Travel to AUSTRALIA

Travel to Australia with your pets

Cats and dogs can be imported to Australia under strict conditions designed to manage biosecurity risks. Different regulations are in place depending on from which country you are taking your cat or dog into Australia.

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Countries are divided into 4 categories, 1-3 and non approved.

 

Group 1

New Zealand; Norfolk Island; Cocos Island

 

Group 2

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

 

Group 3

Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Canary and Balearic Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jersey, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malta, Malaysia (Peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak only), Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Netherlands—Antilles & Aruba, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, the Republic of South Africa, Reunion, Saipan, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Sweden, Switzerland (including Liechtenstein), Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States (including the district of Columbia, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands (but excluding Guam and Hawaii, Uruguay.

Non approved countries

If the country you are travelling from is not listed in group 1, 2 and 3, it is a non approved country. Animals from non-approved countries are not eligible for direct import to Australia. There are still options to travel to Australia. Find out more information for dogs or cats. 

 

TRAVELLING FROM GROUP 1 COUNTRIES TO AUSTRALIA

Dogs and cats from New Zealand do not require an import permit to enter Australia. Dogs and cats from Norfolk Island and cats from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands do require an import permit.

 

TRAVELLING FROM GROUP 2 COUNTRIES TO AUSTRALIA

Dogs and cats coming to Australia from group 2 countries must be accompanied by a valid import permit, which provides the conditions for importing the dog.

  1. Microchip: Dogs and cats must be identified by a microchip that can be read by an Avid, Trovan, Destron or other ISO compatible reader.

  2. Import permit: An import permit is required for dogs and cats travelling from Group 2 countries. You can submit your import permit application, as well as full payment and all supporting documentation online through the Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON) of the Department of agriculture and water resources of the Australian government. Import permits are valid for up to twelve (12) months from the date of issue.

  3. Quarantine booking: Dogs and cats must spend at least 10 days at the Mickleham post entry quarantine facility in Melbourne. The department does not place any restrictions on the airline you choose. But the dog or cat must arrive direct into Melbourne International Airport. Domestic transfers from an Australian city to Melbourne are not permitted. See the Australian post entry quarantine facilities webpage for further information.

  4. Vaccinations: The department of agriculture recommends that your dog receives a vaccination that protects against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Para-influenza and Bordetella bronchiseptica and is valid for the entire post entry quarantine period. The department recommends that your cat receives a vaccination that protects against feline enteritis (also known as feline panleucopenia or feline distemper), rhinotracheitis and calicivirus and is valid for the entire post entry quarantine period.

  5. External parasite treatment: A government approved veterinarian must treat dogs and cats with a topical product that kills ticks and fleas on contact (at least 21 days before blood sampling for Ehrlichia canis antibodies for dogs). Continuous protection from external parasites must be maintained until the time of export and treatments may need to be repeated by the veterinarian in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions. To calculate 21 days after initial external parasite treatment, count the first day the treatment is applied as day 0. For example, if treatment is given 1 January then the blood sample cannot be collected until 22 January. At each subsequent veterinary visit, a Government approved veterinarian should examine the dog or cat for external parasites. If fleas or ticks are found they must be removed, the treatment restarted and the dog tested for Ehrlichia canis antibodies 21 days later.

  6. Blood tests (just applicable to dogs): A blood sample must be collected and tested for Ehrlichia canis, Brucella canis, Leishmania infantum, Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola

    • Ehrlichia canis: A blood sample must be collected at least 21 days after the start of external parasite treatment and within 45 days before the date of export must be tested for Ehrlichia canis by an Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are not accepted. The test must produce a negative result at a dilution of 1:40.

    • Brucella Canis: If the dog is desexed it doesn’t need testing for brucellosis (evidence of desexing may be requested by the competent authority in the exporting country or the department). If the dog is not desexed, a government approved veterinarian must scan and verify the animal’s microchip and take a blood sample and test it for Brucella canis using a rapid slide agglutination test (RSAT), a tube agglutination test (TAT) or an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) within 45 days before the date of export. The test must produce a negative result.

    • Leishmania Infantum: The blood sample needs to be tested for Leishmania infantum using either an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) or an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) within 45 days before the date of export. The test must produce a negative result.

    • Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola: This step only applies if the dog has not been vaccinated against Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola. If the dog is not vaccinated, the blood sample needs to be tested for Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola using a microscopic agglutination test (MAT) within 45 days before the date of export. The test must produce a negative result (less than 50% agglutination) at a serum dilution of 1:100.

  7. Internal parasite treatment: Dogs and cats must be given two internal parasite treatments effective against nematodes and cestodes, by a government approved veterinarian. Two treatments must be given at least 14 days apart and within 45 days before the date of export. The second treatment must be given within 5 days before the date of export.

  8. Veterinary health certificate: The dog must be examined by a government approved veterinarian or official government veterinarian and found to be free from external parasites and clinical signs of infectious or contagious disease within 5 days before export. An Official government veterinarian also must:

    • complete, sign and stamp all pages of the veterinary health certificate

    • give you a seal to be placed on the dog’s crate at the time of export. The seal number must be recorded on the veterinary health certificate.

      Any corrections made to the veterinary health certificate must be struck through, remain legible and be signed and stamped by the Official government veterinarian (correction fluid must not be used).

      An official government veterinarian must also sign and stamp every page of the:

    • Ehrlichia canis laboratory report.

    • Leishmania infantum laboratory report.

    • Brucella canis laboratory report (if not desexed).

    • Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola laboratory report (if not vaccinated).

 

TRAVELLING FROM GROUP 3 COUNTRIES TO AUSTRALIA

Dogs and cats coming to Australia from group 3 countries must be accompanied by a valid import permit, which provides the conditions for importing the pet.

  1. Microchip: Dogs and cats must be identified by a microchip that can be read by an Avid, Trovan, Destron or other ISO compatible reader.

  2. Rabies vaccination: Your dog or cat must be vaccinated with an inactivated rabies vaccine. The vaccine must have been administered in an approved country and still be valid at the time of export to Australia. Rabies vaccinations with a three (3) year validity are acceptable if given in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

  3. Rabies neutralizing antibody titre (RNAT) test: A waiting period of 3 to 4 weeks between rabies vaccination and blood sample collection for the RNAT test is necessary, but if the dog or cat has a history of regular rabies vaccinations it may be possible to collect the blood sample sooner. The RNAT test must meet the following requirements:

    • A government approved veterinarian must scan the dog’s microchip and collect the blood sample for the RNAT test in an approved country.

    • The pet’s microchip number must be written accurately on the blood tube and the laboratory submission form.

    • The testing laboratory must be approved by the competent authority in the exporting country. It is acceptable to draw blood in an approved country and test it at a laboratory in a different approved country. 

    • The testing laboratory must use either a fluorescent antibody virus neutralization (FAVN) test or a rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT).

    The laboratory report must be in English and completed on the testing laboratory’s letterhead. It must include the pet’s microchip number, the blood sampling date and location, the signature of the person issuing the laboratory report and the test type and result. 

    A result of 0.5 IU/ml or more is acceptable. A result of less than 0.5 IU/ml is not acceptable and in this circumstance, you must re-vaccinate and repeat the testing process. The RNAT test is valid for 24 months from the date of blood sampling. If the RNAT test is more than 24 months old at the time of export it is not valid and you cannot export the pet to Australia. You must have your pet retested. The pet is not eligible for export to Australia until at least one hundred and eighty (180) days after the date the blood sample is drawn for the RNAT test (with a satisfactory result). There is no requirement for the pet to stay in an approved country during this period.

  4. Import permit: An import permit is required for dogs and cats travelling from Group 3 countries. You can submit your import permit application, as well as full payment and all supporting documentation online through the Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON) of the Department of agriculture and water resources of the Australian government. Supporting documentation (original documents are not required):

    • Rabies vaccination and RNAT test declaration

    • RNAT test laboratory report

    • A veterinary medical form from your veterinarian detailing the condition(s) – for animals with ongoing medical condition(s). 

      Import permits are valid for up to twelve (12) months from the date of issue.

  5. Quarantine booking: Dogs and cats must spend at least 10 days at the Mickleham post entry quarantine facility in Melbourne. The department does not place any restrictions on the airline you choose. But the dog must arrive direct into Melbourne International Airport. Domestic transfers from an Australian city to Melbourne are not permitted. See the Australian post entry quarantine facilities webpage for further information.

  6. Vaccinations: The department of agriculture recommends that your dog receives a vaccination that protects against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Para-influenza and Bordetella bronchiseptica and is valid for the entire post entry quarantine period. The department recommends that your cat receives a vaccination that protects against feline enteritis (also known as feline panleucopenia or feline distemper), rhinotracheitis and calicivirus and is valid for the entire post entry quarantine period.

  7. External parasite treatment: A government approved veterinarian must treat the dog or cat with a topical product that kills ticks and fleas on contact at least 21 days before blood sampling for Ehrlichia canis antibodies in a dog. Continuous protection from external parasites must be maintained until the time of export and treatments may need to be repeated by the veterinarian in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions. To calculate 21 days after initial external parasite treatment, count the first day the treatment is applied as day 0. For example, if treatment is given 1 January then the blood sample cannot be collected until 22 January. At each subsequent veterinary visit, a Government approved veterinarian should examine the dog for external parasites. If fleas or ticks are found they must be removed, the treatment restarted and the dog tested for Ehrlichia canis antibodies 21 days later.

  8. Blood tests (just applicable to dogs): A blood sample must be collected and tested for Ehrlichia canis, Brucella canis, Leishmania infantum, Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola

  • Ehrlichia canis: A blood sample must be collected at least 21 days after the start of external parasite treatment and within 45 days before the date of export must be tested for Ehrlichia canis by an Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are not accepted. The test must produce a negative result at a dilution of 1:40.

  • Brucella Canis: If the dog is desexed it doesn’t need testing for brucellosis (evidence of desexing may be requested by the competent authority in the exporting country or the department). If the dog is not desexed, a government approved veterinarian must scan and verify the animal’s microchip and take a blood sample and test it for Brucella canis using a rapid slide agglutination test (RSAT), a tube agglutination test (TAT) or an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) within 45 days before the date of export. The test must produce a negative result.

  • Leishmania Infantum: The blood sample needs to be tested for Leishmania infantum using either an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) or an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) within 45 days before the date of export. The test must produce a negative result.

  • Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola: This step only applies if the dog has not been vaccinated against Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola. If the dog is not vaccinated, the blood sample needs to be tested for Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola using a microscopic agglutination test (MAT) within 45 days before the date of export. The test must produce a negative result (less than 50% agglutination) at a serum dilution of 1:100.

 

9. Internal parasite treatment: A dog or cat must be given two internal parasite treatments effective against nematodes and cestodes, by a government approved veterinarian. Two treatments must be given at least 14 days apart and within 45 days before the date of export. The second treatment must be given within 5 days before the date of export.

10. Veterinary health certificate: The dog or cat must be examined by a government approved veterinarian or official government veterinarian and found to be free from external parasites and clinical signs of infectious or contagious disease within 5 days before export. An Official government veterinarian also must:

  • complete, sign and stamp all pages of the veterinary health certificate

  • give you a seal to be placed on the dog’s crate at the time of export. The seal number must be recorded on the veterinary health certificate.

Any corrections made to the veterinary health certificate must be struck through, remain legible and be signed and stamped by the Official government veterinarian (correction fluid must not be used).

An official government veterinarian must also sign and stamp every page of the:

  • Ehrlichia canis laboratory report. (dogs only)

  • Leishmania infantum laboratory report. (dogs only)

  • Brucella canis laboratory report (if not desexed). (dogs only)

  • Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola laboratory report (if not vaccinated). (dogs only)

  • RNATT declaration

  • RNATT laboratory report

 

FEES FOR ENTERING AUSTRALIA

Your pet will be required to stay in a government run quarantine facility, generally for 10 days, with the cost of the stay and import permit approximately $2200AUD. A more precise breakdown of expected costs can be found HERE.

 

PROHIBITED BREEDS OF PETS FOR ENTERING AUSTRALIA

Dogs

Domestic/non-domestic animal hybrids (e.g. wolf-dog crosses) are not eligible for import. This includes, but not limited to:

  • Czechoslovakian wolfdog or Czechoslovakian Vlcak

    1. Saarloos wolfdog or Saarloos wolfhound

    2. Lupo Italiano or Italian wolfdog

    3. Kunming wolfdog or Kunming dog.

In accordance with the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956, the following pure breeds cannot be imported to Australia:

  • Dogo Argentino

    1. Fila Brazileiro

    2. Japanese Tosa

    3. Pit Bull Terrier or American Pit Bull

    4. Perro de Presa Canario or Presa Canario.

Cats

Hybrid cats include, but are not limited to:

  • Savannah cat, derived from crossbreeding domestic cat (Felis catus) with serval cat (Felis serval)

    1. Safari cat, domestic cat crossed with Geoffroy cat (Oncifelis geoffroyi)

    2. Chausie, domestic cat crossed with Jungle cat (Felis chaus)

    3. Bengal cat, domestic cat crossed with Asian leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis).

 

MORE INFORMATION

For more information you can have a look at the website of the Department of Agriculture and water resources of the Government of Australia.