What Dog Breeds Are Restricted in Taiwan?

The short answer

Taiwan restricts dogs on two separate levels, and it's important not to confuse them. First, Pit Bull–type dogs are banned from import and breeding outright — a hard rule since 1 March 2022. Second, a wider group of breeds is designated "dangerous" and can be owned, but must be muzzled and leashed in public. On top of both sits a purely practical layer: airline embargoes on snub-nosed breeds, which have nothing to do with Taiwanese law.

The import ban: Pit Bull types

Since March 2022, Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture has prohibited the import and breeding of American Pit Bull Terriers (and the closely grouped American Staffordshire Terrier / "American Pit Bull"). If your dog is one of these breeds — or would be identified as one — a move to Taiwan is not currently possible through legal channels, regardless of temperament or paperwork. This is the one breed rule that can stop a relocation cold, so confirm it first.

The "dangerous breed" list: allowed, but regulated

Separately, Taiwan lists several breed groups as dangerous under its Animal Protection Act. These dogs are legal to keep, but in public they must be muzzled, kept on a leash no longer than 1.5 metres, and accompanied by an adult. The commonly listed groups are:

• Pit Bull Terrier types
• Japanese Tosa
• Dogo Argentino (Argentine Mastiff)
• Fila Brasileiro (Brazilian Mastiff)
• Neapolitan Mastiff
• Mastiff-type dogs (including Tibetan Mastiff, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso and Dogue de Bordeaux)

The airline layer: snub-nosed breeds

A completely different restriction comes from airlines, not Taiwan. Brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds — French Bulldogs, Pugs, Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, and Persian or Exotic Shorthair cats — face seasonal or year-round embargoes on many carriers because their airways make heat and stress at altitude genuinely dangerous. These dogs are perfectly legal in Taiwan; the challenge is finding a safe way to fly them. We cover it fully in flying snub-nosed breeds to Taiwan.

Checking your dog before you commit

Two questions settle it: is my breed import-banned (Pit Bull types), and if not, does my airline embargo it (snub-nosed)? Everything else is a handling rule you manage on the ground. Not sure where your dog falls? Tell us the breed and we'll confirm the import status and map a safe airline before you book anything — or start with the full import checklist.