Getting around with your pet in Vietnam

How do you usually travel with your pet in Vietnam?

Private car/van for long trips or my wife calls into a taxi specifically mentioning we have a dog. Ive also been known to carry my 47lb dog on the back of a motorbike while my wife drives. Most vietnamese dogs will easily ride and balance on a motorbike. Mine was too old to learn.

How pet-friendly do you find local transportation means in practice?

Not at all. Definitely something you want to negotiate ahead of time. Most transport that is not private strictly prohibit pets.

What challenges do you face?

You have to spend a lot more to convince someone to take you and your pet.

How does your pet handle transportation in Vietnam in general?

She does ok as we always did road trips back home. She didnt like flying though.

What about costs when traveling with public transportation (either bus, train, taxi, plane…)? Are there special or additional rates for pets?

Bus and train not really an option. Taxi is an option but they will send special drivers and they charge a lot more.

Have you ever encountered unexpected situations or surprises related to pet transport rules?

I caution anyone bringing a pet into Vietnam to do your research ahead of time. Do not risk your pets life by thinking Vietnam immigration will be lenient or forgiving. IMO always go with a very experienced pet agent in Vietnam that knows all the rules both written and unwritten getting pets in and out. You do not just show up in Vietnam with all the right paperwork. You have to coordinate with their animal import department way ahead of time. Whatever research you do online its probably outdated and at best just the "official" policy which will rarely work without hicups. I dont say this to say anything negative but a real life cautionary tale so you take it very serious. Do not risk your pets life. The consequence of doing things wrong could end your pets life. They dont play around and they dont view pets the same as many western countries. Its just a cold truth. Best case they keep your pet in quarantine until you get it figured out possibly without food or water. My wife and I did every single thing right. Every piece of paperwork was triple checked and approved by Vietnam and we even received the digital version of the stamped import papers. When we arrived with our dog the animal department I guess didn't give the airport the paperwork like they were supposed to and told us they did and since it was after hours security said they had to keep my dog in quarantine. They told us to wait 2 more days until the department opened to bring them the wet sealed stamped copy. No food, no visits, not even a cage. Just the container she came in. The only reason we got to leave with our pet is because my wife who is Vietnamese raised hell in the airport. They ended up just letting us go. If I did it again I would 100% go through an agent. Never been so worried in my life.

Hello jrharvey,

Thank you for taking the time to respond in detail to each question.

That is very interesting, and the last part of your message is especially informative based on your real-life experience.

Your cautionary advice is much appreciated.

Cheers,

Cheryl

What challenges do you face?

Cheryl
Expat.com Team - @Cheryl

RABIES.

I realize that's not a "transportation" issue, but any decisions about pet care and wellbeing in Vietnam need to be viewed through the lens of rabies awareness.

I'm normally not a fan of AI sourced replies but I think this is the best way to emphasize the seriousness of the situation here.

(Side note: An all-too-common scenario here: household pet gets infected with rabies. Household pet nips a member of the family. Infected member of the family dies because by the time symptoms appear, it's way too late for lifesaving treatment ☠️)

~~~~~

AI REPORT ON RABIES IN VIETNAM

Rabies in Vietnam is **endemic**.

This means the virus is consistently present and maintained at a baseline level within the country's animal population (primarily domestic and stray dogs). It does not spontaneously disappear and reappear; rather, it is a permanent, ongoing public health reality.

However, while the disease is endemic, Vietnam frequently experiences localized **epidemics (outbreaks)**. This happens when case numbers in a specific area spike sharply above that expected baseline, often driven by hot weather, low pet vaccination rates, or an increase in the free-roaming animal population.

### The Current Reality

Despite aggressive national eradication programs aimed at achieving zero dog-mediated rabies deaths by 2030, the virus remains highly active.

* **The Baseline (Endemic Level):** Vietnam averages roughly 70 to 100 human rabies deaths per year, making it one of the leading fatal communicable diseases in the country.

* **The Scale of Exposure:** Because the virus is so deeply entrenched in the domestic animal reservoir, over 500,000 people across the country require Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) every single year after being bitten or scratched.

* **The Outbreak Factor:** Localized surges are common. For instance, several distinct animal rabies clusters and sudden upticks in human cases have emerged across various provinces, stretching from northern mountainous regions down through the south.

### Prevention and Care

Because rabies is endemic, health authorities emphasize that any unexpected interaction with an unknown or unvaccinated animal requires immediate attention. If a bite or scratch occurs, the standard protocol is to wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes and head straight to a local Center for Disease Control (CDC) or medical facility for PEP