Vietnam Airlines lets a cat like Luna ride in the cabin, but only up to 6 kg including the carrier, and that number decides everything else about the trip. Weigh your carrier, weigh your cat, then check whether the total clears the line before you book anything. Cabin, cargo, and hold are all on the table here, which is rarer than the spreadsheet suggests.

Vietnam Airlines's pet policy splits into cabin and cargo. This page summarizes the weight limits, fees, brachycephalic-breed restrictions, and carrier specifications for both modes — sourced from the airline's official pet pages.

How Vietnam Airlines handles your pet

Each fact comes straight from the operator’s published policy. Tap the to read the exact wording; the opens the source page.

In the cabin Accepted
In the hold / cargo Accepted
Snub-nosed breedsNot accepted

Cabin policy

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-07-14
Snub-nosed breeds banned Yesverified 2026-07-14
Minimum age10 weeksverified 2026-07-14
Advance booking notice24 hoursverified 2026-07-14
Advance booking required Yesverified 2026-07-20
Max pets per passenger1verified 2026-07-14
Heat embargo3°Cverified 2026-07-20
Exit row allowed Noverified 2026-07-14
Pregnant allowed Noverified 2026-07-14
Under seat required Yesverified 2026-07-14
Advance notice hours24 hoursverified 2026-07-20
Pregnant animals accepted Noverified 2026-07-14
Carrier size30 × 35 × 20 cmverified 2026-07-14
Max weight (pet + crate)6 kgverified 2026-07-14
Crate must have/bewater bowl, ventilated, absorbent liner, a carrierverified 2026-07-14

Hold & cargo policy

Hold: Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-07-14
Hold: Snub-nosed breeds banned Yesverified 2026-07-14
Hold: Snub-nosed breeds listCane CorsoStaffordshire Bull TerrierMastiffverified 2026-07-14
Hold: Minimum age10 weeksverified 2026-07-14
Hold: Advance booking notice24 hoursverified 2026-07-14
Hold: Advance booking required Yesverified 2026-07-20
Hold: Min age weeks10 weeksverified 2026-07-14
Hold: Pregnant allowed Noverified 2026-07-14
Hold: Sedation allowed Yesverified 2026-07-07
Hold: Advance notice hours24 hoursverified 2026-07-20
Hold: Pregnant animals accepted Noverified 2026-07-14
Hold: Max weight (pet + crate)32 kgverified 2026-07-14
Hold: Crate must have/bewater bowl, ventilated, IATA-compliant, absorbent liner, live-animal label, a carrier, water bowlverified 2026-07-20
Cargo: Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-07-20
Cargo: Snub-nosed breeds banned Yesverified 2026-07-20
Cargo: Snub-nosed breeds listCane CorsoStaffordshire Bull TerrierMastiffverified 2026-07-14
Cargo: Minimum age10 weeksverified 2026-07-20
Cargo: Advance booking notice24 hoursverified 2026-07-20
Cargo: Advance booking required Yesverified 2026-07-20
Cargo: Max pets per flight9verified 2026-07-06
Cargo: Max pets per passenger2verified 2026-07-20
Cargo: Heat embargo3°Cverified 2026-07-20
Cargo: Pregnant animals accepted Noverified 2026-07-20
Cargo: Crate must have/bewater bowl, ventilated, IATA-compliant, absorbent liner, live-animal label, a carrierverified 2026-07-20

Health & documents

Health certificate required Yesverified 2026-07-14
Health certificate validity10 daysverified 2026-07-20
Quarantine · Typequarantine stationverified 2026-07-17
Quarantine · Required Yesverified 2026-06-04
Rabies vaccination · Min age at vaccination10 weeksverified 2026-07-20
Health certificate valid within days · Health certificate valid within days10 daysverified 2026-07-14

Other rules

Mandatory documentsExit quarantine certificateEntry certificateMedical certificatePassportverified 2026-06-03
Dangerous breeds banned Yesverified 2026-07-20
Breed restrictions apply Yesverified 2026-07-20
Pregnant animals accepted Noverified 2026-07-14
Assistance animals accepted Yesverified 2026-07-28

Service & assistance animals

Fee waived Yesverified 2026-07-14
Recognized Yesverified 2026-07-20
Cabin allowed Yesverified 2026-07-14
Training required Yesverified 2026-06-01
Advance notice hours24 hoursverified 2026-07-14
Documentation required Yesverified 2026-05-27
Booking the pet service is not part of the standard ticket flow. Contact a Vietnam Airlines branch to reserve the cabin spot at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time. Treat that window as a hard deadline, not a suggestion. A confirmed passenger seat does not confirm the animal. Make the branch call first, then count the hours backward from departure.
Vietnam Airlines refuses transport for specific dog and cat breeds named on its restricted list. Snub-nosed and flat-faced breeds are the usual entries. Confirm the exact breed name against that published list before purchasing any ticket. A breed on the list cannot fly in cabin, cargo, or hold, and no booking, weight, or advance call overrides that exclusion.

Frequently asked

How many pets can I bring on Vietnam Airlines?
Vietnam Airlines allows 2 in the cabin, up to 3 in the hold, per passenger. Each pet needs its own carrier.
What is the cabin weight limit on Vietnam Airlines?
In the cabin, your pet plus its carrier must not exceed 6 kg. Heavier pets (up to 32 kg) travel in the hold.
Can snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds fly Vietnam Airlines?
Snub-nosed breeds such as bulldogs, pugs and Persian cats are not accepted in the cabin, not accepted in the hold.
How far in advance must I book my pet on Vietnam Airlines?
Add your pet to the booking at least 24 hours before departure — do it when you book the ticket, not at the airport.
What if my flight is delayed past my health certificate validity?
If the certificate window expires before you board, you'll need a re-issue. Build a 1-2 day buffer between the cert date and departure to absorb minor delays.
What happens if I forget a document?
At the destination airport: at best, an extended inspection while you produce backup; at worst, the pet is held in quarantine or returned to origin at your cost. Bring printed copies.
The published pet section splits into cabin conditions, checked-baggage conditions, prohibited animals, and special cases, but a one-way cargo fee for dogs is not stated there. Request the exact cargo figure from a Vietnam Airlines branch before committing to a route. Get it quoted in the airline's own currency and confirmed in writing rather than assumed from the fare page.
So the shape here is unusually generous: cabin, cargo, and hold all open, with that 6 kg cabin ceiling as the real gatekeeper. Everything downstream depends on the branch call and the breed list, and Luna would want both nailed down early. Build a personalized plan for your actual route, dates, and weights with Pawgo's plan-builder, and let it hold the checklist so nothing gets left to memory.
Get YOUR personalized plan for Vietnam Airlines →

Glossary

ISO chip
ISO 11784/11785 — the universal microchip standard.
FAVN
Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization — a rabies serology test required by rabies-free destinations.
Brachycephalic
Snub-nosed breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Persians, Himalayans) with restricted airline acceptance due to heat-stress risk.
AVIH
Animal Vehicle In Hold — IATA's term for cargo pet shipment, with fees that vary by carrier and route.