Home › From Thailand
Taking a pet out of Thailand
There is no single rulebook for leaving Thailand — the destination country sets the requirements, so the papers, tests and waiting periods depend on where you are going. Below are the 6 routes from Thailand we have verified so far, covering Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. Every route page is checked against two official sources — the destination government's import rules and the export guidance for leaving Thailand — and carries its own "last verified" date. How early you need to start depends on the route; see how far in advance to prepare, and how we check every rule.
Dogs leaving Thailand
Dog: Thailand → the United States
Yes — but Thailand is a CDC high-risk country for dog rabies, so a Thai-vaccinated dog takes the strictest US pathway: a government-endorsed Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip, a rabies serology titer from a CDC-approved laboratory (or a 28-day quarantine instead), a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, and arrival by air only at that facility's airport. Start at least 2–3 months ahead, and note the extra USDA layer: Thailand is screwworm-affected and not FMD-free, so your dog also needs a screwworm inspection certificate and FMD precautions on arrival.
Strict rulesDog: Thailand → the United Kingdom
Yes — but plan on about 4 months. Thailand does not appear on Great Britain's list of 'listed' countries, so a dog from Thailand is treated as coming from a not-listed country: on top of a microchip and rabies vaccination it needs a rabies blood test at an EU-approved laboratory and a full 3-month wait from the day the blood sample was taken, then a Great Britain pet health certificate and — for dogs — a tapeworm treatment 24–120 hours before arrival. There is no quarantine if every step is right; get one wrong and quarantine can run to 4 months at your expense.
Strict rulesDog: Thailand → Germany
Yes — but plan on about 4 months. Germany applies the EU's rules for non-EU countries, and Thailand appears in neither Annex I nor Annex II of the EU's listing regulation — German Customs names Thailand outright as a country where rabies occurs. So a dog from Thailand needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination, a rabies antibody titration test at a designated laboratory, and a wait of at least 90 days between the blood sample and the issue of the EU animal health certificate, which is then valid for 10 days to the entry check. One relief versus the UK: Germany does not require tapeworm treatment. And check the breed first — four breeds and their crosses are banned from import outright.
Cats leaving Thailand
Cat: Thailand → the United States
Yes — and this is the simplest route in this set. Federally, a cat from Thailand needs almost nothing the dog needs: no CDC form, no rabies certificate, no titer test and no USDA APHIS requirement at all. Your cat must simply arrive healthy and pass inspection at the port of entry. The real work on this route is at the Thai end — the DLD export inspection and certificate — plus whatever your destination state and your airline ask for.
Strict rulesCat: Thailand → the United Kingdom
Yes — but plan on about 4 months, just as for a dog. Thailand does not appear on Great Britain's list of 'listed' countries, so a cat from Thailand follows the not-listed rules: microchip, rabies vaccination, a rabies blood test at an EU-approved laboratory, and a full 3-month wait from the day the blood sample was taken, then a Great Britain pet health certificate. Cats skip only one step — there is no tapeworm treatment for cats. There is no quarantine if every step is right; get one wrong and quarantine can run to 4 months at your expense.
Strict rulesCat: Thailand → Germany
Yes — but plan on about 4 months. Germany applies the EU's rules for non-EU countries, and Thailand appears in neither Annex I nor Annex II of the EU's listing regulation — German Customs names Thailand outright as a country where rabies occurs. So a cat from Thailand needs exactly what a dog needs on this route: a microchip, a rabies vaccination, a rabies antibody titration test at a designated laboratory, and a wait of at least 90 days between the blood sample and the issue of the EU animal health certificate, which is then valid for 10 days to the entry check. There are no cat breed bans and no tapeworm step for cats.