The Thai export permit, the health certificate and the destination rules that decide your timeline — planned backwards from the day you fly.
Thailand's own export process happens in the last few days: you apply on Form Ror.1/1, take your pet to the Animal Quarantine Station (AQS) for a health check no more than three days before departure, and receive an export permit (Ror.9) and a health certificate for the country you are going to.
What takes time is everything the destination country demands first. Many countries treat Thailand as a rabies-risk country and require a rabies blood test and a waiting period of three months or more. Some, like Australia, do not accept pets directly from Thailand at all. So the first step is to read the destination's rules — ideally many months before you plan to leave.
The destination sets the timetable
The government website of the destination country is the only reliable answer. Your vet in Thailand, the AQS and a relocation agent can help you apply it.
A planning guide, not a legal deadline. For a destination that needs a rabies blood test, allow at least four to six months; for Australia, a year or more.
Read the official rules. Confirm your pet's microchip works and that rabies vaccination is up to date and recorded against the microchip number.
If the destination needs one, your vet takes the blood sample at the right interval after vaccination and sends it to an approved laboratory. The waiting period usually starts from the sample date.
Confirm the airline will carry your pet on every leg, or book cargo through an agent. Buy and train the travel crate.
Get the destination's health certificate form. Book the parasite treatments and the vet check the destination needs.
Take your pet, passport, rabies certificate and Form Ror.1/1 to the AQS for the health check. Receive the Ror.9 export permit and health certificate.
Check in at the pet counter or drop off at the cargo terminal, with all original documents.
This is the process the Thai government describes for passengers taking a pet out of Thailand.
The same DLD form used for imports. Fill in your details, the pet's details and microchip number, the destination and the flight. Ask the AQS whether it wants the form in advance by email.
Ask the station at your departure airport when you can bring the pet. The check must be no more than three days before departure, so watch for weekends and public holidays.
Bring the pet, your passport and the rabies vaccination certificate. Officials check the documents and examine the animal.
The AQS issues the export permit (Ror.9) and a health certificate to present to the authorities in the destination country.
If your pet came in on a temporary import guarantee, show the copy of the guarantee to Customs when you leave.
| Document | Who provides it | When |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | You | At the AQS and at check-in |
| Rabies vaccination certificate | Your vet | At the AQS; timing set by the destination |
| Microchip record | Your vet | The number must match every document |
| Rabies blood test result (if required) | Approved laboratory, via your vet | Months before travel, as the destination requires |
| Form Ror.1/1 | You | At or before the AQS visit |
| Export permit (Ror.9) | AQS | After the health check, within 3 days of departure |
| Health certificate for the destination | AQS (on the destination's form, if it has one) | With the Ror.9 |
| Destination import permit or forms | Destination authorities | Before booking, where required |
| Temporary import guarantee (if you have one) | Thai Customs, on arrival | Show at departure |
Go to the Animal Quarantine Station at the airport you are leaving from. At Suvarnabhumi, the station that issues export permits is on the first floor of the CE-1 building in the cargo Free Zone — not in the passenger terminal. Allow time to get there and back before your flight day.
Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui and Trang (for Krabi) also have stations. Ask them directly about opening hours and whether you need an appointment. Contact emails are in our import documents guide.
If your pet flies as cargo, a relocation agent usually takes the pet to the AQS and the cargo terminal for you.
What to expect, in brief
Short summaries to help you plan. Each country's official website is the final word, and our full country guides go into detail.
Thailand is not on the UK's list of approved countries. Pets need a GB pet health certificate, a rabies blood test at least 30 days after vaccination, then a three-month wait from the sample date. Dogs need tapeworm treatment 1–5 days before arrival. Most pets must arrive as cargo.
Rules are set at EU level, but check the country you are moving to. Expect a rabies blood test and a waiting period before entry, and an EU animal health certificate. Some countries add their own rules.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists Thailand as a high-risk country for dog rabies, so dogs face extra age, microchip, blood test, health and document rules. Cats have separate, simpler rules.
Thailand is not an approved country for pet imports, so pets cannot fly directly to Australia. Owners usually move the pet to an approved country first for a residency period of around six months. Plan a year or more.
If you bring a pet to Thailand and might move on later, keep its rabies vaccinations up to date without gaps, and keep every certificate. For countries such as the UK, the rabies blood test and three-month wait are the slowest part, so ask your vet early whether doing the test in good time could save you months when you decide to leave.
Ask your vet in Thailand to record the microchip number on every vaccination, and keep a scanned copy of all records.
Tick each item as you go. Ticks are kept for this visit only.
Yes. Pets and other live animals need permission to leave Thailand. The AQS issues the Ror.9 export permit after a health check.
The health check must be no more than three days before departure, so the permit comes at the very end. Everything else should be ready before then.
The Thai government page does not list a fee. Ask the AQS when you book your visit.
Your vet prepares the records and treatments, but the official export permit and health certificate come from the AQS. Some destinations also need their own form completed or endorsed by an official vet.
Thai Customs gives you a copy of the guarantee when the pet arrives. Show it when you leave, at the customs point named on it, within six months of import.
No. Thailand is not an approved country for Australian pet imports, so pets must spend time in an approved country first. Check the Australian government's step-by-step guides.
For a nearby country with simple rules, many owners do it themselves. For the UK, the USA, Australia or cargo routes, an agent often saves time and mistakes. See our relocation company guide.
Go to the Animal Quarantine Station at the airport you are leaving from. Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui, Don Mueang and Trang (for Krabi) all have stations; ask them about opening hours before you book your visit.
Any day within the three days before departure, so Friday is the earliest for a Monday flight. Check whether the station is open at the weekend before relying on it.
No. Thailand's export process needs the rabies vaccination certificate and a health check. A blood test is only needed if your destination country requires one, such as the UK or the EU.
The Thai part takes a few days at the end. The destination's rules decide the rest: about four months or more for the UK or the EU, two to three months or more for a dog going to the USA, and a year or more for Australia.
Last checked 3 November 2026. Destination rules change and differ by species. The destination government's current rules and the AQS always take priority.
A long-term Thailand resident with more than 30 years in international finance. Quick, free and no obligation.
Lawrence or the team will reply within one working day.
Want a faster reply? Message us directly:
Loading today’s eight-stamp reel.
Show the community you love your prize. Give it a heart.
One click adds your heart to the community total.
