The most common reason pet relocations to Russia fail — or get delayed at the last minute — is not bad luck. It is a timing error in the documentation sequence. The EAEU framework requires specific steps to happen in a specific order, and certain windows (particularly the 30-day rabies vaccine rule and the 14-day clinical exam requirement) cannot be worked around. This guide lays out a complete 8-week timeline from first vet visit to departure, with the key deadlines that cannot be missed.
The Critical Path: Four Non-Negotiable Constraints
Before the full timeline, understand the four hard constraints that determine your earliest possible departure date:
- Rabies vaccine: minimum 30 days before departure. If your pet has not been vaccinated in the past 12 months, or if the current vaccine is near expiry, a fresh rabies vaccination must be administered at least 30 days before the travel date. You cannot depart earlier than Day 30 after the vaccine.
- Clinical examination: maximum 14 days before departure. The exam that produces Form 15 — Russia’s mandatory export health certificate — must fall within this 14-day window. Too early, and the certificate is invalid at the border checkpoint.
- Export quarantine registration: file early. Within the 14-day window, Vietnam’s Animal Quarantine Station issues Form 15 together with the domestic Mẫu 13a export certificate, based on a Mẫu 2a application. Register as soon as your exam is booked — real cases have completed this in as little as 3 days, but do not count on that margin.
- Confirm your flight method before documentation starts. Vietnam Airlines operates a direct scheduled Hanoi–Moscow flight (VN63); pets that meet the airline’s AVIH size and weight limits can fly checked in the temperature-controlled hold of that same flight. Pets that do not qualify — large dogs, multiple pets, unaccompanied shipments — still need Manifest Cargo through a transit hub. Know which one applies to you before spending money on paperwork.
8-Week Timeline
Weeks 8–7 Before Departure: Research & Booking
| Action | Details |
|---|---|
| Confirm travel date | Set a firm departure date — all subsequent steps depend on this anchor |
| Check AVIH eligibility | Ask Vietnam Airlines whether your pet’s crate and total weight qualify for AVIH on the direct HAN–SVO route — this determines everything else in this timeline |
| Research cargo alternatives | If AVIH is not an option, check Turkish Airlines Cargo, Emirates SkyCargo, Qatar Airways Cargo, and Uzbekistan Airways Cargo for current live animal acceptance on both legs (Vietnam→transit and transit→Russia) |
| Contact the airline or a cargo agent | For AVIH: confirm the booking directly with Vietnam Airlines. For Manifest Cargo: reach the airline’s cargo division or a licensed cargo agent (Daisy Pet arranges this for its clients) for segment acceptance on your dates |
| Secure your booking | AVIH: reserve pet space alongside your own ticket. Cargo: once segment acceptance is confirmed, secure the booking and obtain an AWB number |
| Confirm entry checkpoint | Verify your Russia arrival airport (SVO, DME, or LED) has a veterinary inspection post — required under EAEU rules |
| Assess microchip status | If your pet is not chipped, or the chip is not ISO 11784/11785 standard, arrange implantation this week |
Week 6 Before Departure: Microchip & First Vet Visit
| Action | Details |
|---|---|
| Microchip implantation | ISO 11784/11785 (15-digit, 134.2 kHz). Do this at least 3 weeks before the first vaccine so all subsequent records link to the chip number. Verify the chip scans correctly before leaving the clinic. |
| Vaccination review | Bring your pet’s existing vaccination records. Your vet will assess which vaccines are current and which need renewal. |
| Order IATA crate | Determine correct crate size using IATA formulas (shoulder height ×1.1 = min interior height; nose-to-tail ×1.5 = min floor length). Order or purchase now — delivery time varies. |
Week 5 Before Departure: Vaccines
| Action | Details |
|---|---|
| Administer core vaccines | Dogs: Rabies + Distemper + Hepatitis + Parvovirus + Leptospirosis. Cats: Rabies + Panleukopenia. All in a single vet visit where possible. |
| Record in vaccination book | Your vet logs each entry with date, product name, batch number, and clinic stamp. These details must match exactly on Form 15 later — verify before leaving. |
| Rabies vaccine timing check | The date of this rabies vaccine = Day 0. Count forward 30 days to find your earliest possible departure date. If your flight is booked earlier than Day 30 — reschedule the flight, not the vaccine. |
| Note: Form 15 comes later | Form 15 and Mẫu 13a are not issued at this visit — they are issued during export quarantine registration, closer to departure (see Week 2). |
⚠️ Important: Week 5 assumes your pet had no valid rabies vaccine within the past 12 months. If your pet already has a current rabies vaccine on record, the 30-day waiting period may already be satisfied — confirm with your vet and adjust the timeline accordingly. You could potentially depart earlier. (One Daisy Pet case vaccinated on Day 0 and flew on Day 32 — a comfortable margin past both the legal 20-day minimum and the 30-day internal buffer.)
Week 4 Before Departure: Confirm Booking & Prepare Documents
| Action | Details |
|---|---|
| Prepare quarantine registration documents | Gather vaccination records, microchip details, and owner ID. Your vet or Daisy Pet uses these to prepare the Mẫu 2a export quarantine application ahead of your Animal Quarantine Station visit. |
| Re-confirm flight booking | Re-confirm AVIH space or cargo segment acceptance with the airline. Policies and aircraft types can shift closer to departure. |
| Prepare owner documents | Your passport, proof of residency in Russia (if required by your airline), and flight booking confirmation should all be ready this week. |
| Crate conditioning | Begin introducing your pet to the IATA crate — leave it open at home, feed near it, build familiarity. A stressed animal in an unfamiliar crate performs poorly during travel, AVIH or cargo alike. |
Week 3 Before Departure: Final Document Cross-Check
| Action | Details |
|---|---|
| Confirm quarantine exam appointment | Contact the Animal Quarantine Station covering your departure airport (for example, the station at Nội Bài for Hanoi departures) to confirm your Mẫu 2a application and schedule the exam inside the 14-day window. |
| Cross-check all records | Vaccination book, microchip number, and owner ID must all show identical details — same chip number, same pet name spelling, same owner information — before the quarantine exam. |
| Notify your Russia-side contact | If someone is receiving your pet in Russia, confirm whether they should meet you at the passenger arrivals area (AVIH) or the cargo terminal with the AWB number (Manifest Cargo). |
Week 2 Before Departure: Clinical Examination Window Opens
| Action | Details |
|---|---|
| Schedule the export quarantine exam | This exam must happen within 14 days before departure. Book Days 10–12 before departure to allow buffer if rescheduling is needed. |
| Quarantine exam & document issuance | A state quarantine veterinarian at the Animal Quarantine Station examines your pet and issues Form 15 — the export health certificate required for every case, not only cargo shipments or puppies — together with Mẫu 13a, Vietnam’s domestic export quarantine certificate. |
| Final document set assembly | Collate: Form 15, Mẫu 13a, your flight booking confirmation (AVIH reservation or cargo AWB), owner’s passport, and a Rosselkhoznadzor permit if applicable (3+ pets or unaccompanied). |
| Crate labelling | Attach “LIVE ANIMAL” labels on all 4 sides (IATA-compliant). Include a label with: pet name, owner name, contact number, and destination. Attach a small bag of dry food to the outside of the crate. |
Days 3–1 Before Departure: Final Preparations
| Action | Details |
|---|---|
| Final document check | Form 15 and Mẫu 13a issued ✓ | Rabies vaccine date ≥30 days before departure ✓ | Chip number consistent across all documents ✓ | AVIH booking or AWB number confirmed ✓ |
| Pre-flight fast | Withhold solid food for 4–6 hours before the flight (water is fine). This reduces motion sickness and digestive discomfort in the hold. Do not sedate your pet — sedation is prohibited on live animal shipments by most airlines (respiratory risk in pressurised holds). |
| Check-in time | AVIH: arrive at the regular passenger check-in counter with your pet’s crate, typically 2–3 hours before departure — the same counter you check in yourself. Manifest Cargo: arrive at the airline’s cargo terminal (not the passenger terminal) 3–4 hours before departure; cargo check-in has a fixed cutoff, and a late arrival means the shipment is offloaded to the next available flight. |
Departure Day: AVIH Check-In vs. Manifest Cargo
How departure day works depends entirely on which travel method applies to your pet — confirm this in Week 8 so there is no confusion on the day itself.
If Your Pet Flies AVIH (Direct Hanoi–Moscow Route)
- Check in at the regular passenger counter together with your pet’s crate — there is no separate cargo facility to visit.
- Present Form 15, Mẫu 13a, your flight booking, and your own passport to the check-in agent.
- The agent verifies the crate meets IATA standards and weighs it alongside your checked baggage.
- Your pet travels in the temperature-controlled hold of the same flight you are on — no AWB, no separate tracking number.
If Your Pet Flies Manifest Cargo (Transit via Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, or Tashkent)
The cargo terminal operates differently from the passenger terminal. You will not be checking in at an airline counter — instead, you present yourself and the shipment at the airline’s cargo facility. The process:
- Present the complete document set to the cargo agent — passport, AWB booking, Form 15, Mẫu 13a.
- The cargo agent inspects the crate for IATA compliance — correct size, door latches, ventilation, absorbent bedding.
- A live animal handling fee is collected (if not pre-paid).
- You receive a copy of the completed AWB with the tracking number. Retain this — it is the only way to track the shipment in transit.
- The crate is sealed and taken to the live animal holding area until loading.
Russia Arrival: What Happens at the Border
Upon arrival at SVO, DME, or LED, how you collect your pet also depends on the travel method. If your pet flew AVIH, you collect them together with your own checked baggage, typically at a designated oversized or live-animal pick-up point at arrivals — confirm the exact location with Vietnam Airlines or your Daisy Pet coordinator ahead of the flight, since pick-up points vary by airport. If your pet flew Manifest Cargo, they are offloaded by the cargo crew and held at the airline’s cargo facility; the owner or receiving agent collects them from the cargo terminal, not the passenger baggage claim. Either way, the border veterinary inspector reviews Form 15 and Mẫu 13a and stamps clearance. With a complete document set, this process typically takes 30–60 minutes. For the full regulatory context, see the Russia Pet Import Laws 2026 guide.
For airlines active on this route, see the Airlines for Pet Transport Vietnam to Russia guide. For cost estimates, see the Pet Relocation Cost Russia 2026 guide. For common questions, see our FAQ: Pet Import Russia 2026. To see this timeline followed in practice, read a cat’s real export from Hanoi to Moscow. To plan your specific relocation, request a quote or contact Daisy Pet directly.
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.
