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Pet travel route

Dog or cat from China to Taiwan: official requirements

Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least about 3 months ahead. The main steps: microchip, rabies vaccination (over 90 days old) and rabies vaccination 30 days to 1 year before arrival and 5 more.

Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 8 official pages

Make my dated plan Reverse: Taiwan → China

In short

Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving China publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. This is Shanghai Customs' procedure, as published on the Shanghai government's English portal (guide of September 2025 and answers from 2026). China's customs sites block automated readers and the national online service needs a login, so we could not read customs' own national guidance. Other cities' customs offices may use other inspection sites, documents and lead times, and the 10–14 and 7–10 day timings are Shanghai Customs' recommendations, not fixed rules. Check with the customs office where you live (hotline 12360) before you travel.

Limited official guidance. The authority for entering Taiwan publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. APHIA's own pet pages (aphia.gov.tw) did not open from our network, so this plan is built from the regulation itself: the Ministry of Agriculture's official English text of the 'Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Dogs and Cats' (Attachment 6, amended 27 Feb 2024; the Chinese text prevails) and the official rabies-free list of 22 Sep 2026. It does not cover which airports and arrival hours APHIA accepts for pets, how to book the post-entry quarantine facility or what it costs, or the online permit system. Ask the APHIA branch at your port of entry.

At a glance

The rules on this route are the same for dogs and cats.

How early to start

about 3 months

whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated

Set by: Rabies blood test (at least 0.5 IU/ml) (blood sampled at least 90 days before importation)

The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.

On this route

  • Rabies blood test needed
  • Import permit needed
  • Quarantine on arrival
  • Official stamp on the certificate

Part of this route is still under review, so we don’t say what it doesn’t need.

Which rules apply to you

Taiwan puts China in the group “Country not on Taiwan’s rabies-free list”. See every group

Official name: Not listed as rabies-free — rabies blood test, import permit with a quarantine booking, normally 7 days' post-entry quarantine

Prefer a feed reader? China rule changes · Taiwan rule changes

China → Taiwan

What your pet needs

In the order you do them. Each step says whether China (leaving) or Taiwan (entering) asks for it.

Bringing a dog or cat into Taiwan: we summarised this from a short or older official page and it is still under review, so it may be incomplete.

Taking a dog or cat out of China (customs Animal Health Certificate): we summarised this from a short or older official page and it is still under review, so it may be incomplete.

  1. Get ready

    1. IdentificationEntering Taiwan

      Microchip

      Your pet must be microchipped. The microchip number must be on the vaccination certificate and the export certificate, and match the chip in your pet.

      Details and the official words

      If this is missed: A pet without a microchip, or whose chip number is missing from the export certificate or doesn't match, is sent back, destroyed or put in post-entry quarantine (chipped, vaccinated, blood-tested and held 97 days after a passing blood sample).

      “Implanted with a microchip; and”

      “Implanted with a microchip.”

      “will be returned to sender, euthanized and destroyed, or sent to a post-entry quarantine facility if it falls in any of the following circumstances”

    2. VaccinationEntering Taiwan

      Rabies vaccination (over 90 days old)

      Your pet must be vaccinated against rabies with an inactivated vaccine (or one licensed in Taiwan) when it is over 90 days old.

      Details and the official words

      “Vaccinated with one of the following vaccine against rabies within 30 days to one year prior to importation, and the dog/cat shall be over 90 days of age at vaccination.”

      “The inactivated vaccine.”

    3. VaccinationEntering Taiwan

      Rabies vaccination 30 days to 1 year before arrival

      Taiwan needs a rabies vaccination given between 1 year and 30 days before your pet arrives. If your pet's last shot will be more than a year old on arrival, give a booster at least 30 days before arrival. The vet's vaccination certificate (Chinese or English) must show the species, sex, age, microchip number, vaccination date and the vaccine's name and maker (or say it is inactivated).

      Details and the official words

      Add the date of your pet's most recent rabies shot to check this.

      If this is missed: If the export certificate doesn't show a vaccination that meets these rules, the pet is vaccinated and held in post-entry quarantine for 30 days after the vaccination.

      “Vaccinated with one of the following vaccines against rabies within 30 days to one year prior to importation”

      “the animal’s species, sex, age, microchip number, vaccination date, name of the vaccine and manufacturer (or state “the vaccine is inactivated”)”

      “the dog/cat shall complete vaccination with vaccine against rabies pursuant to Article 4.2, and be detained in quarantine for 30 days after the vaccination.”

    4. Blood testEntering Taiwan

      Rabies blood test (at least 0.5 IU/ml)

      Because your pet comes from (or has stayed in) a place that isn't on Taiwan's rabies-free list, it needs a passing rabies antibody test (at least 0.5 IU/ml at a WOAH reference laboratory or a laboratory designated by Taiwan) on a blood sample taken 90 days to 1 year before arrival. A later sample taken 90 days to 1 year after an earlier passing one also counts if it is within the year before arrival.

      Details and the official words

      The rule doesn't say how long after the vaccination the sample must be taken for a pet tested abroad. When APHIA tests a pet in quarantine, it samples more than 30 days after the vaccination.

      If this is missed: A pet whose passing sample doesn't fit these dates, or that has no passing result, can still be imported but stays in post-entry quarantine until 97 days after the blood sample (or is sampled in quarantine and held 97 days after a passing sample).

      “Passing the rabies test with the blood sampled during any of the following periods:”

      “Within 90 days to one year prior to importation;”

      “Within 90 days to one year subsequent to the previous blood sampling that passed the rabies test, and within one year prior to importation”

      “A dog/cat whose rabies neutralizing antibody titer level is at least 0.5 IU/ml”

      “be detained in post-entry quarantine facility for 97 days after the date of blood sampling”

    5. PermitEntering Taiwan

      Import quarantine permit

      Apply to APHIA's office at your port of entry for an import quarantine permit, and reserve a place at the post-entry quarantine facility, at least 20 days before your pet arrives (if your pet is leaving Taiwan to come back, before it leaves). Send copies of your ID document, the rabies vaccination certificate and the passing blood test report. You can change the entry date or port once, at least 10 days before the new date.

      Details and the official words

      “prior to import, importers or their agents shall apply for the issuance of import quarantine permits from the import/export animal quarantine authority”

      “shall submit an application for the import quarantine permit to the import/export animal quarantine authority stationed at the port of entry at least 20 days prior to entering or before exiting the importing country for subsequent re-entry”

      “make reservation for a space at post-entry quarantine facility or arrange relevant procedure at least 20 days”

      “This submission shall occur at least 10 days prior to the new entry date.”

      “Application for such a change can only be requested once.”

  2. In the days before you travel

    1. Vet examLeaving China

      On-site health check by customs: Shanghai Customs recommends 7 to 10 days before travel

      At the appointed time, bring your pet and all original documents (passport, dog licence, vaccination booklet, antibody test report) to the customs inspection site: in Shanghai, Huangpu Customs' Sanmen Road office (No 617 Sanmen Road, Baoshan district). Customs checks that your pet matches your application and examines its health.

      Details and the official words

      “Every pet must undergo a health check.”

      “In Shanghai, this inspection takes place at the Sanmen Road Customs Office”

      “Attend the quarantine check: Bring your passport, dog license, vaccination booklet, antibody test report and your pet to the Sanmen Road Customs Office at the appointed time.”

      “Customs officers will confirm that the pet matches the submitted records and check its overall health.”

    2. PaperworkChina and Taiwan

      Export veterinary certificate from the exporting country's quarantine authority

      Your pet must travel with an original veterinary certificate (English or Chinese) issued by the animal quarantine authority of the country it leaves, showing its species, number, sex, age and microchip number, the exporting country and the exporter's name, that it shows no clinical signs of rabies, its rabies vaccination date and vaccine, and that it passed the rabies blood test (sample date and laboratory), unless you attach the original test report.

      Details and the official words

      From a rabies-free place, the certificate must also say your pet has been kept there for the 180 days before export, or since birth.

      Taiwan's rule sets no validity period for this certificate. Ask APHIA how recent it must be.

      Customs Animal Health Certificate (needed for every pet leaving China): If your pet passes the inspection, customs issues the Animal Health Certificate within about three working days. In Shanghai, collect it at Huangpu Customs' Customs Clearance Service Hall (7F, No 8 Middle Huaihai Road) with the collection slip and your passport; someone collecting for you needs a signed authorisation letter, their own ID and a copy of your passport. Without this certificate your pet can't leave China. It is usually valid for 14 days (10 days for the EU).

      If this is missed: Without the original certificate, or if it lacks the required statements, the pet is sent back, destroyed or held in post-entry quarantine.

      “shall be accompanied by an original veterinary certificate issued by the veterinarians of the animal quarantine authority of the exporting country”

      “shall be accompanied by an original veterinary certificate issued by the animal quarantine authority of the exporting country”

      “That the animal shows no clinical signs of rabies upon inspection;”

      “That the animal has been kept for 180 days prior to export or since birth in the rabies-free country (zone).”

      “That the dog/cat has passed the rabies test, the date of blood sampling, and the name of the test laboratory.”

      “Without it, pets won't be allowed out of China, and in some cases, they may even be refused entry upon arrival.”

      “If the inspection is cleared, the certificate will be ready in about three working days.”

      “The processing time will not exceed three working days.”

      “The collection slip and passport are required.”

      “If someone else is collecting on the owner's behalf, they must present a signed authorization letter, their own ID and a copy of the owner's passport.”

      “The certificate itself is only valid for a short time — usually 14 days, and just 10 days for the European Union.”

    3. Official stampLeaving China

      Apply online to customs ("Internet + Customs"): Shanghai Customs recommends 10 to 14 days before departure

      Register on the "Internet + Customs" platform (online.customs.gov.cn) with your passport or ID and apply under "携带出境宠物检疫" (Quarantine Service For Non-Commercial Export of Pet). Enter your details, your pet's and its rabies vaccination history, and upload a valid rabies vaccination certificate, a photo of your pet and, if your destination needs one, a rabies antibody test report from a government-recognised laboratory. Customs usually reviews it within three working days; once it is approved, book the on-site inspection.

      Details and the official words

      “Customs recommends filing the online application 10 to 14 days before departure, and completing the physical inspection seven to 10 days before travel.”

      “you must submit an application in advance through the "互联网+海关 (Internet + Customs)" platform, under the "携带出境宠物检疫 (Quarantine for Pets Carried Out of China)" section.”

      “First-time users need to register — individuals with their passport or ID, and businesses with an IC card.”

      “These include a valid rabies vaccination certificate, a pet photo, and in some cases, a rabies antibody test report from a government-recognized lab.”

      “Once submitted, the application is usually reviewed within three working days.”

  3. Travel day and arrival

    1. On arrivalEntering Taiwan

      Quarantine inspection on arrival

      When your pet arrives, give APHIA's office at the port a copy of the import permit, the original export certificate and a copy of the air waybill, bill of lading or customs declaration. APHIA issues the import certificate once the documents are in order and your pet shows no signs of notifiable diseases.

      Details and the official words

      “Photocopy of the import quarantine permit;”

      “The original export veterinary certificate, and”

      “Photocopy of the bill of lading, airway bill or customs declaration.”

    2. QuarantineEntering Taiwan

      7 days' post-entry quarantine

      From a place that isn't rabies-free, your pet is taken by APHIA from the port to the post-entry quarantine facility and stays there for 7 days, at your cost, before the import certificate is issued (see the warning about waiving it).

      Details and the official words

      “shows no suspicious clinical signs of notifiable animal infectious diseases after being detained for 7 days in a post-entry quarantine facility”

      “A dog/cat subject to post-entry quarantine shall be upon arrival at the port of entry escorted to the designated post-entry quarantine facility by the import/export animal quarantine authority.”

Good to know

  • The 7-day quarantine can be waived if the blood sample was taken 180 days to 1 year before arrival and either you applied for the permit at least 120 days before entering, or the exporting country's quarantine authority or the laboratory sends the test result directly to APHIA at your port of entry. Ask APHIA when you apply.
  • You pay all costs of detention, transport, check-ups and quarantine (feeding, care, tests, microchip, vaccination), and of sending the pet back or destroying it if it doesn't meet the rules.
  • Customs checks your pet against your destination's requirements (vaccination timing, rabies blood test, deworming and so on) and refuses the certificate if the paperwork is incomplete or doesn't meet them. It can also stop the inspection if your pet seems sick or behaves aggressively.
  • In Shanghai, a dog needs its Shanghai Dog Registration Certificate (dog licence), and a cat's owner may need to show proof of residence in Shanghai if the cat was vaccinated elsewhere.
  • Customs at Shanghai Pudong airport does no extra quarantine inspection of pets leaving: the Animal Health Certificate is arranged beforehand with Huangpu Customs (+86 21 6889 4323).
  • Shanghai Customs' hotlines for dogs and cats leaving China: applications 021-962116; on-site inspection 021-6889 0453.

Money

What it costs

Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in China publish for the steps above. The two are never added together.

Government fees on this route

No fee applies to every trip; these may, depending on your case

What vets and labs charge Not official figures

No published prices yet for China: microchip, rabies vaccination, health certificate (vet’s fee), vet examination.

Prices that businesses publish on their own pages, quoted as we read them; yours can differ. Ranges are the lowest to highest of these examples, never our estimate. How we collect prices

Airline fees aren’t included: check your airline’s pet page.

Round trip

Coming back to China

Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves China.

The trip back asks for 5 steps: electronic microchip, rabies vaccination certificate, rabies antibody test report (pets from non-designated countries) and official clinical inspection within 14 days before arrival and more.

Every step from Taiwan to China

Where this comes from

Official sources

Last checked against the official pages: 2026-10-13.

Entering TaiwanLeaving ChinaReport a mistakeGet rule-change alerts

Questions owners ask

Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from China to Taiwan?

Yes: Because your pet comes from (or has stayed in) a place that isn't on Taiwan's rabies-free list, it needs a passing rabies antibody test (at least 0.5 IU/ml at a WOAH reference laboratory or a laboratory designated by Taiwan) on a blood sample taken 90 days to 1 year before arrival.

Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into Taiwan?

Yes: Apply to APHIA's office at your port of entry for an import quarantine permit, and reserve a place at the post-entry quarantine facility, at least 20 days before your pet arrives (if your pet is leaving Taiwan to come back, before it leaves).

Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Taiwan?

It can be: From a place that isn't rabies-free, your pet is taken by APHIA from the port to the post-entry quarantine facility and stays there for 7 days, at your cost, before the import certificate is issued (see the warning about waiving it).

How early should I start preparing my pet for China to Taiwan?

With nothing done yet, start at least about 3 months ahead. The main steps: microchip, rabies vaccination (over 90 days old) and rabies vaccination 30 days to 1 year before arrival and 5 more.

Every rule here is quoted from the official page and checked word for word; not legal advice. How we verify · Report a mistake

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