A. Pet Food and Pet Health Supplements
1.Importation is permitted only if imported from non-epidemic areas and free of artiodactyl (even-toed ungulate) and avian animal-derived ingredients.
2.The complexity of customs inspection procedures and exemption limits vary significantly depending on your import status (formal commercial trade vs. personal cross-border online shopping for personal use):
Scenario: Personal Cross-Border Online Shopping & Consolidated Shipping for Personal Use ("Special Exemption" from Permits and Inspections)
If you or your members purchase a few packages of cat or dog food or canned food from foreign websites and have them shipped back to Taiwan via courier or consolidated shipping, they can be directly cleared by customs without animal quarantine and formal inspection procedures, provided the following three core conditions are met:
1.Weight Limit (The Absolute Iron Rule): The total weight of pet food imported for personal use per person, per shipment, must not exceed 6 kilograms.
2.Quantity Limits (Aligned with General Foods/Capsules & Tablets): Even if the ingredients are fully compliant (e.g., pure fish oil, pure joint supplement tablets), customs enforces strict limits for personal use:
*Maximum of 12 bottles (boxes) per product type (model/item).
*The total combined quantity of all types of pet health supplements per shipment must not exceed 36 bottles (boxes).
3.Absolute Prohibition of Epidemic Area Ingredients:
a.Strictly Prohibited: Ingredients containing "artiodactyls" (such as pigs, cattle, sheep, deer) or "poultry meat" (such as chickens, ducks, geese), unless sourced from a disease-free zone recognized by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHA) with special sterilization labeling on the packaging.
b.Safest for Clearance: Cat canned food or dog and cat treats made exclusively from pure salmon, pure tuna, pure cod, shrimp and crab, pure fish meat, or other pure seafood ingredients.
4.Non-Commercial Use: Must be intended for the pets of the recipient's own household; online resale (e.g., on Shopee or Facebook group buys) is strictly prohibited.
Important Notes on Pet Health Supplements
1. Core Quarantine Red Line: Absolute Prohibition of "Quarantine Items"
The ingredient label is the easiest place to trip up with pet health supplements. If a supplement contains any of the following animal or plant quarantine items, personal importation is strictly prohibited (unless an official animal quarantine certificate from the exporting country can be provided, which is extremely difficult for individuals to obtain):
*Terrestrial Animal Meat Ingredients / Extracts: Capsules or powders containing placenta extract, dried meat meal from cattle, pigs, chickens, sheep, etc.
*Fresh or Untreated Animal Ingredients: Such as gelatin (with unspecified source), animal fats (other than fish oil), etc.
*Certain Regulated Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Ingredients: Specific pet conditioning formulas featuring traditional Chinese herbal medicine.
2. Safe Items:
Pure fish oil, pure plant extracts (such as lutein), synthetics (such as glucosamine, chondroitin, Coenzyme Q10), probiotic powders, etc. As long as they do not contain the aforementioned prohibited ingredients, quarantine applications are generally not required.
3. The Hidden Boss: Prohibition of "Veterinary Drugs / Prescription Drugs" Ingredients
Some pet joint medications or skin care products easily purchased on foreign websites (such as iHerb or Amazon US) are actually classified under Taiwan law as "veterinary drugs" rather than "health supplements":
*Common Non-Compliant Items: Tablets or drops containing melatonin, high-dose vitamin D3, specific anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving ingredients, or therapeutic ingredients intended for "hair removal/deworming/flea control."
*Regulatory Consequences: According to Taiwan's Veterinary Drugs Control Act, unauthorized importation of veterinary drugs is illegal. If intercepted by customs, offenders may be referred for criminal investigation or subject to hefty fines in accordance with the law.
B. Required Documentation for Pet Food Quarantine
*Documents for the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ):
1.Product ingredients and purpose of use description.
2.Commercial invoice and packing list.
3.Customs declaration (provided by our company).
4.House Bill of Lading (provided by our company).
5.Quarantine power of attorney (if a third party, such as a customs broker, is commissioned).
*Documents for our company:
1.Commercial invoice and packing list.
2.Original Power of Attorney (POA) for individual cases.
3.Photocopy of both sides of your ID card.
C. Pet Toys
*For imports under an individual's name, the limit is 5 units for identical items.
*Mixed items are allowed within this limit.
*Quantities exceeding 5 units require a Commodity Inspection (Commercial Inspection).
D. Commodity Inspection (Commercial Inspection) for Pet Products
1.Both individuals and companies must undergo commodity inspection for pet food and health supplements.
2.The Bureau of Standards, Metrology, and Inspection (BSMI) oversees animals (including food), plants (including fertilizer), cat litter, wood chips, feathers, etc.
3.Example (Cat Litter):
*Tariff Code: 38249999
*Tax Rate: 5%
*Import Regulation Code: C02
E. Attachment 15-1: Quarantine Requirements for the Importation of Dog and Cat Food
I. Scope and Exemptions
1.Definition of Dog and Cat Food: Refers to products containing animal ingredients derived from cloven-hoofed animals or poultry, intended for consumption or chewing by dogs or cats, and classified under the following C.C.C. Codes:
a.2309.10.00.00-2: "Dog or cat food, put up for retail sale."
b.4205.00.90.10-4: "Articles made of animal skin for pets to chew."
2.Exemptions from Quarantine: Quarantine requirements do not apply to products under the following conditions:
a.Products containing animal ingredients from other (non-cloven-hoofed/non-poultry) species.
b.Canned products that do not contain bovine (beef) ingredients and have been sterilized at high temperatures.
3.Bilateral Agreements: These requirements may not apply if a bilateral agreement with specific quarantine conditions exists between the exporting country and Taiwan.
II. Definitions
The terms used in these quarantine requirements are defined as follows:
a.Non-infected Areas, Infected Areas, and Outbreak Countries: This refers to countries or areas officially announced by the central competent authority—in accordance with Paragraph 1, Article 33 of the Statute for Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases—as non-infected areas for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, African Swine Fever (ASF), Classical Swine Fever (CSF), Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), or Newcastle Disease; or countries where Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has occurred. Any area not listed as a non-infected area is considered an infected area.
b.Cloven-hoofed Animal Ingredients: This refers to raw materials in dog and cat food derived from cattle, sheep, pigs, deer, or other animals designated by the central competent authority that are susceptible to the infectious animal diseases mentioned above.
c.Poultry Ingredients: This refers to raw materials in dog and cat food derived from chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, or other animals designated by the central competent authority.
d.Exclusions from Animal Ingredients: The animal-derived components mentioned in the previous two points do not include the following:
*Gelatin and gelatin by-products.
*Collagen, chondroitin, and glucosamine.
*Dicalcium phosphate.
*Dairy products.
*Animal oils and fats, extracts, hydrolysates, and refined products.
*Seasonings.
*Lecithin derived from poultry eggs.
*Flavoring agents derived from sources other than cattle.
III. Factory and Import Requirements
The following requirements apply to the manufacturing and systematic review of dog and cat food imports:
a.Manufacturing and Shipping: Manufacturing plants must be officially registered by the exporting country’s government authorities as facilities engaged in the production of dog and cat food. Products must be transported using new and clean containers.
b.Mandatory Systematic Review: In the following cases, the animal quarantine authority of the exporting country must submit relevant data for review and approval, or confirm that their official management and supervision systems are equivalent to Taiwan's, before imports are permitted:
*Infected Areas: Products containing cloven-hoofed or poultry animal ingredients that are imported from areas infected with diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, African Swine Fever, or Avian Influenza, and have not undergone high-temperature sterilization (canning).
*BSE Risk Countries: Imports from countries where Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has occurred, or countries identified by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as having "controlled risk" or "undetermined risk" for BSE.
c.Required Documentation for Review: Data to be submitted includes:
*A questionnaire completed by the manufacturing factory and forwarded by the exporting country’s animal quarantine authority.
*Details regarding the exporting country’s hygiene and safety management system for dog and cat food, its government's supervision measures, or materials related to an application for a systemic audit.
d.On-site Audits and Compliance: To perform the review, the animal quarantine authority may send personnel to the exporting country for on-site inspections and periodic re-examinations. If the exporting country fails to cooperate or if the audit reveals non-compliance with these requirements, the animal quarantine authority may suspend imports from that country or specific factory.
e.Expenses: Costs associated with the audit shall be borne by the exporting country in accordance with relevant laws, unless otherwise specified in bilateral or multilateral agreements between the exporting country and Taiwan.
IV. Documentation Requirements for Non-Infected Areas and Sterilized Products
The following requirements apply to the importation of dog and cat food containing bovine ingredients that are high-temperature sterilized (canned), or products containing cloven-hoofed/poultry animal ingredients from non-infected areas:
a.Original Certificate: An original animal health certificate issued by the animal quarantine authority of the exporting country must be provided.
b.Language: The certificate must be written in either English or Chinese.
c.Required Information: The certificate must include the following details:
*Names and Addresses: The name and address of both the importer and the exporter.
*Manufacturer Information: The name and address of the manufacturing plant, along with a statement confirming compliance with the registration requirements specified in Section III, Paragraph 1.
*Product Details: The product name, quantity, weight, and date of manufacture.
*Ingredient Origin: The specific animal species from which the animal-derived ingredients are sourced.
*Preventive Measures: A statement confirming that effective preventive measures were taken during the raw material sourcing, manufacturing, and packaging processes to avoid contamination by Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and other animal infectious disease pathogens.
*Official Validation: The date and place of issuance, the name and stamp of the issuing authority, and the name and signature of the issuing official veterinarian.
V. Processing and Documentation for Imports from Infected Areas
Dog and cat food containing cloven-hoofed animal ingredients from areas infected with Foot and Mouth Disease, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever, or Peste des Petits Ruminants, or poultry ingredients from areas infected with Newcastle Disease or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, must be processed using one of the following methods:
a.Heat Treatment: During the manufacturing process, the product must be heated until the core temperature reaches:
*70°C for at least 30 minutes.
*80°C for at least 9 minutes.
*100°C for at least 1 minute.
b.Equivalent Methods: Any other method recognized by the animal quarantine authority as having the same pathogen-killing efficacy as the heat treatments mentioned above.
When importing these products, an Animal Health Certificate issued by the exporting country’s animal quarantine authority must be provided in either English or Chinese, containing the following information:
1.Names and Addresses: The name and address of both the importer and the exporter.
2.Manufacturer Details: The name and address of the manufacturing factory, along with a statement confirming it is officially registered as required.
3.Product Specifications: The name, quantity, weight, and manufacturing date of the dog or cat food.
4.Source Material: The specific animal species from which the animal ingredients were derived.
5.Processing Confirmation: A description of the processing method used to comply with the temperature and time requirements mentioned above.
6.Preventive Measures: A statement confirming that effective measures were taken during raw material sourcing, manufacturing, and packaging to prevent contamination by Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and other animal infectious disease pathogens.
7.Official Validation: The date and place of issuance, the name and stamp of the issuing authority, and the name and signature of the official veterinarian.
VI. Requirements for Pet Chews Made of Animal Hide
Dog and cat food products intended for chewing (hereinafter referred to as "pet chews") that are processed from the skins of cloven-hoofed animals or poultry—and have undergone depilation, degreasing, drying, and cleaning to ensure they are blood-free and contain no other animal-derived ingredients—are exempt from the provisions of Section III, Section IV, and Paragraph 2 of Section V.
When importing these pet chews, an original Animal Health Certificate issued by the exporting country’s animal quarantine authority must be provided in either English or Chinese, containing the following information:
1.Names and Addresses: The name and address of both the importer and the exporter.
2.Manufacturer Details: The name and address of the manufacturing factory.
3.Product Specifications: The product name, quantity, weight, and date of manufacture.
4.Compliance Statement: A statement confirming the product meets the processing requirements (depilation, degreasing, etc.). If the exporting country is an infected area, the certificate must also include a statement confirming compliance with the heat treatment methods specified in Paragraph 1 of Section V.
5.Preventive Measures: A statement confirming that effective preventive measures were taken during raw material sourcing, manufacturing, and packaging to avoid contamination by Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and other animal infectious disease pathogens.
6.Official Validation: The date and place of issuance, the name and stamp of the issuing authority, and the name and signature of the issuing official veterinarian.
VII. Transportation Requirements
During the process of transportation to Taiwan, dog and cat food must comply with the "Regulations for the Quarantine of Animal Products Imported in Sealed Containers".