Country entry guide · Asia
Traveling to Vietnam with your dog
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 |
⏱️ 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 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.
Find a flight to Vietnam
🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact steps depend on three things — Vietnam (your destination) is only the first.
- 1 Country of destination — Vietnam★★★★★
Vietnam runs its own scheme through the Department of Animal Health: a valid rabies vaccination, an international veterinary health certificate, advance quarantine registration and inspection on arrival. A microchip is recommended but not compulsory, and no EU pet passport is used.
- 2 Country of departure★★★★★
The disease status of the departure country decides whether import is allowed at all: dogs from countries affected by Vietnam's notifiable diseases are prohibited. A higher-risk origin can also mean a longer on-arrival quarantine.
- 3 Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆
A recent stay in a higher-risk country can affect the quarantine decision or trigger sampling and testing on arrival, even if you fly in from elsewhere. It is your dog's real origin and history that count.
So read the requirements below as Vietnam's framework, then confirm your dog's exact origin and history with your vet and the Department of Animal Health.
✅ Entry requirements
| Requirement | Required? | When | Exceptions | Official reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO microchip | Recommended | ISO 11784/11785 (15-digit); the microchip number must match the rabies and health certificates. | 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 | Administered at least 30 days and no more than 12 months before entry; certificate stating date, vaccine type, batch number and validity period. | 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 | Issued 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | A foreign national may bring up to two pets without an import permit; a permit is required to import more than two. | 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 | Enter via an international airport with a border animal quarantine station (Nội Bài/Hanoi, Tân Sơn Nhất/Ho Chi Minh City, Đà Nẵng). | Notify the quarantine station of your arrival in advance to avoid delays outside office hours. | Vietnam DAH; Vietnam Customs |
| Quarantine inspection on arrival | Required | The 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. | 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 | Animals from countries or territories affected by Vietnam's notifiable diseases, or by zoonotic or emerging disease agents, are prohibited from import. | — | Decree 35/2016/ND-CP, Article 9.2 |
| Puppies / minimum age | Old enough to be vaccinated | The 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. | Vietnam does not publish a separate fixed minimum age; the rabies-vaccine timing governs in practice. | Vietnam DAH; Circular 25/2016/TT-BNNPTNT |
🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin
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.
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.
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.
🛬 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.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 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.
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.
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.
✈️ National airlines
Carriers registered in this country that accept dogs — see each airline's MyDogCanFly fiche.
🛂 Airports in Vietnam
Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.
🧾 Preparation checklist
- ☐Microchip (ISO 11784/11785) recommended, with its number matching all certificates
- ☐Valid rabies vaccination given at least 30 days and no more than 12 months before entry
- ☐International veterinary health certificate from the exporting country's official authority
- ☐Advance quarantine registration with the Department of Animal Health (Form 19, before departure)
- ☐Vaccination record / pet passport documenting full vaccination and deworming history
- ☐Original documents translated into English or Vietnamese
- ☐Arrive through a designated international airport and notify the quarantine station in advance
- ☐Airline reservation and suitable IATA crate if travelling in the hold
📚 Official sources
- Department of Animal Health (Cục Thú y) — Animal quarantine
- Department of Animal Health (Cục Thú y) — Administrative procedures: animal quarantine
- Vietnam Customs (Tổng cục Hải quan) — official portal
- National Single Window Portal — animal quarantine registration
- USDA APHIS — Pet Travel From the United States to Vietnam (veterinary health certificate)