Relocating your family to Taiwan 

You’ll know that relocating to another country has its challenges and can be grey-hair inducing. Add an animal or two into the mix, and your anxiety levels could be through the roof. At PetAir, they understand that these furry animals are very much part of your family, and will help guide you through the process with ease. Remember it’s something that they do all day, every day. PetAir has fine-tuned their services to accommodate both you and your animals and take the stress out of travelling. 

What is the process?

We firstly recommend that you give yourself ample time to ensure the smooth running of your relocation. Please start the process as soon as you have your relocation confirmed because it can take a few months. There can be unplanned setbacks or delays with vaccination requirements, animal illness or administration errors.

Recruit PetAir

The rules and regulations surrounding pet importation are often changing. You can breathe easily with PetAir. They have fully trained experts that understand the importance of your pets and the ever-changing landscape. They will make sure that your pets meet the import requirements. Each pet must be fully vaccinated and be at least three months old. 

Banned breeds

The government has specific guidelines that you must follow. The criteria to import dogs are strict.

Sadly, there are several breeds of dog that are banned, including:

• Pit Bull 
• Molosser Neapolitan Mastiff
• Dogo Argentino
• Tosa
• Fila Brasileiro

Vaccinations

It’s essential to ensure that your pets have all of the relevant vaccinations within the stipulated times.

Dogs

• Leptospirosis
• Parvovirus (DHLPP)
• Contatious Hepatitis
• Parainfluenza
• Distemper
• Corona Virus

Cats

• Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis
• Calicivirus
• Panleukopenia (FVRCP)

All of these vaccinations should be administered no less than two weeks before your export date and must be valid. 

It is recommended that each pet has the appropriate treatment for internal and external parasites as close as possible to the departure date. External parasites include mites and fleas; internal parasites include medicine that is effective against nematodes and tapeworms.

Rabies Vaccine and Certificate

Cats and dogs must be vaccinated against rabies. Your veterinary surgeon will provide you with a certificate that states the microchip number, the validity of the vaccination, and the date of inoculation. Rabies vaccines are valid for one, two or three years. The vaccine must be the inactivated variety. The vaccine must be administered between 30 days and 12 months before your pet’s flight into Taiwan. The vaccinations are valid for one, two or three years. 

At least six months (180 days) and not more than one year prior to shipment, each pet must have a titre test and how at least 0.5 IU/ml rabies antibodies in their blood. The titre test must be carried out in a rabies reference laboratory of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) or a laboratory designated by the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) of Taiwan. PetAir will guide you. All details must be recorded accurately. 

At least one month (30 days), PetAir will submit the following documents on your behalf:

• Rabies vaccimation certificate (must be written in English)
• Your pet’s details including breed, date or birth, colour and markings, sex and age
• Microchip details
• Date of rabies vaccination, validity, manufacturer, product name and serial number
• State if it is inactive or killed virus vaccination

Microchip

The authorities will only identify your pets with a microchip and the corresponding vet stamped pet passport. A microchip is an integrated identification circuit placed under the skin of your pet. The rice grain size chip uses passive radio-frequency identification technology. It must be implanted before the rabies vaccination is administered. The Taiwanese government accepts microchips that comply with  ISO Standard 11784, Annex A to ISO standard 11785, AVID 9 or AVID 10.

Important information 

The microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination is administered. Upon import, if the microchip number cannot be confirmed or is not the same as that in their pet passport or other documentation, the pet will be subject to 180 days in the quarantine centre. 

Import Permit

PetAir will provide you with the necessary import permit that is required to allow your pets into Taiwan . Each of your pets will require this import permit from the Taiwanese Quarantine and Inspection Service Department (MAQIS). The team will provide you with the exact requirements for your country of origin.

Important Information 

• Confirmation of the quarantine booking is required to obtain an import permit unless you are importing your pet from a quarantine-exclusion country 
• Taiwanese Quarantine and Inspection Service Department will only permit your PetAir agent to apply for the import permit. You will need to submit to them the required paperwork from the export country ** days in advance
• Be attention when planning your flights into Taiwan. Any pets not cleared to arrive into quarantine before 19.00 must stay overnight in the airport holding facilities. This is at your cost, and the time is not deducted from the length of your pet’s overall quarantine stay

Veterinary Certification

You will need to send an official health certificate that states the name, age, description and microchip identification number of each pet within 10 days of your flight. The microchip identification number is 15-digits long. Without this, the government will deny your pet entry into the country. 

 The health certificate must also include the following information before export:

• The animal has been examined and found to be healthy and free from any clinical sign of rabies and infectious or contagious diseases 
• The animal has been vaccinated against rabies using an approved anti-rabies vaccine
• The vaccination history and health status of your pet
• That your pet is healthy enough for air travel 

Important Information

Any pet arriving without an original veterinary certificate may be refused entry and re-exported at the discretion of the Taiwanese government.

Make at least five copies of the certification and vaccination records for the following:

• Airline
• Pet travel crate
• Transit permit (if necessary)
• Taiwanese quarantine
• One for you

Quarantine

Your pets will need to be quarantined at the airport into which they fly, which are located at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. Depending on your country of origin, your pets will generally need to be in quarantine for 21 days. During this time, blood samples may be taken and tested for the rabies antibody. If the rabies antibody is under 0.5 IU/ml, the dog or cat shall be revaccinated with inactivated rabies vaccine.

Additional Information

There are no restrictions on the number of pets imported, but the local Taiwanese authorities might have local regulations about the number of pets that can be kept in residential premises.

You are required to obtain all of the necessary permits that will allow you to import your pets into Taiwan. Quarantine officers will not allow pets to enter the country if there are no import permits. 

We hope that this reassures you, but should you need more specific advice, please let the helpful team at PetAir help; they are all delighted to help you.