IATA-compliant crate in which the pet can stand, turn around and lie down. Start crate training early. See how to size an IATA-compliant pet crate.

Step 2 (About 2 Weeks Before the Flight): Accounts, Official Vet and Certificate Application

Who: you, an official vet and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

The certificate for Vietnam is export health certificate (EHC) 4068. You apply for it online through EHC Online. You need a Government Gateway account and a Defra account. Your official vet needs both accounts too, and APHA must check the vet’s registration (GOV.UK: certificate 4068).

• Official vet: not every vet can sign export certificates. Ask your practice whether it has an official vet registered for EHC Online. If not, find one before you apply.
• Timing: APHA sends the certificate to your official vet 7 working days before the export date. If you export within 7 working days, the vet receives it within one working day.
• Fee: APHA issues the certificate free of charge. Your official vet charges for the examination and signature.
• Import permit line: the certificate has a line for a Vietnamese import permit number. Vietnam issues no import permit for one or two pets, so there is no number to enter. Confirm this with whoever handles your arrival in Vietnam before the vet signs.
• Transit via Singapore: apply now for the transhipment licence from Singapore’s Animal and Veterinary Service. It takes about two working days and is valid for 90 days.

In Northern Ireland, you apply to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) instead of APHA. The certificate content is the same.

Step 3 (Last Two Days Before the Flight): Final Exam, Signed Certificate, Form 3

Who: the official vet; you or an agent in Vietnam for Form 3.

The official vet examines the pet no more than 48 hours before export. The vet then signs and stamps EHC 4068. The certificate is valid for 10 days, and Vietnam sets no separate validity period.

A copy of the signed certificate goes to Vietnam for Form 3, the quarantine declaration. It is filed with the quarantine station at the arrival airport, Noi Bai in Hanoi or Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City. Filing about two days before landing leaves time to fix an error.

Form 3 is a declaration, not an import permit. See our guide to Vietnam’s Form 3.

Step 4 (Departure Day): Check-In at Heathrow or the Cargo Terminal

Who: you for checked baggage; a freight agent in the UK for cargo.

For checked baggage, you check the pet in with your own ticket at the passenger counter. For cargo, the UK freight agent takes the pet to the cargo terminal and books it on an air waybill.

The original EHC and the original vaccination record must travel with the pet. Carry them in your hand luggage, or attach them to the crate for cargo. The officer in Vietnam checks originals, not copies.

Step 5 (Arrival Day): Quarantine and Customs in Vietnam

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

A checked-baggage pet is cleared with you in the arrivals terminal. 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 and is usually issued on the day of landing.
• 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 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.

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 the UK to Vietnam Cost?

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

• In the UK: the vet visit and rabies vaccine if due, the official vet’s fee for the certificate, the crate, and a freight agent for cargo.
• The flight: the airline’s pet charge. It depends on the method and on the weight of the pet with its crate. A Singapore transit adds the licence fee.
• 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 the UK from Vietnam Later?

Yes, but the rules in this direction are much stricter. Vietnam is an unlisted country for Great Britain, so a pet arriving from Vietnam needs more than a health certificate.

• Rabies blood test: a sample taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination, with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml.
• 3-month wait: the pet may enter Great Britain 3 months after the sample date. The result stays valid while the rabies vaccination never lapses.
• Sample before you leave: if your vet takes the sample in the UK and the boosters stay on time, the 3 months have usually passed by the time you return.
• Great Britain pet health certificate: signed by an official government vet in Vietnam. The pet must enter Great Britain within 10 days of issue.
• Tapeworm, dogs only: treatment between 24 and 120 hours before entry.
• Cargo on an approved route: pets enter Great Britain as cargo, on an airline and airport approved for pets. You, or a person you authorise in writing, must arrive in Great Britain within 5 days before or after the pet. Great Britain does not allow commercial imports of dogs and cats from Vietnam.

In a Vietnam-to-UK move Daisy Pet handled in 2026, the blood sample was taken on 1 December 2025 and the result was issued on 7 March 2026. Allow for that time. A 2025 law will also ban imports of pets under six months old and of dogs with cropped ears or docked tails, but no start date had been set by October 2026. Sources: GOV.UK: rabies blood tests and our guide to UK pet import rules from Vietnam.

FAQ: Bringing a Pet from the UK to Vietnam

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

Only if the airline confirms it, so ask before you buy the ticket. Vietnam Airlines, the only non-stop airline, carries pets from the UK as checked baggage up to 32 kg or as cargo.

Does Vietnam require an import permit or a rabies blood test for pets from the UK?

No. For one or two personal pets, Vietnam requires a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and the UK export health certificate. Vietnam issues no import permit in advance, and no blood test or quarantine is needed.

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

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

Does APHA charge for the export health certificate?

No. APHA issues the certificate free of charge. You pay your official vet for the examination and signature.

Can I bring my pet back to the UK from Vietnam later?

Yes. Vietnam is an unlisted country for Great Britain, so the pet needs a rabies blood test and must wait 3 months from the sample date. It must also fly into Great Britain as cargo on an approved route.

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

Yes, if the pet flies as checked baggage on your ticket. 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.