Australia

Pet Transportation to Australia

Transporting your pet to Australia is a lengthy complicated process. Having eradicated rabies, Australia has rigorous biosecurity rules and regulations to protect their own delicate ecosystem and prevent the re-introduction of infectious zoonotic diseases to their country.

Pets travelling to Australia must comply with the biosecurity laws of Australia, which are outlined by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Since the process is lengthy and involves several steps, it is important to begin the process in a timely manner.

Before you can transport your dog or cat to Australia, you will need a lot of documentation and multiple vet visits. For pet travel from India to Australia, you will first need to transport your pet from India to at least a Group 3 country and spend at least 180 days there before your pet is eligible for import to Australia.

While the process is a lengthy one, this comprehensive guide will help you plan your travel and act as a sort of checklist to make sure you have everything you need for pet travel to Australia. Here is everything you need to know about transporting your cat or dog to Australia.

Country Classification & Different Categories

Australia only permits the import of dogs and cats from approved countries and territories. Approved countries are classified into three groups (depending on how prevalent rabies is in the country), with each group having their own import rules and regulations.

Group 1	Group 2	Group 3
New Zealand, Norfolk Island and Cocos Island	American Samoa, Bahrain, Barbados, Christmas Island, Cook Islands, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), 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, Wallis & Futuna	Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jersey, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain (including Canary and Balearic Islands), Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad & Tobago, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America (excluding Guam and Hawaii), Uruguay, Virgin Islands (British), and Virgin Islands (United States of America).

Non-approved countries include any country that is not included in the table above. Such countries are classified as non-approved due to the high level of rabies still present in these locations. Pet dogs and cats from non-approved countries cannot travel to Australia directly. Such pets must first travel to a group 2 or group 3 country and stay there for at least 180 days (6 months) before they can be transported to Australia.

Along with this 180-day residence in a group 2 or group 3 country, your pet dog/cat will need veterinary testing, examinations, and treatments in this country and comply with their export requirements. Only when these criteria and the import criteria for Australia are met is your pet allowed to travel to Australia.

Eligibility Criteria for Transporting your Pet Dog or Cat to Australia

Pet dogs and cats must meet the following eligibility criteria before they can travel to Australia:

Pets must have lived in the group 1 country from birth or direct importation from Australia or for 180 days immediately before the travel date.
Pets must not be under quarantine at the time of export.
Pets must not be more than 40 days pregnant or suckling on their mother’s milk at the time of export.
Pets must be at least 8 weeks old at the time of export.
Pets must not be one of the breeds banned in Australia.

Requirements for pet dog or cat travel From India to Australia

To meet the eligibility criteria for pet travel to Australia, you will first need to travel with your pet to the UAE, spend some time there, and then prepare for your travel. Here’s how to get started with the process.

Microchip

UAE requires an ISO-compliant microchip, and the microchip number must be recorded correctly on all your pet’s documents. The chip is read by a scanner with which customs officials ascertain the identity of your pet.

Vaccinations Required

Mandatory vaccinations for pet dogs travelling to the UAE: Canine Distemper Virus, Canine Parvo Virus, Infectious Canine Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Rabies.

Mandatory vaccinations for pet cats travelling to the UAE: Rabies, Feline Panleukopenia, Feline Rhinotracheitis, Feline Calicivirus.

Updated and Detailed Vaccination Record

The vaccination record of the pet must be up-to-date with the following details

Pet’s date of birth.
Microchip number.
Date of installation of microchip.
Location of the microchip on pet’s body.
Vaccination date.
Product name with sticker.
Vaccine batch number.
Date of manufacturing of the vaccination & valid until.
Vet’s signature.
Contact details of the owners.

Rabies Titer test

Pets travelling from high-risk countries need a rabies titer test in addition to the rabies vaccination. The sample for the titer test must be drawn at least 21 days after the date of rabies vaccination and sent to an authorized laboratory for analysis between 3-12 months of the date of travel. The level of antibodies in the sample must be at least 0.5 IU/ml for your pet to travel to UAE.

Import permit

Pets need an import permit to be able to enter the UAE from a different country. The import permit is valid for 30 days after issue.

Parasite treatment

All pets travelling to the United Arab Emirates require an International health certificate & the UAE veterinary health certificate attested by a competent authority in the origin country.

International and the UAE Health Certificate

All pets travelling to the UAE must receive preventive treatments against internal and external parasites in the maximum 14 days before travel by an authorized vet.

Regulation for entering the UAE with pets

Pets flying into the country must arrive as manifested cargo and travel in the cargo hold of the aircraft.

Banned breeds

The United Arab Emirates has breed-specific legislation that bans the import of certain aggressive dog breeds and are prohibited from entering the country, such as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, American Bully, Brazilian Mastiff, Argentinian Mastiff, Tibetian Mastiff, French Mastiff, Boerboel, Bullmastiff, Cane Corse, Alangu Mastiff, Indian Mastiff, Perro de Presa Canario, Japanese Tosa, Presa Canario.

Crate Training

You need to get the right sized crate for your pet and train them to get comfortable as they will spend the duration of travel in it. To read why crate training is important for your pet and how you can help your furry friend with it, click here. If you are struggling with measuring your pet size and need a guide, click here. Once your pet has met the eligibility criteria, you can begin preparing for your move to Australia with your pet.

Banned Animal Breeds in Australia

Australia does not allow the import of the following cats or dogs, and they are banned from entering the country.

For Dogs

Dogo Argentino.
Fila Brasileiro.
Japanese Tosa.
Pit Bull Terrier or American Pit Bull.
Perro de Presa Canario or Presa Canario.
Czechoslovakian wolfdog or Czechoslovakian Vlcak.
Saarloos wolfdog or Saarloos wolfhound.
Lupo Italiano or Italian wolfdog.
Kunming wolfdog or Kunming dog.

For Cats

Savannah cat, domestic cat (Felis catus) crossed with serval cat (Felis serval)
domestic cat (Felis catus) crossed with serval cat (Felis serval).
Safari cat, domestic cat crossed with Geoffroy cat (Oncifelis geoffroyi)
Chausie, domestic cat crossed with Jungle cat (Felis chaus)
Bengal cat, domestic cat crossed with Asian leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis).

Pet Microchip

A pet microchip is mandatory requirement for pet travel to Australia. Pet dogs and cats travelling to Australia must have a pet microchip implanted before travel, as it is a mandatory import requirement to enter Australia and is often a mandatory export requirement as well.

The pet microchip must be an ISO-compliant, 15-digit, non-encrypted microchip.
The microchip must be able to be read by an Avid, Trovan, Destron, or any other ISO-compatible reader.
The DAFF does not accept nine-digit pet microchips or pets with microchip numbers starting with the digits 999.

Vaccinations & Mandatory Testing Requirements

Pet dogs must be vaccinated against the following diseases before they can enter Australia:

Rabies
Distemper
Leptospirosis
Location of the microchip on pet’s body.
Hepatitis
Parvovirus
Parainfluenza
Bordetella bronchiseptica
Canine Influenza Virus (only for dogs from Singapore)

Pet cats must be vaccinated against the following diseases before they can enter Australia:

Rabies
Feline Enteritis
Rhinotracheitis
Calicivirus

Health Tests (For Dogs)

Along with the vaccinations, dogs travelling to Australia from a group 2 or group 3 country must be tested for the following diseases by an approved veterinarian.

1: Brucella Canis (Brucellosis): Castrated dogs are exempt from testing for Brucellosis. If your dog is not castrated, a government-approved vet must scan and verify the microchip number before collecting the blood sample to test for Brucellosis. The test must be either a rapid slide agglutination test (RSAT), a tube agglutination test (TAT) or an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). The test must be conducted within 45 days of export and produce a negative result for travel.
2: Leishmania Infantum (Leishmaniosis): The vet must scan and verify your pet’s microchip before collecting the blood sample to test for Leishmaniosis using an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) or an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The test must be conducted within 45 days of export and produce a negative result for travel.
3: Leptospira Canicola (Leptospirosis): Dogs not vaccinated for Leptospirosis must test for the disease using a microscopic agglutination test (MAT). The vet must scan the microchip before drawing blood for the sample. The test must be conducted within 45 days of export and produce a negative result at a serum dilution of 1:100.

Internal & External Parasite Treatment

Pet dogs and cats must receive two treatments for internal parasites at an interval of two weeks, and the treatment must be effective against nematodes and cestodes. The treatment must be administered by a government-approved veterinarian within 45 days before the date of the export, with the second treatment being provided 5 days before travel.

Pet cats must be treated for external parasites like ticks and fleas with a topical product at least 3 weeks before export. The cat must be under examination for such externa parasites during further vet visits, with treatment continuing until export.

Pet dogs must be treated for external parasites at least 1 month before the date of export. Dogs must also be treated for ticks and fleas until the date of export by an authorized veterinarian.

Rabies Vaccination and Rabies Neutralizing Antibody Titer Test (RNATT)

A rabies titer test measures the level of rabies antibodies present in a pet’s blood. The test is conducted to confirm that your pet’s immune system is responding properly to the rabies vaccine that has been administered to it. The test also acts as a proof of vaccination against rabies, certifying your pet is protected against rabies.

The blood sample for the test must be drawn 3 to 4 weeks after the rabies vaccination has been administered to the pet. The test must be conducted by an approved lab in an approved country. A government approved vet must scan the pet microchip and record the microchip number accurately.

The rabies titer test must be either the fluorescent antibody virus neutralization (FAVN) test or a rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT). The final report must be in English. The report must contain the pet’s microchip number, sample date, sample location, authorized signatory of the person issuing the report, the test type, and the test’s results.

If the concentration of antibodies in the blood is sufficient, your pet will be immune to the rabies virus. The results of this test are expressed in a ratio: international units per milliliter (IU/mL). As a rule, a successful rabies titer test should show a rabies antibody level of at least 0.5 IU/ml or more. The DAFF accepts a result of 0.5 IU/ml or more, with anything under that being an unacceptable result. The test’s results are valid for 1 year from the date of sample extraction.

An official government veterinarian residing in the country of export must check the titer test report and the rabies vaccination certification. Once checked, they must sign and stamp the titer test declaration.

There is a mandatory cool down period of at least 6 months since the date of sample arrival at the lab for the test. Once the waiting period concludes, and if the results are favourable, your pet can travel to Australia.

Documentation Required for Pet Travel to Australia

Veterinary Health Certificate

All pets entering Australia must be inspected by an approved veterinarian within 5 days of departure in the country of origin. The certificate must be endorsed by a government veterinarian from the agency responsible for the import and export of live animals in the country.

Import Permit

Pet parents can acquire a pet import permit online on the Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON) portal. The rabies vaccination certificate and RNAT test results must be attached as supporting documents alongside the application.

Pet Quarantine

Pets travelling to Australia must spend 10 to 30 days at the quarantine center in Mickleham. You will need to book a quarantine space for your pet before travelling to Australia, as the airline will not board your pet without a confirmed booking.

It is recommended you apply for your quarantine space as son as you receive your import permit. Quarantine spaces can be booked online at the PEQ portal. Upon confirmation of the booking, you can continue with the process.

The quarantine facility only accepts pets that arrive in Melbourne within operational hours, which are Monday to Friday 04:30 to16:30. Requests will not be accepted for flights that land during 22:00 to 03:00 on all weekdays, weekends and public holidays.

Pet dogs and cats from Group 2 countries must stay at the Centre for at least ten days before they can be released into your care. Pets from Group 3 countries must remain at the quarantine center for 30 days (unless the relevant authorized personnel have identified them before export) before they are released into your care.

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FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & QUERIES

Explore queries and frequent doubts about pet travel.

Can I fly with my pet to Australia?

Yes, Australia permits pet parents to fly to the country with their pets.

Can I bring my pet from India to Australia?

Yes you can. Provided you travel to a group 2/3 country, stay there for 180 days, and comply with the health, safety, and import requirements, you can travel with your pet from India to Australi2a.

Which airlines allow pets in cabin in Australia?

Your pet will not be allowed to travel in cabin to Australia due to airline-specific regulations.

How much does it cost to transport a pet to Australia?

The cost of transporting a pet to Australia can be anywhere between INR 10-20 Lakh

How long is quarantine for pets in Australia?

Pets arriving from group 2 countries must serve 10 days of mandatory quarantine, while pets arriving from group 3 countries must serve 30 days of mandatory quarantine.

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