Pet Transport from Thailand to Vietnam

For one or two pets travelling with their owner, Vietnam asks for no import permit at all. That single fact removes most of the friction people expect, and it surprises owners who have read about …

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4-6

Weeks lead time needed

Start this early minimum

None

Quarantine on arrival

Low

Route complexity

Airlines on this route

Lead time needed

4-6 weeks

Quarantine

None

Route complexity

Low

Airlines

3 carriers on this route

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In short: Preparing to move a pet from Thailand to Vietnam typically takes around 4-6 weeks. There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets. A rabies titre test is not required.

Regulations checked August 2026

Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team

Step by step

The Thailand to Vietnam import process

At least 30 days before entry, no more than 12 months.

Rabies vaccination (if not already current)

Responsible: Your veterinarian

Around two weeks before departure.

File form R.1/1 in the DLD e-Movement system

Responsible: You (or your pet transport agent)

At least a week out; Vietnam Airlines caps pets per flight.

Book pet space with Thai Airways or Vietnam Airlines

Responsible: You + airline

No more than 2-3 days before the flight.

DLD health examination and R.9 export licence at Suvarnabhumi

Responsible: Animal Quarantine Station, CE-1 Building

Within 7 days of entry into Vietnam.

Government health certificate issued

Responsible: DLD official veterinarian

1-3 hours to release in HCMC or Hanoi; the Mau 15a quarantine certificate is issued on the spot.

Fly, then airport veterinary inspection on arrival

Responsible: You + Vietnamese airport quarantine unit

Requirements

Vietnam entry requirements

Every item below must be in place before your pet can enter. We verify and track each one.

Microchip

Recommended, not mandatory under Vietnamese rules. Fit one anyway: it is the only reliable proof of identity if documents are queried.

Rabies vaccination

Required, administered between 30 days and 12 months before entry. Vietnam does not recognise 3-year vaccines beyond 12 months.

Rabies titre test

Not required by Vietnam from any country.

Quarantine

No quarantine for compliant owner-accompanied pets. Airport veterinary inspection instead: typically 1 to 3 hours from landing to release for well-documented arrivals.

Import permit

Not required for one or two pets travelling with their owner. Three or more pets need a permit from the animal health authority in Hanoi, which takes about a week and is valid 10 days.

Health certificate

Required. Government-endorsed veterinary health certificate issued within 7 days of entry, stating vaccinations and health status.

Leaving Thailand

Export requirements

Export permit

Required. The Department of Livestock Development issues the R.9 export licence against form R.1/1, filed through the DLD e-Movement system. The Animal Quarantine Station examines the pet no more than 2-3 days before travel.

Veterinary inspection

Mandatory DLD health examination at the Suvarnabhumi Animal Quarantine Station, 1st floor, CE-1 Building, Free Zone (cargo customs area). Cargo counter 08:30-16:30 weekdays; hand-carried pets handled around the clock.

Costs

What this route typically costs

Vietnam arrival clearance: roughly 350-450 US dollars for checked-baggage pets, 950-1,150 US dollars for manifest cargo (Vietnam-based shipper figures, indicative)

Thai Airways AVIH charged as excess baggage by weight

DLD examination and R.9 licence fees at Suvarnabhumi

IATA-compliant crate

Bangkok agency door-to-door service if used

Critical points

Vietnam restricts Pit Bulls, Japanese Tosa and Dogo Argentino. Check before booking if your dog is a bully breed.

Bangkok's hot season (March to May) regularly exceeds Thai Airways' 29.4C limit; book early-morning departures or use Vietnam Airlines cabin carriage for small pets.

Arriving late at night? Tan Son Nhat's quarantine unit runs 24/7; Noi Bai in Hanoi runs reduced overnight staffing, so HCMC clears faster after dark.

Airlines

Approved carriers on this route

Airline	Notes	Type
Thai Airways	No pets in the cabin. Dogs and cats travel as checked baggage (AVIH) in the hold or as cargo. Snub-nosed breeds excluded from AVIH; American Staffordshire Terrier, Pit Bull and Staffordshire Bull Terrier banned entirely. No pets on A320 aircraft or when temperatures exceed 29.4C on the routing.	Cargo Only
Vietnam Airlines	The one cabin option: pet plus kennel up to 6kg in a 35x30x20cm cage. Checked baggage pets up to 32kg with cage. Maximum 9 pets per flight, 3 per passenger, booking at least 24 hours ahead.	Cabin and Cargo
Thai AirAsia and VietJet	Neither works for this corridor. AirAsia carries no pets at all; VietJet's pet cabin service applies to Vietnam domestic flights only.	No Pets

The Suvarnabhumi export run

Thailand’s side is the more procedural half. You file form R.1/1 through the DLD’s e-Movement system about two weeks out, then bring the pet for its mandatory health examination no more than 2-3 days before the flight. The examination happens at the Animal Quarantine Station on the 1st floor of the CE-1 Building in the airport Free Zone, the cargo customs area, not the passenger terminal. Budget an extra hour to find it the first time.

Pass the exam and the DLD issues the R.9 export licence and health certificate. The cargo counter runs 08:30 to 16:30 on weekdays; hand-carried pets are processed around the clock.

Choosing the flight: a two-airline corridor

Despite dozens of daily Bangkok to Vietnam flights, only two carriers matter for pets. Thai Airways takes dogs and cats in the hold (never the cabin), with three bully breeds banned outright, snub-nosed breeds pushed to cargo, no pets on its A320s, and a hard 29.4C temperature ceiling that bites in the March to May hot season.

Vietnam Airlines is the only cabin option: pet plus kennel up to 6kg in a soft cage no bigger than 35 by 30 by 20 centimetres, booked at least 24 hours ahead. It also takes hold pets to 32kg, capped at nine animals per flight and three per passenger. The budget carriers are a dead end: AirAsia carries no animals at all, and VietJet’s much-advertised pet cabin service covers Vietnamese domestic sectors only.

Landing in Vietnam: inspection, not quarantine

Compliant pets are not quarantined. Instead the airport quarantine unit inspects documents and animal, then issues the Import Animal Quarantine Certificate, form Mau 15a, usually the same hour. Well-documented arrivals clear in one to three hours.

Two practical notes from the ground. Clearance fees are real money: Vietnam-based shippers quote roughly 350 to 450 US dollars for a checked-baggage pet and 950 to 1,150 dollars for manifest cargo, so the arrival can cost more than the flight. And the two airports differ after dark: Tan Son Nhat’s unit (Region VI) is staffed 24/7, while Hanoi’s Noi Bai runs reduced overnight cover, which makes late-night arrivals smoother in Ho Chi Minh City.

FAQ

Common questions about this route

Not for one or two pets travelling with you. Vietnam only requires an import permit for three or more animals, arranged through the animal health authority in Hanoi, taking about a week and valid for 10 days. For a normal family move with one dog or cat, the health certificate and rabies record are the documents that matter.

None, if the paperwork is right. Vietnam inspects rather than quarantines: the airport quarantine unit checks the pet and documents and issues the Mau 15a certificate, typically within 1 to 3 hours of landing. Pets arriving with incorrect documents can be held, so get the certificate dates right.

Realistically two. Thai Airways carries pets in the hold only, with breed and temperature restrictions and no carriage on its A320s. Vietnam Airlines is the sole cabin option, for pets up to 6kg including the kennel, and takes larger animals in the hold up to 32kg. AirAsia and VietJet do not carry pets internationally.

Only within 12 months of administration. Vietnam treats every rabies vaccine as annual: it must be at least 30 days and no more than 12 months old at entry, whatever the label says. If the last shot is over a year old, revaccinate at least 30 days before travel.

More than most owners expect. Vietnam-based shippers quote roughly 350 to 450 US dollars in inspection and clearance fees for a pet arriving as checked baggage, and 950 to 1,150 dollars for manifest cargo arrivals. These are indicative figures; confirm current fees with your agent before flying.

Airline guides

Thai Airways
Vietnam Airlines
Thai AirAsia and VietJet

Breed guides

Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.

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