The short answer
Yes — you can absolutely bring your dog from the United States to Taiwan, and it happens every week. The catch is that the US mainland is treated as a rabies-origin country, so your dog takes Taiwan's full import protocol rather than the light track reserved for rabies-free areas. That means an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination, a passing FAVN blood titer, a Taiwan import permit and a USDA-endorsed health certificate — in a specific order, on a specific calendar.
None of it is exotic; all of it is unforgiving about sequence and timing. Here's what an American dog actually needs.
What's specific to a move from the USA
- You're on the rabies-origin track. Hawaii and Guam are the exceptions — they're recognised as rabies-free, which is a genuine head start (see moving a pet from Hawaii to Taiwan). From the mainland, plan for the full protocol.
- The FAVN titer is the long pole. Blood must be drawn 90 days to one year before arrival, and the draw date sets your earliest travel date and whether quarantine is waived. This single test is why a US move takes months, not weeks — the full mechanics are in our FAVN explainer.
- USDA endorsement is mandatory. Your export health certificate must be endorsed by a USDA APHIS Veterinary Services office, so your vet needs to be USDA-accredited.
- Pit Bull–type dogs cannot be imported. Taiwan has banned import of American Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers since 2022 — details in restricted breeds in Taiwan.
The US-to-Taiwan sequence
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ISO microchip first
- A 15-digit ISO 11784/11785 chip, implanted and scanned before any vaccine you want to count. Why the chip comes first.
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Rabies vaccination after the chip
- Recorded against the chip number, valid on arrival day. If your dog's shot predates the chip, you re-vaccinate.
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FAVN titer draw
- Drawn 2–4 weeks after the vaccine, couriered to an approved US lab (Kansas State University is the usual choice), scoring ≥ 0.5 IU/mL. Then the 90-day clock starts.
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APHIA import permit
- Filed online at least 20 days before the flight; there's no application fee. Every field must match the chip record.
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USDA-endorsed health certificate
- Issued in the final days before departure by an accredited vet, then endorsed by USDA APHIS.
Will my American dog be quarantined?
What it costs, and getting a real plan
A mid-size dog from the US to Taipei typically runs US$3,500–7,000 door to door; here's the line-by-line breakdown, and why large dogs cost more. The whole thing hinges on a calendar built backwards from your arrival month — our six-month countdown lays it out, or tell us your city and your dog and we'll price and schedule the actual move from your door to Taipei.
Want this handled for you?
Everything in this article is work 886JetPet does daily on the Taiwan corridor — the paperwork, the calendar, the airline, the arrival. One quote, one team, door to door.