How to move to Australia with your pet

Australia is very pet-friendly, with dogs being the most common household pet followed closely behind by cats. Some work offices and cafes allow pets inside now, with dog cafes becoming somewhat popular in Australia.

The information below applies to household cats and dogs, but different procedures apply for assistance and guide dogs.

Check with your airline in advance, so that you are aware of their regulations and requirements for transporting pets. They may also charge an additional fee for this service. As the flight to Australia can be very long and uncomfortable for an animal, it is helpful to check what conditions your pet will face and to choose an airline that will provide a safe experience.

Step-by-step guides

Cat and dogs can be imported to Australia but under strict conditions designed to manage biosecurity risks. Certain countries do not appear on the export list, and if this is your case, you must prepare your animal using the non-approved country step-by-step guide. Other countries are broken into groups with step-by-step guides.

Group 1 countries (New Zealand and Norfolk Islands): You do not need a permit to import a dog or cat. However, conditions still apply.

Group 2 countries: are approved rabies-free countries, and cats and dogs from these countries require an import permit to import to Australia.

Group 3 countries: are approved countries in which rabies is absent or well-controlled, and animals require an import permit to import to Australia.

Procedure

You must contact the competent authority in the country of export to find out the veterinary procedures and testing that must be done before coming to Australia. To bring your cat or dog to Australia, they must receive a rabies vaccination from an official government veterinarian. You must verify an existing microchip or get a new one implanted in your pet. All this must be done before you apply and pay for the import permit. Import permits can take up to 20 working days to process and are valid for up to 12 months from the date of issue.

After you have received your import permit, you can then make tentative post entry quarantine accommodation and travel arrangements for Australia. You will still have more general vaccinations to undertake including a vaccination for your cat that protects against feline enteritis, and for your dog, vaccination against Leptospira interrogans. Dogs exported from the USA and Singapore must be vaccinated against other certain viruses so you must check your country's guide. Dogs also need to go through an array of different testing to make sure they don't have any other virus such as Brucellosis or Leptospirosis. All this must be done within 45 days of leaving.

Internal and external parasite treatments are required, with the second one being five days before you leave, and a clinical examination within five days of leaving. On arrival, cats and dogs must spend a minimum of ten days at the Mickleham post-entry quarantine facility, and a government approved veterinarian must perform all procedures.

Important:

Please take note of the cats and dogs that are not allowed into Australia in accordance with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. For cats, these refer to certain domestic/non-domestic hybrids, and for dogs, these refer to certain pure breeds. Please refer to the FAQ's on the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources for any questions you may have.

Please note that currently only cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, and selected species of birds from approved countries may be imported to Australia.