Obstacle #1: Importing a pet into Taiwan

We have 2 dogs and a cat and this is a limiting factor to our mobility and one of the toughest situations to resolve to move to Taiwan. After some deliberation, we resolved that the cat would come to Taiwan; we need to find alternate arrangements for the dogs.

One dog is 14 years old and we can't see putting him through the export/quarrantine process and don't really think a Taipei apartment is suitable living for him. He may still become a K9 expat as my mom in Canada has expressed willingness to take him. The other dog we rescued from someone who wouldn't keep him any longer and let's just say he doesn't mingle well in big crowds. We'll have to find him a suitable home.

That leaves the cat and it took quite a bit of reading to figure out the process to get him into Taiwan but I think we have it down.

• Step 1: Implant him with an ISO (15 digit) microchip

We checked with local vets and nobody normally used an ISO chip as the U.S. has a different standard but our dog vet was familiar with export and said he would implant it if we could get the chip. We bought one for $50 from pettravelstore.com. The implant went very smoothly as the vet gave Tucker a lidocaine shot to numb the back of his neck before the injection. In the same appointment...

• Step 2: Update rabies vaccine

Even if your pet is curently vaccinated, when he enters Taiwan, he must have obtained an "inactive" rabies vaccine between 6 month and 12 months prior to the day he enters Taiwan. So it can't be too long ago nor too soon; you have to time it right and be sure to specify "inactive" to the vet.

• Step 3: Vaccine titres

About 2-3 weeks after the rabies vaccine, you need to return to your vet to get a blood sample drawn and sent to a specific lab. There are supposedly 2 in the U.S. My vet works through the one in Kansas, there is one in Texas, too.

• Step 4: Vet certificate

Later we'll need to get him a certificate from a vet center that has export authority and file with Taiwan >30 days before arrial.

• Step 5: Quarrantine

He'll need to be quarrantined in Taiwan for 21 days.

Here is a resource for anyone investigating importing their pets into Taiwan:

Taiwan Pet Import