Pet Relocation USA to Vietnam: USDA Certificate to Arrival

A job in Ho Chi Minh City, a family move back to Hanoi, a retirement in Da Nang: whatever the reason, the dog or cat usually ends up being the most complicated part of the move from the United States to Vietnam. The flight is long, the paperwork is split between two governments, and the US health certificate has a short shelf life once it is signed.

The good news is that the route itself is well established. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishes a specific health certificate for dogs and cats going to Vietnam, and Vietnam’s Department of Animal Health (DAH) handles the entry side. This guide puts those two halves in the right order, explains what the US certificate actually certifies, and covers a question many families skip: what happens if the pet needs to come back to the US later.

Who does what on the US to Vietnam route

Several parties check different parts of the move. Knowing which question belongs to whom saves a lot of back-and-forth.

For the Vietnamese side from any origin, see our pet relocation to Vietnam guide and the Vietnam pet import page.

Start with Vietnam: the permit and the rabies window

Vietnam’s import conditions for dogs and cats are set by the DAH, and our Vietnam import page lists a DAH import permit and current rabies vaccination as the core requirements. Export notes published by the UK government for its own vets describe a rabies vaccination given not less than 30 days and not more than 12 months before export, with the vaccine name, batch number and expiry recorded. Those notes were written for UK exports, so use them as a guide to what to ask, not as the final rule for a pet leaving the US.

Before booking anything, get written answers to three questions:

• Does your pet need an import permit, and does the answer change with the number of animals?
• What rabies timing will Vietnam accept for your pet’s current vaccine, and are any other vaccinations or parasite treatments expected?
• Which airport will receive the pet (Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City, Noi Bai in Hanoi or Da Nang), and what does that office need on arrival?

If your pet’s rabies booster is due soon, give it early. A vaccine given just before the trip may fall inside a waiting period, while one given almost a year earlier may be too old by the flight date.

US side: the Vietnam certificate and VEHCS

USDA APHIS publishes a dedicated “Veterinary Health Certificate for Export of Dogs and Cats from the United States of America to Viet Nam” (the version on its site is dated September 2025). Only a USDA-accredited veterinarian can complete it. On that form, the vet certifies that they:

• scanned and confirmed every microchip listed (the microchip number is a required field);
• examined the pets on the date of issue and found them healthy and free of signs of infectious disease;
• know of no rabies exposure, and that the pets come from an area not under rabies quarantine;
• confirmed the pets are current on rabies vaccination, recorded in a table with the vaccine name, batch number and end date of validity.

The certificate states that it is valid for 30 days from the date of issue to the date of departure. Book the vet appointment inside that 30-day window, and leave a few working days before the flight for the USDA endorsement.

Endorsement now runs online. Your vet submits the certificate through VEHCS (the Veterinary Export Health Certification System), USDA reviews and endorses it digitally, and the endorsed copy can be printed straight from the system. That printed copy has to travel with your pet, so keep it in your hand luggage, not in a checked bag. Ask your vet early whether they use VEHCS and how long their clinic usually needs.

Flights from the US to Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi

Most itineraries from the US to Vietnam connect through an Asian hub, and Vietnam Airlines has operated nonstop flights between San Francisco and Ho Chi Minh City. Every routing raises its own questions:

• Airline acceptance. Whether a dog or cat can fly in the cabin, as checked baggage or as cargo differs by airline, aircraft and route. Get the pet booking confirmed in writing before you fix the vet date.
• Transit stops. A connection in Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong or another hub can bring its own transit conditions for animals, especially when the pet changes aircraft or airline. Ask the airline what applies at your transit point.
• Heat and breed limits. Snub-nosed breeds and travel in hot months often face extra restrictions, both leaving US airports in summer and arriving in southern Vietnam.
• The crate. For cargo or checked travel, the crate has to fit airline and IATA rules. Our IATA crate guide explains sizing, and crate training a few weeks ahead makes a long journey easier on your pet.

On arrival, the animal health quarantine office at the airport reviews the documents and inspects the pet. Our import page describes quarantine in Vietnam as none to short, decided case by case, so leave room in your first-day plans rather than booking a tight onward connection.

If your pet may return to the US

Many families in Vietnam are on two- or three-year assignments. For a dog, the return trip deserves planning before you leave, because the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists Vietnam as a high-risk country for dog rabies. Dogs that have been in a high-risk country in the 6 months before arriving in the US follow stricter entry rules.

CDC offers an easier pathway for dogs that left the US with a valid US rabies vaccination. It needs a Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination completed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA before the dog leaves the US, plus a microchip, a minimum age of 6 months and a CDC Dog Import Form. If you skip that form now, or the US vaccine lapses and is renewed in Vietnam, the dog generally falls under the foreign-vaccinated pathway, which adds a rabies antibody test from a CDC-approved laboratory and an arrival at an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility. Ask your US vet to prepare both certificates in the same visit, and note the vaccine’s expiry date.

Cats are simpler: CDC does not require a rabies vaccination or health certificate for cats entering the US, although airlines and some states have their own rules. CDC updates these requirements, so check the current version before booking the return.

A working timeline

1. 8 weeks or more before the flight: confirm Vietnam’s conditions with the DAH, check the microchip reads, review the rabies date and ask the airline about pet acceptance on your routing.
2. 4 to 8 weeks before: apply for any Vietnamese import permit, confirm the pet booking in writing and start crate training.
3. Within 30 days of departure: health exam and Vietnam certificate with your accredited vet, submitted through VEHCS for USDA endorsement. For dogs that may return, add the CDC certification of US-issued rabies vaccination.
4. Travel day: endorsed certificate, permit and vaccination records in your hand luggage, with copies saved on your phone.

To organise the paperwork, our pet import document checklist is a useful companion. For a first budget, try the cost calculator.

FAQ: moving a pet from the USA to Vietnam

Does Vietnam require a rabies titer test for pets from the US?

Vietnam generally does not ask for a rabies antibody test for incoming dogs and cats, based on the guidance we have checked. A titer may still be worth doing for a dog that could return to the US on the foreign-vaccinated pathway. Confirm current rules with the DAH before you travel.

How long is the USDA health certificate for Vietnam valid?

The current USDA certificate for Vietnam states 30 days from the date of issue to the date of departure. Plan the vet exam, endorsement and flight inside that window.

Can my dog fly in the cabin from the US to Vietnam?

Some airlines accept small dogs and cats in the cabin within weight and carrier limits, but many long-haul routings only accept pets as checked baggage or cargo. Confirm with your airline for every flight segment, including connections.

Will my pet be quarantined in Vietnam?

Pets are inspected on arrival. Whether any holding period applies depends on the documents and the pet’s condition, and rules can change, so confirm with the DAH or our team before the flight.

For the wider picture of living in Vietnam with pets, see our Vietnam relocation page. When you are ready to map your dates, contact Pet Travel Asia with your target month, your pet’s details and the records you already have. We will check the current requirements on both sides and coordinate the arrival with our partner network in Vietnam.