Dog Walks
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Interactive planner

Pet import timeline planner

Choose your pet, country group and planned export date. The planner shows the windows for each DAFF step so you can book vets, labs and flights at the right time.

Photo: davepaku, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By the Dog Walks editorial team · Updated · 3 min read

The hardest part of importing a pet is timing. Some steps must happen months ahead, others within days of the flight, and a few must happen in a particular order. The planner below follows DAFF’s published guides. Set your planned export date and adjust the options.

  1. Key step

    Now

    Check your country is Group 3, check breed rules, and consider a pet transport agent

  2. Key step

    Before the RNATT, and 180+ days before export

    by 10 Jan 2027

    ISO microchip scanned; optional identity check by an official government vet

    Identity check done first allows a minimum 10-day quarantine.

  3. Vet

    3–4 weeks before the RNATT (first vaccination)

    Rabies vaccination (given at 84+ days old), kept valid until export

  4. Key step

    RNATT blood sample window

    10 July 2026 – 11 Jan 2027

    Rabies neutralising antibody titre test (RNATT). Result must be 0.5 IU/ml or more

    Export can be no sooner than 180 days after the sample arrives at the laboratory. Aim early in the window to allow for retests.

  5. Key step

    After the RNATT declaration

    Apply and pay for the import permit in BICON

    DAFF says most permits are issued in 20–40 business days; some take up to 123.

  6. Travel

    After the permit is issued

    Book Mickleham post-entry quarantine and flights into Melbourne

  7. Vet

    12 months to 14 days before export

    10 July 2026 – 26 June 2027

    Leptospira Canicola vaccination booster (or test negative within 45 days instead)

  8. Vet

    Within 45 days of export

    26 May 2027 – 10 July 2027

    Leishmania infantum blood test (IFAT or ELISA)

  9. Vet

    30+ days before export

    by 10 June 2027

    Start external parasite (flea and tick) treatment and keep it effective until export

  10. Vet

    Internal parasite treatment 1

    26 May 2027 – 21 June 2027

    First nematode and cestode treatment (within 45 days, 14+ days before the second)

  11. Vet

    Internal parasite treatment 2

    5 July 2027 – 10 July 2027

    Second treatment within 5 days of export (can be at the final vet visit)

  12. Key step

    Within 5 days of export

    5 July 2027 – 10 July 2027

    Final vet check, health certificate completed and endorsed by an official government vet

  13. Travel

    Export day

    10 July 2027

    Fly as manifested cargo in an IATA-approved crate, direct to Melbourne Airport

  14. Travel

    Earliest release (min. 10 days)

    21 July 2027

    Minimum 10-day stay at Mickleham, Victoria. Longer if any issue is found

Based on DAFF’s published step-by-step guides (Group 3 dog guide for the vet steps). Cats and some countries have different tests. Your import permit sets the exact conditions. This is general information, not veterinary advice.

How to use the planner

  1. Pick a realistic export date. If you haven’t done the RNATT yet, a Group 3 export is at least 180 days after the sample reaches the lab, plus permit time. The planner warns you if your date looks too soon.
  2. Tick the identity check if you plan to have it done before the RNATT. It cuts minimum quarantine from 30 to 10 days.
  3. Share the dates with your approved vet and agent. They know local lab turnaround times and government office hours.
  4. Build in buffers. Allow for public holidays, lab delays and the chance of a low RNATT result.

Day 0

Counting rule

Treatment day is day 0

45 days

Disease test window

Before export (Group 3 dogs)

20–40

Business days

Typical permit processing

A sample Group 3 timeline

Here is how a typical move might look for a dog from the UK with a target export date about nine months away. Your dates will differ.

  • Month 1: confirm the microchip, book the official identity check, and give or confirm the rabies vaccination. Shortlist agents.
  • Month 2: RNATT sample taken (at least 3 to 4 weeks after a first vaccination, and after the identity check). Request the RNATT declaration when results arrive.
  • Month 2 to 3: apply for the import permit in BICON. DAFF says most are issued within 20 to 40 business days.
  • Month 3 to 4: permit issued. Book Mickleham and flights for a date at least 180 days after the sample reached the lab.
  • Months 4 to 8: keep the rabies vaccination valid. Get your dog used to its crate.
  • About 6 weeks before: Leishmania test (and Brucella for entire dogs, Leptospira test if not vaccinated). Start flea and tick treatment at least 30 days before export.
  • About 6 weeks to 3 weeks before: first internal parasite treatment.
  • Final 5 days: second internal parasite treatment, final vet check and health certificate endorsement.
  • Export day: check in at the freight terminal. DAFF collects your dog in Melbourne.

Group 2 timeline

Group 2 imports skip the RNATT and the 180-day wait after testing, but pets need an identity verification, and a 180-day residency applies to pets that haven’t lived in the Group 2 country since birth or since import from Australia. The permit is valid for 12 months. Final tests and treatments are listed on the permit.

Group 1

New Zealand and Norfolk Island have their own conditions. Follow DAFF’s Group 1 guide.

Things that move the dates

  • A low RNATT result means revaccination and a new 180-day wait.
  • A lapsed rabies vaccination has the same effect.
  • Permit delays of up to 123 business days in some cases, according to DAFF.
  • Mickleham availability, especially in peak relocation seasons.
  • Flight changes. If your flight moves, the 5-day and 45-day windows move with it, and treatments may need repeating.

Booking checklist

0 of 7 done

Ticks are saved in this browser only.

Download your plan

Use your browser’s print function to save the planner results as a PDF to share with your vet. Check every date against your import permit.

Frequently asked questions

How far ahead should I start?

DAFF says at least 6 months. For Group 3 pets that haven’t had an RNATT, starting 8 to 9 months before your target date gives room for a retest or permit delays.

How are the days counted?

DAFF calculates timeframes from the date of export, local time in the country of export, and counts the day of a treatment or preparation as day 0.

Does the planner work for cats?

It shows the shared steps for cats. Cats have some different tests, so check DAFF’s cat guide for your country and your import permit.

Can I rely on these dates?

Use them to plan and to brief your vet and agent. Your import permit sets the exact conditions and timings.

Sources and further reading

Facts on this page were checked against these primary and official sources. Conditions change — confirm before you travel or buy.

  1. How to bring your dog to Australia from a Group 3 country — Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)
  2. Rabies vaccination and tests for cats and dogs coming to Australia — DAFF
  3. Import permits for cats and dogs coming to Australia — DAFF
  4. Step-by-step guides to bring your cat or dog to Australia — DAFF

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