United States
Vietnam
Moving your dog or cat from the USA to Vietnam
Vietnam's 2026 quarantine circular gives travelers carrying up to two pets a direct route: declare them to the animal quarantine office at the border, pass the document and health check, and receive an import quarantine certificate. Three or more pets need registration with the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health before the trip.
At a glance
Rules on this page apply to: dogs and cats.
- Up to two pets
- Declared directly to the border animal quarantine office on arrival; no advance registration.
- Three or more
- Register with the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health before import.
- Health certificate
- APHIS Vietnam form, valid 30 days from issue to departure, endorsed by USDA.
- Microchip
- The chip number is a required field on the APHIS Vietnam certificate.
- Rabies
- Current at export; U.S. Embassy guidance: given 30 days to 1 year before travel.
- On arrival
- Document and clinical check; certificate within 1 working day, or 5 if samples are tested.
Who this guide is for
Vietnamese-American families moving back to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang, employees on assignment in Vietnam, and retirees who want their dog or cat with them. It covers pets kept as companions and carried by their owner, which is the case Vietnam's rules treat most simply.
If you plan to come back to the U.S. with a dog, read the CDC section below before you leave: Vietnam is on the CDC's high-risk list, and one form has to be done in the U.S.
What we coordinate
- Checking your pet's chip and rabies dates against the Vietnam certificate before the vet visit.
- The USDA-accredited veterinarian's Vietnam certificate and its APHIS endorsement inside the 30-day window. See U.S. pet export.
- Advance registration with Vietnam's veterinary authority if you are bringing three or more animals.
- Carrier, aircraft and mode, a compliant crate, and help on arrival through local partners where available.
- The CDC paperwork for a dog's eventual return to the U.S.
Moving to Vietnam with your pet?
Get My Free Quote (opens the enquiry form in a new tab)Dogs and cats
Vietnam's circular lists dogs and cats among the animals subject to quarantine, and the APHIS Vietnam certificate covers both on one form. The steps on this page are the same for a dog and a cat.
The two-pet threshold is per traveler carrying the animals: up to two follow the simple border procedure; more than two follow the full import procedure, described below.
Timeline
For a healthy adult pet with a chip and a current rabies vaccine, Vietnam is one of the quicker Asian destinations:
- Now: check the chip and the date of the last rabies vaccine.
- At least 30 days before travel: if a booster is needed, give it now. The U.S. Embassy's guidance is that the vaccine must be at least 30 days and no more than a year old at travel.
- Within 30 days of departure: exam and Vietnam certificate by a USDA-accredited veterinarian, then APHIS endorsement through VEHCS.
- Three or more animals: register with Vietnam's Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health first; it has 4 working days to reply once the file is complete.
- Arrival: declare your pet at the border animal quarantine office.
If your dog may come back to the U.S., add the CDC form before departure (see Rabies below).
Microchip
The APHIS Vietnam certificate marks the microchip number as required, and the accredited veterinarian certifies having verified it. Vietnam's officers compare the animal with its certificate on arrival, so the chip must scan and match every document. A 15-digit ISO chip is the safe choice, and it is also what most onward destinations ask for.
Rabies vaccination
The accredited veterinarian certifies that your pet is current on rabies vaccination at the time of export, and the certificate records the date of the most recent vaccine, its name, batch number and the end of its validity.
The U.S. Embassy in Vietnam states, citing Vietnamese authorities, that the rabies record must be issued at least 30 days before travel and no more than a year before it. A U.S. three-year vaccine given more than 12 months ago therefore calls for a booster at least 30 days before you fly. Vietnam's circular also lets border officers vaccinate animals that have not been vaccinated against dangerous infectious diseases.
Taking a dog that might return to the U.S.? Ask your veterinarian for the CDC Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination and have USDA endorse it before departure. Without it, your dog will later be treated as foreign-vaccinated. See Vietnam to USA.
Titer test
Neither Vietnam's circular nor the APHIS Vietnam certificate asks for a rabies antibody test for pets from the U.S. We confirm current conditions with Vietnam's veterinary authority for your dates, because requirements can change by notice.
A titer may still be worth doing if you will move on to another country later, or if your dog will return to the U.S. as foreign-vaccinated (CDC requires one from an approved lab, and there is no CDC-approved lab in Vietnam).
Import permit
Under Circular 01/2026/TT-BNNMT, in force since January 1, 2026:
- Up to two animals carried by a traveler as companions are declared directly to the border animal quarantine office. No prior registration is required. The U.S. Embassy's guidance likewise says no import permit is needed for two pets or fewer.
- More than two follow the full import procedure: a registration (form 19) sent beforehand to the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health, which replies within 4 working days, then a quarantine declaration (form 3) to the border office before arrival, and an isolation place arranged by the owner.
We prepare the registration file when it applies.
Health certificate
Vietnam checks the exporting country's quarantine certificate. From the U.S., that is the APHIS "Veterinary Health Certificate for Export of Dogs and Cats from the United States of America to Viet Nam" (September 2025). The accredited veterinarian certifies that the animals:
- carry the microchips listed and were inspected on that date;
- appear healthy and free of infectious or contagious disease;
- come from an area not quarantined for rabies and were not exposed to rabies;
- are current on rabies vaccination.
The certificate is valid for 30 days from the date of issue to the date of departure.
USDA APHIS endorsement
APHIS can endorse the Vietnam certificate digitally through VEHCS and return it electronically; the printed, endorsed certificate must travel with your pet. The APHIS endorsement fee (as of June 18, 2026) is US$101 for a certificate with no lab tests. Your veterinarian's fees are separate.
Airlines
Most trips from the U.S. to Vietnam involve at least one connection, and each carrier sets its own rules on pets, crates, breeds and temperature. A connection can also matter later: CDC treats a dog as having entered any country where it clears customs. Airline policies change; we confirm the carrier, aircraft and mode for your pet.
Cabin, checked baggage or cargo
The two-pet border procedure is written for animals carried by the traveler. Whether your pet can be in the cabin depends on the airline, the aircraft and its size, and is never guaranteed on long-haul routes; larger dogs travel in the hold or as cargo. If your pet will fly without you, we confirm the import procedure with Vietnam's veterinary authority first. See airline cargo for pets.
Arrival in Vietnam
At the border animal quarantine office the officer:
- checks the exporting country's quarantine certificate;
- examines your pet;
- vaccinates it if it has not been vaccinated against dangerous infectious diseases;
- takes samples only if the animal is suspected of disease.
If no samples are needed, the import quarantine certificate (form 15a) is issued within 1 working day of the inspection; if samples are tested, within 5 working days, once the results are negative.
Quarantine
For up to two healthy pets with valid documents, the circular sets out a document and clinical check, not an isolation period. Quarantine becomes a question when a pet looks ill and is sampled, or when you import three or more animals: then the owner arranges an isolation place supervised by the border office, and monitoring lasts as long as the species and diseases require, up to 45 days.
An invalid foreign certificate leads to the animal being held and handled under the rules, and animals with a dangerous infectious disease are destroyed near the border. A complete, correct certificate is the whole game.
What drives the cost
- Veterinary exam, Vietnam certificate and the APHIS endorsement fee.
- A rabies booster if the last one is more than a year old.
- Flight routing, mode and crate size; connections add handling.
- Advance registration and an isolation place if you bring three or more animals.
- Border inspection fees in Vietnam (not published on the pages we read).
We quote once we know your pet, its records and your dates. See pet relocation cost.
Mistakes we see on this route
- A rabies certificate more than a year old. Even if a U.S. three-year vaccine is still valid, plan a booster at least 30 days before travel.
- A certificate issued too early. It is valid 30 days from issue to departure.
- Three pets, no registration. The simple border procedure covers two animals.
- A chip that doesn't scan or match. The number is a required field.
- Leaving without the CDC form. A dog returning from Vietnam without it faces the foreign-vaccinated rules.
Questions about this route
Do I need an import permit for my dog?
Not for up to two companion animals carried by you: Circular 01/2026/TT-BNNMT has you declare them directly to the border animal quarantine office. Three or more need advance registration with the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health.
Is there quarantine when my cat arrives?
For a healthy pet with a valid certificate, the circular describes a document and health check, with the import certificate issued within 1 working day. Animals that look ill can be sampled, and the certificate then takes up to 5 working days.
Does Vietnam need a rabies titer test?
It is not mentioned in the circular or on the APHIS Vietnam certificate. We confirm current conditions for your dates.
My dog's three-year rabies vaccine was given 18 months ago. Is that OK?
The U.S. Embassy's guidance asks for a rabies vaccination no more than a year before travel, so plan a booster at least 30 days before you fly.
We'll probably return to the U.S. in a few years. What should we do now?
Get the CDC Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination completed and endorsed by USDA before your dog leaves, and keep its rabies vaccine from lapsing. See Vietnam to USA.
Official sources
The requirements on this page come from these authorities.
- Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Environment — Circular 01/2026/TT-BNNMT on quarantine of terrestrial animals and animal products (dated January 1, 2026, in force January 1, 2026; replaces Circular 25/2016/TT-BNNPTNT), Articles 10, 11 and 14 — Government portal copy
- USDA APHIS — Pet travel from the United States to Vietnam (last modified September 30, 2025)
- USDA APHIS — Veterinary health certificate for export of dogs and cats from the United States to Viet Nam (September 2025)
- U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Vietnam — Bring pets to or from Vietnam (PDF, August 2024)
- USDA APHIS — Cost to endorse your pet's health certificate (modified June 18, 2026)
- CDC — High-risk countries for dog rabies (April 15, 2026): Vietnam listed
- CDC — Entry requirements for U.S.-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (April 28, 2026)
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 to Vietnam with your pet?
Tell us how many pets, your arrival city and your dates. We check the rabies timing first, then plan the certificate and the flight.
Takes a few minutes. No account needed.