New Zealand Pet Import Requirements

Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service

Use MPI’s own current category list and actual history, not Australia’s approved-country list or the last transit airport. Air arrivals enter through Auckland or Christchurch, including Australia-origin pets. An unlisted country cannot supply a direct ordinary import; origin classification does not itself complete residence, identity, testing or certificate requirements.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service

For the 2026 ordinary air pathway, Category 2/3 pets require an issued import permit, signed quarantine booking and at least ten days in the approved facility. Compliant Category 1 pets arriving directly by air from Australia can clear after MPI inspection and document checks; this is not an unconditional exemption. All vessel arrivals need permits, including Category 1. Assistance animals and NZ-origin returns have separate procedures.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service

The 2026 IHS recommends applying online at least eight weeks before the permit is needed and allowing 30 working days after all required documents have been received. These are planning/processing guidance, not a guaranteed issue date or quarantine duration. Obtain the issued permit and actual carrier acceptance before final travel arrangements; incomplete applications can take longer.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service

From 1 July 2026 to 1 April 2027, MPI permits compliance with the complete 2021 standard instead of the 2026 standard. From 1 April 2027 the 2026 standard applies. The new rules below describe the 2026 pathway, including its official identity checks; they do not automatically invalidate a compliant 2021 journey during transition. Do not combine the old 24-month RNATT validity with new treatment or identity exceptions. Confirm the selected standard and matching certificate with the certifying authority.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service

This origin is not in MPI’s Category 1/2/3 list. A flight connection in a listed country is not enough. MPI describes moving the pet to a categorised country and meeting that actual export pathway, or asking the origin’s competent authority to request country approval. Required samples must be taken in a categorised country; rabies vaccinations/samples in a non-categorised country are not accepted for the ordinary 2026 pathway. Confirm the intermediary country’s entry and residence requirements first; relocation is not automatic NZ clearance.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service

Under the 2026 pathway, ordinary cats and dogs travel as manifested cargo in an IATA-compliant container; cabin or accompanied checked-baggage selection does not make those modes eligible. An accepted assistance dog is a separate exception subject to MPI evidence and airline agreement. Airline booking, national entry rules and connecting-country acceptance must all be checked.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

Category 1 ordinary pets must come directly from Australia, be free of quarantine restrictions and meet the matching certificate’s health preparations. Notify MPI using the Application for Veterinary Inspection at least five working days before arrival. Compliant air arrivals at Auckland/Christchurch may clear after inspection and document verification, without routine ten-day quarantine or a standard Category 2/3 permit. If checks cannot be completed, transfer to a transitional facility until the next available working day may be required. Sea travel and equivalent-measure permits are separate.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

The animal must be certified resident in the Category 2 export country since birth or direct import from NZ, or for at least six months before shipment unless it meets the Category 3 rabies requirements in clause 2.1.3. It must be free of quarantine restrictions before shipment. A short connection is not residence; do not treat country classification alone as a rabies or identity exemption.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

For a non-NZ-origin animal, an official veterinarian in the export country must scan and verify the microchip at least six months before shipment. If the animal will be under six months old at shipment, the official scan must precede any required tests, vaccination or treatment instead. The competent authority must communicate the check directly to MPI. This is a 2026 condition, not a new blanket requirement for all valid 2021 transition journeys.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

Microchip identity must be verified and recorded at vaccination and RNATT sampling. Use an MPI-listed rabies vaccine administered by a veterinarian at age at least 12 weeks, continuously valid through shipment. Primary vaccination must be at least six months before shipment; a lapse makes the next vaccination primary. Three-to-four weeks between vaccination and sampling is a recommendation for immune response, not a universal mandatory 30-day interval.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

The 2026 ordinary pathway requires an MPI-approved FAVN or RFFIT with result at least 0.5 IU/mL, on blood taken by a veterinarian at least three and no more than twelve months before shipment. This clock starts at sample collection, not laboratory receipt; three months is not rewritten as 90 days. Sampling must be in a categorised country with an eligible laboratory and export certification. The old 2021 24-month window is not part of this 2026 branch.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

For non-NZ-origin pets with RNATT sampled six to twelve months before shipment, an official veterinarian in a categorised country scans the chip before sampling. For samples at least three but under six months before shipment, two official scans are required: first at least six months before shipment, second before RNATT sampling. The authority communicates directly to MPI. Scanning and blood collection may occur on the same day; do not copy Australia’s separate-visit restriction. NZ-origin animals documented by their original NZ export certificate/AWEC do not need this pre-export identity check.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

Obtain the issued MPI import permit before import. Category 2 applications include a signed approved-quarantine booking. Category 3 additionally includes rabies vaccination record(s), RNATT result(s) and the Category 3 Rabies Certification Form (RCF). A submitted application or facility reservation is not an issued permit. Special assistance and NZ-origin short-stay documentation must not be replaced by this ordinary list.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

The approved operator/staff transfer the pet directly to the facility named on the permit using MPI-approved transport. Ordinary pets remain at least ten days, with MPI veterinary examination within 72 hours of facility arrival and again when ten days are complete, subject to the stated safety exception. Parasites, illness, incomplete requirements or unavailable release hours can extend the stay; ten days is a minimum, not a guaranteed release date.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

Use a securely government-sealed crate. If opened during transhipment, the competent authority must reseal and endorse a document explaining why, recording original and replacement seal numbers. Category 3 and direct Category 1 air arrivals do not require this government seal under clause 1.8; do not copy the Category 2 seal to every origin.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

En route to NZ, transit on the same aircraft or change aircraft only in Category 1/2/3 countries. Avoid contact with other animals and remain on the international side of the airport, unless transferred under the competent authority to an approved quarantine facility for the connection. Category 1 still requires direct import. This NZ-bound rule differs from permission to transit through NZ to another country, which needs its own MPI form and conditions.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

A permanent unique microchip is mandatory. A veterinarian verifies and records it at each required examination, test, vaccination and treatment; the number must match all records and certificates. ISO 11784/11785 chips are recommended; ensure an incompatible chip can actually be read. Required sampling and medicines use eligible categorised-country veterinarians/laboratories and MPI Specified Approvals. Count sampling, treatment and examination dates as day 0 for the stated shipment windows.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

Use the matching 2026 model or MPI-agreed certificate from the exporting official veterinarian. Required documents are originals unless the IHS allows copies, in English or with a clear English translation, with the matching chip number. Paper pages need original official stamp/signature/date on every page, or the stated alternative security features. Electronic records must be sent directly authority-to-MPI through an approved system. An unendorsed permit copy is acceptable; required rabies/lab endorsed copies and NZ export/AWEC copies have specific exceptions. A photo uploaded by the owner is not official electronic certification.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

A veterinarian examines the pet in the two days before shipment: healthy and fit to travel, no visible external parasites, dirt, insects/seeds or relevant infectious-disease signs. Dogs must have no evidence of recent bites; entire dogs need external-genital examination for transmissible venereal tumour, including extruded penis in males. This examination is separate from permit processing or the RNATT waiting period.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Cat · Separate cargo service

A veterinarian gives an MPI-listed flea/tick product in the sixteen days before shipment, maintaining continuous protection until shipment according to the label. Certify the cat free of visible external parasites at treatment and in the two days before shipment. This is the ordinary 2026 cat schedule; do not substitute the old two-treatment schedule or the dog’s Babesia-linked timing. NZ-origin short stays use their own clause.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog · Separate cargo service

A veterinarian treats the dog twice with an MPI-listed flea/tick product. First treatment must be at least fourteen days before Babesia gibsoni sampling and Babesia rossi sampling if applicable; last treatment is in the sixteen days before shipment. Maintain continuous protection from first treatment to shipment and certify no visible external parasites at each treatment and in the final two days. Broken protection can require repeat treatments and tests.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

A veterinarian gives MPI-listed nematode and cestode treatment, including Echinococcus coverage, twice. First is in the thirty days before shipment and at least fourteen days before the second; second is in the five days before shipment. Use the manufacturer’s instructions and actual recorded dates. The 2021 standard’s four-day last-treatment window is different; NZ-origin short stays have their own five-day clause.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog · Separate cargo service

A veterinarian must give an MPI-listed product effective against Angiostrongylus vasorum in the five days before shipment. Routine intestinal-worm coverage or a familiar brand name alone is insufficient: the vet checks the current approved active ingredients, dose, species and product instructions. This dog-only step is additional to the two internal treatments.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog · Separate cargo service

For dogs at least six months old, use either negative IFA/ELISA plus PCR (Babesia spp. or B. gibsoni), with samples at least fourteen days after first external treatment and within thirty days before shipment; or three negative B. gibsoni PCRs at least seven days apart, first sample at least fourteen days after first treatment and within forty-four days before shipment. Under-six-month dogs require the three-PCR pathway. Confirmed infection is ineligible regardless of treatment. Do not use the old single-serology alternative for 2026.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog · Separate cargo service

Provide the owner’s written declaration of no residence/travel in mainland Africa. If there is such history, or the owner cannot confirm it, the Babesia rossi branch applies. Adult dogs have an MPI-listed treatment in sixteen days before shipment, or the specified combined serology/PCR or three-PCR alternatives with the external-treatment lead-in and thirty-/forty-four-day windows. A current non-African departure does not erase earlier history. This is separate from the B. gibsoni requirement and must follow the vet’s age-specific protocol.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog · Separate cargo service

A signed desexing record can support the desexed branch. For entire dogs from origins other than MPI-recognised Brucella-free Australia, the standard non-bred branch requires an owner declaration covering thirty days before sampling through shipment and a negative MPI-listed test in thirty days before shipment. Initial RSAT/TAT positive or inconclusive results have a specific thirty-to-forty-day retest schedule. Recent mating/insemination invokes the separate twenty-one-day testing and partner/semen evidence; do not reuse the non-bred checklist. Confirmed infection is ineligible.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog · Separate cargo service

MPI’s May 2026 Specified Approvals recognises Australia as free from Brucella canis. The 2026 IHS includes a country-free alternative and a desexing-certificate alternative; an entire Australian-origin dog is not automatically subject to every non-bred foreign-dog test merely because it is entire. Have the exporting authority certify the actual qualifying branch and retain desexing evidence where used. Other disease tests and history conditions remain separate.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

The owner’s written declaration must confirm that for at least twenty-one days before shipment the cat or dog showed no infectious respiratory-disease signs and was not kept where other cats or dogs showed such signs. This applies to cats as well as dogs. It is not a universal twenty-one-day isolation order and does not replace the final examination or origin-specific canine influenza test/vaccine branch.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog · Separate cargo service

For dogs from USA, Singapore, Canada or Republic of Korea, use either a complete MPI-listed canine-influenza vaccination between twelve months and fourteen days before shipment, remaining valid throughout post-arrival quarantine; or a negative MPI-listed nasal-swab PCR for CIV H3N8/H3N2 on a sample in the ten days before shipment. This dog-only, origin-specific alternative does not require every cat or every country to vaccinate. The twenty-one-day respiratory declaration still applies.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog · Separate cargo service

Dogs at least seven months old on shipment day need a negative MPI-listed heartworm test on a sample in the thirty days before shipment. All dogs need an MPI-listed preventive given by a veterinarian in the five days before shipment, or an up-to-date approved sustained-release injection. The new seven-month threshold/five-day treatment differs from the old six-month/four-day rule; do not mix the pathways. Confirmed heartworm found in quarantine cannot be managed by simply waiting there for a negative result.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog · Separate cargo service

For this non-Australian ordinary branch, the dog must show no leishmaniosis signs in the two days before shipment and have a negative MPI-approved Leishmania infantum test on a sample in the thirty days before shipment. Unvaccinated dogs or non-interfering vaccines use IFAT/ELISA; a serology-interfering vaccine requires the listed buffy-coat or conjunctival PCR, continuously valid vaccination and accompanying evidence. Confirmed infection is ineligible regardless of treatment.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog · Separate cargo service

Use the applicable certified Canicola pathway: an MPI-recognised free-country entry, negative approved MAT in thirty days before shipment, the specified low-titre 1:100–1:400 vaccine/retest branch, or an MPI-approved treatment course in thirty days before shipment. A routine vaccination alone is not a universal exemption. A follow-up sample for the low-titre retest must be at least fourteen days later and show no titre increase. Let the veterinarian select the approved test/treatment; do not self-dose antibiotics from a travel checklist.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service

NZ prohibits dogs wholly or predominantly Brazilian Fila, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Perro de Presa Canario or American Pit Bull Terrier. A disease certificate, airline booking or generic cross-breed label does not waive this restriction. Check the required breed evidence/declaration with NZ authorities before paying for veterinary preparation.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Cat · In the cabin / Accompanied hold baggage / Separate cargo service

The 2026 NZ IHS guidance states Bengal cats are eligible for import, subject to the complete relevant pathway. Other hybrid cats/dogs may be new organisms requiring prior Environmental Protection Authority approval. Do not copy Australia’s current Bengal prohibition to NZ, or assume that passing through Australia is possible because the final destination accepts the breed. Confirm ancestry evidence and the selected standard’s certificate before travel; old fifth-generation wording is not automatically the new rule.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.

Dog / Cat · Separate cargo service

NZ-origin status requires the NZ export certificate or Animal Welfare Export Certificate used when leaving NZ. Such documented animals do not need the ordinary pre-export official identity check. Stays of thirty days or less use the dedicated short-stay model certificate and recorded pre-departure treatment; rabies, parasite and breeding exceptions are clause-specific. A NZ owner, old chip registration or return airline ticket alone does not establish this status, and this ordinary first-import list is not a complete return checklist.

2026 IHS pathway for ordinary healthy adult pet dogs/domestic cats imported by air. During the transition, a complete 2021 pathway remains acceptable until 1 April 2027; do not mix standards. The site has no standard, age, residence-history or NZ-origin selector: read each condition. NZ-origin returns, assistance animals, sea travel, pregnancy and hybrids need separate assessment. Category and a displayed checklist do not guarantee certificate or carrier acceptance. Malaysia here means Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak only; other territories do not inherit that selection.