Moving pets to Australia

Australia’s rules are built around one idea: keep out diseases such as rabies that the country doesn’t have. That is why the process is long, paper-heavy and unforgiving of small mistakes. The good news is that it is predictable. If you know which group your country is in and start early, you can plan every step.

Step 1: find your country group

DAFF sorts approved countries into three groups.

Group 1

New Zealand, Norfolk Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Each has its own step-by-step guide. DAFF does not accept dog imports from Cocos (Keeling) Islands, only cats.

Group 2

American Samoa, Bahrain, Barbados, Christmas Island, Cook Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, Iceland, Japan, Kiribati, Mauritius, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna.

Group 2 pets need an identity verification by the competent authority. A 180-day residency period applies to pets that haven’t lived in the Group 2 country since birth or since import from Australia. DAFF says the import permit is valid for 12 months and quarantine is generally a minimum of 10 days.

Group 3

Countries where rabies is present but well controlled. The list includes the United Kingdom, Ireland, most EU countries, Norway, Switzerland, the United States (excluding Guam and Hawaii), Canada, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, South Africa, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, South Korea and several Caribbean islands. Read the Group 3 dog guide.

Countries not on any list

Pets cannot come directly from a non-approved country. They must live in an approved country for at least 180 consecutive days immediately before export and meet all of that country’s conditions. Many families move their pet to a Group 3 country first. Plan for the extra time and cost.

Approved but no certificate yet

DAFF notes that some approved countries do not yet have a negotiated veterinary health certificate, and pets cannot be exported from them until one is in place. At the time of writing these included several small Group 2 and Group 3 territories. Check DAFF’s guide for the current list.

Step 2: check your pet can come

• Breed. Some pure breeds and wolf hybrids are prohibited. See banned breeds.
• Health and age. DAFF warns that sick and elderly animals cope poorly with long-haul travel and quarantine, and that medication may not be possible during transport.
• Pregnancy. Dogs must not be more than 30 days pregnant, or nursing, at export.

Step 3: talk to the right people

• The competent authority in your country (the government veterinary service) tells you which vets and laboratories are approved and endorses your documents.
• A government-approved vet carries out the microchip scans, vaccinations, blood samples and treatments.
• A pet transport agent is optional but recommended by DAFF. See choosing an agent.

Step 4: follow the timeline

The order matters. For Group 3 pets the sequence is microchip, identity check, rabies vaccination, RNATT, the 180-day wait, the import permit, booking quarantine and flights, the final tests and treatments, and the endorsed health certificate. Use our timeline planner to put dates on each step.

Step 5: the import permit

You apply through DAFF’s Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON). Group 3 applications must include the RNATT laboratory report and the RNATT declaration endorsed by an official government vet. Pay in full when you apply. DAFF says most permits are issued in 20 to 40 business days and some take up to 123, and that applying doesn’t guarantee a permit. A Group 3 permit is valid until the RNATT expires, 12 months from the blood sample date.

The documents that travel with your pet

DAFF’s Group 3 dog guide lists what must arrive with your pet:

• the valid import permit;
• the original veterinary health certificate, with wet-ink stamps on every page;
• laboratory reports and vaccination certificates for each requirement;
• the RNATT declaration.

Keep copies of everything.

Costs and timing

There is no single price. You will pay DAFF permit and quarantine fees, vet and lab fees, endorsement fees, a crate, freight and any agent fees. Get quotes early. Timing is driven by the 180-day wait (Group 3) and the permit, so start at least 6 months ahead and preferably more.