USA to Taiwan
Pet Shipping from the USA to Taiwan
We provide international pet transport from the USA to Taiwan, planned around its import rules, the season and your move date.
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.
- Airline booking
- The travel crate
- The export and import paperwork
- Check-in at your US airport
- Pickup in Taiwan with delivery to your new address
Taiwan at a glance
Full requirementsAPHIA, Taiwan’s animal health agency, counts Hawaii and Guam among the places it treats as rabies-free, so a dog or cat from elsewhere in the United States follows its rules for rabies-infected countries, 7 days of post-entry quarantine included unless the waiver conditions are met.
- Microchip
- ISO microchip
- Rabies status
- Taiwan classifies the entire US mainland as rabies infected
- Rabies titer
- A passing result for every pet, with blood drawn 90 days to one year before arrival, or 180 days to one year before for the quarantine waiver
- Import permit
- Filed with APHIA well ahead of travel
- Quarantine
- 7 days at an APHIA-designated facility on arrival unless the waiver is completed in advance. Titer blood drawn outside its window, or no passing result, means quarantine until 97 days after a passing sample
What Makes Taiwan Different from Other Pet Travel Destinations
Taiwan’s process stands apart because of how tightly the pieces interlock. The quarantine waiver is not a simple exemption you request at the last minute. It is a timeline-dependent pathway where the titer test blood draw, the import permit application, and the travel date all have to fall within specific windows relative to each other. Miss one window and the waiver collapses, leaving your pet in an APHIA-designated quarantine facility for 7 days at minimum.
The documentation requirements are also unusually specific. From the United States, the health certificate is the one USDA APHIS publishes for Taiwan, not a state form, and USDA has to ink-sign and emboss it. The original physical document has to travel with your pet. A copy, a scan, or a fax will not be accepted. If your pet arrives without that original embossed form, APHIA can refuse entry or, in extreme cases, order destruction.
Three more rules are easy to miss:
- Taiwan treats all rabies vaccines as having a one-year validity period, regardless of what the label says. Even if your vet administered a three-year vaccine, Taiwan counts it as expiring after 12 months.
- Your pet must be at least 90 days old at the time of rabies vaccination for the shot to count.
- Pit Bull Terriers (including American Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers) are banned from import as of March 2022.
Taiwan treats all rabies vaccines as having a one-year validity period, regardless of what the label says. Even if your vet administered a three-year vaccine, Taiwan counts it as expiring after 12 months.
Approved Routes and Entry into Taiwan
Several US airports offer direct nonstop service to Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), which is the primary entry point for pets arriving in Taiwan.
From the West Coast, EVA Air and China Airlines fly nonstop from Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO). United Airlines also operates a nonstop SFO to TPE route. EVA Air runs nonstop service from Seattle (SEA) as well. From the East Coast, EVA Air connects JFK directly to Taipei.
EVA Air and China Airlines are the two carriers most experienced with pet transport on US-Taiwan routes. Both accept pets as checked baggage and as manifest cargo depending on size and weight. Confirm your carrier’s pet policy early because space for live animals is limited on each flight and must be reserved in advance.
If you are flying from a city without direct Taipei service, connecting through LAX or SFO on the same carrier is the simplest option. Avoid routing that requires rechecking your pet through a third country’s customs, as this can trigger additional inspection requirements.
- From the West Coast, EVA Air and China Airlines fly nonstop from Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) to TPE. United Airlines also operates a nonstop SFO to TPE route. EVA Air runs nonstop service from Seattle (SEA).
- From the East Coast, EVA Air connects JFK directly to Taipei. From cities without direct service, connecting through LAX or SFO on the same carrier is the simplest option.
- EVA Air and China Airlines are the two carriers most experienced with pet transport on US-Taiwan routes. Both accept pets as checked baggage and as manifest cargo depending on size and weight. Book early because live-animal capacity is limited.
Route details: USA to Taiwan
- Route
- USA to Taiwan
- Arrival airports
- Taoyuan (TPE), Taipei Songshan (TSA), Taichung (RMQ) or Kaohsiung (KHH) airport, or Taipei Port by sea, as APHIA lists them
- How the pet flies
- As cargo with an air waybill, or traveling with a passenger with the customs declaration; APHIA clears both
- Import permit
- APHIA import quarantine permit, applied for online at least 20 days before arrival; APHIA charges no application fee
- Health certificate
- APHIS’s Taiwan certificate from a USDA-accredited vet, endorsed by USDA APHIS; the pet arrives within 30 days of endorsement
- Quarantine on arrival
- 7 days at an APHIA-designated facility, waived when the titer blood was drawn 180 days to 1 year before arrival and the permit was filed in time
- Time to get ready
- At least 90 days: APHIA wants the rabies titer blood drawn 90 days to 1 year before arrival, and 180 days or more to skip quarantine
Work out your pet’s dates for this route
From official sources, read October 29, 2026: APHIA, importing dogs and cats; USDA APHIS, Taiwan certificate; USDA APHIS, pet travel to Taiwan; APHIA, quarantine premises.
What are the entry requirements for pets going to Taiwan?
The short answer
From the United States, APHIA asks for a working microchip and a rabies vaccination given 30 days to one year before import to a pet no younger than 90 days, using an inactivated vaccine or one approved for use in Taiwan.
Import Eligibility for Pets
Taiwan classifies the United States, apart from Hawaii and Guam, as “rabies-infected” territory. This classification triggers a default 7-day quarantine at a facility APHIA designates: its Guanyin Inspection Station in Taoyuan for pets arriving at Taoyuan (TPE), Taipei Songshan (TSA), Taichung (RMQ) or Taipei Port, and a veterinary teaching hospital in Pingtung for pets arriving at Kaohsiung (KHH). However, Taiwan offers a quarantine waiver for pets that meet two conditions: the titer test blood must be drawn between 180 days and one year before arrival, and the import permit must be submitted 120 or more days before arrival (or at least 20 days before arrival when the passing result reaches APHIA directly, from the lab or from the exporting country’s animal quarantine authority).
Additional restrictions apply. Pit Bull Terrier breeds (American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier) are banned from import, effective March 1, 2022. Taiwan requires an inactivated rabies vaccine or one it has approved for use, and every rabies vaccine is treated as having a one-year validity regardless of the manufacturer’s label. Your pet must be at least 90 days old at the time of vaccination.
Before mapping your timeline, we confirm Taiwan’s current classification, your pet’s breed eligibility, and which waiver pathway applies. Request a quote to get a plan built around your travel date.
Health Preparation and Documentation
For a dog or cat leaving the United States, USDA APHIS publishes the Veterinary Certificate for the Export of Dog/Cat to Taiwan From the United States, and says Taiwan will not accept a certificate made on a state health certificate form. It covers your pet’s microchip number, rabies vaccination, titer test result and clinical examination. A USDA-accredited veterinarian issues it, and USDA ink-signs and embosses it. The certificate says your pet must arrive in Taiwan within 30 days of that endorsement. The original, physical, embossed certificate must travel in the same shipment as your pet. APHIA checks for the original on arrival, and arriving without it can result in refusal of entry.
You also need an import permit, which you apply for online at pet-epermit.aphia.gov.tw. The permit confirms that APHIA has reviewed your pet’s records and approved the import.
| Requirement | Taiwan, from the United States |
|---|---|
| Microchip | ISO microchip |
| Rabies status | Taiwan classifies the entire US mainland as rabies infected |
| Rabies titer | A passing result for every pet, with blood drawn 90 days to one year before arrival, or 180 days to one year before for the quarantine waiver |
| Import permit | Filed with APHIA well ahead of travel |
| Quarantine | 7 days at an APHIA-designated facility on arrival unless the waiver is completed in advance. Titer blood drawn outside its window, or no passing result, means quarantine until 97 days after a passing sample |
For the most current requirements, check these official sources:
Planning Timeline for Pet Shipping to Taiwan
For the quarantine waiver pathway (recommended), plan 7 to 8 months from start to travel. Month 0: implant microchip and administer inactivated rabies vaccine. Month 1: draw blood for the titer test; APHIA’s requirements set no gap between the vaccine and this draw. The blood draw date starts the 180-day wait. Month 3: submit import permit application (must be 120 or more days before arrival). Final 10 days: complete the APHIS health certificate for Taiwan, get the USDA APHIS endorsement, and fly.
For the standard pathway (accepting 7-day quarantine), the timeline compresses to 4 to 5 months. You still need the microchip, vaccination, titer test, and import permit, but you do not need to meet the 180-day and 120-day waiver windows.
For a line by line breakdown of what this move costs, from freight to the USDA endorsement fee, see our USA to Taiwan pet shipping cost page.
Every Pet Travels
Differently
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Your pet’s vaccination history, breed eligibility, and travel timeline all shape the plan. Taiwan’s interlocking deadlines mean the sequence matters as much as the paperwork itself. We build each plan from scratch around your move date.
Destination-Focused Planning
Every pet entering Taiwan clears inspection through APHIA, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (formerly known as BAPHIQ). APHIA operates under Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture and controls all import permits, quarantine decisions, and document approvals. Because Taiwan has its own timelines and will not take a certificate made on a state form, your paperwork has to match their exact requirements. That means using the Taiwan certificate USDA APHIS publishes, applying for a permit through their online portal, and making sure your pet's endorsed health certificate physically travels with them.
Smart Routing and Logistics
The US has strong direct flight options to Taiwan. EVA Air and China Airlines both operate nonstop service from Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) to Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), and both carriers accept pets as checked baggage or cargo depending on size. United Airlines flies nonstop from SFO as well. From the East Coast, EVA Air offers nonstop service from JFK. Direct flights mean less stress on your pet, fewer transfer risks, and a cleaner chain of custody.
Personalized Support
One coordinator manages your file from initial consultation through arrival and processing at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport. They track titer test results, the 180-day waiver window, permit deadlines, and airline booking timelines so you always know exactly where things stand.
Questions about moving a pet to Taiwan
Request a QuoteWhat does it cost to ship a pet from the USA to Taiwan?
The cost of a move depends on several things: your pet’s size and weight, which set the crate and cargo price, the airline and departure city, veterinary fees for the health certificate and any required tests, government endorsement and permit fees, and how much of the process you would like us to coordinate. Because those pieces change from one pet and route to the next, we quote the full journey up front, including government fees, so there are no surprises later. Tell us your pet and your destination and we will send a clear plan and a price.
Is quarantine mandatory in Taiwan for pets from the US?
Yes, by default. Taiwan imposes a 7-day facility quarantine on all pets arriving from countries classified as “rabies-infected,” which includes the entire US mainland. However, you can avoid quarantine entirely through the quarantine waiver pathway if you meet two conditions: your pet’s titer test blood was drawn between 180 days and one year before arrival, and your import permit was submitted 120 or more days before arrival, or 20 or more days when the passing result reaches APHIA directly.
How does the quarantine waiver work for Taiwan?
The quarantine waiver is a timeline-based exemption. After your pet receives an inactivated rabies vaccine and passes a titer test (FAVN or RNATT, showing 0.5 IU/ml or higher at a WOAH reference laboratory or one APHIA designates), the date of the blood draw starts a 180-day countdown. For the waiver, your pet arrives in Taiwan once those 180 days have passed and within one year of the draw. Separately, your import permit application must be submitted 120 or more days before arrival (or at least 20 days before arrival when the passing result reaches APHIA directly, from the lab or from the exporting country’s animal quarantine authority). If both conditions are met, APHIA waives the 7-day facility quarantine and releases your pet after airport inspection. If either condition is missed, the standard quarantine applies.
What is APHIA Form 002?
APHIA Form 002 is the specimen veterinary certificate APHIA publishes for dogs and cats from countries it considers infected with rabies. For a pet leaving the United States, USDA APHIS publishes its own certificate for Taiwan, and that is the one a USDA-accredited veterinarian fills in and USDA endorses.
Why does Taiwan only recognize one-year rabies vaccines?
Taiwan’s policy treats every rabies vaccine as valid for one year from the date of administration, regardless of whether the manufacturer labels it as a three-year product. This means that even if your US veterinarian gave your pet a three-year rabies vaccine, Taiwan considers it expired after 12 months. The practical impact is that if your pet’s rabies vaccination is more than a year old by the time you need to draw blood for the titer test or by the time your pet arrives in Taiwan, you will need a booster. Plan your vaccination timing carefully so the vaccine remains within its one-year validity window through every milestone in the process.
How can Pet Travel Advisors help with a USA to Taiwan move?
We handle the full process from start to finish. That starts with mapping your timeline backward from your target travel date to set every deadline for the microchip, vaccination, titer test blood draw, import permit, and health certificate. We coordinate with your veterinarian to make sure the titer test goes to an approved US lab and the results meet Taiwan’s threshold. We prepare and review your Taiwan health certificate before it goes to USDA APHIS for endorsement. We book your pet’s space with the airline and make sure every document is correct and present on travel day. Request a quote to get started with a plan built around your move date.
Ready to start?
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.