Bring a Pet to Vietnam via Tan Son Nhat: Rules, Fees

For no more than 2 pets, the owner declares the import quarantine directly at the animal quarantine agency at the border checkpoint. The agency checks the exporting country's certificate and examines the animal. It issues the import certificate in 1 working day, or 5 if a test sample is taken.

By Vincent Nguyen

The paperwork starts weeks before the flight. Circular 01/2026/TT-BNNMT, in force since 1 January 2026, replaced the 2016 rules.

Which route does your pet take

For a traveller bringing in no more than 2 animals as pets, the owner declares the import quarantine directly at the animal quarantine agency at the border checkpoint. The animals must not be on the list of animals banned from import.

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Quarantine for a traveller bringing no more than 2 animals to keep as pets, for the household or while travelling, on business or in transit, not on the banned list: the owner declares the import quarantine directly at the border animal quarantine agency. Thông tư 01/2026/TT-BNNMT, Điều 14 khoản 1

If you bring no more than 2 pets

Declare directly at the border agency. The sections below cover the check, the certificate and the fees.

If you bring more than 2 pets

Quarantine for an animal carried by a traveller outside the 2-pet case follows the circular’s other articles. Before importing, the owner sends registration documents to the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health. The full steps are in the section on more than 2 pets.

Which animals the rule covers

The list of animals subject to quarantine includes dogs and cats. It also includes poultry and ornamental (pet) birds.

Rabies is on the circular’s list of diseases that quarantine covers. The Law on Animal Health says animals must receive compulsory disease prevention against dangerous infectious diseases, as the veterinary management agency requires.

Before you fly: the exporting country’s certificate

An imported animal must be healthy and come from an area or facility recognised as free of the disease. It must hold a quarantine certificate issued by the competent authority of the exporting country that meets Vietnam’s veterinary hygiene requirements.

The quarantine-declaration file includes a copy of the exporting country’s certificate, confirmed by the business and followed by the original, or the original itself.

A country that registers for import into Vietnam for the first time, or one at high risk of disease, must first go through a risk analysis by the Ministry. The Ministry also issues written guidance on import quarantine, based on the exporting country’s disease situation.

At Tan Son Nhat: what the border check involves

The border agency checks the exporting country’s quarantine certificate. It examines the animal clinically. It vaccinates against dangerous infectious diseases an animal that is not yet protected, and takes a test sample if the animal is suspected of an infectious disease.

How long the import certificate takes

If no test sample is needed, the agency issues the import quarantine certificate (Form 15a) within 1 working day of the quarantine. The file must be valid, and the animal healthy and vaccinated as required. If a sample is needed, it issues the certificate within 5 working days, and the test result must be negative.

Right after issuing the certificate, the border agency notifies the inland animal quarantine agency at the destination.

If the animal goes into isolation

For an animal that goes into quarantine isolation, the agency seals the transport container. It issues a transport certificate (Form 14a) for the owner to carry the animal to the isolation place. The owner arranges the isolation place, and the agency guides and supervises it. Monitoring lasts as set for each species and disease, and no more than 45 days from the start.

The agency also takes samples, or guides and supervises sampling. It guides the owner on compulsory disease prevention for an animal not yet protected as required.

If the pet fails the check

A record is made and the animal is handled under the law.

Which office covers Tan Son Nhat

The circular calls it the “border animal quarantine agency”. That is the regional Livestock Production and Animal Health Sub-Department or a provincial veterinary authority authorised by the national department.

For Tan Son Nhat, the last published station address is 521/1 Hoang Van Thu, Ward 4, Tan Binh District, telephone 028.38111882.

Tan Binh’s Wards 4, 5 and 7 are now Tan Son Nhat Ward. The airport itself is at Truong Son, Tan Son Hoa.

The Ho Chi Minh City Livestock Production and Animal Health Sub-Department has its head office at 151 Ly Thuong Kiet, Minh Phung Ward. It lists the telephones (028)38.536.132 and (028)38.536.133. Its list of subordinate quarantine stations names Thu Duc, An Lac, Hoc Mon, Bac Tan Uyen, Binh Chau, Chau Duc and Phu My.

Fees and fines

The 40,000 rate and the 100,000 clinical fee come from the schedule in force from 11 January 2021. The temporary cut runs from 1 July 2025 through 31 December 2026. A pet that lands after the cut ends pays the full VND 40,000.

The fine decree takes effect from 1 August 2026 and replaces the 2017 decree.

More than 2 pets: register first

Before importing, the owner sends one set of quarantine-registration documents to the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health. The channels are the national single window, the public-service portal, public post, email, fax or in person.

The dossier consists of an application on form 19 and any document or licence another state authority requires for the animal. An importer of an animal on the quarantine list registers with the Ministry.

Within 4 working days of a complete, valid file, the Department sends written consent and quarantine instructions. After that, and before the animal reaches the entry checkpoint, the owner sends one declaration file to the border agency.

Within 1 working day of a complete, valid declaration, the border agency confirms the declaration form (Form 3) and tells the owner the place and time of the quarantine.

Isolation and monitoring

The owner arranges the isolation place. Monitoring lasts no more than 45 days from the start of isolation.

Moving your pet out of Ho Chi Minh City

Before moving an animal out of a province, the owner sends one registration file to the provincial veterinary management agency. The channels are the public-service portal, public post, email, fax or in person.

Within 1 working day of receiving the file, the inland agency checks it and tells the owner the time and place of quarantine. For an animal from a disease-safe establishment, it issues the certificate within 1 working day. Otherwise it issues the certificate within 5 working days of the quarantine, with a negative test result.

The circular’s exemption list for animals moved out of a province names animals for security and defence in an emergency, honey bees, and certain egg and handicraft products. It does not name pets.

What happens if you skip the declaration

A fine of VND 4,000,000 to 5,000,000 applies to not registering or declaring quarantine when importing an animal subject to quarantine. The decree takes effect from 1 August 2026.

Taking your pet out of Vietnam later

The export registration file is an application on Form 2a, plus the importing country’s veterinary-hygiene requirements and sample certificate, if there are any. Within 1 working day of receiving it, the border agency checks it and tells the owner the time and place of the quarantine.

The agency clinically examines the animal, checks it against the importing country’s requirements and issues the export quarantine certificate (Form 13a). That takes 1 working day if no sample is needed, or 5 if one is taken.

At the exit checkpoint, the agency checks the certificate and confirms the check on it. If neither the importing country nor the owner requires quarantine, the owner must instead carry out quarantine for transport out of the province.

Flying with your pet

Whether a pet may fly depends on the legal and quarantine systems of the departure and arrival countries. For Vietnam, the exporting country’s quarantine certificate is the key paper.

It accepts dogs and cats aged 10 weeks or older in the passenger cabin, and does not transport dogs on flights between Vietnam and the United States. A pet in the cabin must be in good health, fully vaccinated and free of an unpleasant odour.

The container may not exceed 35cm x 30cm x 20cm, and the pet and container together may not exceed 6kg. Dogs, cats aged 10 weeks or older and ornamental birds also go as checked baggage. The pet and cage together must not exceed 32kg; above that the pet goes as cargo.

Checklist before you fly

• Quarantine certificate from the exporting country’s competent authority.
• A copy confirmed by the business, then the original, in the declaration file.
• Count of pets: no more than 2 means a direct declaration at the border agency.
• More than 2: registration documents sent to the Department first.
• Budget for the certificate fee and the clinical fee.
• Airline container within the size and weight limits.

Read next

• Tan Son Nhat arrival for immigration and the pre-arrival form.
• Tan Son Nhat to the city for getting home with a carrier.
• First week in Ho Chi Minh City for the rest of the checklist.
• Ho Chi Minh City with kids for a family move.

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Not confirmed: Tan Son Nhat station address: the last published one is 521/1 Hoang Van Thu. Call 028.38111882 before you go. Clinical-examination fee: the schedule counts it per vehicle, so confirm at the station how a pet on a plane is counted.

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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