Taking pets to Australia: approved origins, 180 days and quarantine

Updated: 2026-10-30

Approval and an agreed certificate are both required

DAFF groups are Australian import categories, not a general global rabies list. Japan, Singapore and Hawaii are Group 2; ordinary USA, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan are Group 3. Mainland China is not approved for direct export. Some approved countries still have no negotiated certificate and cannot currently export; do not plan from the group list alone. For non-approved origins, first establish lawful admission/residence and all preparation in a suitable approved country. A flight connection is not the 180-day residence route.

Keep the different clocks separate

Group 3 ordinary first entry waits at least 180 days from laboratory receipt of the RNATT sample; test validity is 12 months/365 days from blood collection. Official identity verification for possible ten-day quarantine must precede the RNATT visit and be at least 180 days before export. Group 2 identity verification is mandatory with its own ordinary 180-day residence/identity plan and specific young/returning exceptions. None of these pre-export periods is the Australian quarantine stay. Use actual permit dates and do not calculate six months as a universal number of days.

Dogs and cats do not share every treatment

Groups 2/3 use external protection from at least 30 days for dogs and 21 for cats, plus two internal treatments in 45 days separated by at least 14 days with the last in five days. Dog-only Leptospira, Leishmania, non-desexed Brucella and history-based Babesia conditions must not be applied to cats. CIV depends on origin: USA/South Korea and Singapore/Hawaii have vaccination conditions; Canada allows the stated isolation/PCR/examination alternative. Follow accepted veterinary methods and the actual permit; not all routine vaccines are mandatory import conditions.

Routes, cargo and quarantine

Ordinary air imports use manifested cargo. Groups 2/3 first land at Melbourne International and transfer to Mickleham; no domestic flight from Sydney as an import shortcut. Group 2 has specific permitted transhipment countries/cities; Group 3 changes aircraft in approved countries. Staying on the aircraft is different from transhipment. Group 2 quarantine is at least ten days; Group 3 normally at least 30, possibly ten with accepted identification evidence and permit. Obtain the issued permit and quarantine place before final transport arrangements.

New Zealand has its own standard

Eligible NZ standard animals can enter without an Australian import permit or quarantine, but need the MPI-selected original health certificate, residence/history compliance, readable chip, five-day veterinary preparations and three-day advance arrival notice. They still fly as cargo directly to mainland Australia. A dog’s foreign-country or mainland-African history changes testing/treatment. Do not apply Group 2/3 Melbourne-only entry, 21-/30-day parasite schedules or automatic 180-day rabies testing to every NZ pet.

Check breed restrictions before paying

Prohibited dog types and domestic/wild hybrids are separate from disease preparation. Current DAFF and DCCEEW texts both say Bengal cats are no longer permitted; the old fifth-generation route cannot be presumed available. Their published transition dates differ, so any historic exemption must be confirmed with DCCEEW. The import country, birth/residence history, species and actual certificate matter more than a generic “pet-friendly” flight label.