Country entry guide · Asia
Traveling to the Philippines with your dog
The Philippines welcomes dogs, but it runs its own import scheme through the Department of Agriculture — Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI), not the EU framework. The single most important step is to secure an approved Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) — the import permit — online before you fly. Your dog needs an ISO-compatible microchip, a valid rabies vaccination (minimum age 84 days, given at least 14 days before you apply), core vaccinations and a preventive treatment against internal and external parasites. Once the SPSIC is approved you present it to the exporting country's veterinary authority to obtain an export permit / international veterinary health certificate (EP/IVHC) issued within 10 days of departure. A rabies antibody test is not required. On arrival a BAI Veterinary Quarantine Officer inspects your dog; meet every condition and there is no quarantine.
📋 At a glance
| Dogs allowed | Yes |
| Import clearance / permit (SPSIC, in advance) | Required |
| Microchip (ISO) | Required |
| Rabies vaccination | Required (may be waived from rabies-free countries) |
| Rabies antibody test | Not required |
| Other vaccinations (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis) | Required |
| Parasite treatment (internal & external) | Required |
| International veterinary health certificate (EP/IVHC) | Required |
| Quarantine | Not required if compliant |
⏱️ Estimated preparation time
Times are indicative. The rabies antibody test alone adds a fixed 3-month wait.
⚠️ Important
- MyDogCanFly provides general information — not veterinary or legal advice.
- Only a veterinarian and the Philippine Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) can confirm the exact procedure for your individual dog.
- The SPSIC import clearance must be approved before departure and presented to the exporting country's veterinary authority — without it the dog can be refused entry.
- Requirements depend on: the country of origin, previous travel history, identification, vaccinations, the itinerary and the travel date.
Always consult your veterinarian before booking your trip.
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🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact steps depend on three things — the Philippines (your destination) is only the first.
- 1 Country of destination — the Philippines★★★★★
The Philippines runs its own DA-BAI scheme: an advance online SPSIC import clearance, an ISO-compatible microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, core vaccinations, parasite treatment and an international veterinary health certificate. It does not use the EU pet-passport system, and no rabies antibody test is required.
- 2 Country of departure★★★★★
The exporting country's government veterinary authority endorses the export permit / international veterinary health certificate (EP/IVHC), which must be issued within 10 days of departure. If your dog comes from a WOAH-recognised rabies-free country, the rabies vaccination can be waived provided the veterinary authority attests to it in the EP/IVHC.
- 3 Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆
The vaccination and parasite records attached to the SPSIC and the EP/IVHC must match; a recent stay or a documentation mismatch can affect the health certification the exporting authority is willing to issue. The BAI quarantine officer verifies the dog and documents on arrival regardless of the last airport.
So read the requirements below as the Philippines' framework, then confirm your dog's exact origin, history and timeline with your vet and the BAI before you book.
✅ Entry requirements
| Requirement | Required? | When | Exceptions | Official reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Import clearance (SPSIC) | Required | Apply online for an approved Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance from DA-BAI before travel, uploading vaccination and antiparasitic records, proof of microchip, a photo of the pet and the pet passport if available. The permit is valid 60 days; a maximum of 3 pets may be imported at one time. | The approved SPSIC must be presented to the exporting country's veterinary authority to obtain the EP/IVHC. Documents must be PDF/JPG, merged per item and under 5MB. | DA-BAI — Pet (Dog/Cat) import; NVQSD SPSIC |
| ISO microchip | Required | An ISO-compatible microchip readable by an ISO-compatible reader must be implanted; the number must match the vaccination records and the EP/IVHC. | For any non-ISO chip, the importer must bring their own compatible microchip scanner. | DA-BAI — Pet import requirements (microchip) |
| Rabies vaccination | Required (waivable from rabies-free countries) | Dog vaccinated against rabies from a minimum age of 84 days; the initial rabies vaccination must be at least 14 days before the SPSIC application. For an annual booster, the animal may be shipped immediately upon vaccination. The vaccination must remain valid until arrival. | For dogs from a WOAH-recognised rabies-free country, the rabies vaccination may be waived provided the exporting veterinary authority attests to it in the EP/IVHC. | DA-BAI — Pet import requirements (rabies) |
| Rabies antibody test | Not required | The published DA-BAI dog/cat import requirements do not call for a rabies antibody test to enter the Philippines. | Confirm with the BAI that no test applies to your dog's specific origin before you book. | DA-BAI — Pet import requirements |
| Other vaccinations (dogs) | Required | At least one dose of canine distemper, infectious hepatitis, canine parvovirus, canine parainfluenza and leptospirosis vaccine, administered at least 14 days before the SPSIC application and valid until arrival. | For countries free of or not practising vaccination, a certificate of no vaccination/treatment from the exporting veterinary authority may be submitted instead. | DA-BAI — Pet import requirements (vaccinations) |
| Parasite treatment (internal & external) | Required | Preventive medication against internal and external parasites administered by a licensed veterinarian, between 91 days and 7 days before the SPSIC application. | The treatment details must appear on the vaccination/antiparasitic records and match the EP/IVHC. | DA-BAI — Pet import requirements (antiparasitic) |
| International veterinary health certificate (EP/IVHC) | Required | An export permit / international veterinary health certificate issued by the exporting country's government veterinary authority within 10 calendar days before departure, in English or with an English translation, matching the SPSIC and vaccination records. | The consignee/consignor name must match the name on the EP/IVHC. Original required on arrival. | DA-BAI — EP/IVHC; Bureau of Customs — Pet importation |
| Border check on arrival | Required | On arrival at any international port of entry, present the printed approved SPSIC and the original EP/IVHC (plus the stamped air waybill for cargo) to the BAI Veterinary Quarantine Officer, who inspects the dog and documents. Fees are paid on arrival. | Fees: SPSIC Php 100; SPS lodgement Php 55; inspection Php 250/head for the first 2 pets, Php 300/head thereafter. | DA-BAI — Arrival procedure; Bureau of Customs |
| Minimum age | ≥120 days at SPSIC application | Only dogs 120 days (about 4 months) and above at the time of the SPSIC application are allowed. Pregnant dogs are not accepted; a dam that has given birth may be cleared only if birth was at least 12 weeks before travel and a vet certifies dam and litter are fit to travel. | For young litters under specific ages, the exporting authority may certify that the vaccinated mother accompanies the litter. | DA-BAI — Pet import requirements (age) |
| Quarantine | Not required if compliant | A dog that meets every requirement and passes the arrival inspection is released the same day; there is no routine quarantine. | A dog that does not meet the requirements is seized, refused admission or returned to the country of origin at the owner's expense. | DA-BAI — Pet import requirements (quarantine); Bureau of Customs |
🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin
Fully compliant dog — standard path, no quarantine
A dog with a valid rabies vaccination, current core vaccinations, an ISO-compatible microchip and a recent parasite treatment follows the standard path: apply online for the DA-BAI SPSIC import clearance, then present it to the exporting country's government veterinary authority to obtain the export permit / international veterinary health certificate (EP/IVHC) within 10 days of departure. On arrival the BAI Veterinary Quarantine Officer inspects the dog and, provided every document is in order, releases it the same day with no quarantine.
Dog from a rabies-free country — rabies vaccine may be waived
If your dog comes from a country recognised rabies-free by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the rabies vaccination can be waived — but only if the exporting country's veterinary authority explicitly attests to this in the EP/IVHC. The SPSIC import clearance, ISO microchip, core vaccinations and parasite treatment are still required, and the dog must still be at least 120 days old at the SPSIC application. Confirm your country's WOAH status and the exact attestation wording with the BAI before you travel.
Non-compliant arrival or missing documents
A dog that arrives without an approved SPSIC and the original EP/IVHC, or whose microchip, vaccinations or age do not meet the requirements, has no legal entry path: under the rules of the Bureau of Animal Industry and the Bureau of Customs it can be seized, confiscated, refused admission or returned to the country of origin — entirely at the owner's expense. There is no on-arrival cure for a missing import clearance, so complete every step before departure.
🛬 Arrival
What happens when your dog reaches the Philippines depends on whether the SPSIC and EP/IVHC were completed before departure.
- Dogs enter through any international port of entry where a BAI Veterinary Quarantine Officer (VQO) is stationed to inspect arriving animals.
- For a hand-carried or checked-in dog, present the printed approved SPSIC and the original EP/IVHC issued by the exporting country's veterinary authority.
- For a dog released at the cargo terminal, also present the air waybill stamped by the airline indicating arrival.
- Fees are paid on arrival at the Veterinary Quarantine office: SPSIC Php 100, SPS lodgement Php 55, and inspection Php 250 per head for the first two pets (Php 300 per head thereafter).
- With all documents in order the animal can be released the same day, with no quarantine.
- A dog arriving without the required EP/IVHC and SPSIC is seized, confiscated or refused admission, and may be returned to the country of origin at the owner's expense.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 Restricted dogs
The Philippine Bureau of Animal Industry does not ban any dog breed from importation: no breed is prohibited from entering the country, and the import requirements are the same for every breed.
There is no national breed-specific import ban. Breeds restricted in some other countries (pit-bull types, Tosa, Rottweiler and similar) are not prohibited from entering the Philippines by the BAI, provided the dog meets the standard SPSIC, vaccination, microchip and certificate requirements.
Restrictions can instead come from local government units and airlines. Under the Anti-Rabies Act, local ordinances may declare individual dogs 'dangerous' and impose keeping rules once you are resident, and many carriers refuse or restrict snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds in the hold. These are keeping and transport rules, not import bans.
Because airline breed policies and local ordinances can be stricter than Philippine import law, confirm your dog's breed is accepted by your carrier before booking, and check the keeping rules of the local government unit where you will live.
✈️ National airlines
Carriers registered in this country that accept dogs — see each airline's MyDogCanFly fiche.
🛂 Airports in Philippines
Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.
🧾 Preparation checklist
- ☐SPSIC import clearance applied for online with DA-BAI before departure (valid 60 days)
- ☐ISO-compatible microchip; number matches every document
- ☐Valid rabies vaccination (dog ≥84 days at the shot; initial dose ≥14 days before SPSIC application)
- ☐Core vaccinations: distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza and leptospirosis (≥14 days before SPSIC application)
- ☐Internal and external parasite treatment between 91 and 7 days before the SPSIC application
- ☐Original EP/IVHC issued by the exporting veterinary authority within 10 days of departure
- ☐Dog at least 120 days old at the SPSIC application; not pregnant
- ☐Printed SPSIC and original EP/IVHC ready for the BAI officer; budget the arrival fees (Php)
- ☐IATA-compliant crate; confirm your dog's breed is accepted by the airline