Taking your dog on holiday to Taiwan

Taiwan is an awkward middle case. Unlike South Korea, which treats Hong Kong as rabies-free, Taiwan classifies Hong Kong as a rabies-infected area — so your dog needs the full rabies treatment to get in: an ISO microchip, an inactivated rabies vaccination, a rabies antibody titre test, an import permit, a health certificate, and seven days of quarantine on arrival. But since 29 February 2024 there is a quarantine waiver, and if you plan far enough ahead you can get that seven days down to zero.

The mechanics: microchip first (must be before the rabies vaccination, or the vaccination is invalid), then an inactivated rabies vaccine — Taiwan rejects modified-live vaccines outright. Wait 30 days, then draw blood for the titre at a WOAH reference lab; the result must be at least 0.5 IU/ml. The Taiwan import permit is free and applied for online at pet-epermit.aphia.gov.tw, at least 20 days before shipment. The health certificate is issued by AFCD as Hong Kong's animal quarantine authority, on the APHIA Form 002 template, within roughly 10 days of departure.

Taiwan bans American Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers from import entirely — since 1 March 2022, with fines of NT$50,000 to NT$250,000. Tosas and Neapolitan Mastiffs are not banned from import but must be muzzled and on a 1.5m leash in public. Arrive before 13:30 at Taoyuan, Songshan, Kaohsiung or Taichung airport, or your dog is held overnight (and that hold does not count toward quarantine). Avoid weekends and public holidays — the inspection staff are not there.

The return is the gentler half. Taiwan is AFCD Group II, so the Residence Certification Waiver applies — the same scheme that covers Singapore and South Korea. The dog must travel as manifested cargo, never in-cabin, with a health certificate issued by a Taiwan registered vet within 72 hours of export (tighter than the standard 14 days) and a Captain's Affidavit. Do not transit a Group IIIA or IIIB country on the way back, or the waiver fails. Your deadline is one year from the titre blood draw, or six months from the permit issue, whichever is sooner.