Vietnam
United States
Bringing your dog or cat from Vietnam to the USA
Vietnam is on the CDC's list of high-risk countries for dog rabies, so dogs face the strictest U.S. entry rules, and which ones apply depends on where the rabies vaccine was given. Cats are much simpler. On the Vietnamese side, an export quarantine certificate comes first.
At a glance
Rules on this page apply to: dogs and cats.
- CDC status
- Vietnam is high-risk for dog rabies. Applies to any dog there in the 6 months before entry.
- Minimum age
- Dogs must be at least 6 months old on arrival.
- Foreign-vaccinated dogs
- Titer from a CDC-approved lab (none in Vietnam) drawn at least 28 days before entry, or 28 days of quarantine.
- Arrival airports
- Foreign-vaccinated dogs: only ATL, DFW, IAD, JFK, LAX, MIA, PHL or SEA, with a facility reservation.
- Screwworm certificate
- Vietnamese official veterinarian's inspection within 5 days before shipment (APHIS lists Vietnam).
- Cats
- No CDC rabies requirement; must appear healthy. States and airlines may ask for more.
Who this guide is for
Vietnamese families moving to the United States, Americans coming home after a posting or retirement in Vietnam, and anyone who adopted a dog or cat in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang. It also applies if your dog only passed through Vietnam and cleared customs there: any dog that was in a high-risk country during the 6 months before arriving in the U.S. follows the high-risk rules.
What we coordinate
- Working out which CDC pathway your dog is on, from its vaccination records.
- The titer test at a CDC-approved lab outside Vietnam, timed to CDC's windows.
- The reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, and a flight that lands at that airport.
- The Vietnamese export certificate, the CDC certification form and the screwworm certificate.
- Carrier, aircraft and mode, and help after landing through local partners where available. See U.S. pet import.
Moving to the U.S. from Vietnam with your pet?
Get My Free Quote (opens the enquiry form in a new tab)Dogs and cats
The CDC rules on this page apply to dogs only. The CDC does not require proof of rabies vaccination for cats entering the United States (it recommends it), and USDA APHIS says it has no animal health requirements for importing a pet cat. A cat must look healthy on arrival. Your destination state and your airline may ask for a health certificate or vaccination record, and a cat still needs Vietnam's export certificate if the airline or your state asks for official papers. See bringing a cat into the USA.
Timeline
For a dog vaccinated in Vietnam, plan at least two to three months, and more if the blood sample has to be shipped abroad:
- Day 0: microchip (if not already done), then rabies vaccination. A chip implanted after the vaccine makes the vaccine invalid for CDC.
- Day 30 or later: blood draw, shipped to a CDC-approved lab. CDC's checklist suggests collecting the sample 60 or more days before travel.
- 30+ days before travel: reserve the animal care facility and book a flight to its airport.
- Within 30 days of travel: CDC certification form, endorsed by a Vietnamese official veterinarian.
- Final days: Vietnamese export quarantine certificate, and the screwworm inspection within 5 days before shipment.
- Before travel: CDC Dog Import Form for that exact date and airport.
CDC rules for dogs from a high-risk country
Every dog must be at least 6 months old, have a microchip readable by a universal scanner, appear healthy, and travel with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt. For dogs from high-risk countries the receipt covers one entry on the arrival date listed; change the date or the airport and you submit a new form. It needs a photo of the dog's face and body (taken within 15 days of travel for dogs under one year). The airline checks the receipt before boarding, and CBP checks it on arrival.
Dogs vaccinated in the United States
- A USDA-accredited veterinarian completes the CDC Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination, and USDA endorses it before the dog leaves the U.S.
- For a first vaccine, the dog must have been at least 12 weeks old, and the form completed at least 28 days after vaccination.
- The form can be reused while that vaccine stays valid. No titer is required.
- The dog may arrive at any airport, seaport or land crossing that matches the import receipt.
- A USDA-endorsed export health certificate issued no later than July 31, 2025 can still replace the form if it meets CDC's conditions; later certificates are not accepted for re-entry.
A dog that left the U.S. without this certification, or whose U.S. vaccine lapsed in Vietnam, follows the foreign-vaccinated rules.
Dogs vaccinated outside the United States
- The Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip, completed by a veterinarian and endorsed by an official government veterinarian of the exporting country, no more than 30 days before travel. One entry only.
- A valid titer, or 28 days of quarantine.
- A reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, with exam and revaccination using a U.S.-licensed rabies vaccine.
- Arrival by air at that facility's airport; no domestic connection until its services are done.
- Documents in English or with a certified English translation.
Full details: CDC dog import rules.
Microchip
CDC requires a chip that a universal scanner can read, implanted before the rabies vaccine; otherwise the vaccine does not count. The number goes on every form. A dog chipped after its last rabies shot needs a new vaccination and, if foreign-vaccinated, a new titer at least 30 days later.
Rabies vaccination
The first rabies vaccine must be given at 12 weeks (84 days) of age or older; CDC does not accept earlier vaccines for dogs from high-risk countries. A foreign-vaccinated dog's vaccine must be at least 28 days old at entry. A lapse in boosters means a new vaccine and a new titer.
The U.S. Embassy in Vietnam notes that leaving Vietnam requires a valid rabies vaccination certificate, and if the vaccination is not current the pet needs a shot at least 30 days before departure.
Titer test
Only foreign-vaccinated dogs need one. The sample must reach a CDC-approved laboratory, drawn at least 30 days after the first valid vaccine and at least 28 days before entry. A passing result stays valid for the dog's life as long as vaccination never lapses and the lab stays approved.
CDC's approved list includes no laboratory in Vietnam, so the sample has to be sent abroad to a laboratory on CDC's list, in the U.S. or another country. Shipping and customs for blood samples add time, which is why we draw early.
Without a valid titer, the dog spends 28 days in quarantine at the animal care facility. CDC allows a shorter stay only in narrow cases it approves.
Import permit
The United States does not issue an import permit for pet dogs or cats. The equivalents are the CDC Dog Import Form receipt and, for foreign-vaccinated dogs, the animal care facility reservation confirmation, shown to the airline before boarding and to CBP on arrival.
Health certificate
CDC does not require a general health certificate. Dogs need the CDC rabies certification for their pathway and the screwworm certificate. Some U.S. states and many airlines want a recent health certificate, and the Vietnamese export certificate below usually serves that purpose.
Vietnamese export certificate and official signatures
Under Circular 01/2026/TT-BNNMT, an owner exporting an animal that needs quarantine sends a registration (form 2a, with the importing country's requirements if any) to the regional animal health sub-department or the authorized provincial veterinary authority, online through the National Single Window or Public Service Portal, by post, email or in person. The office reviews the file within 1 working day, examines the animal, and issues the export quarantine certificate (form 13a) within 1 working day, or 5 if samples are tested. At the exit port, officers check the certificate.
Two U.S. documents also need a Vietnamese government veterinarian:
- CDC foreign-vaccination form: endorsed by an official government veterinarian of the exporting country.
- Screwworm certificate: USDA APHIS lists Vietnam as a region where screwworm exists. Dogs need a certificate signed by a full-time salaried veterinary official of the region of origin, stating the dog was inspected within 5 days before shipment and is free of screwworm.
We confirm with the regional office how both statements are issued and fitted to your flight.
Airlines
Most Vietnam–U.S. trips involve a connection. A foreign-vaccinated dog must land at its facility's airport, and the airline checks the reservation and the CDC receipt before boarding. Snub-nosed breeds are restricted on most carriers. Airline policies change; we confirm the carrier, aircraft and mode for your pet.
Cabin, checked baggage or cargo
CDC notes that the Seattle facility takes cargo-only reservations, and at Los Angeles cargo is preferred to avoid clearance delays. Cabin travel depends on the airline and the dog's size and is never guaranteed. During a connection, a dog that clears customs in another country is treated as having entered it. See airline cargo for pets.
Arrival in the United States
A foreign-vaccinated dog must land at an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility: Atlanta (ATL), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York JFK, Philadelphia (PHL), Seattle (SEA) or Washington Dulles (IAD). Newark and LaGuardia do not count for New York. The facility examines and revaccinates the dog. More on U.S. arrival airports.
Vietnam is not on APHIS's list of regions free of foot-and-mouth disease, so the dog's fur and bedding should be free of excess dirt, hay or straw, and the dog should be bathed on arrival and kept away from livestock for 5 days.
A dog refused entry cannot continue its trip; the airline returns it to the last country of departure at the owner's expense.
Quarantine
A foreign-vaccinated dog without a valid titer is quarantined for 28 days at the animal care facility, at your expense. With a valid titer there is no quarantine, but the facility still examines and revaccinates the dog. U.S.-vaccinated dogs with the endorsed certification are not quarantined by CDC. A dog that looks sick may be examined and refused entry.
State and territory rules
There are no CDC-registered animal care facilities in Alaska, Hawaii or U.S. territories, so a foreign-vaccinated dog from Vietnam cannot enter there. CDC also notes that cats arriving in Hawaii or Guam are subject to local quarantine rules. Hawaii and Guam have their own dog and cat requirements, and other states can ask for health certificates; we check them for your destination.
What drives the cost
- The CDC pathway: the animal care facility's exam, revaccination and any quarantine are paid by the importer and priced by each facility.
- The titer test, and shipping the sample to an approved lab abroad.
- Vietnamese export certification and the screwworm inspection.
- Flight mode, crate size and a routing that reaches an eligible airport.
- Onward domestic travel after release.
The CDC Dog Import Form is free. We quote once we know your dog's records, route and dates.
Mistakes we see on this route
- Assuming a U.S. dog is still "U.S.-vaccinated". Without the endorsed CDC certification made before it left, or after a lapse, it counts as foreign-vaccinated.
- Underestimating the titer. No approved lab in Vietnam means shipping the sample abroad; start early.
- Booking the wrong airport. Foreign-vaccinated dogs land only where their facility reservation is.
- Chipping after vaccinating. The vaccine then does not count.
- Forgetting the screwworm certificate. It must come from Vietnam's official veterinary service within 5 days of shipment.
Questions about this route
Can the titer test be done in Vietnam?
The blood can be drawn in Vietnam, but CDC's approved-lab list has no laboratory there, so the sample must be tested by an approved lab abroad. It must be drawn at least 30 days after the first valid vaccine and at least 28 days before entry.
We took our dog from the U.S. to Saigon with a U.S. vaccine. What applies now?
If a USDA-accredited veterinarian completed the CDC Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination and USDA endorsed it before you left, and that vaccine is still valid, your dog can use any U.S. port. Otherwise it follows the foreign-vaccinated rules.
Does my cat need anything from CDC?
No rabies document is required for cats, and APHIS has no requirements for pet cats. The cat must look healthy; your state and airline may ask for a health certificate.
Can my dog fly into Houston or San Francisco?
Not if it is foreign-vaccinated: it must land at an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility (ATL, DFW, IAD, JFK, LAX, MIA, PHL or SEA).
How long does the Vietnamese export certificate take?
Circular 01/2026/TT-BNNMT gives the office 1 working day to review the file and 1 working day to issue the certificate after the inspection, or 5 if samples are tested. We book it close to departure so it lines up with the 5-day screwworm window.
Official sources
The requirements on this page come from these authorities.
- CDC — High-risk countries for dog rabies (April 15, 2026): Vietnam listed
- CDC — Bringing a dog into the United States, overview (August 1, 2024)
- CDC — Entry requirements for U.S.-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (April 28, 2026)
- CDC — Entry requirements for foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (July 22, 2024)
- CDC — FAQs on dog importations (August 27, 2026)
- CDC — CDC-registered animal care facilities (September 1, 2026)
- CDC — Approved rabies serology laboratories (July 13, 2026): no laboratory in Vietnam
- CDC — Layovers (April 29, 2026)
- 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): Vietnam listed as screwworm-affected; not on the FMD-free list
- 9 CFR 93.600 — Importation of dogs (screwworm certificate)
- 9 CFR 94.1 — Regions where FMD exists (all regions except those declared free)
- USDA APHIS — Bring a pet cat into the United States (modified December 24, 2025)
- Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Environment — Circular 01/2026/TT-BNNMT (in force January 1, 2026), Articles 7–9: export quarantine registration and certificate (form 13a) — Government portal copy
- U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Vietnam — Bring pets to or from Vietnam (PDF, August 2024)
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 the U.S. from Vietnam with your pet?
Send us your dog's vaccination records and your target dates. We tell you which CDC pathway applies and plan the titer, the facility and the flight.
Takes a few minutes. No account needed.