Taiwan
United States
Pet relocation from Taiwan to the United States
Taiwan is not a CDC high-risk country, so the CDC side for dogs is short. The step people miss is USDA's: APHIS lists Taiwan as affected by screwworm, so dogs need an official inspection within 5 days before the flight.
At a glance
Rules on this page apply to: dogs and cats.
- CDC status
- Taiwan is not on CDC's high-risk dog rabies list.
- Dog age
- At least 6 months old on arrival in the US.
- CDC Dog Import Form
- Free online form; the receipt is the only CDC document for low-risk dogs.
- Screwworm (USDA)
- Dogs need an official vet certificate of inspection within 5 days before shipment.
- Cats
- No CDC rabies proof required; the cat must appear healthy.
- Return to Taiwan
- Test before leaving to come back within a year without quarantine.
Who this guide is for
Owners moving a dog or cat from Taiwan to the continental United States: Taiwanese families relocating for work or study, Americans finishing a posting in Taipei, and anyone adopting in Taiwan. A short section covers Hawaii and Guam, which add their own rules.
It assumes your pet has lived only in Taiwan, or in other places CDC does not list as high-risk, for the past 6 months.
What we coordinate
- Checking your dog's age, travel history and microchip against CDC rules, and completing the CDC Dog Import Form.
- Booking the APHIA export inspection at the right branch, timed for the USDA screwworm window.
- Choosing the airline, mode and crate, and the booking itself.
- A pre-departure titer test if you might bring the pet back to Taiwan.
- Arrival at the US airport, and ground transport through local partners where available.
Our related 886JetPet team handles the Taiwan side in person.
Moving from Taiwan to the US?
Get My Free Quote (opens the enquiry form in a new tab)Dogs versus cats
The US treats them very differently. CDC rules apply only to dogs, and so does USDA's screwworm certificate rule for pet dogs. For cats, CDC does not require proof of rabies vaccination or a general health certificate, though a state or airline may.
That makes a cat's move from Taiwan mostly an airline and paperwork-for-the-airline exercise. A dog's move has two federal agencies and a 5-day window to respect.
How long it takes
For an adult dog with a microchip and current vaccines, two to four weeks is realistic: enough to secure an APHIA appointment within 5 days of the flight, complete the CDC form and book the airline. These are our planning estimates, not official deadlines.
Add time if your dog is under 6 months (it cannot enter the US yet), if you want a titer test for a future return to Taiwan, or if summer heat embargoes limit flights.
CDC rules for dogs from Taiwan
CDC's high-risk list (dated April 15, 2026) includes "China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan)". Taiwan is therefore a low-risk country for CDC. A dog that has been only in low-risk or rabies-free countries in the past 6 months needs:
- to be at least 6 months old on arrival;
- a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner;
- a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, completed online, free, for each dog — the only required document;
- to appear healthy on arrival.
Such dogs may enter at any US airport. The receipt is valid for 6 months for entries from the same country, and becomes invalid if the dog visits a high-risk country in that period.
Layovers matter. If your dog clears customs in a high-risk country on the way (for example in Manila or Bangkok), it is treated as a high-risk dog on arrival. We route through places that keep your dog low-risk. More detail: CDC dog import rules.
Microchip
CDC asks only that the chip be detectable with a universal scanner. If your pet has an unusual or older chip, we check it can be read before departure. Make sure the chip number on the CDC form, the APHIA certificate and the airline booking is identical.
Rabies vaccination
CDC does not require a rabies certificate for low-risk dogs. Keep the vaccination current anyway: APHIA's export guidance says dogs and cats over 3 months old must be vaccinated under Taiwan's animal disease rules, your US destination may have its own requirements, and Taiwan will want proof if your pet ever comes back.
Titer test
The US does not require a titer test from Taiwan. It matters only for a return to Taiwan: under APHIA's rules, a pet whose blood was drawn and passed before leaving Taiwan, and that comes back within 1 year of that draw with the other conditions met, can skip Taiwan's quarantine. If a return within a year is possible, we test before departure.
Permits
The US issues no import permit for pet dogs or cats arriving from Taiwan. The CDC receipt plays the role of advance notice for dogs. Taiwan has no export permit either; it has the export quarantine inspection described below.
Health and screwworm certificate
USDA APHIS lists Taiwan under screwworm on its region health-status page (modified October 27, 2026). For pet dogs from such regions, APHIS requires a certificate:
- signed by a full-time salaried veterinary official of the region of origin;
- stating the dog was inspected for screwworm within 5 days before shipment to the US;
- and that it is free of screwworm, or was treated and quarantined until free.
APHIS has no required template: it can be a standalone statement or part of an export health certificate. In Taiwan, the official veterinarians are APHIA's. A private clinic certificate alone does not meet this rule. We confirm the exact wording with the APHIA branch for your dates.
Cats are not covered by this dog rule. Many airlines still ask for a recent health certificate for cats; we check yours.
APHIA export inspection
APHIA performs export quarantine when the destination requires a Taiwan official certificate, or when the pet may come back to Taiwan. For a dog going to the US, the screwworm rule means you need it. Bring the animal, the rabies vaccination certificate, your ID or passport and your ticket or cargo document; an agent needs a letter of authorization.
APHIA's certificate has no expiry date and APHIA recommends the inspection within 1 week of export. For the US, the 5-day screwworm window is the tighter limit. APHIA asks owners to book with the branch by phone in advance. APHIA's export page also reminds owners that dogs going to the US must meet both USDA APHIS and CDC requirements.
Airlines
China Airlines' pet page, for instance, carries dogs and cats as checked baggage on its own and Mandarin Airlines flights only, not on B738 or 32C aircraft and not from April 1 to October 31 between Taipei and Phoenix. Since February 1, 2025 it issues an air waybill for dogs entering the US, which you sign and present at check-in and at US entry, and it refuses dogs whose CDC forms are incomplete.
Other carriers on the route set their own breed, season and aircraft limits. Airline policies change; we confirm the carrier, aircraft and mode for your pet.
Cabin, checked baggage or cargo
Most long-haul carriers on Taiwan–US routes accept pets in the hold rather than the cabin. China Airlines' page, for example, describes only service dogs in the cabin. Never assume a cabin seat; we check the specific flight.
Heavy crates or pets flying without their owner travel as cargo. See airline cargo.
Arrival in the US
At the US airport, officials check your dog's CDC Dog Import Form receipt and that the dog appears healthy. Keep the receipt, the APHIA screwworm certificate and the air waybill together in your hand luggage.
Because APHIS does not list Taiwan as free of foot-and-mouth disease, we plan for APHIS's FMD steps for dogs: clean fur and bedding, a bath on arrival, and 5 days away from livestock. No document is required for this. See US airport arrivals.
Quarantine
There is no federal quarantine for a compliant low-risk dog or a healthy cat arriving from Taiwan in the continental US. Hawaii and Guam are different (below).
State and territory rules
Hawaii runs its own rabies quarantine program. Pets from places other than the British Isles, Australia, Guam and New Zealand need two rabies vaccinations, a passing FAVN test from an approved lab (Kansas State, Auburn, Missouri, or the DoD lab for DoD beneficiaries) and documents at the Animal Quarantine Station at least 10 days before arrival to qualify for direct release; otherwise quarantine can last up to 120 days.
Guam and individual states set their own rules too; we confirm them with the state or territory veterinarian for your destination.
What drives the cost
- Airline fees, which depend on the weight of the pet and crate.
- The APHIA export inspection and any after-hours scheduling.
- A titer test if you plan to return to Taiwan.
- Crate, vet visits and transport to Taoyuan.
- US-side ground transport and, for Hawaii, the state's program fees.
We quote each move after checking your dates and pet.
Mistakes we see most
- Assuming the CDC form is the only paperwork, and missing the USDA screwworm certificate for dogs.
- Booking the APHIA inspection more than 5 days before the flight.
- Flying with a dog under 6 months old.
- Routing through a CDC high-risk country with a customs clearance.
- Leaving Taiwan without a titer test, then returning within a year and facing quarantine.
Questions about this route
Is Taiwan a high-risk country for dog rabies under CDC rules?
No. CDC's list names China but explicitly excludes Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, so dogs from Taiwan follow the low-risk requirements.
Does my dog need a USDA screwworm certificate from Taiwan?
Yes, as of October 29, 2026: APHIS lists Taiwan as affected by screwworm, so a full-time government veterinarian must certify an inspection within 5 days before shipment. We book the APHIA inspection inside that window.
What does my cat need to enter the US from Taiwan?
CDC requires no rabies proof for cats, only that the cat appears healthy. Airlines and some destinations may ask for more; we check them.
My puppy is 4 months old. Can it fly to the US?
Not yet. CDC requires dogs to be at least 6 months old on arrival, whatever the country.
Can we bring the pet back to Taiwan later without quarantine?
Yes, if the titer blood draw is done and passed before leaving Taiwan and the pet returns within 1 year of that draw, with the vaccine and permit conditions met.
Official sources
The requirements on this page come from these authorities.
- CDC — High-risk countries for dog rabies (dated April 15, 2026)
- CDC — Entry requirements for dogs from dog rabies-free or low-risk countries
- CDC — Bringing a cat into the United States (August 22, 2025)
- USDA APHIS — Bring a pet dog into the United States (modified April 1, 2026)
- USDA APHIS — Animal health status of regions (modified October 27, 2026): Taiwan listed under Screwworm
- APHIA (Taiwan) — 輸出犬貓檢疫注意事項
- APHIA — 犬貓輸入檢疫流程圖 (updated 2026-10-12), re-entry to Taiwan
- China Airlines — Pet transport
- Hawaii Department of Agriculture — Animal Quarantine
Requirements last verified against these sources on .
Requirements change. Before anything is booked, we confirm each one again with the authorities, the airline and your veterinarian for your pet and your dates.
Going the other way?
Other destinations
Moving from Taiwan to the US?
Tell us your pet's age, travel history and flight dates. We will line up the APHIA inspection, the CDC form and the airline so the dates fit.
Takes a few minutes. No account needed.