Pet Import Requirements: Taiwan (2026) | Dogs & Cats

What to Know About Importing Dogs and Cats to Taiwan

TLDR: Dogs and cats moving to Taiwan from the Continental US need a microchip, an inactivated rabies vaccine, and a passing rabies titer test, plus an ink-endorsed USDA health certificate, since digital certificates aren't accepted. Timing the titer blood draw between 180 days and 1 year before arrival waives the standard 7-day quarantine, but only if the passing result also reaches APHIA through an approved channel. Four breeds are banned, and the import permit format changes January 1, 2027.

Moving a pet to Taiwan comes down to one planning decision more than any other: when you draw your pet's titer blood sample. Get that timing right, and your pet skips quarantine altogether. Get it wrong, and it's an automatic 7 days at a designated facility on arrival. Here's exactly what your dog or cat needs.

Microchip

Your pet must be implanted with a microchip before any vaccinations are administered. The microchip number must appear on the rabies vaccination certificate, the import permit, and the export veterinary certificate exactly, so a single mismatched digit across those documents becomes a genuine problem at customs.

Age and Rabies Vaccination

Your pet must be at least 90 days old at the time of import, and at least 90 days old at the time of the rabies vaccination.

The vaccine must be inactivated. Taiwan does not accept modified live virus or RNA vaccines. It must be administered at least 30 days and no more than 1 year before shipment.

US vets commonly give 3-year rabies vaccines, but Taiwan doesn't recognize multi-year label duration. If your pet's last rabies vaccine was given more than 1 year before your planned shipment date, it needs a booster, regardless of what the vaccine label says is still valid in the US.

The Titer Test and the Quarantine Waiver

Your pet needs a rabies neutralization antibody titer test showing at least 0.5 IU/mL, drawn at an approved US laboratory:

• Kansas State Rabies Laboratory (FAVN)
• Department of Defense Laboratory, Veterinary Food Analysis and Diagnostic Laboratory, Texas (FAVN)
• Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, Virology Laboratory (FAVN)
• University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (FAVN)

The blood draw must happen no less than 90 days and no more than 1 year before shipment. Where you land inside that window determines whether your pet is quarantined on arrival:

• Blood draw within 180 days of importation (90 to 180 days out): the standard 7-day quarantine applies.
• Blood draw between 180 days and 1 year before importation: the 7-day quarantine is waived entirely.

Timing alone does not trigger the waiver. Once your titer is drawn in the 180 day to 1 year window, the passing result also has to reach APHIA through an approved channel. There are two ways to do this.

Apply for your import permit at least 120 days before arrival. On this longer timeline, your standard permit submission is enough and no separate report transmission is required.

Or apply at least 20 days before arrival and have the titer result sent to APHIA directly. That means the testing laboratory emails the report to APHIA, or the lab posts results APHIA can verify on its website, or USDA transmits the titer declaration on your behalf. A report you simply carry to the airport does not qualify for the waiver on this timeline.

The cleanest path is the lab direct route. Kansas State publishes titer results APHIA can verify straight from the lab website, which satisfies the requirement automatically. Run the titer through Kansas State, apply on the standard timeline, and the waiver process largely takes care of itself.

Planning the blood draw 6 to 12 months ahead of your intended arrival date is the single most effective way to avoid quarantine on this route. If your shipment ends up happening more than 1 year after your pet's first satisfactory titer test, a second test is required, and that second sample only qualifies if it's drawn between 90 days and 1 year after the first satisfactory sample. A second sample drawn less than 90 days before shipment doesn't count.

Health Certificate: Ink Endorsement Required

Taiwan requires an original ink signature and embossed seal from a USDA APHIS veterinary officer. Accredited veterinarians can issue and submit certificates electronically through VEHCS, but the final USDA endorsement must be physical. Digital PDFs are not accepted, no matter how the certificate was originally issued.

Your vet submits a prepaid, preaddressed return label along with the VEHCS submission, and USDA mails the ink-signed, embossed original back. That physical document must be in hand before your pet travels. Build this mailing turnaround into your timeline; it typically adds about a week.

The certificate is valid for 30 days from the date of USDA endorsement, and your pet must arrive in Taiwan within that window.

Taiwan requires its own specific certificate form and will not accept a state health certificate or a generic APHIS form. Continental US pets use APHIA Form 002.

Your veterinary health certificate and your import permit must match exactly before USDA will endorse the certificate. Any discrepancy between the two blocks endorsement, so cross-check both documents before submitting.

Import Permit

Apply for your import permit and reserve post-entry quarantine space at the same time, at least 20 days before shipment. Applications submitted fewer than 20 days out may not be processed in time. There's no application fee.

Apply online at the APHIA import permit portal, or by email or fax directly to the APHIA Kaohsiung Branch if you're not working with a customs broker.

You'll need:

• Rabies vaccination certificate
• Copy of the importer's passport or civil ID
• Rabies titer report
• Guide dog certification, if applicable

Permit Format Changing January 1, 2027

APHIA revised the import permit format on January 5, 2026. Both the old and new formats are accepted throughout 2026. Starting January 1, 2027, only the new format will be accepted. If your pet's arrival date falls in 2027 or later, confirm you're using the current format.

Banned Breeds

Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture has banned the breeding and import of Pit Bull Terriers since March 1, 2022. This includes the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull, and American Staffordshire Terrier.

Bengal cats must be documented as 5th-generation hybrids or above to be treated as domestic cats. Earlier generations trigger a wildlife and hybrid-status review with additional documentary requirements.

Pregnancy

Pets under 4 weeks pregnant may travel. Pets beyond 4 weeks pregnant are not permitted to travel.

Arrival Without a Compliant Certificate

Taiwan does not offer a recovery process for a missing or non-compliant health certificate. Importing a dog or cat without an original veterinary certificate that meets every requirement results in refused entry or destruction of the animal. There is no quarantine option that resolves this specific failure. The certificate is the one document that cannot be absent or incorrect at arrival.

Hawaii and Guam

Pets traveling from Hawaii or Guam follow a different path (APHIA classifies them as rabies-free zones). No titer test is required, but a different certificate form applies (APHIA Form 001), and 180-day residency in the rabies-free zone must be certified. If your move originates in Hawaii or Guam, contact us for the specific requirements, since this page covers the Continental US path.

How PetRelocation Can Help

Taiwan's biggest planning lever is the titer draw timing, and it's the easiest thing to get wrong if nobody flags it early. PetRelocation has coordinated Taiwan moves for over 20 years and knows how to build a case timeline around the quarantine waiver window from day one.

Complete Support covers full coordination of your pet's vaccination schedule, titer testing, permit application, and ink-endorsed health certificate. Vet Paperwork Support focuses on the health certificate and titer documentation while you manage the permit process. Consultation gives you direct access to a coordinator to map out your pet's timeline and confirm whether the quarantine waiver window is achievable for your move date.

Get a free quote from PetRelocation and a relocation manager will walk you through your options.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I avoid quarantine when moving my pet to Taiwan?
Time your pet's titer blood draw between 180 days and 1 year before your planned arrival date, and make sure the result reaches APHIA through an approved channel, either by applying at least 120 days out, or by having the lab (such as Kansas State) send the report directly to APHIA if you're applying closer to 20 days out.

Does Taiwan accept a digital health certificate?
No. Taiwan requires an original ink signature and embossed seal from USDA APHIS. Digital PDFs, including printed VEHCS certificates, are not accepted.

Are any dog breeds banned from Taiwan?
Yes. Pit Bull Terriers, including the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull, and American Staffordshire Terrier, have been banned from breeding and import since March 1, 2022.

What happens if I arrive without a compliant health certificate?
Your pet will be refused entry or destroyed. There is no quarantine option or recovery process for a missing or non-compliant certificate.

Does a 3-year rabies vaccine satisfy Taiwan's requirements?
Only if it was administered within the last year. Taiwan doesn't recognize multi-year vaccine labels; the vaccine must have been given within 1 year of your pet's shipment date regardless of what the label states.