EUUnder EU Regulation, Vietnam is classified as an Unlisted Third Country. Importing dogs and cats to the EU requires a strict protocol, including international blood testing and a mandatory 90-day waiting period.
Last updated 18 Oct 2026i
Understanding these rigorous biological and bureaucratic hurdles is essential to ensure a successful entry into the EU
Vietnam is not on the EU’s list of countries exempt from the titer test, so a Rabies Titer Test (RNATT) is legally required. The blood sample must be taken at least 90 days before the health certificate is issued.
There are absolutely no EU-approved testing laboratories in Vietnam. Your pet’s blood serum must be carefully prepared and shipped internationally to a laboratory on the EU’s designated list.
If your pet travels more than 5 days before or after your own flight, the movement no longer counts as non-commercial and falls under commercial rules, which are considerably more complex.
Compliance with the European Commission’s technical standards is mandatory for all dogs and cats entering EU from Vietnam.
The pet must be identified with a 15-digit ISO 11784/11785 compliant microchip. Crucially: The microchip must be implanted before or on the exact same day as the rabies vaccination.
Pets must be at least 12 weeks (84 days) old when vaccinated against rabies. The vaccine becomes legally valid only after 21 days have passed since the completion of the manufacturer’s primary vaccination protocol.
Blood for the neutralization antibody titration test must be drawn at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination. Samples must be sent to an EU-approved laboratory, with antibody levels verifying a minimum protective threshold of 0.5 IU/ml.
By law, pets coming from a non-listed country like Vietnam must wait at least 90 days from the blood draw before the health certificate can be issued. The count starts on the date the blood was drawn, not when the results are received.
The pet travels on the EU Animal Health Certificate in the new model under Regulation (EU) 2026/705, written in the language of the first EU country of entry plus English, valid for 10 days until the entry check and officially endorsed by Vietnam’s Department of Animal Health (DAH), alongside a signed Owner’s Declaration of Non-Commercial Movement.
Non-commercial pets from Vietnam must enter the European Union through designated airports known as TPOEs (e.g., Frankfurt, Paris CDG, Amsterdam Schiphol) for mandatory checks. See the approved airlines and routes for shipping pets to Europe.
Standard expert protocol to successfully navigate the EU’s Unlisted Country import regulations.
Microchip & Vaccination
Implant a 15-digit ISO chip. Administer a primary rabies vaccine at ≥ 12 weeks of age. We then wait exactly 30 days for antibodies to develop.
Blood Titer Test (RNATT)
On Day 30+, venous blood is drawn, spun into serum, packed in cold-chain transport, and shipped internationally to an EU-approved laboratory for analysis.
The 90-Day Wait
Once the lab reports a pass (≥ 0.5 IU/ml), the pet remains in Vietnam until at least 90 days have passed since the blood draw.
Final Export Certificates
Within 10 days of the EU entry check, we secure the EU Health Certificate on the new 2026/705 model, endorsed by Vietnam’s Department of Animal Health.
Echinococcus Tapeworm Treatment
If traveling to Finland, Ireland, Malta, or Norway, dogs must receive a vet-certified tapeworm treatment exactly 24 to 120 hours prior to arrival.
EU TPOE Arrival
Upon landing, EU border veterinarians verify the microchip identity and audit the original health documentation before granting clearance.
Beyond theoretical EU laws, these practical risks are where most DIY pet relocation attempts from Vietnam fail.
There is no EU-wide breed law. If you import a Pit Bull-type or Staffordshire-type dog into Germany, it is a federal offense and the dog will be refused entry immediately. France requires specific LOF pedigrees for powerful breeds. You must strictly check national laws before booking flights.
The health certificate must be written in the language of the first EU country where the pet is checked, plus English. A pet flying Vietnam to Frankfurt and on to Warsaw is checked in Frankfurt, so the certificate needs German, not Polish.
Dogs entering Finland, Ireland, Malta or Norway need an Echinococcus treatment 24 to 120 hours before arrival. If the route connects through one of these countries, time the treatment inside that window too, so the dog stays covered if it has to clear entry there.
Without an approved lab in Vietnam, your local vet must ship the blood serum abroad to a laboratory on the EU’s designated list. Poor cold-chain packaging or incorrectly completed submission forms frequently lead to laboratories discarding the sample, forcing you to redraw blood and restart the 90-day wait from the new draw date.
Europe is a long-haul route, so most pets travel checked baggage or cargo rather than in-cabin.
Travels in the cabin with the owner, in a soft-sided carrier under the seat.
Flies on the same flight as the owner, in the temperature-controlled hold.
Does not fly with the owner, with fewer limits on weight and size.
Applied to every pet flying the Europe route.
Eight weeks and fully weaned is the floor for carriage, and some airlines set it higher. Cabin allowances count pet and crate together. Pregnant animals are not accepted.
IATA and IPATA both advise against sedation, and a pet known to be sedated can be refused at the counter. Crate conditioning on a six-week schedule does that work instead.
Every journey is different — see how we handled real relocation cases for pets traveling between Vietnam and Europe.
Two Pomeranian puppies born two days apart, whose blood had to fly to a lab in Europe for a titer test before a 90-day EU waiting period could even start counting down.
A Weimaraner already holding a valid EU pet passport, whose journey from Uganda to Poland ran through an 11-day stay in Vietnam — and the full Vietnamese import file that came with it.
Pet owners enjoy peace of mind while we take full responsibility for the complex EU timeline.
EU pet relocation involves multi-step biological and global logistics. We provide an honest breakdown of every cost up front.
The questions EU-bound pet owners ask us most — titer thresholds, the 90-day wait, breed restrictions, and what happens at the EU border post.
Last updated 18 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.