Bringing your dog or cat from France to Laos takes some coordination, but the requirements are well defined. Around 8-12 weeks is typical, with a straightforward sequence to work through. No routine …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from France to Laos
typically takes around 8-12 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
A rabies titre test is not required.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The France to Laos import process
01
Before the rabies vaccination.
Confirm the ISO microchip is implanted and scannable.
Responsible: Vet in France.
02
30 days to 12 months before travel.
Administer or confirm current rabies vaccination, timed to fall between 30 days and 12 months before travel.
Responsible: French vet.
03
Several weeks before travel; allow time for DLF processing.
Apply for the DLF import permit.
Responsible: Owner or a Laos-side agent.
04
Close to the travel date.
Vet issues the AHC, then the DD(ec)PP endorses it.
Responsible: French vet, then DD(ec)PP.
05
Once documentation is confirmed.
Book cargo via Hanoi, Bangkok or Seoul to Vientiane.
Responsible: Owner or cargo agent.
Requirements
Laos entry requirements
Every item below must be in place before your pet can enter. We verify and track each one.
Microchip
ISO 11784/11785 compliant, 15-digit microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination.
Rabies vaccination
Required for pets over 3 months old, given between 30 days and 12 months before travel. The pet must land before the vaccine's expiry date.
Rabies titre test
Not required. The Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DLF) only asks for a titre test from pets originating in countries it treats as high-rabies-risk, and France, as an EU rabies-free state, is outside that group.
Quarantine
No quarantine imposed where documentation and timing are correct. Non-compliant pets can face quarantine where facilities exist, or be returned to origin.
Import permit
Import permit required from the DLF before travel.
Health certificate
Health certificate from a French vet, endorsed by the DD(ec)PP, confirming microchip, vaccination status and general health, plus core non-rabies vaccinations.
Leaving France
Export requirements
Export permit
No formal export permit for a companion pet leaving France. The Animal Health Certificate (AHC) is the operative document.
Veterinary inspection
A vet checks the ISO microchip reads correctly and confirms vaccination timing before drafting the AHC.
Government endorsement
An official veterinarian of the departmental DD(ec)PP (Direction Departementale de la Protection des Populations) signs the certificate under DGAL oversight, reformatted to meet the Department of Livestock and Fisheries' entry requirements. Source: Direction Generale de l'Alimentation (DGAL), agriculture.gouv.fr.
Health certificate
EU-format AHC issued under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636.
Costs
What this route typically costs
AHC vet appointment and DD(ec)PP endorsement: EUR 150-300.
DLF import permit fee: EUR 30-100.
Travel crate: EUR 90-300 if needed.
Pet cargo Paris to Vientiane via Hanoi, Bangkok or Seoul: EUR 1,400-2,900.
Agent fees, useful for the DLF permit paperwork: EUR 250-500.
Total typical range: EUR 1,900-4,100.
Critical points
The rabies vaccination has to land inside a specific window, no earlier than 30 days before travel, no later than 12 months. Miss it either side and it needs repeating.
The daily Paris-Hanoi service is sold under an Air France flight number but flown by Vietnam Airlines. Book expecting Vietnam Airlines' aircraft, crew and cargo handling, not Air France's own.
Laos's veterinary infrastructure outside Vientiane is thin. Arrange a local vet contact before arrival if you're heading beyond the capital.
Airlines
Approved carriers on this route
Airline
Notes
Type
Vietnam Airlines
Flies Paris CDG to Hanoi nonstop, roughly seven times a week on an Airbus A350, about 11 hours 40 minutes. Air France sells seats on this sector under its own AF5096 flight number, but the aircraft and crew are Vietnam Airlines'; it is a codeshare, not Air France's own metal. Lao Airlines then covers the short Hanoi-Vientiane hop.
Cargo Only
Thai Airways
Flies Paris CDG to Bangkok nonstop, connecting into Lao Airlines' twice-daily Bangkok-Vientiane service. The most established routing for the region, useful if the Hanoi schedule doesn't fit your dates.
Cargo Only
Air France Cargo
Beyond the Hanoi codeshare, Air France's own network reaches Bangkok and Seoul, both of which connect onward to Vientiane via Lao Airlines.
Cargo Only
Meeting Laos's entry requirements
Getting a pet into Laos is a middle of the road process. The rules are well defined, so most of the work is simply staying on schedule.
Advice worth following
Check the airline’s crate size and labelling rules early. An undersized or wrongly labelled crate is a frequent reason pets are refused at check-in.
Ask about temperature embargoes for your travel window. Summer and winter cargo restrictions can rule out certain routes and dates entirely.
Microchip before you vaccinate. The microchip must be in place before the rabies shot for the vaccination to count, and getting this order wrong is the most common and costly mistake.
Use an official, government-authorised vet for the health certificate, not just your usual clinic. Many destinations only accept certificates signed by an approved vet.
FAQ
Common questions about this route
No. France’s EU rabies-free status keeps it off the DLF’s high-risk list, so no titre test is required. A rabies vaccination given between 30 days and 12 months before travel, a DLF import permit and a French AHC cover the requirements.
Not all the way. Vietnam Airlines flies Paris CDG to Hanoi nonstop most days, sold under Air France’s AF5096 flight number as a codeshare, and Lao Airlines covers the short Hanoi-Vientiane hop. Thai Airways via Bangkok is the main alternative.
No. It carries an Air France flight number, AF5096, as a codeshare, but the aircraft, crew and cargo handling belong to Vietnam Airlines.
Eight to twelve weeks is realistic, driven mainly by DLF import permit processing and AHC timing rather than any medical waiting period, since no titre test is required.
Airline guides
Vietnam Airlines
Thai Airways
Air France Cargo
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.