Moving your pets to Australia

Anyone applying for Australia visas with a pet should be aware of the country's tight quarantine restrictions for animals. All animals entering Australia require an import permit. To obtain an import permit, an application to import your pet must be completed. Your application must include your pet's microchip number.

The import permit contains Veterinary Certificate A and B which must be completed and endorsed by an official vet in the country of export prior to the arrival of the Australia visa holder's pet in Australia.

Animals must be shipped in IATA approved transit kennels that allow the animal to stand up without touching the top of the box, lie down and turn around.

It is a requirement that cats and dogs are shipped as manifest cargo and not as excess baggage. There are only three quarantine kennels in Australia - based in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney - animals must therefore enter Australia at one of these airports.

If you are unable to collect your pet(s), arrangements for movement of pets from these kennels to other cities in Australia may be possible after the quarantine period. The kennels themselves will probably be able to help, as this is not an unusual request.

Animals must be accompanied by the following paperwork:

• An Import Permit obtained from Australian Quarantine Services. Application forms can be obtained from the AQIS website or we can send you copies as required. All animals must be microchipped (approved types only) before an Import Permit can be applied for. One application form must be completed for each animal. The Import Permit will be valid for two months from your stated expected export date.
• An official export health certificate (this must be applied for from DEFRA (formerly the Ministry of Agriculture). Only part A is to be completed and certified by your LVI within 96 hours of the flight (Part B will be completed by a portal vet).
• For cats, vaccination certificates for feline enteritis, feline rhinotracheitis and feline calicivirus showing vaccination at least 14 days before the flight and not more than 11 months beforehand.
• For dogs, vaccination certificates for distemper, infectious hepatitis, canine parvovirus and parainfluenza (D,H,P,Pi) showing vaccination at least 14 days before the flight and not more than 11 months beforehand.
• In the case of dogs, blood samples to be tested for Brucella Canis and Ehrlichia must be submitted to the relevant authority (VLA, Weybridge, Surrey) within 30 days of the flight. The dog must be treated with a long lasting acaricide within 24 hrs of the blood sample for Ehrlichia being taken.
• If the dog has not been vaccinated against Leptospirosis, a blood sample to be tested for Leptospirosis (L. interrogans serovar canicola) must be submitted to the relevant authority (VLA, Weybridge, Surrey) within 30 days of the flight. Negative results must be obtained for all tests.
• If the dog has been vaccinated against Leptospirosis then two blood samples taken no less than 14 days apart and both within 30 days of the flight must be submitted to the relevant authority. This is to show either a negative (at 1/100) result or a steady and low positive result (positive at 1/100 and negative at 1/400).The blood test results MUST accompany the Export Health Certificate.
• Clearance of notifiable diseases certificate (EC618 or 618NDC) from DEFRA. The vet MUST give you this certificate, as the portal vet requires it to complete part B.
• Written declarations as required, to support the export health certificate.