Can you bring a cat to Vietnam and what to do with your pet during a visa run?

Another option while you travel is a pet boarding service. In August 2026 a participant pointed out that boarding exists exactly for such cases. In September 2026 a participant was looking for cat boarding for a weekend (two days), so there is demand for such services, but it is better to find a place in advance.

People do bring their cats to Vietnam. In August 2026 a traveler wrote that she chose Aeroflot specifically so she could take her cat; a family acquaintance rents a studio in Nha Trang with a cat without problems, and, in her words, many residents keep dogs. Another cat owner wrote the same week that she was bringing her elderly cat along because there was no one to leave it with.

In late June 2026 a participant advised leaving the pet at home rather than taking it on a visa run. If you live with a partner, you can take turns and go on different days, so someone always stays with the animal. If the pet needs looking after, a friend or a pet sitter can cover a single day.

If there is truly no one to leave the pet with, the same June 2026 advice is to drive to the visa run in a rental car and take the animal along. This is a last-resort option for when the other solutions do not work.

Asked whether a pet could get you refused re-entry to Vietnam after a visa run, a participant replied in June 2026 that this does not happen. This is an opinion based on community experience, not an official rule: check the requirements for taking animals across the border with the border and veterinary authorities in advance.