Moving Cats and Dogs to Australia: Which Origins Wait 180 Days

Yes, you can bring a cat or dog to Australia, but a few things come first. Your pet needs a valid biosecurity import permit applied for through BICON, and you should allow at least six months for tests and paperwork. Many origins also require a 180-day waiting period, and your pet will normally spend time in post-entry quarantine at Mickleham.

TL;DR:

• Check your exact origin and species against DAFF’s country guide first; Group 3 pets wait 180 days from the laboratory’s receipt of the RNATT sample.
• BICON permits take 20 to 40 business days; book quarantine after issuance and confirmed flights, then finalize the reservation at least seven days before arrival.
• Published quarantine fees are AUD $282 for reservation, AUD $1,132 for importation, and AUD $56 per day, with longer stays increasing the total.
• A failed timing window can force repeat testing, and a repeated RNATT may restart the 180-day clock; build more than six months into plans.
• Pets entering quarantine generally must land directly at Melbourne International Airport, and airlines set separate acceptance, crate, and routing rules that owners must confirm early.

Table of Contents

• How do you move pets to Australia step by step?
• Which countries count as Group 1, 2 or 3?
• What health tests and veterinary steps are required?
• How does the import permit work?
• What should you expect from post-entry quarantine at Mickleham?
• What are the travel and arrival rules?
• What does the month-by-month timeline look like?
• How do cats, dogs and other pets differ?
• How do military and diplomatic families move pets under PCS orders?
• How do you help your pet settle in after quarantine?
• What if something goes wrong in transit or quarantine?
• How do you coordinate with airlines and still meet Australian rules?
• What are the pet travel container requirements?
• Why does early planning reduce risk, and when should you hire a pro?
• Want us to take the paperwork off your plate?
• FAQ
• Sources
• Authoritative links and next steps

How do you move pets to Australia step by step?

Think of the process as a chain. Each link depends on the one before it, so a missed step early on pushes everything back. Start at least six months before you travel and work through these actions in order:

1. Confirm which DAFF country group your exporting country sits in, because that decides which rules apply to you.
2. Verify your pet’s microchip and identity records.
3. Schedule the rabies vaccination and the rabies blood test (RNATT) in line with DAFF timing rules.
4. Apply for your import permit through BICON and gather endorsed documents from the competent authority in your country.
5. Book your quarantine reservation only after the permit is issued and your flight details are confirmed.
6. Arrange the final veterinary check and endorsement shortly before departure.

A few habits save people real trouble:

• Keep digital and paper copies of every certificate, lab report and permit.
• Pack the original endorsed documents to travel with your animal, since they are needed at import clearance and again at the quarantine facility.
• Ask your veterinarian early whether they are government approved for export work in your country.

Pro Tip: Create one folder for your pet’s move and add every document the day you receive it. Missing paperwork can cause a timeline to slip.

Which countries count as Group 1, 2 or 3?

DAFF sorts exporting countries into groups based on disease risk, and your group decides how much testing and waiting your pet faces. New Zealand sits in Group 1, which is the simplest route. Many developed countries, including the United States, appear in Group 3, where the full set of pre-export steps applies.

Here is what the groups mean in practice:

• Group 1: a country group with its own import requirements.
• Group 2: an intermediate category with its own dog step-by-step guide, including RNATT testing and a 180-day wait after identity verification.
• Group 3: the strictest category, where cats and dogs need RNATT testing and a 180-day waiting period after the blood sample reaches the laboratory.
• Not on an approved list: you must first export your pet to an approved country and meet the residency requirement there before moving on to Australia.

Check DAFF’s country lists for your exact origin before you plan anything else. Rules differ for cats and dogs, so open the guide that matches your species and group.

What health tests and veterinary steps are required?

Veterinary work is where most of the calendar time goes, so it deserves the closest attention. The pre-export steps must be done by government-approved veterinarians in an approved country.

1. Microchip and identity. The microchip is the foundation of every other record. Have it verified first, because tests tied to the wrong or unreadable chip can be rejected.
2. Rabies vaccination. Your vet schedules this according to DAFF timing rules for your group.
3. RNATT blood test. The blood sample is the step that starts the clock. For many origins, the 180-day residency period is counted from when the sample arrives at the approved laboratory. This is a waiting period, not a quarantine stay, and your pet lives at home during it.
4. Parasite treatments. External treatment for ticks and fleas and internal parasite treatment must happen inside set windows. For dogs, internal treatments are typically given twice within 45 days before export.
5. Final pre-export exam. An official or government-approved veterinarian examines your pet and endorses the paperwork within the required timeframe.

Pro Tip: Ask your vet to write each treatment date and product on one sheet so you can compare it against DAFF’s requirements before the endorsement appointment.

How does the import permit work?

The import permit is your pet’s legal entry ticket, and nothing else in the process matters without it. You apply through BICON, DAFF’s online system, and upload your endorsed supporting documents, including RNATT reports and identity declarations.

Keep these points in mind:

• Permits commonly take 20 to 40 business days to process, and some take longer, so apply early rather than at the last minute.
• The permit lists the specific health conditions and quarantine length your pet must meet.
• Some permits remain valid for up to 12 months, depending on the origin.
• Permit fees apply per animal, and DAFF will not issue a permit without full supporting documentation.

Check the permit conditions carefully when it arrives. If anything on it does not match your pet’s records, resolve it before booking flights.

What should you expect from post-entry quarantine at Mickleham?

Most imported cats and dogs spend time at DAFF’s Post Entry Quarantine facility in Mickleham, near Melbourne. Length of stay depends on the program: typical examples are 10 days for some imports and 30 days for others, and your permit states which applies to you.

Booking follows a fixed sequence. A reservation requires a valid import permit number, your pet’s details, the arrival date and Australian contact details or an agent. Confirmation then needs flight details and payment, and under DAFF’s reservation guidance it must be completed no later than seven days before arrival.

DAFF charges quarantine fees on a cost recovery basis, and payment is due before release. The published example figures look like this:

Remember that the daily fee multiplies by the number of days your pet stays, so a longer program costs more.

• Arrival windows are enforced, and missing one or arriving out of hours can trigger extra fees.
• Owners are notified within 24 hours of their animal’s arrival.
• Without a local address, an Australian agent can help with the reservation.

What are the travel and arrival rules?

Pets bound for quarantine generally must arrive directly into Melbourne International Airport, and domestic transfers are typically not permitted for them. That single rule shapes your routing, so check it before you look at fares.

• Airlines decide whether they accept your animal and set their own crate and routing rules, so confirm with the carrier early.
• On arrival, a biosecurity officer collects your pet and transports it to the quarantine facility.
• On your pet’s eligible release date, you or an authorized agent must collect the animal in person.

If you will be overseas or interstate on release day, arrange your authorized agent well ahead of time.

What does the month-by-month timeline look like?

Here is the compact version of everything above, built around a six-month horizon:

1. Months 6 to 3 before travel: verify identity, give the primary rabies vaccine and schedule the RNATT sample within the allowed windows.
2. Months 3 to 1: submit your BICON permit application with endorsed documents and RNATT reports, then track processing.
3. Before departure: confirm your quarantine booking after the permit arrives, lock in flight arrival windows and arrange the final veterinary exam within the required timeframe.

How do cats, dogs and other pets differ?

DAFF provides separate step-by-step guides for cats and dogs. The framework looks similar, with a permit, identity checks, RNATT testing and quarantine, but the details differ. Dogs have specific parasite treatment schedules, such as two internal treatments within 45 days before export, and DAFF publishes a dedicated guide for each group and species. Cats from Group 3 countries follow their own guide, so never assume a dog checklist applies to your cat.

Other animals are a different story. Birds, reptiles, rabbits and small mammals do not use the cat and dog pathway at all, and Australia’s rules for them are separate and often far stricter. If you share your home with an exotic pet, start with DAFF’s home page for cats and dogs to confirm what it covers, then ask DAFF directly about your species before you commit to a move date. We focus here on cats and dogs, which is where most families need help.

One practical point applies to both species: age and health matter. Puppies and kittens may be too young to complete the vaccination and waiting sequence in time, and a pet with a medical condition should be reviewed by your vet well before the final exam.

How do military and diplomatic families move pets under PCS orders?

Service members and diplomats face the same DAFF rules as everyone else, but with a harder constraint: orders set the deadline, and the deadline rarely leaves much slack. If your orders arrive with less than six months’ notice, the 180-day waiting period can become the deciding factor in whether your pet travels with you or follows later.

The practical approach looks like this:

1. Check your pet’s microchip, rabies record and country group the day you receive orders.
2. Book the RNATT blood sample immediately, since that starts the clock.
3. Begin the BICON permit application as soon as the endorsed documents are ready.
4. Arrange an Australian contact or agent, because you may arrive before your pet does.
5. Confirm military or embassy travel arrangements separately from the pet’s flight, as they rarely line up automatically.

The Australian government’s own relocation guidance for embassy staff makes the same point: you must satisfy both the export and import rules. We handle this through our military PCS service, which builds the pet plan around your orders and reporting dates.

How do you help your pet settle in after quarantine?

Release day is exciting, but your pet has just spent days or weeks in an unfamiliar facility after a long flight. Plan for a quiet start.

• Set up a calm space first. Put familiar bedding, a favorite toy and food in one room so your pet has a base to retreat to.
• Keep the diet steady. Stick with the food your pet ate before the move and change it gradually if you need to.
• Go slowly with outdoor time. Use a leash, a secure yard and short outings while your pet learns new smells and sounds.
• Expect some stress. Appetite changes, extra sleep or clinginess are common for a few days. Call a local vet if they last or if your pet seems unwell.
• Find a local vet early. Register with a clinic and ask about heartworm prevention, tick control and local regulations on registration and microchip records.

Check your local council’s rules on pet registration as well, because requirements vary by area. Keep your documents handy for those first appointments, and give your pet time. Most animals settle within a few weeks once routines return.

What if something goes wrong in transit or quarantine?

Delays and health concerns are part of any international move, so build a cushion into your plan. The earlier you spot a problem, the more options you have.

• Flight changes. If your flight shifts, your quarantine booking and arrival window may need to change too. Contact the facility and your airline immediately, and check the confirmation deadline and arrival-window requirements.
• Document errors. A date, chip number or signature that does not match across documents can stall the whole file. Cross-check every page before you submit.
• Test timing problems. If a blood sample or treatment falls outside its window, you may have to repeat it, and a repeated RNATT can restart the 180-day count. This is why we recommend more than the minimum six months.
• Health concerns during quarantine. Facility staff care for your pet and notify you of any issues. Keep your phone reachable and make sure the contact details on your reservation are current.
• Release-day collection. If you cannot be there, an authorized agent must collect your pet on the eligible release date.

Keep a short list of contacts: your exporting vet, your airline, the quarantine facility and your Australian agent or friend. Having all four numbers in one place makes a bad day much shorter.

How do you coordinate with airlines and still meet Australian rules?

Australian rules and airline rules are two separate systems, and your pet must satisfy both. DAFF decides whether your pet may enter and when. The airline decides whether it will carry your pet on a given route, in what type of hold and under what conditions.

Start by contacting the airline before you finalize the permit timeline. Ask whether it accepts pets on your route, what its crate and routing rules are, and whether it restricts travel in hot or cold weather. Then line up the pieces in this order: the permit comes first, then the flight, then the quarantine booking, which needs your flight details to be confirmed.

Because pets bound for quarantine generally must land directly in Melbourne, a route with a connection can complicate things. The accepted arrival windows at the facility are fixed as well, so a flight that lands outside them can mean extra fees or a refused booking. Choose your arrival day with those windows in mind.

Smartraveller also reminds travelers that pet export preparation can take several months, so do not buy a nonrefundable ticket until your permit is secure. When in doubt, ask the airline to confirm its acceptance in writing and keep that email with your documents.

What are the pet travel container requirements?

Your pet travels in a container that meets both the airline’s rules and Australia’s import conditions, so treat the crate as part of your compliance work rather than a last-minute purchase. Your import permit and DAFF’s guidance set out what applies to your animal, and the airline will have its own specifications on top.

In general, a crate should be:

• strong, rigid and leak-proof, with secure latches and good ventilation;
• large enough for your pet to stand, turn around and lie down comfortably;
• fitted with water and food dishes that can be refilled without opening the door.

Check three things before you buy. First, read the container section of your permit conditions. Second, ask your airline for its exact size and construction rules for your aircraft and route. Third, look at what DAFF says about packaging and bedding for animals entering quarantine, since some materials may not be accepted.

Introduce the crate at home weeks ahead. Leave the door open, feed meals inside and add a familiar blanket, so the crate smells like home by departure day. A calm pet in a familiar crate handles the journey far better than one meeting it for the first time at the airport.

Why does early planning reduce risk, and when should you hire a pro?

A late start can make a pet move harder to manage. The six-month minimum is not a suggestion, because the 180-day wait cannot be shortened by effort or money. If you can start earlier, do. Extra months turn a repeated test from a crisis into an inconvenience.

Consider professional help when paperwork feels heavy, when documents need endorsements in more than one country, or when you have no Australian contact to handle quarantine and release day. We offer concierge relocation and military PCS support for exactly those situations, though you remain in charge of your pet’s journey.

— Sukmanpreet

Want us to take the paperwork off your plate?

We coordinate the whole move so you can focus on your own. Our concierge pet relocation service covers documentation coordination, flight booking assistance, quarantine reservation help and welfare monitoring, with real-time updates while your pet travels.

Tell us your origin, your dates and your pet, and we will review your timeline and paperwork with you. Request a tailored quote and we will map out your next steps.

FAQ

Can I bring my dog from New Zealand to Australia?

Yes, but you still need to follow DAFF’s rules. New Zealand is a Group 1 country, which has the lightest requirements, but your dog needs an import permit and must meet the conditions listed on it. Check the DAFF step-by-step guide for your exact situation.

How much does it cost to send a dog to Australia?

Government quarantine fees alone include a reservation charge of AUD $282, an importation charge of AUD $1,132 and a daily husbandry fee of AUD $56. Your total also depends on veterinary tests, permit fees, airfare and the crate. We provide custom pricing, so request a quote for your specific move.

What is the best pet relocation service in Australia?

The best choice is one that handles documentation, flights and quarantine booking for your origin and keeps you updated while your pet travels. We offer that through our concierge and military PCS services. Ask any provider how it handles BICON permits and quarantine reservations.

How long does it take to move a pet to Australia?

Plan on at least six months. DAFF states that owners should allow at least six months to complete tests and paperwork, and the 180-day waiting period for many origins is the main reason.

Authoritative links and next steps

These are the official resources we recommend you bookmark, along with the pages where you can reach us. DAFF’s step-by-step guides and the BICON permit system are the primary sources for every rule above. For quarantine bookings and costs, see the DAFF facility and fee pages. When you want help, visit our homepage or request a quote.

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