Cats in Taiwan: rules and travel

Cats were added to compulsory pet registration on 1 January 2025, and fines of NT$3,000 to 15,000 apply from 1 January 2026, after an order to correct.[1]

Compulsory for pet cats as part of registration since 2025, with fines from 1 January 2026.[1]

The neutering duty applies to cats as well as dogs: unneutered pet cats need a declared exemption or the owner can be fined NT$50,000 to 250,000.[2]

All pets need an ISO microchip, must be at least 3 months old with a rabies vaccine given after that age and less than a year old, and need an import permit from APHIA applied for at least 20 days before arrival. Sweden and Estonia are on Taiwan's rabies-free list; other EU countries follow the rabies-infected route with a titre test.[3]

Rabies-free origins listed are Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Iceland, Norway, Hawaii, Guam, Singapore and Japan: the pet must have lived there at least 180 days, have a rabies shot 30 to 365 days before arrival and an export health certificate on Taiwan's form. All other countries follow the rabies-infected route.[3]

From rabies-infected countries a rabies antibody result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from a laboratory on the APHIA list is needed, and the 180-day count starts from the day the blood was drawn.[3]

Pets from rabies-infected countries serve 7 days of quarantine at a designated facility, booked through the regional APHIA branch once the permit and flight are known.[3]