FAQ: Bringing Your Pet From Vietnam to France (2026)

These are the questions that don’t fit neatly into a checklist — the ones that surface once the main paperwork is already in motion. For the full requirement list, see the France pet import law guide.

New to the route entirely? Start with the France pet shipping guide for the full overview.

Do I need an import permit or an appointment to bring a pet into France?

No. French authorities don’t issue an import permit before travel, and there is no appointment to make with customs and no documents to send ahead. The owner or authorised person simply presents the pet and its documents to customs officers on arrival, before leaving the international zone of the airport.

How old does my pet need to be?

The rabies vaccine can’t be given before 12 weeks of age, an animal under 16 weeks is refused entry even if vaccinated, and a dog must have at least one adult tooth. Because a pet from Vietnam also needs the titer test and a 90-day wait, the youngest realistic arrival is around seven months old.

Which airports can my pet land at?

France doesn’t restrict pets to a short list of airports. It designates its border crossing points open to international passenger traffic as travellers’ points of entry, and that list includes more than 70 airports, among them Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly, Nice, Lyon-Saint-Exupéry, Marseille, Toulouse and Bordeaux. Veterinary border posts apply to commercial shipments, which Vietnam can’t use. The European Commission’s points of entry page links to the current list.

Will my pet be quarantined on arrival?

Not automatically. France has no fixed quarantine for pets with a complete, matching file. Officers can order a pet returned to its country of origin, placed in quarantine or, in serious cases, euthanised at the owner’s expense when the conditions aren’t met, for example a missing titer test, an expired vaccination or a chip number that doesn’t match the certificate.

Can someone other than me bring my pet to France?

Yes. The person has to be authorised by the owner in writing, using the declaration in Annex V, Part 1 of Regulation (EU) 2026/705, and has to travel within five days of the owner, before or after. The European Commission confirms the authorised person can be a member of the carrier’s staff, and the owner’s name stays on the certificate. The EU five-day owner-pet rule covers longer gaps.

Are any dog breeds banned in France?

France bans Category 1 dogs — pit-bull, Mastiff and Tosa types without a recognised pedigree — from entry and even transit. Category 2 dogs, including Rottweilers and pedigreed American Staffordshire Terriers and Tosas, may enter under conditions that continue after arrival. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier isn’t categorised. The guide to France’s banned dog breeds explains how a dog is classified.

Do the requirements differ for cats?

Mostly not. Cats need the same microchip, rabies vaccination, titer test and certificate as dogs, and the tapeworm treatment some EU countries require for dogs doesn’t apply to France. The one breed rule concerns Bengal and Savannah cats, which need a pedigree from a recognised studbook or a separate import permit, and early-generation Savannahs (F1 to F4) also need a CITES permit.

Do I pay import duties or VAT on my pet?

For a household transferring its normal residence from a non-EU country, EU customs law treats household pets as personal property that can enter free of duties and taxes, on form cerfa 10070 with an inventory and proof of settling in France. The owner must have lived outside the EU for at least 12 months. For a visit, no official source spells out the position, and French customs’ information line takes calls from abroad on +33 1 72 40 78 50.

What language do the documents have to be in?

The health certificate is written in French and English, meaning the language of the country of entry plus English. Other supporting documents must be presented in French or in a bilingual version, or translated by a sworn translator.

Can my pet pass through Paris on the way to another country?

It depends on whether the pet leaves the airport’s international transit area. The European Commission says that a pet that stays inside the transit area and doesn’t enter EU territory isn’t subject to EU pet entry requirements, but one that leaves it, even accidentally, must comply with them. Category 1 dogs can’t transit France at all.

How long is the health certificate valid, and can I continue to another EU country?

The certificate is valid for 10 days from the day it is issued until the customs check in France. After customs endorses it on arrival, it stays valid for six months of onward travel in the EU, or until the rabies vaccination expires, whichever comes first.

Does my pet have to be registered in France after arrival?

Yes, if it will stay more than three months. The pet is registered in the national identification database, I-CAD, through a vet visit within eight days of arrival. The guide to moving to France with pets covers that first week.

What if my pet will travel back to Vietnam and return to France later?

Have the titer test done in France before leaving and recorded in the EU pet passport. A pet that returns without one is treated as a first-time import and waits at least 90 days after the blood draw. The guide to pet travel from France to Vietnam sets out both directions.