French Polynesia is one of the trickiest destinations for a French Bulldog — Mochi and I did the paperwork twice because the biosecurity office is strict about the vaccination-order chain and the digital dossier is entirely in French. If your dog is snub-nosed like Mochi, budget for a longer conversation with your carrier about summer temperature embargoes to Tahiti.

Pet import to French Polynesia is overseen by Direction de la Biosécurité de Polynésie française (DBS). Confirmed against an official source so far: a microchip, a rabies vaccination and a rabies titer test. Anything else — commonly a microchip, rabies vaccination and health certificate — is not yet confirmed for French Polynesia against an official source, so it's flagged in the table below rather than assumed.

How French Polynesia handles your pet

l’importation d’animaux âgés de moins de 3 moins est interdite en Polynésie française, sauf s’ils sont accompagnées de leur mère

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

Health & documents

Microchip · Required Yesverified 2026-06-19
Microchip · Must be done before vaccination Yesverified 2026-06-19
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Required Yesverified 2026-07-20
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Minimum level iu ml0.5verified 2026-08-13
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Test validity months12 monthsverified 2026-07-20
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Approved laboratory required Yesverified 2026-07-20
Rabies titer test (FAVN) · Waiting period after test days30 daysverified 2026-06-19
Import permit · Cost5500 xpf par animalverified 2026-07-20
Import permit · Issuing authorityDirection de la Biosécurité de Polynésie française (DBS)verified 2026-07-20
Flea treatment · Required Yesverified 2026-07-20
Flea treatment · Timing notesDANS les 30 jours avant le départ et au plus tard entre 16 et 19 jours avant la date de départverified 2026-07-20
Tick treatment · Required Yesverified 2026-07-20
Health certificate · Issuerofficial_vetverified 2026-07-20
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-07-20
Rabies vaccination · Waiting period after vaccination21 daysverified 2026-06-19
Rabies vaccination · Min age at vaccination12 weeksverified 2026-06-19
Internal parasite treatment · Required Yesverified 2026-07-20
Internal parasite treatment · Timing notesà faire DANS les 30 jours avant le départ et au plus tard entre 16 et 19 jours avant la date de départverified 2026-07-20

Other rules

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-06-19
Carrier required Yesverified 2026-07-20

Service & assistance animals

Import rules modified Yesverified 2026-07-20
Documentation requiredUn certificat médical attestant du handicap du propriétaire ; Un certificat attestant de la qualité du chien d’assistance délivré par un établissement de dressage agrée par le(s) pays de provenance du chien.verified 2026-07-20

Timing chain

Day -90 microchip implant · Day -21 rabies vaccine deadline · Day 0 arrive at customs

French Polynesia's biosecurity office requires the online dossier to include an identification attestation showing the microchip implantation date. That date must fall before the rabies vaccination date — a vaccine dated on or before the microchip is rejected, and the whole vaccination timeline restarts. Bring the vet's original microchip form to the online upload, not a summary printout.

Frequently asked

Does my pet need a microchip for French Polynesia?
Yes. French Polynesia requires an ISO-standard microchip, and it must be fitted before the rabies vaccination to be valid.
How long before travel must the rabies vaccine be given for French Polynesia?
The rabies vaccine must take effect at least 21 days before entry, and can be given from 12 weeks of age. Travelling before that window makes the vaccination invalid at the border.
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.
French Polynesia's biosecurity office charges 5500 XPF per animal — roughly 46 EUR — to process the import dossier. The fee is paid online at submission, not on arrival, and it does not cover the vet's rabies work or the titer test. Budget the microchip visit, rabies visit, blood draw, and the 5500 XPF submission fee as four separate line items.
French Polynesia rewards the person who plans the vaccination chain a full six months ahead, not four. Microchip first, rabies vaccine after, then wait the titer window, then upload the digital dossier with the 46 EUR fee before booking a summer flight to Tahiti. Pawgo's plan-builder maps the entire calendar for you and flags snub-nosed carrier restrictions before you commit to a departure date.
Get YOUR personalized plan for French Polynesia →

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.