Pet Transport Vietnam to South Korea: 2026 APQA Guide

The most important thing to understand about the South Korea pathway from Vietnam is what it does not require. Japan’s AQS imposes a 180-day waiting period from the FAVN titre test blood draw date for non-designated regions. South Korea’s APQA does not. If APQA requires a titre test for Vietnamese pets (confirm at qia.go.kr), the test is done, the result comes back in 1 to 2 weeks, and if it passes, travel can be booked.

This distinction makes South Korea a significantly shorter process than Japan for Vietnamese pet owners. Where Japan preparation from Vietnam takes 7 to 9 months, South Korea typically takes 2 to 3 months.

Vietnam remains a non-rabies-free country in APQA’s classification, so the arrival inspection at Incheon applies. But the preparation sequence is straightforward compared to Japan’s strict timing requirements.

The Department of Animal Health (DAH), operating under MARD, is the Vietnamese authority for endorsing export health certificates. Your Vietnamese vet issues the certificate; DAH endorses it. The certificate must be in the format APQA specifies and must be issued within 10 days of your travel date.

Gather all vaccination records and titre test results before the health certificate is issued. APQA inspection at Incheon checks these documents, and if anything is missing or unclear, the inspection process takes longer. Original documents must travel with the pet; certified copies are not accepted.

A specialist pet transport agent with experience of both Vietnamese export procedures and Korean import requirements is useful here, particularly for the first time. The DAH endorsement format and the APQA health certificate requirements have specific details that differ from standard international export certificates.

Vietnam Airlines operates regular cargo services from Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) and Hanoi (HAN) to Seoul Incheon (ICN). Korean Air and Asiana Airlines both serve the same routes with live animal cargo. The SGN or HAN to ICN flight takes approximately 4 to 5 hours, making it a relatively short international journey for cargo pets.

Confirm live animal acceptance on your specific flight with the cargo desk before finalising the booking. Not all aircraft types or flight dates accept live animals, and confirmation in writing protects your booking.

Pets travel as air cargo, not in-cabin. The crate must comply with IATA live animal container specifications. Your vet or agent can advise on the correct crate sizing for your pet and the carrier’s specific requirements.