Pet travel route
Dog or cat from Taiwan to South Africa: the rules
Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least 4 weeks ahead for a dog. The main steps: ISO microchip (tattoos are not accepted), rabies vaccination (not needed from Australia, New Zealand and the UK) and veterinary import permit (before the animal leaves) and 4 more.
Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 7 official pages
In short
- Dogs and cats differ on this route: choose Dog or Cat to see just yours.
- South Africa puts Taiwan in the group “Country whose dogs are quarantined”, which decides part of the rules.
- On this route: import permit needed, quarantine on arrival and extra disease test.
Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving Taiwan publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. APHIA's own pages (aphia.gov.tw) did not open from our network, so this is built from the law itself, in the Ministry of Agriculture's official English texts: the Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases (Art. 36), the regulations for animals carried by passengers and the quarantine fee regulations. They say when APHIA issues an export certificate and what you bring, but not where or how far ahead to apply, whether a vet's health certificate or other records are needed, or how long the inspection takes. Ask the APHIA branch at your airport of departure.
Limited official guidance. The authority for entering South Africa publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. This is the department's protocol for dogs and cats, a page last updated in 2008 and read from a copy stored in 2021, because the department's sites do not open from our network. Fees, forms, contacts and the list of countries whose dogs skip quarantine may have changed (newer summaries mention an updated tariff). Treat it as a short summary under review and confirm with the Directorate Animal Health (VetPermits@dalrrd.gov.za) before you travel. Dogs and cats from Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini and Malawi, and dogs from other African countries, follow other rules we have not built.
At a glance
How early to start (dogs)
4 weeks
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet
Set by: Rabies vaccination (not needed from Australia, New Zealand and the UK) (a primary vaccination at least 30 days before import (a booster no more than 12 months before))
No official wait
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route (dogs)
- Import permit needed
- Quarantine on arrival
- Extra disease test
Part of this route is still under review, so we don’t say what it doesn’t need.
How early to start (cats)
4 weeks
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet
Set by: Rabies vaccination (not needed from Australia, New Zealand and the UK) (a primary vaccination at least 30 days before import (a booster no more than 12 months before))
No official wait
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route (cats)
- Import permit needed
Part of this route is still under review, so we don’t say what it doesn’t need.
Which rules apply to you
South Africa puts Taiwan in the group “Country whose dogs are quarantined”. See every group
Official name: Dogs from this country are quarantined for 14 days on arrival and re-tested
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Rule change for pets travelling from Taiwan to South Africa
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Taiwan → South Africa
What your pet needs
In the order you do them. Each step says whether Taiwan (leaving) or South Africa (entering) asks for it.
Dogs
Bringing a dog or cat into South Africa: 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 Taiwan (APHIA): we summarised this from a short or older official page and it is still under review, so it may be incomplete.
Get ready
IdentificationEntering South Africa
ISO microchip (tattoos are not accepted)
All dogs and cats imported into South Africa must be permanently identified with a microchip that can be read by ISO 11784 or ISO 11785 scanners; tattoos are not accepted.
Details and the official words
“All dogs and cats imported into South Africa must be permanently identified with a microchip (tattoos will not be accepted).”
“The microchip must be able to be read by an ISO 11784 or ISO 11785 scanners.”
VaccinationEntering South Africa
Rabies vaccination (not needed from Australia, New Zealand and the UK)
Dogs and cats must have a valid rabies vaccination: a primary vaccination given not more than 12 months and not less than 30 days before import, or a booster given not more than 12 months before import. It is not required for pets from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, though advised.
Details and the official words
“In the case of a primary rabies vaccination the vaccination must be given not more than 12 months and not less than 30 days before the date of import.”
“In the case of a booster rabies vaccination the vaccination must be given not more than 12 months before the date of import.”
“Vaccination against rabies is not required for cats/dogs imported from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland”
PermitEntering South Africa
Veterinary import permit (before the animal leaves)
A veterinary import permit from the Directorate Animal Health is needed to import dogs and cats. You apply with the application form and proof of payment of the permit fee, and for a dog that will be quarantined an indemnity declaration. The permit is issued and sent to you together with a veterinary health certificate; the protocol says processing takes 3 to 4 working days if approved.
Details and the official words
The fee in the protocol (R110) is old; newer department pages mention an updated tariff.
“A veterinary import permit is needed to import Dogs & Cats into South Africa.”
“it takes three (3) to four (4) working days to process the permit”
In the days before you travel
TestEntering South Africa
Dogs: blood tests for five diseases within 30 days of export
Before a dog can be imported it must be certified free of Brucella canis, Trypanosoma evansi, Babesia gibsoni, Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm) and Leishmania by blood tests, done within 30 days of export (the exporting country's vet authority can instead certify that the country is free of a disease). Dogs from countries not certified free of heartworm must be treated from the negative test until export, and must bring enough medication for a six-month course after arrival.
Details and the official words
“Before dogs can be imported the dog needs to be certified free from the following five diseases by means of blood tests.”
“Blood tests need to be done within 30 days of the date of export to South Africa.”
“Dogs imported from countries not certified free from Dirofilaria immitis must be treated from the date of negative testing until export at the required intervals with:”
PaperworkTaiwan and South Africa
Veterinary health certificate within 10 days of departure
The department sends you the veterinary health certificate with the import permit. A vet authorised by the exporting country's veterinary administration completes it in English within 10 days of departure, and it is stamped and signed by the exporting country's veterinary authorities.
Details and the official words
APHIA export animal quarantine certificate (when your destination asks for one): Your destination asks for an official certificate, so apply to APHIA (Taiwan's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency) for export quarantine: fill in the application form and show your passport, your ticket and other relevant documents (the law doesn't list them: ask APHIA). APHIA inspects your pet and, if it meets the requirements, issues the export animal quarantine certificate. Your pet may only leave once it has the certificate.
The law doesn't say how far ahead to apply or how long the inspection takes. Ask the APHIA branch at your airport.
“This needs to be completed, in English, by a veterinarian authorized thereto by the Veterinary Administration of the exporting country, within 10 days of departure.”
“The quarantine objects may be exported only after they are inspected and certified as qualified by import/export animal quarantine authorities, and an export animal quarantine certificate is issued”
“must complete the application form with the presence of passport, ticket and other relevant documents.”
“Animal quarantine objects: Veterinary certificates must be issued by the import/ export animal quarantine authority”
Travel day and arrival
On arrivalEntering South Africa
Fly as manifest cargo and present the permit and certificate on arrival
Dogs and cats must be registered as manifest cargo and cannot fly as excess baggage. Cats and dogs from countries without quarantine can also arrive at Durban. At the airport the original import permit and original health certificate are presented to the veterinary officials before the animal is released.
Details and the official words
“All dogs and cats imported into South Africa must be registered, as manifest cargo and can not fly as excess baggage.”
“On arrival at the airport the original Veterinary Import Permit issued by the Directorate Animal Health and the original Veterinary Health Certificate signed, stamped and certified by Veterinary Authorities of the exporting country must be presented to the veterinary officials at the airport before the dog or cat can be released.”
QuarantineEntering South Africa
Dogs from some countries: 14 days' quarantine on arrival
Dogs from countries not on the department's list are quarantined for 14 days on arrival, re-tested for the five diseases at the owner's expense, and may only arrive through OR Tambo (Johannesburg) or Cape Town. Before a quarantine booking is confirmed you must sign an indemnity form (the original, not a copy).
Details and the official words
“Quarantine of 14 days will be imposed on some dogs, depending on the country of origin of the dog.”
Good to know
- Puppies and kittens under 3 months old need no rabies vaccination, but can only travel if their mother was vaccinated more than 30 days and less than 12 months before they were born; they are vaccinated after arrival at 3 months of age.
- A dog that tests positive for any of the five diseases is not eligible for import.
- APHIA issues an export animal quarantine certificate for a pet when your destination's authority asks for Taiwan's certificate, and turns down applications otherwise. Check what your destination asks for before you apply.
- A passenger taking up to 3 dogs and 3 cats pays no quarantine fee and no quarantine-label fee. APHIA charges NT$100 per application for computer processing unless you enter the application yourself, on the computer at the counter or online.
- Planning to bring your pet back to Taiwan? Apply for Taiwan's import permit before your pet leaves. If it will stay somewhere that isn't on Taiwan's rabies-free list, have its rabies blood test done before it leaves Taiwan: coming back within one year of that sample, it can skip the post-entry quarantine.
Cats
Bringing a dog or cat into South Africa: 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 Taiwan (APHIA): we summarised this from a short or older official page and it is still under review, so it may be incomplete.
Get ready
IdentificationEntering South Africa
ISO microchip (tattoos are not accepted)
All dogs and cats imported into South Africa must be permanently identified with a microchip that can be read by ISO 11784 or ISO 11785 scanners; tattoos are not accepted.
Details and the official words
“All dogs and cats imported into South Africa must be permanently identified with a microchip (tattoos will not be accepted).”
“The microchip must be able to be read by an ISO 11784 or ISO 11785 scanners.”
VaccinationEntering South Africa
Rabies vaccination (not needed from Australia, New Zealand and the UK)
Dogs and cats must have a valid rabies vaccination: a primary vaccination given not more than 12 months and not less than 30 days before import, or a booster given not more than 12 months before import. It is not required for pets from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, though advised.
Details and the official words
“In the case of a primary rabies vaccination the vaccination must be given not more than 12 months and not less than 30 days before the date of import.”
“In the case of a booster rabies vaccination the vaccination must be given not more than 12 months before the date of import.”
“Vaccination against rabies is not required for cats/dogs imported from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland”
PermitEntering South Africa
Veterinary import permit (before the animal leaves)
A veterinary import permit from the Directorate Animal Health is needed to import dogs and cats. You apply with the application form and proof of payment of the permit fee, and for a dog that will be quarantined an indemnity declaration. The permit is issued and sent to you together with a veterinary health certificate; the protocol says processing takes 3 to 4 working days if approved.
Details and the official words
The fee in the protocol (R110) is old; newer department pages mention an updated tariff.
“A veterinary import permit is needed to import Dogs & Cats into South Africa.”
“it takes three (3) to four (4) working days to process the permit”
In the days before you travel
PaperworkTaiwan and South Africa
Veterinary health certificate within 10 days of departure
The department sends you the veterinary health certificate with the import permit. A vet authorised by the exporting country's veterinary administration completes it in English within 10 days of departure, and it is stamped and signed by the exporting country's veterinary authorities.
Details and the official words
APHIA export animal quarantine certificate (when your destination asks for one): Your destination asks for an official certificate, so apply to APHIA (Taiwan's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency) for export quarantine: fill in the application form and show your passport, your ticket and other relevant documents (the law doesn't list them: ask APHIA). APHIA inspects your pet and, if it meets the requirements, issues the export animal quarantine certificate. Your pet may only leave once it has the certificate.
The law doesn't say how far ahead to apply or how long the inspection takes. Ask the APHIA branch at your airport.
“This needs to be completed, in English, by a veterinarian authorized thereto by the Veterinary Administration of the exporting country, within 10 days of departure.”
“The quarantine objects may be exported only after they are inspected and certified as qualified by import/export animal quarantine authorities, and an export animal quarantine certificate is issued”
“must complete the application form with the presence of passport, ticket and other relevant documents.”
“Animal quarantine objects: Veterinary certificates must be issued by the import/ export animal quarantine authority”
Travel day and arrival
On arrivalEntering South Africa
Fly as manifest cargo and present the permit and certificate on arrival
Dogs and cats must be registered as manifest cargo and cannot fly as excess baggage. Cats and dogs from countries without quarantine can also arrive at Durban. At the airport the original import permit and original health certificate are presented to the veterinary officials before the animal is released.
Details and the official words
“All dogs and cats imported into South Africa must be registered, as manifest cargo and can not fly as excess baggage.”
“On arrival at the airport the original Veterinary Import Permit issued by the Directorate Animal Health and the original Veterinary Health Certificate signed, stamped and certified by Veterinary Authorities of the exporting country must be presented to the veterinary officials at the airport before the dog or cat can be released.”
Good to know
- Puppies and kittens under 3 months old need no rabies vaccination, but can only travel if their mother was vaccinated more than 30 days and less than 12 months before they were born; they are vaccinated after arrival at 3 months of age.
- A dog that tests positive for any of the five diseases is not eligible for import.
- APHIA issues an export animal quarantine certificate for a pet when your destination's authority asks for Taiwan's certificate, and turns down applications otherwise. Check what your destination asks for before you apply.
- A passenger taking up to 3 dogs and 3 cats pays no quarantine fee and no quarantine-label fee. APHIA charges NT$100 per application for computer processing unless you enter the application yourself, on the computer at the counter or online.
- Planning to bring your pet back to Taiwan? Apply for Taiwan's import permit before your pet leaves. If it will stay somewhere that isn't on Taiwan's rabies-free list, have its rabies blood test done before it leaves Taiwan: coming back within one year of that sample, it can skip the post-entry quarantine.
Money
What it costs
Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in Taiwan publish for the steps above. The two are never added together.
Government fees on this route
Export quarantine fee for a pet travelling with youLeaving TaiwanFree
Exempt for the number of pets a passenger is allowed to carry (fee regulation, Art. 7).
“The quarantine fees shall be exempted for the following cases: 1. The articles are used for military purposes and accompanied with proof from military authorities. 2. The articles of imported food are used for military or official purposes and accompanied with proof from food administration authorities. 3. The allowed quantity of quarantine objects or regulated articles carried by passenger or crew serving on vehicles, vessels and aircrafts pursuant to the Regulations for Quarantine of Animal/Plant Regulated Articles Carried by Passengers and Service Personnel on Vehicles”
Regulations Governing Fees for Animal and Plant Quarantine (English, amended 14 Nov 2025) · as of 2025-11-14
Veterinary import permitEntering South Africa230 ZAR
Tariff from 1 April 2024. The department revises it every year, so check the current amount when you apply.
“Issuance of an import permit. R230”
New tariffs as from 1 April 2024: veterinary import permits issued in terms of the Animal Diseases Act · as of 2024-04-01
Government fees in total: 230 ZAR (each currency separately)
May also apply, depending on your case
Computer processing fee per applicationLeaving Taiwan100 TWD
Not charged if you enter the application yourself at the counter computer or online.
“Every application for importing or exporting animals and/or plants and their products shall be charged a computer processing fee of NT$100.”
Regulations Governing Fees for Animal and Plant Quarantine (English, amended 14 Nov 2025) · as of 2025-11-14
Reissue or copy of the veterinary certificateLeaving Taiwan120 TWD
Per new certificate, only if you need one.
“For separation, reissuance, replacement or copy of the veterinary/ phytosanitary certificate, a fee of NT$120 shall be charged for each new certificate.”
Regulations Governing Fees for Animal and Plant Quarantine (English, amended 14 Nov 2025) · as of 2025-11-14
What vets and labs charge Not official figures
We have no published vet or lab prices for Taiwan yet.
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 Taiwan
Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves Taiwan.
The trip back asks for 10 steps: microchip, rabies vaccination (over 90 days old), rabies vaccination 30 days to 1 year before arrival and rabies blood test (at least 0.5 IU/ml) and more.
Where this comes from
Official sources
- Information on importing of dogs and cats into the Republic of South Africa (Directorate Animal Health)
- New tariffs as from 1 April 2024: veterinary import permits issued in terms of the Animal Diseases Act
- Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases (English, amended 13 Dec 2019)
- Regulations for Quarantine of Animal/Plant Carried by Passengers and Service Personnel on Vehicles (English, amended 7 Apr 2021)
- Annex to the passenger regulations: regulated articles and quantities (English, PDF)
- Regulations Governing Fees for Animal and Plant Quarantine (English, amended 14 Nov 2025)
- Attachment 6: Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Dogs and Cats (English, amended 27 Feb 2024)
Last checked against the official pages: 2026-10-13.
Questions owners ask
Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from Taiwan to South Africa?
We couldn't find this in our summary of the rules, but that summary is short and still under review. Ask the official authority before you rely on it.
Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into South Africa?
Yes: A veterinary import permit from the Directorate Animal Health is needed to import dogs and cats.
Will my dog be quarantined in South Africa?
It can be: Dogs from countries not on the department's list are quarantined for 14 days on arrival, re-tested for the five diseases at the owner's expense, and may only arrive through OR Tambo (Johannesburg) or Cape Town.
Will my cat be quarantined in South Africa?
We couldn't find this in our summary of the rules, but that summary is short and still under review. Ask the official authority before you rely on it.
How early should I start preparing my pet for Taiwan to South Africa?
With nothing done yet, start at least 4 weeks ahead for a dog. The main steps: ISO microchip (tattoos are not accepted), rabies vaccination (not needed from Australia, New Zealand and the UK) and veterinary import permit (before the animal leaves) and 4 more.
Every rule here is quoted from the official page and checked word for word; not legal advice. How we verify · Report a mistake
Read next
Turn this into dates for your pet
Where from, where to, when. You get every step with its deadline and the official page it comes from.