Relocating Pets Between Taiwan and South Korea
Taipei to Seoul is barely two and a half hours — which is exactly why owners underestimate it. Neither country treats the other as rabies-free, so this short hop carries a rabies antibody test in both directions, and each side counts its validity window differently.
Updated on , verified by 886JetPet
One corridor, two rulebooks
This is a rare corridor where the two rulebooks are almost mirror images. Korea's Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) requires a titer because Taiwan is not on its rabies-free list; Taiwan's APHIA requires one because Korea is not on its list. The difference is in the clocks: Korea accepts a titer for two years from the blood draw, while Taiwan only counts a draw taken between 90 days and one year before arrival.
| Direction | Classification | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Taiwan → South Korea | Korea (APQA) treats Taiwan as a non-designated, rabies-present region | ISO microchip, rabies vaccination and a rabies neutralising antibody titer of at least 0.5 IU/mL, declared on an APHIA-issued government certificate. Compliant pets are inspected and released the same day. |
| South Korea → Taiwan | Taiwan (APHIA) does not list Korea as a designated rabies-free area | Titer of at least 0.5 IU/mL from a WOAH reference or APHIA-designated lab, blood drawn 90 days to 1 year before arrival, an import e-permit filed at least 20 days ahead, and 7 days of post-entry quarantine unless the waiver conditions are met. |
Quick compliance checklist: Taiwan ⇄ South Korea
Corridor-specific requirements only — the universal basics (ISO chip before vaccine, IATA crate, live-animal flight space) are covered once on the Pet Travel Hub.
| Requirement | Who rules it | Critical window |
|---|---|---|
| TPE → ICN: ISO 11784/11785 microchip | Korea APQA | Implanted and readable before the rabies vaccination you intend to rely on; the number must match every document |
| TPE → ICN: rabies antibody titer ≥ 0.5 IU/mL | Korea APQA, via an approved laboratory | Valid 24 months from the blood-draw date — Korea's window is generous, Taiwan's is not |
| TPE → ICN: government veterinary certificate | Taiwan APHIA branch office | Must state the microchip number and the titer result; issued in the final days before the flight — see the Taiwan export guide |
| TPE → ICN: arrival inspection | APQA quarantine officers at ICN/GMP | Clinical exam on arrival; a compliant pet is released the same day, a chip that will not scan is detained at your cost |
| ICN → TPE: rabies titer ≥ 0.5 IU/mL | Taiwan APHIA, via WOAH reference or designated labs | Blood drawn 90 days to 1 year before arrival — a Korean titer that is 18 months old is still valid for Korea and useless for Taiwan |
| ICN → TPE: APHIA import quarantine e-permit | Taiwan APHIA e-permit portal | Filed at least 20 days before arrival, with the quarantine reservation attached |
| ICN → TPE: 7 days post-entry quarantine | APHIA designated quarantine facility | Waived only if the blood was drawn 180 days–1 year before arrival and the permit was filed at least 120 days ahead |
Taiwan's APHIA runs dog and cat imports through its online e-permit portal, with document uploads validated against the microchip record. We re-verify the current protocol on both sides of this corridor for every booking.
The chronological timeline
Read this top to bottom: each step's validity depends on the one before it, which is why a late fix costs months rather than days.
-
Decide which direction sets your clock T−7 months
- Flying to Korea: your binding date is the titer draw, which stays valid two years — this leg can be prepared far in advance.
- Flying to Taiwan: the same test expires much sooner in APHIA's eyes, and the draw date decides whether you serve 7 days of quarantine.
- Chip first, vaccinate second. A vaccination recorded before the chip scan is void on both sides of this corridor.
-
Draw blood for the titer T−6 months
- Sample goes to an approved laboratory; a result of 0.5 IU/mL or higher passes.
- Heading to Taiwan and want to skip quarantine? Draw the blood at least 180 days before your arrival date — that single choice is the whole waiver.
- A failed result means revaccination and a fresh draw, which pushes the flight out by months, not weeks.
-
File the Taiwan-bound paperwork early T−120 days
- APHIA's quarantine waiver requires the import permit application at least 120 days before entry, not 20.
- The passing report must reach APHIA directly from the testing laboratory, or from the exporting country's quarantine authority — a copy you email yourself does not qualify.
- Filing at the 20-day minimum is still legal; it simply guarantees the 7-day facility stay.
-
Book uplift and confirm the paperwork track T−4 weeks
- Korean Air, Asiana, China Airlines and EVA all move pets on this route, but cabin allowances and snub-nosed breed rules differ by carrier.
- Korea-bound: confirm the certificate wording your APHIA branch will use, including the titer statement.
-
Final vet visit and export inspection T−10 to T−5 days
- Taiwan APHIA branch inspection and the export quarantine certificate; Korea-bound certificates must carry the chip and titer details.
- Korea → Taiwan: the origin certificate must be the original at the counter, not a scan.
-
Fly and clear T−0
- Arriving Korea: APQA scans, examines and releases compliant pets the same day.
- Arriving Taiwan: APHIA reconciles the e-permit, certificate, titer report and chip — then either releases the pet or moves it to the reserved quarantine slot.
What 886JetPet handles on this corridor
Your Taiwan ⇄ South Korea move, fully handled
We run the titer calendar against both rulebooks at once — Korean validity, Taiwanese sampling windows, and the 120-day filing that decides whether your pet sleeps at home or in a quarantine facility on arrival night.
Track your pet's entire relocation in one live dashboard, unique to 886JetPet
Taiwan ⇄ South Korea: common questions
Does my pet need a rabies titer test to enter South Korea from Taiwan?
Yes. Korea requires a rabies neutralising antibody result of at least 0.5 IU/mL for dogs and cats aged 90 days or older arriving from countries it does not classify as rabies-free, and Taiwan is not on that list. The result is valid for 24 months from the date the blood was drawn.
How long is quarantine in South Korea?
There is no fixed quarantine for compliant pets. APQA inspects the animal and its documents at the airport and releases it the same day. Quarantine happens when something fails — an unreadable microchip, a chip number that does not match the certificate, or a missing or failing titer.
Can I use the same blood test for the trip back to Taiwan?
Only if the timing happens to work. Taiwan requires the blood to have been sampled between 90 days and one year before arrival, so a Korean test older than twelve months is rejected even though Korea still considers it valid. If you know you are returning, the smarter move is to test before leaving Taiwan — a pet that re-enters within a year of that draw can skip post-entry quarantine entirely.
Will my pet have to spend 7 days in quarantine coming into Taiwan?
Not necessarily. APHIA waives the 7-day post-entry quarantine if the passing blood sample was taken between 180 days and one year before arrival and the import permit application was filed at least 120 days before entry, with the laboratory sending the result to APHIA directly. Miss either condition and the 7 days apply.
How long does the whole move take?
Plan six to seven months if you want the quarantine waiver on the Taiwan-bound leg. Korea-bound moves can be done in about six weeks once a valid titer exists, since Korea's test stays valid for two years.
Two and a half hours in the air. Six months on the calendar.
Seoul and Taipei are a weekend apart for you and a serious piece of project management for your pet. Tell us the direction and the month, and we will tell you the exact week the blood draw has to happen — and whether your arrival night ends at home or in a quarantine kennel.