Bringing a dog or cat directly to Taiwan

Before you start: scope and dated sources

Taiwan requires advance import permission for pet dogs and cats. The exporting country and the animal's residence history determine whether it can qualify for release after arrival inspection or needs rabies antibody testing and post-entry quarantine. Some pets from rabies-infected origins can obtain a quarantine waiver, but a passing test alone is not enough.

This guide covers ordinary pet dogs and cats accompanying their owner on a direct journey to Taiwan. Connecting or transit itineraries, commercial shipments, mainland-China permissions, hybrids, regulated breeds, pregnant animals, working/service dogs and special medical or project cases require separate assessment. Returning pets also have additional provisions that are not explained as a complete workflow here. Airline acceptance remains separate from import approval.

Requirements checked 14 October 2026 against the Ministry of Agriculture's current Annex 6 and the rabies-area table dated 22 September 2026. The Annex 6 amendment took effect on 29 February 2024; the parent regulation has later amendments concerning other animals. Current regulation and attachments, amendment history, APHIA effective-date notice.

1 Establish the correct origin and residence category

The 22 September 2026 official table recognizes the following places as rabies-free:

• Australia and New Zealand
• Japan and Singapore
• Czech Republic, Estonia, Iceland, Norway excluding Svalbard, Sweden and the United Kingdom
• The US State of Hawaii and Territory of Guam

Hawaii and Guam's recognition does not cover the rest of the United States. Use the rabies row of the official table, because other diseases have different lists. Taiwan assesses the country or zone's status when the animal is loaded for departure. Recheck the classification before travel. Official area table, rabies row on page 2; Annex 6, section 2.

For the ordinary rabies-free pathway, an animal under 180 days old must have lived continuously in a recognized rabies-free place since birth. For the 180-days-or-older category, the animal needs at least 180 days of continuous qualifying residence before import. If these conditions are not met, the infected-origin requirements apply even if the departure airport is in a rabies-free place.

The Chinese text uses the 180-days-or-older branch; the English translation says “over 180.” Have APHIA confirm a boundary-date case. The export certificate's residence declaration must also satisfy the applicable requirements. Annex 6, sections 3 and 6; Chinese Annex 6.

2 Check the microchip and rabies vaccination

Both dogs and cats must be microchipped. Have the veterinarian scan the chip and match its number across the vaccination record, any laboratory reports, application and export certificate. Ask APHIA to confirm reader compatibility and the required record sequence for an existing chip.

Rabies vaccination must be given at an age of at least 90 days, using the Chinese text's age wording, and 30 days to one year before import. The vaccine must be inactivated or licensed by Taiwan's competent authority. Plan against this import window even if the product has a longer stated duration of protection.

The veterinarian-signed vaccination certificate must be in Chinese or English and identify the animal's species, sex, age and chip number, the vaccination date, and the vaccine name and manufacturer, or state that the vaccine is inactivated. It is not a substitute for the original official export veterinary certificate.

The ordinary preparation clauses do not establish a universal vaccine-to-blood-sampling waiting interval. Have the veterinarian and accepted laboratory plan the sampling, and ask APHIA to resolve any record-sequence uncertainty before proceeding. English Annex 6, sections 4–5 and 10–11; Chinese Annex 6, sections 4 and 10.

3 Plan testing and any quarantine waiver

Qualifying rabies-free origins

The ordinary rabies-free pathway does not add a rabies antibody test. Release follows satisfactory arrival inspection and verification of the vaccination and official certificate requirements. Country status alone does not secure release. Annex 6, sections 4–8.

Other origins with ordinary seven-day quarantine

The rabies-neutralizing antibody titre must be at least 0.5 IU/ml, tested by a WOAH rabies reference laboratory or a laboratory designated by Taiwan's authority.

For a first-test route, blood must be sampled 90 days to one year before import. Count from the sampling date, not the report's issue date. A separate repeat-test provision allows a qualifying sample taken 90 days to one year after a previous passing sample and within one year before import; the previous report must also be supplied.

Obtain current laboratory-acceptance and reporting instructions from APHIA before sending a sample. Unless an applicable waiver is approved, the ordinary infected-origin route includes seven days of post-entry quarantine, subject to satisfactory checks. Annex 6, sections 1.2, 10, 11 and 14.

Conditional waiver for an ordinary pet

For the first-test waiver route, the passing sample must be 180 days to one year before import, and one of these additional conditions must be met:

• The application is submitted at least 120 days before entry; or
• The exporting country's animal quarantine authority sends its test-result declaration directly to Taiwan's quarantine authority, or the reference/designated laboratory sends the report directly. The ordinary application minimum of at least 20 days before entry still applies.

Uploading a report yourself does not satisfy the direct-reporting condition. Obtain APHIA's current direct-reporting instructions and confirmation of the approved waiver.

For a repeat-test waiver, the latest passing sample must be within 180 days before import and 180 days to one year after the previous passing sample. The same early-application or direct-reporting condition applies. Supply the relevant reports and have APHIA check the dates.

The 90-day first-test entry requirement, 180-day first-test waiver requirement and 20-/120-day application requirements are different clocks. A sample becoming old enough does not automatically waive quarantine. Annex 6, sections 11.1–11.2.

4 Apply for permission and the quarantine arrangement

Use APHIA's official pet-import portal and the dog and cat import guidance to obtain current application instructions for the entry port.

The ordinary application must be submitted at least 20 days before import. Prepare copies of the applicant's identification and veterinarian-signed rabies vaccination certificate. For the infected-origin pathway, include the passing titre report and any earlier report needed for a repeat-test provision. Applicants registered in Taiwan must supply their national identification card. These are minimum advance periods, not promised processing times.

Special medical alternative-facility applications have a 30-day minimum, and project-oriented cases have a 60-day minimum. Those pathways are outside this guide; do not apply the ordinary 20-day deadline to them.

After confirming compliance, the authority issues the permit and arranges the quarantine reservation or other approved measures. Check the issued permit against the animal's identity, intended entry port and dates, and the quarantine decision. Coordinate approval, any required space and airline acceptance before making non-changeable commitments. This guide does not provide a tested portal-account or authorized-agent workflow. Obtain the authority's current instructions if another person will apply on your behalf. Annex 6, sections 5 and 11.

If the date or entry port changes

Apply for the change before the permit expires and at least 10 days before the new entry date. Include the original permit copy and a compliant vaccination certificate; an infected-origin case also requires the compliant titre report. The regulations allow only one request for such a change. Submission does not guarantee approval, so do not assume a changed ticket changes the permit. Annex 6, sections 5.3 and 11.6.

5 Obtain the original official export certificate

Arrange the certificate through the exporting country's animal quarantine authority, using its current issuance or endorsement process. Taiwan requires an original certificate in English or Chinese with:

• Species, total number of animals, sex, age, microchip number, exporting country and exporter name
• A declaration that inspection found no clinical signs of rabies
• The compliant rabies vaccination date and vaccine name/manufacturer, or a statement that it is inactivated
• Issue date, issuing authority's name and official stamp, and issuing officer's name and signature

For a qualifying rabies-free origin, the certificate must include the required residence declaration. For an infected origin, it must state that the animal passed the test, the sampling date and laboratory; the test information may instead be supported by the original passing report. A repeat-test case also needs the previous test information or original previous report.

Give the origin authority the Taiwan permit and all underlying records. Check chip numbers and dates before the documents are finalized. Taiwan's general certificate clauses do not specify a universal examination or issue-date limit in days; the exporting authority may impose additional timing. Annex 6, sections 6 and 12.

United States departures only

USDA requires the appropriate Taiwan certificate issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian and endorsed by USDA APHIS. State health-certificate forms are not accepted. Hawaii and Guam have separate certificates and require the correct origin/residence assessment.

The current US infected-origin certificate requires arrival in Taiwan within 30 days of APHIS endorsement. It expresses its sampling window relative to shipment, and its repeat-sampling provision uses 91 days to one year after the previous passing sample. Taiwan's Annex 6 uses 90 days for that repeat interval and import-based timing. Have the certifying veterinarian reconcile both sets of requirements against the actual departure and arrival dates; do not treat 90 and 91 as interchangeable.

USDA's summary of seven-day quarantine does not describe every waiver in Taiwan's Annex 6. Rely on APHIA's approved quarantine decision. USDA Taiwan instructions; US certificate, version 2025-02-28.

6 Declare the animal on arrival

Present the animal for APHIA quarantine inspection with a copy of the import permit, the original official export veterinary certificate, and a copy of the bill of lading, airway bill or customs declaration. Carry original test reports where the certificate relies on them, including the previous report when required. An approved detention waiver does not waive arrival inspection. Annex 6, sections 7, 12–13.

If quarantine is required, follow the authority-controlled transfer to the assigned facility. The importer may provide a vehicle only with the quarantine authority's consent. Do not arrange an independent pickup home while detention still applies. Obtain current arrival and transfer instructions from the entry-port authority before travel. Annex 6, section 24.

7 Confirm costs and release arrangements

The applicant bears applicable detention, transport, clinical examination, care, sampling/testing and other required quarantine costs. Ask the assigned facility or handler for a written current breakdown and payment instructions. No permit, facility or transfer fee is assumed to be free, and this guide does not quote an unverified price. Annex 6, section 23.

Ordinary seven-day quarantine is subject to the authority's satisfactory checks. Suspected disease can require further isolation, so seven days is not a guaranteed collection date. Follow the facility's release decision and obtain its current collection, payment and representative-authorization instructions before arranging pickup. Annex 6, sections 14 and 26.

After arrival, ask the destination municipality and a local veterinarian about pet registration and other ownership duties. Import clearance is not a complete guide to local ownership requirements.

Final planning check

Confirm origin and residence first. Then check identity and vaccination, schedule any titre and choose the quarantine or waiver route. Apply early enough for the selected route, obtain the issued permit and quarantine arrangements, complete official export certification, and prepare for arrival inspection and authorized release. Keep current operational instructions with the permit: facility availability, fees, payment channels and collection procedures must be obtained for the actual journey.

Official sources and scope

• Current regulation and attachments
• amendment history
• APHIA effective-date notice
• Official area table, rabies row on page 2
• Annex 6, section 2
• Chinese Annex 6
• APHIA's official pet-import portal
• dog and cat import guidance
• USDA Taiwan instructions
• US certificate, version 2025-02-28

Published October 14, 2026. Sources checked October 14, 2026. This is a planning overview for dogs and cats, not the full veterinary checklist. Use the current species-specific instructions, exporting-authority guidance and individual permit conditions.