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Country entry guide · Asia

Traveling to Vietnam with your dog

Difficulty: Moderate — advance registration and quarantine inspection ⏱ Several weeks to a few months

Vietnam welcomes dogs, but it applies its own national scheme through the Department of Animal Health (Cục Thú y) — not the EU framework. What you need depends mainly on the country your dog is travelling from. In every case your dog needs a valid rabies vaccination and an international veterinary health certificate from the exporting country's official authority, and you must register the import for quarantine with the Department of Animal Health before you leave. A microchip is not compulsory under Vietnamese law but is strongly recommended and often required by airlines. Every dog is inspected by the border animal quarantine service on arrival at a designated international airport. This guide explains what to prepare so your dog can clear quarantine smoothly.

📋 At a glance

Dogs allowed	Yes
Microchip	Recommended (not mandatory)
Rabies vaccination	Required
Rabies antibody test	Not required
Veterinary health certificate	Required
Advance quarantine registration (DAH)	Required
Quarantine inspection on arrival	Required — up to 45 days if risk

⚠️ Important

MyDogCanFly provides general information — not veterinary or legal advice.
Only a veterinarian and the Department of Animal Health (Cục Thú y) can confirm the exact procedure for your individual dog.
Register the import for quarantine with the Department of Animal Health before departure — approval normally takes up to 5 working days.
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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Find a flight to Vietnam

Compare the airlines that accept dogs and check their conditions.

🔎 Find a flight to Vietnam

🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided

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Country of destination — Vietnam★★★★★
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Country of departure★★★★★
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Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆

✅ Entry requirements

Requirement	Required?	Exceptions	Official reference
ISO microchip	Recommended	Not mandatory under Vietnamese law, but many airlines and exporting countries require it and it links the dog to its documents.	Circular 25/2016/TT-BNNPTNT; Vietnam DAH
Rabies vaccination	Required	A dog vaccinated less than 30 days before entry does not meet the requirement.	Vietnam DAH; USDA APHIS — Vietnam certificate
Rabies antibody test	Not required	No rabies antibody test is published in Vietnam's import scheme for dogs.	Vietnam DAH; Circular 25/2016/TT-BNNPTNT
International veterinary health certificate	Required	Documents must be translated into English or Vietnamese for the Vietnamese authorities.	Circular 25/2016/TT-BNNPTNT; USDA APHIS — Vietnam certificate
Advance quarantine registration (DAH)	Required	The approval is sent to the applicant and to the quarantine authority at the port of entry.	Circular 25/2016/TT-BNNPTNT, Form 19
Import permit	Conditional	The two-pet allowance is per person and only for household pets not on the prohibited list.	Circular 25/2016/TT-BNNPTNT, Article 10
Designated port of entry	Required	Notify the quarantine station of your arrival in advance to avoid delays outside office hours.	Vietnam DAH; Vietnam Customs
Quarantine inspection on arrival	Required	If the dossier is valid and the dog is healthy, a veterinary certificate is issued and the pet is released.	Circular 25/2016/TT-BNNPTNT; Vietnam DAH
Prohibited origins	Blocking	—	Decree 35/2016/ND-CP, Article 9.2
Puppies / minimum age	Old enough to be vaccinated	Vietnam does not publish a separate fixed minimum age; the rabies-vaccine timing governs in practice.	Vietnam DAH; Circular 25/2016/TT-BNNPTNT

🗓 In what order, and when

Some steps only count once the previous one is done — check each deadline against the official reference above.

ISO microchipISO 11784/11785 (15-digit); the microchip number must match the rabies and health certificates.
Rabies vaccinationAdministered at least 30 days and no more than 12 months before entry; certificate stating date, vaccine type, batch number and validity period.
International veterinary health certificateIssued by the competent veterinary authority of the exporting country certifying the dog is healthy and fit to export; typically valid 7–10 days before departure.
Advance quarantine registration (DAH)Before departure, submit a quarantine registration dossier (Form 19, Appendix V of Circular 25) to the Department of Animal Health via the National Single Window portal or by post; approval within 5 working days.
Import permitA foreign national may bring up to two pets without an import permit; a permit is required to import more than two.
Designated port of entryEnter via an international airport with a border animal quarantine station (Nội Bài/Hanoi, Tân Sơn Nhất/Ho Chi Minh City, Đà Nẵng).
Quarantine inspection on arrivalThe border quarantine officer verifies identity and documents and carries out a clinical health check; supervision may last up to 45 days depending on disease risk and testing.
Prohibited originsAnimals from countries or territories affected by Vietnam's notifiable diseases, or by zoonotic or emerging disease agents, are prohibited from import.
Puppies / minimum ageThe rabies vaccination must be given at least 30 days before entry, so the puppy must be old enough to have completed a valid rabies vaccination.

🌍 The different cases

Standard path — compliant import

From a disease-free origin the process is straightforward: a valid rabies vaccination (given at least 30 days and no more than 12 months before entry), an international veterinary health certificate from the exporting country's official authority, and advance quarantine registration with the Department of Animal Health. A microchip is recommended. On arrival the dog is inspected by the border quarantine service and, if healthy with a valid dossier, is cleared.

⏱ Standard path from a disease-free origin: ~4–6 weeks — rabies shot at least 30 days before entry, health certificate 7–10 days before departure, DAH quarantine approval within 5 working days.

Higher-risk origin — extended quarantine

From an origin with a higher disease risk, the same documents are required but the on-arrival quarantine can be longer — supervision may last up to 45 days, and the quarantine service may take samples or run tests before issuing the veterinary certificate. Register early and confirm the expected quarantine duration with the Department of Animal Health.

⏱ Higher-risk origin: add on-arrival quarantine that can last up to 45 days depending on the disease risk and any sampling or testing required.

Prohibited origin — import refused

A dog coming from a country or territory affected by one of Vietnam's notifiable animal diseases, or by a zoonotic or emerging disease agent that could spread to Vietnamese livestock or endanger public health, is prohibited from import under Decree 35/2016/ND-CP. In that case the dog cannot enter, whatever the documents. Confirm your dog's origin against Vietnam's current disease list before travelling.

⏱ Prohibited origin: a dog from a country affected by Vietnam's notifiable diseases cannot be imported at all — no timeline applies.

🛬 Arrival

What happens when your dog reaches Vietnam depends on your dossier and on where you flew from.

Enter only through an international airport with a border animal quarantine station (Nội Bài/Hanoi, Tân Sơn Nhất/Ho Chi Minh City, Đà Nẵng).
After immigration, collect your dog from the special baggage area and report to the border animal quarantine authority at the airport.
The officer verifies identity (including microchip if present), examines the quarantine dossier and carries out a clinical health check.
If the dossier is valid and the dog is healthy, a veterinary certificate is issued and the dog is released; supervision may last up to 45 days depending on disease risk and testing.
Carry original documents translated into English or Vietnamese, and pay any quarantine fees due.
A dog from a prohibited origin, or one that shows signs of infectious disease or lacks a valid dossier, may be refused entry, held for testing, returned or subjected to further quarantine.

🛫 Leaving the country (return trip)

Vietnam is non-listed, so a valid rabies antibody titer is mandatory to return to the EU — plus an export quarantine certificate from the Department of Animal Health (DAH).

⚠️ Start before you leave Anticipate the rabies antibody titer: blood test in an EU-approved lab, at least 30 days after vaccination — a valid result is essential to re-enter the EU and cannot be arranged at the last minute.
On site, before the flight The DAH, through its regional sub-departments and border quarantine stations, inspects the dog and issues the export health certificate before departure.

⚠️ If your dog already had a valid EU rabies titer before leaving, it stays valid for life as long as the rabies vaccination is kept up — check this before you travel.

🔗 Authority: DAH

🚫 Restricted dogs

Vietnam has no national breed-specific import ban: entry requirements are the same for every breed, provided the dog is not from a prohibited (disease-affected) origin. Import restrictions are based on the origin country's disease status, not on the breed.

Category 1

There is no national list of banned or 'dangerous' breeds at import. Breeds restricted in some other countries (pit-bull types, Tosa, Rottweiler, etc.) are not prohibited from entering Vietnam on the basis of breed.

Category 2

What is restricted is origin, not breed: under Decree 35/2016/ND-CP, animals from countries affected by Vietnam's notifiable diseases or by zoonotic/emerging agents are prohibited. There is no additional keeping permit tied to the dog's breed at national level.

Local rules on keeping dogs (leashing, muzzling, registration) can apply where the dog will live, and airlines set their own breed and crate policies — confirm both separately.

✈️ Airlines flying to Vietnam with a dog

Carriers we document that serve this country and accept dogs. The verdict is the airline's general policy — it does not prejudge your breed, your crate or your exact route.

Vietnam Airlines🇻🇳 3 airports Cabin Emirates 3 airports Hold Singapore Airlines 3 airports Hold Korean Air 3 airports Cabin China Airlines 3 airports Hold EVA Air 3 airports Hold

+20 more documented airlines accept dogs to this country. 2 carriers serving this country are not listed here: refusal or undocumented pet policy. See all airlines →

🛂 Airports in Vietnam

Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.

Da Nang DAD Hanoi HAN Ho Chi Minh City SGN

Vietnam with a dog: common questions

Vietnam: What does my dog need to enter?

Vietnam requires: Rabies vaccination, International veterinary health certificate, Advance quarantine registration (DAH), Designated port of entry, Quarantine inspection on arrival.

Vietnam: Is a rabies antibody test required?

Vietnam — Rabies antibody test: Not required.

Vietnam: Are any dog breeds banned?

Vietnam: How long does it take to prepare a dog?

Standard path from a disease-free origin: ~4–6 weeks — rabies shot at least 30 days before entry, health certificate 7–10 days before departure, DAH quarantine approval within 5 working days. Prohibited origin: a dog from a country affected by Vietnam's notifiable diseases cannot be imported at all…

Vietnam: Do domestic flights have the same requirements?

Domestic flight in Vietnam: crossing a provincial boundary requires a veterinary quarantine certificate — there is no exemption for pets. Dogs are expressly listed among the animals needing a quarantine certificate to leave a province, issued by the provincial veterinary authority.…

Vietnam: What is needed to leave with a dog?