Pet travel route
Dog or cat from Taiwan to the United States: the rules
Possible. There is no official waiting period for a dog, but you still need: microchip and CDC Dog Import Form.
Rules checked up to 13 October 2026From 15 official pages
In short
- Dogs and cats differ on this route: choose Dog or Cat to see just yours.
- The United States puts Taiwan in the group “Dog rabies-free or low-risk country”, which decides part of the rules.
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.
At a glance
How early to start (dogs)
No official wait
whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated
No official wait still means appointments: microchip and CDC Dog Import Form. Book them early; lab and paperwork times are not counted.
How early to start (cats)
No official wait
whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
Which rules apply to you
The United States puts Taiwan in the group “Dog rabies-free or low-risk country”. See every group
Official name: Dog rabies-free or low-risk
Rule-change alertsChecked daily
Know the moment the rules change from Taiwan to the United States
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Rule change for pets travelling from Taiwan to the United States
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Taiwan → United States
What your pet needs
In the order you do them. Each step says whether Taiwan (leaving) or the United States (entering) asks for it.
Dogs
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
Age ruleEntering the United States
Dog at least 6 months old
Dogs must be at least 6 months old when they enter or return to the U.S.
Details and the official words
“Dogs must be at least 6 months old at time of entry or return to the U.S.”
IdentificationEntering the United States
Microchip
Your dog must have a microchip that a universal scanner can detect. If it has been in a high-risk country, the chip must have been implanted before the rabies vaccine.
Details and the official words
“Dogs must have a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner to identify them.”
“The microchip must be implanted before getting the rabies vaccine, or else the vaccine will be invalid.”
In the days before you travel
PaperworkEntering the United States
CDC Dog Import Form
Fill in the free CDC Dog Import Form online (one per dog) and keep the emailed receipt to show on arrival. You can submit it up to the day of travel; the receipt is valid for 6 months unless your dog visits another country in that time.
Details and the official words
The receipt stops being valid if your dog visits a high-risk country, or a different low-risk country, during those 6 months — then you need a new form.
If your travel date or port of entry changes, submit a new form.
“the receipt is valid for 6 months from when it's issued unless the dog visits a high-risk country or a different dog rabies-free or low-risk country during that time”
Good to know
- Your destination state may have its own rules (for example a rabies vaccination or health certificate). Check with the state veterinarian before you travel.
- If your dog comes from a region affected by screwworm, USDA requires a certificate from a full-time salaried government vet confirming a screwworm inspection within 5 days before shipment. Check USDA's list of affected regions.
- 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
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.
Travel day and arrival
On arrivalEntering the United States
Cat appears healthy on arrival
Cats must appear healthy on arrival and may be inspected. No federal proof of rabies vaccination is required, but CDC recommends it and your destination state may require it.
Details and the official words
“Cats are not required to have proof of rabies vaccination for importation into the United States.”
“APHIS Veterinary Services does not have any animal health requirements related to bringing (importing) a pet cat”
Good to know
- Your destination state may have its own rules (for example a rabies vaccination or health certificate). Check with the state veterinarian before you travel.
- 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
CDC Dog Import FormEntering United StatesFree
Dogs only; one form per dog. No CDC fee is published for cats.
“How much does it cost? Free How many dogs can be included on one form? Each dog must have its own form.”
Dogs from dog rabies-free or low-risk countries · as of 2024-07-22
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
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
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 9 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.
Nearby routes
Other routes
Where this comes from
Official sources
- Bringing a Dog into the U.S.
- Dogs from dog rabies-free or low-risk countries
- Entry for U.S.-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries
- Entry for foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries
- Instructions for the CDC Dog Import Form
- High-risk countries for dog rabies
- Bringing an Animal into the U.S.
- Bring a pet dog into the United States
- Bring a pet cat into the United States
- 42 CFR 71.51 Dogs and cats (CDC), version history
- 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 the United States?
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 the United States?
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.
Will my dog or cat be quarantined in the United States?
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 the United States?
There is no official waiting period for a dog, but you still need: microchip and CDC Dog Import Form.
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.