Bringing Your Pet to Australia

Can I bring my pet dog/cat/rabbit?

Rabbit? No! Australia is not keen on rabbits, but they definitely are a pet loving nation with dogs and cats at the top of the list. Thousands of pet owners bring their dogs and cats with them when they migrate to Australia, dogbut….

Is it a good idea?

We brought our pet dog Baggy with us, but it wasn’t cheap. But had we left him behind, we would have paid a bigger price. My wife and daughter both dote on him and, in the early stages, it can be quite tough adapting to your new Australian surroundings.

You’ve said goodbye to your friends and family, you’ve left your hometown, your children have had to leave their friends and their school behind, so if you can help it, don’t leave the dog behind (or cat!).

All dogs and cats coming into Australia need to spend a period of time in quarantine. Quarantine is run by AQIS, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. They, in turn, are part of the Department of Agriculture and they are all part of the Australian Government.

How long your pet will spend in quarantine depends on which country you are coming from, but, for example, it’s just one month 10 days (for qualifying pets as of March 2014) when coming from the UK.

To find out more…..

Visit cat-dogs

…which covers cats and dogs. For other pets…..

Visit all imported livestock

I regret to inform you, that at the time of writing, spiders and snakes cannot be imported into Australia. Perhaps it’s because we already got some. Hehe!

Thinking of Exporting Your Pet to Australia?

When we brought our dog with us, we arranged for somebody to go in to the quarantine station to see him regularly and take him for walks. But it wasn’t easy to organise. Since we’ve lived here, my wife started a company that did do just that called Dog Walks Pty Ltd.

The company was established in the middle of 2008 and she has made hundreds and hundreds of dogs and cats very happy. We have now closed the DogWalks Gallery, but we used to have literally thousands and thousands of pictures of smiling doggie faces on display.

Sadly, her Dog Walks team can no longer physically visit pets or walk dogs in quarantine. Rule changes by the Australian Government put an end to that which now means…

  • No visits
  • No exercise
  • No treats
  • No idea what the facilities are like inside quarantine
  • No photographs
  • No updates (even telephone calls to quarantine staff are not allowed)
  • No playtime
  • No toys
  • Absolutely no contact whatsoever

ebook_coverA scary prospect for a loving pet owner, for sure. In fact the whole process of exporting your pet from beginning to end is quite daunting. To help you though, Karen has written a guide, to find out more please visit the following page…

More Useful Links:

You can read Baggy’s Story here.

…and even more about Baggy here.

I also have a post about rabbits in Australia.

And…

I’ve also written several articles about keeping pet safe in Australia:

Update:

Warning! If you are bringing your own pet, you’ll want to know how much it costs. Sit down before reading this, it’s a bit of a shocker. This is how much it cost us to bring Baggy to Australia.

If you can also plough through the comments below, quite a few people have mentioned how much it cost them to bring their pets over. For example one of my readers, Pravdaseeker, mentioned that it cost him nearly $9000 to bring his two dogs over from the US towards the end of 2012.

Warning over.

Visa Assessment Service
{ 359 comments… add one }
  • Sriharsha July 3, 2019, 2:13 am |

    Hey Bob,

    Travelling to Australia and need to get my dog (shadow) from India but seems like a daunting task …

    Where do I get the RNAT tests done ..seems like the approved Labs are in other countries. Do I need to send the samples to them

    • BobinOz July 3, 2019, 6:21 pm |

      There is a link above in this article where it says Visit cats – dogs, if you click on it you will find all the information you need on that page and the pages linked from it.

      Basically I believe you are in a non-recognised country and therefore will need to move your dog to a recognised country and get the test done on your dog in that country. I’m not 100% sure, so please do check on the government’s website.

      As you say, it’s a daunting task, but I think that’s what you need to do if you want to bring your dog.

  • Tracey September 17, 2018, 8:22 am |

    I am shipping my two dogs from Texas to Australia ,it is expensive (doesn’t matter how big your dog is) it will cost about $2500 per dog just in vet bills before the shipping bill mine was over $6100 ,then the quarantine is $1581 per dog, plus you have to look ahead if you are thinking of moving in the next year get your dogs blood work started because it will take 180 days from that before they can ship but then you have a year on that blood test but 45 days before you ship date you have to have another lot of test done ,it’s been along six months .

    • BobinOz September 17, 2018, 5:55 pm |

      For sure, you will need to have deep pockets to bring pets out here to Australia. We moved here in 2007 and brought our dog with us, cost us £3000 back then, which was equivalent to about $7500 AUD at the time.

      That’s just one dog 11 years ago.

      Quite painful at the time, but not bringing the family pet or pets would certainly be even more painful. Good luck with your move, Bob

  • 2 cat girl January 2, 2018, 7:35 pm |

    Hi i am from PERTH Australia and my two cats are from MACEDONIA (Europe). I want to bring them to Perth, but it seems like a very costly move. And for them to have to stay in quarantine for 6 months ????? That seems very traumatic. Macedonia isnt on the list of countries, the neighbouring countries close by is Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Greece etc. Will the cats need to be moved to a different country and stay there for 6 months??? and get their tests done there? Or can they get their tests done in Macedonia. I really need guidance and advice and how much will it cost. I dont want to pay $15,000 and for them to stay in a little crate for 6 months. I think that is inhumane and a waste of money. But i really dont have much information about it even after reading about it. Please please help

    • BobinOz January 3, 2018, 6:39 pm |

      I’m sure this has been discussed before somewhere in these comments, but I do appreciate there is quite a few to go through. I can’t help you directly, I just don’t know how it would work, but hopefully someone who does know will see your question and help you out.

    • Jemma Henderson July 27, 2018, 2:35 am |

      If the process is the same for cats as it is for dogs, they can spend most of those 6 months in Macedonia and don’t need to be in quarantine there. The 6 month requirement is for the rabies titre tests (the blood can be taken in Macedonia and sent to Australia or an OIE approved lab listed on the Australian gov import checklist online) that need to be taken at least 180 days apart.

      There’s a minimum of 4 (or 5?) weeks that your cats must spend in an approved group 2 or 3 country (assuming that Macedonia is not one of these) before they can enter Australia. This country may have its own quarantine period. Most tests and treatments, I think including the second titre test, must be performed in the approved group 2 or 3 country.

      In Australia your cats must spend a minimum of 10 days in the quarantine facility in Menlbourne before you can put them on a domestic flight to you.

      It’s a long, expensive, strenuous process that will not be pleasant for your cats but at least it doesn’t involve anywhere near 6 months in quarantine.

      I’m trying to bring my dog to Australia from a non-approved country so my advice is based on what I’ve learned about her requirements

  • Linda December 28, 2017, 10:30 pm |

    Hi Bob, We have two cats that we’d like to bring with us when we migrate and wanted to know whether spiders and snakes pose a significant threat to them. Obviously people have pets in Oz, but I wondered what your views/experience has been of this?

    • BobinOz January 2, 2018, 6:57 pm |

      Hi Linda, glad you asked. I’ve written a few articles about pet safety here in Australia, so I have now added links to them at the foot of the above article. You might like to have a read.

      The long and the short though is that spiders and snakes can cause problems for cats, but I wouldn’t say they are a significant threat. They are a threat though, and cats can die, certainly if they lose a fight with a snake. Redback spiders can also be a danger to cats, but strangely the funnel-web spider doesn’t cause problems for either cats or dogs.

      I’d did own two outdoor cats since about 2011, inherited them when they were eight years old. I only have one now, the other one did get killed, but by the traditional method of getting flattened by a car. Neither of the cats have ever been troubled significantly by either spiders or snakes though, but the possibility is always there. Hope that helps, Bob

  • Suzanne Ramachandra October 29, 2017, 3:18 pm |

    Hi I read recently that the west aus quarantine had closed and animals were sent to Adelaide or Melbourne do u no if this is true☹️

    • Sean Bennetts October 30, 2017, 10:03 am |

      Hi Suzanne,

      No, there is only one Quarantine now, its based in Melbourne.

  • George July 22, 2017, 6:54 pm |

    I want to take my sun conure to south africa from india. What is the procedure?

    • BobinOz July 24, 2017, 7:24 pm |

      I don’t know, this website is about Australia 🙂

  • Imran July 21, 2017, 4:03 am |

    I’m from Russia and soon I will move to Sydney permanent And i have small dog and I don’t know how I take my dog in Sydney? If anyone know any company plz write me.

    • BobinOz July 21, 2017, 7:13 pm |

      Click on the ‘Visit cat-dogs’ link halfway down the above article, that’ll get you started.

  • Stephen April 11, 2017, 3:19 am |

    Please am from Nigeria but i want to move to Australia to further my education… how can i get student visa

  • Anita March 5, 2017, 12:25 pm |

    Hi
    I want to take my pet lab to Melbourne while iam migrating as a parent…How it s possible and what’s the procedure when it s from an Indian city..

    • BobinOz March 7, 2017, 7:10 pm |

      You need to click through on the link above to the cats – dogs page to find out how to proceed.

  • Evelyn February 24, 2017, 9:00 pm |

    Hi – is it really not possible to visit my pet cat during the 10 days she is in quarantine in Melbourne ?

    • BobinOz February 27, 2017, 9:30 pm |

      Yes, really, it’s not. They did allow visitors when it was 30 days in quarantine, but since it was reduced to 10 days they decided to not let visitors in.

    • Kelly March 5, 2017, 9:34 am |

      Hi Evelyn…it really is not 🙁 My dog is in Melbourne quarantine now as well…but you can phone and ASK how the dog is.

      • BobinOz March 5, 2017, 10:34 pm |

        Somebody very recently, I mean within the last few days, made a comment somewhere here on my website suggesting that you can visit your pet in quarantine; $45 for 15 minutes. I haven’t had it verified, but if you are willing to pay such an extortionate amount, it may be worth phoning quarantine to ask.

        • jodi October 13, 2017, 11:14 pm |

          was this ever verified?

          • BobinOz October 16, 2017, 8:23 pm |

            Yes, I’m pretty sure it was, but it was probably a least six months ago. Have a word with quarantine direct to see if they are still offering this.

            • jodi October 16, 2017, 10:48 pm |

              thank you.

  • Marilyn December 18, 2016, 7:20 am |

    Hi bob,I have two beautiful dogs back in India and I was planning on to bring them to Australia,sydney.
    They are vaccinated and dewormed and very well looked after.. they have regular check ups!
    Please advice

    • Mark December 18, 2016, 8:35 am |

      Personally id read through this entire post below and consult the items above and that will give you all details you need in general terms including any pitfalls you may not wish to encounter. Then you need a pet shipper who will guide you through what you also need to do, to comply with the process.

    • Sean December 18, 2016, 12:20 pm |

      Hi Marilyn,

      Unfortunately India is not an approved import country. They would need to be imported into a Catergory 2 or 3 Approved country first before they could be imported into Australia.

      Regards
      Sean

    • Aden July 21, 2017, 10:07 pm |

      You’ll have to go through a country like Singapore and the dogs will have to be there for six months before going to Australia and then 10 days in quarantine.

  • Lynnie Kay December 3, 2016, 10:32 am |

    I see a lot about how to get your pet TO Australia, but now the thing worrying me is how hard it is to find a rental unit for AFTER quaretine, especially for a large dog in Sydney. I cant buy a new home.

    Has anyone had success finding a rental that allows dogs? Do they have tips? I read about creating a “pet resume” showcasing how rental friendly thier dog is. This has made worried.

    • Mark December 3, 2016, 6:39 pm |

      HI Lynnie Friends from Tasmania (once UK) moved to near Sydney earlier this year..We helped with the dog travel as they flew dog went by road and ferry. Its a greyhound. They found a rental that would accept it. The landlord was a greyhound owner as well. There is slim chance of this happening to you but some landlords like animals as business owners they may not. The fact is it will be harder to rent as you limit your suppliers. .Its not impossible though it can be done .If you can find pet friendly then yes do anything you can to make the possibility better..If you are up against a dog owner with a small pooch and your have a large afghan hound, if you have a pet friendly resume with even an odd awards won at the local show for best obedient dog …a few rosettes pictured, or even included in the folder, it wont do you any harm. If you can leave behind for a few months then do so… while you get established. I appreciate that may be tough to do but the bigger picture may be worthwhile. .

    • Vidya December 18, 2016, 7:47 am |

      I had the same questions when I moved here 2 months back. These 2 pointers should help.

      1. Before you go for house viewing, check with the agent if it’s Pet friendly. Very few of them advertise explicitly if it’s acceptable or not for the property

      2. Remember to mention that you have moved your dog with you from another country. The property managers just want to be assured that you will take good care of your dog and inturn will not cause damage to the property. Moving your pet to different country is big commitment and will be an advantage.

      All said, you have to put in an extra effort than those who don’t have a pet.

      • Paul March 4, 2017, 4:40 am |

        Hi to all on this thread 🙂
        I live in very pet friendly NY, with two small (9 lbs) dogs; will be relocating them later this year. I’m reading all the Sydney apartment rental horror stories online, but also hear there have been recent changes to some strata by-laws? Has the situation for renters improved any?
        Any advice / counsel gratefully received.
        Thank you 🙂

        • BobinOz March 5, 2017, 10:22 pm |

          I have heard there have been some changes to a apartment rental laws in New South Wales, for example, they are looking at banning smoking and having barbecues on balconies, that sort of thing. They may have actually implemented it.

          Unfortunately though Paul, I don’t know the full extent of what has or has not been done. Hopefully someone who does know will see your comment and help out.

  • Mary November 19, 2016, 10:40 pm |

    Hi Bob,
    So, just to completely understand this, if my husband takes a job there, and was required to start work in the next three months, we wouldn’t be able to bring our pets (as although they have had their microchips and rabies vaccinations and updates regularly, I don’t believe they’ve had the specialised test) the pets wouldn’t be able to even leave the UK for an additional 3 months?! Or would they be able to leave with us but would have to remain in quarantine for 3 months instead of 10 days?

    • Vidya November 21, 2016, 1:35 pm |

      Mary,

      You might want to look up at the Australian government website for detailed dates at this page

      http://www.agriculture.gov.au/cats-dogs

      Once you are on this page, scroll down to the there is a “Pre export treatment date calculator ”
      Once you populate the date of export and the details, you will be given a clear schedule to follow.

      You can then get all the specialised test done within those due dates.

      Hope this helps.

      Regards
      Vidya

    • Jan November 30, 2016, 1:01 pm |

      Hi Mary,

      I bought my dog back to Australia from the UK in June 2016. I used PetAir UK who were very good and I paid for extras which included them scheduling all the exact times and dates for jabs blood tests and treatments. There are quite a few and they have to be done on time. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be able to bring your pets in without them having had the complete treatments and tests. I was advised to start this process at least 7 months before booking a flight. It was not cheap and worked out at approximately GDP2,800 plus 10 days quarantine fee of $135 per day (slightly cheaper because my dog flew with Qantas). Hope this helps. My advice would be to get a good pet exporter in the UK if you can, otherwise one piece of paper out of order and the whole process can go wrong. Good luck with everything.

      • Mary November 30, 2016, 5:51 pm |

        Hi Jan,
        Thanks for replying! My friend just mentioned pet air, as he’s moving back to Australia also. So I will get in contact with them, once I’m sure this is really going to happen. I was just questioning how long one has to wait, after the blood test as though it says “180 days from rabies shot” that doesn’t clarify what happens if your pets have had microchips and rabies shots, updates etc. for years,already?! Anyway, hoping pet air can answer.

        • Jocy August 21, 2017, 8:11 am |

          Hi
          I’m using PetAir. My dog a Pomeranian is flying out next month. For those who have travelled, how was your dog after quarantine and also how’s the dog coping with the different environment, heat, water, food etc., did you notice any odd behaviour etc., I’m on the same flight as he is. A little nervous because well he’s never been in a crate and the longest I’ve been away from him is 6 days.

          Would be really great to hear some good stories to reassure me. PetAir have been helpful. Expensive but worth it I think as they’ve been guiding me along the way and making sure the Vet is giving the appropriate vaccination /brand. Yep Aus is really strict about type too!! Anyway please let me know.

          • BobinOz August 21, 2017, 6:06 pm |

            Our dog, Baggy, a chocolate lab, pretty much breezed it, both the flight and the quarantine. He had to spend 30 days inside as well, that’s how it was back then.

            When we picked him up, he was a bit sulky, he wasn’t quite sure why he’d been locked away when he hadn’t done anything wrong. He was over that in a few days though and back to his self.

            We were worried how he would cope with the heat here in Brisbane, he was never great on hot days in the UK on the rare occasion we had them, but actually he even got to enjoy sunbathing now and then. I hope everything goes well with your dog.

            • Jocy August 21, 2017, 8:33 pm |

              Thank you for your reply! That’s reassuring. We’re going to Melbourne.

              Great to hear that your dog was OK during the journey and he settled in well after quarantine too.

              Thanks again!

        • Katy February 16, 2018, 12:40 am |

          Hi there… Unfortunately no entry unless you wait out the 180 days AFTER the RNAT test. It’s basically the start-point from which you need to calculate your move. I’m desperate to get it reduced too! As I want to go home in about 4 months. But for me the best solution is this: Get the initial test done; get as much of the other paperwork you need done; leave and go to Australia without your dog, leaving him in the care of someone who will take him to the last two vet appointments and get him on the plane; be there ready and waiting for him when he can get out of quarantine. sad but that’s all the options I’m left with if I leave in 4 months 🙁

  • Taryn November 7, 2016, 8:14 pm |

    Hi,
    Apologies if this question has been answered somewhere on the site already – I am exporting my cats to Australia from the UK in March next year and have had several quotes from companies regarding the actual flights; their crates and shipping them over etc.
    The one thing I hadn’t considered is the flight they will then need from Melbourne to Brisbane after quarantine. A couple of companies do include this (and charge considerably more) so I was wondering whether anyone has paid for this separately themselves, and how much on average we are looking at per animal?
    Many thanks!

    • Mark November 8, 2016, 9:47 am |

      Hi Taryn I have to say I nearly fell of my chair when I found out how expensive it is to bring animals here. Not really what you was asking. as in flight but I was involved in getting a dog to Wollongong from Tasmania. Tassi folk sent her in a car with a friend on ferry plus a kennel fee We collected at Melbourne looked after for 4 days as we managed to find someone driving that way…there is several sites and she was so well looked after on the way.. large drink for Tassie folk $50 plus bottle $200 dollars donation to Wollongong bound lady. probably paid her gas bill. Good luck with the move.

      • BobinOz November 8, 2016, 5:21 pm |

        Well, I didn’t quite fall out of my chair, but my wife rather cleverly introduced all the various fees bit by bit and I remember at some point in the process I actually became numb to it. By the time she told me she’d actually booked our dogs flight, one way, at a cost of £1910 in 2007, I was so desensitised I was able to laugh.

        Anyway, Taryn, it was some time ago for us as you can see but when my wife rang around for quotes to get our dog flown in from Sydney to Brisbane, one company was significantly cheaper than all the others, they were called Jet Pets and are an Australian company. They did a good job of it as well.

        I’m sure they are still operating, give them a try. Good luck, Bob

        • sarah September 11, 2019, 11:15 am |

          I am cutting out the middle man and dropping my 3 cats off at Qantas in Los Angeles as i live in Vegas. Flight will be around $2700 for all 3. Really makes a difference doing it yourself. Hope this helps others.

          • BobinOz September 11, 2019, 5:54 pm |

            That’s interesting, I don’t think we were allowed to do that, drive our pet to the airport ourselves.

            Sounds like you got a bargain at that price as well, that’s cheap for three cats.

            • Sarah September 12, 2019, 12:24 am |

              Yes not all airlines will let you drop them off yourself. Air NZ won’t or Virgin. Qantas will. They don’t make you use an agent.

    • Leanne Russell November 30, 2016, 10:17 pm |

      Hi Taryn
      Back in Dec 2013 we had 5 pets (2 dogs & 3 cats) flown from Sydney quarantine to Perth.
      We also used Jetpets and we were really happy with the way they communicated with us & the service…Just to give you a bit of an idea – we paid $1500 for the whole gang to be picked up, flown across the country & delivered to our door, all safe & happy.
      It is an expensive exercise moving pets around the globe but worth every cent in my mind to have my fur family with me.
      All the best

    • Lisa January 14, 2017, 5:46 pm |

      You can organise this yourself with the a domestic airline, or I would suggest using petraveller based in Melbourne they are amazing,
      Hope this help!

  • scott October 11, 2016, 10:19 pm |

    Hey
    I was wondering if anyone could help. I am looking into taking my cat and dog over to Australia when I go over next year, but I have been advised to check if my animals have had (lepto vaccine) because this can be an issue about their travel to OZ, just wondering if anyone has ever encountered this before.

    kind regards

    Scott

    • BobinOz October 12, 2016, 8:35 pm |

      I’m not sure what it does exactly, but I think it’s a vaccine that pets generally have here in Australia once a year. I would ask your vet about it, I’m sure they have this vaccine where ever you are at the moment. Hope that helps, Bob

      • Leon Raath October 15, 2016, 4:11 am |

        Hi we are wanting to bring a female alsashin into Australia from south Africa next year some time do you know what the cost is for the whole process and how long does it take

        • BobinOz October 17, 2016, 5:11 pm |

          The biggest part of the cost will be your flights from South Africa to Melbourne, and I have no idea how much they will cost you. The best way for you to get an idea of the cost would be to approach a pet exporter in SA who is IPATA registered to ask them for a quote.

          You can also use the links on this page to visit the government site to find out the fees for quarantine. Hope that helps, Bob

  • Tara July 20, 2016, 8:52 am |

    Hi,
    Main point – is there any kind of agency or assistance for bringing my cat, Zoe, from Canada to Brisbane? Anyone who can answer questions and possibly help me with any possibility of expediting the process?? (dreaming with fingers crossed)
    I was born in Calgary, grew up in Brisbane, have lived in Calgary again and am headed back “home” again. Though I am lucky to have dual citizenship, my fur baby will not receive the same luxury it seems.
    Your website has proven wonderful with so many avenues of information. It has given me good and bad news about Zoe coming home with me. I can’t believe 3 months is not long enough & I should have started the process in March to bring her with me in October. I am heartbroken as she is such a “people” cat, she is disturbed if I am away for a week, let alone 4 months without me (and let’s not even start how I am going to cope without her furry hugs). Then the 10 days without visits !!!!! 🙁
    I am a little lost today and need to process this information further. Please please direct me to any other companies or agencies that might offer the help I mention (not the travel companies. Though they are great with logistics, they can’t help much with actual options or possibilities of special consideration etc).
    Thank you again.

    • BobinOz July 20, 2016, 11:40 pm |

      Unless anybody else knows anything different, I think you’re best options for assistance with this would be by firstly using a vet who knows exactly how this whole process works. I believe there are vets that are somehow endorsed by Australia for this purpose in some way.

      Secondly, you will also get help from a good pet exporter company. They don’t just help with the transport, they do also know how this process works. What you need to do is find a company local to you, preferably one that is IPATA registered, if you Google that you will see who they are.

      There are no shortcuts I’m afraid, so I think you’ll need to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. Good luck, Bob

    • Sean July 21, 2016, 3:25 pm |

      Hi Tara,

      Bob is correct. There is no way to shorten the process and as Canada is a Category 3 country it will take at the bare minimum 7-8 months for the process to be completed. Any attempt to try to shorten the process will see part all all of it rejected by the Department of agriculture and the process will have to be started over. Any attempt to bring the Cat in without completing the process will see it returned to Canada or destroyed. Nobody would want that.

      Regards
      Sean

  • Ederlee Anne Rodrigo July 2, 2016, 2:44 am |

    Hi! I would like to ask what is Baggy’s breed? Im planning to bring my 5 furry babies which are shih tzu from Philippines to Australia 🙁 what airlines shipped Baggy? Thank you so much

    • BobinOz July 3, 2016, 1:25 am |

      Baggy was a chocolate lab, and I think he flew with British Airways. We came from the UK to Australia though, so I’m sure you would probably need to select a different airline to bring your pets over from Philippines.

      • Ashleigh September 13, 2016, 6:54 pm |

        Hey BobinOz,

      • Ashleigh September 13, 2016, 6:56 pm |

        Hey BobinOz, I’ve also got a chocolate lab and want to bring him to Australia. If my company are looking to get me over there by the end of the year, how long did your process take (was it recently you done it?), and whats the rough costs I’d be looking at? – any help apprecaited! 🙂

        • BobinOz September 13, 2016, 11:42 pm |

          I think we started the process about six months in advance, maybe more, but for us it was nine years ago now, things may well have changed. If you click through on the ‘Visit cat-dogs’ link in the above article and go through the calculator, it will tell you exactly what the timeline is these days. As for cost, that depends where you’re coming from, but if your company wants you to move for them, maybe they should foot the bill? 🙂

    • J September 27, 2016, 4:59 pm |

      Hi! I flew my shih tzu from Aus to america in cabin! If you fly through united airlines and provide them with a medical certificate stating they are your emotional therapy dog then they can fly cabin with you..but this would be to one dog..unless your other family members do the same..i would not put them in cargo..too risky given their smoothed faces! and they are very sensitive dogs too!

      • BobinOz October 2, 2016, 6:04 pm |

        That may have worked for you Australia to America, but I don’t think it will work for anyone wanting to arrive in Australia with their dog. As far as I am aware, all dogs and cats arriving here on international flights would need to be in the designated cargo area under quarantine conditions.

      • Natalie March 4, 2017, 6:23 am |

        Hi J! – How hard was it to apply for a medical certificate in order to have your dog fly in the cabin with you? Just curious. I couldn’t go that route anyway as my dog is about 72 lbs..but just wondering.

        Great blog by the way BobinOz!! Thank you for all the info and advice.

        • Mark March 4, 2017, 8:31 am |

          Before so many are tempted to use one of the many unregulated outfits to gain a certificate for an emotional support dog you are now wasting your time and money as both airlines and country entry programs are cracking right down Only ESA;s trained and authorised by a recognised assistance dog training institution, which can provide confirmation of specialised training are allowed . These suitable institutions are member organisations of the International Guide Dog Federation or Assistance Dogs International and are accredited. No longer is some ‘one click’ and a few questions and your registered allowed. Australia and UK are strict USA is following.

  • lea villani June 15, 2016, 9:04 pm |

    Hi Bob
    Thank you for all info on your website
    I’m trying to bring my 2 cats from France to Sydney, and I found several answers on internet on how we can bring them. Can we choose the airlines company, or do we have to pay for an import company?
    Thank you again
    P.S: I miss so much my 2 pets :’)

    • BobinOz June 16, 2016, 9:32 pm |

      Hi Lea

      Thanks, glad you like.

      I think you can probably choose which airline your cats go with, but you may find it difficult to book it yourself direct. I think most airlines prefer that you go through an import company. That may be an obstacle you will need to get over or you may just need to use an import company and specify which airline you would like to use.

      That’s all I know, does anybody else have any information about this?

    • Kelly June 16, 2016, 10:18 pm |

      Hi!
      I am in the process of bringing my dog to Melbourne from Norway. I think it depends which country you are going from. In Norway there is only really one service provider who organises pet cargo and they have different airlines as partners. If you are going to deal with airlines directly, make sure they do have good pet hotels when they transit and that the pet doesn’t cross over to domestic area…because that is a no no for Australian authorities… And also that the crate is according to IATA standards.

      • Aldas September 26, 2016, 10:05 pm |

        Hei Kelly, did you use Sas to deliver your dog? How did it go or going? Can i concract you somehow? We also planning to go to Australia from Norway. We have toy poodle. What is yours dog breed?

  • Itak May 23, 2016, 6:50 pm |

    I am amazed how cruel is the Australian government to the pets and pet lovers. I understand there is native flora and fauna to be protected. But lets not over do it. In the last 200 years the Brits did an amazing job in destroying the Australian environment anyway. Rabbits, feral cats, 2/3 of forest gone…
    I believe it is just a money making machine for the Australian government.
    Hope it will change soon. If you have a look how the Aborigines were treated till 1969 (animals) and still many live in special reserves (zoos) – then you kind of stop wondering. Same with refugees living in concentration camps placed in remote areas, away from anyone, with no schooling provided for the children. But the world opinion and pressure will change it slowly. Hopefully. Cheers.

    • Sean May 23, 2016, 9:28 pm |

      Hmmm…well i have to agree we Aussies arent as easy going and nice to our pets as most European countries. The first hand stories of how the British Government allows pets into businesses and stuff is amazing and I wish our Governments allowed the same thing. Yes many un-australian animals were introduced that over the centuries have caused problems, its probably why our Quarantine laws are so extremely tight now and nobody is allowed to flout them…Johnny Depp with Boo and Pistol are good examples.

      As for the rest of your post, all I can say as a 5th Generation Australia of English origin and a Father with a Masters Degree in Aboriginal Studies and Culture is that perhaps you should do som wider reading. You actually may learn something. Nobody is saying how the aboriginies where treated Pre-1969 was a good thing but on the flip side in the right measure it did give them a chance to learn about how money worked. Stopping that has just worked so well for them hasnt it in their current “Communities”, oh yes, they are “Aboriginal Communitues” generally located on their traditional land. So im not really sure which political propaganda your reading but i suggest the bin is a good place for it because its fed you lies.

      As for the illegal immigrants that you claim are living in concentration camps in remote locations, I suggest you throw that book out as well. At present the illegal immigrants that chose to spend thousands of dollars (US Dollars ill add) to people smugglers are actually generally on manus island with quite a few PNG locals, they have schools for the children, a brand new state of the art hospital and three meals a day, along with relatively all the modcons they could need (except for when they decide to destroy or burn it all down, then they need to wait a while for it all to be rebuilt and replaced) at Australian TAXPAYER EXPENSE mind you.

      At least the deaths at sea of the people and children has stopped and the criminal people smugglers stealing the rest of what money they may have had left has stopped. Oddly though, those on the “leftist” side of politics seem to what those deaths to restart, which I find odd considering they believe they are “the most moral and hold the higher moral ground”. Never knew those that claimed they held the moral high ground would want people to die at sea and would want criminals to prosper from the misery of those they claim are less fortunate…odd dont you think??

      Oh, and no..world opinion and pressure will not change it. Australia takes in more refugees per capita than ANY other country in the world followed closely by Canada and Europe has now realised our method is the best and will soon follow our example.

      Seriously…throw that book away its made you look silly.

      PS: Bob, i apologise to you for this reply but i cant stand so called moralist trying to lecture Australians on their country with obvious crap being sprouted by somebody that obiously has bothered to properly educate themselves at all. As a person who has had many Aboriginal friends over my life and a part aboriginal wife im not going to sit around and allow my beautiful, diverse and wonderful country be maligned by an imbicile.

      • BobinOz May 24, 2016, 5:20 pm |

        No need to apologise Sean, if somebody has a pop at Australia, you have every right to respond and defend our country. I am pleased you answered this person before I did, because you clearly have a much better understanding about this situation the most people and you are certainly far more knowledge about it than I do about it.

        I do know though, as do most people living here in Australia, that it wasn’t so long ago that the boats just kept coming and coming and it’s a very dangerous and perilous journey across those seas. Too many people died, and way too many children, so it’s hard to see how putting a stop to that can be a bad thing.

        At Itak, this post is about bringing your pet to Australia, please stay on subject. Any further politically motivated comments that are off subject, even with an attempted flimsy link to the real subject matter as you’ve used here, will be deleted in future.

  • Scott Watson April 25, 2016, 8:32 pm |

    Hi Bob
    Quick Question for you, How was Baggy after the long Flight? My wife and I are planning on relocating to OZ from UK and taking our cat and dog but im just worried encase the flight traumatises them? thank you

    • Leanne April 25, 2016, 10:49 pm |

      Hey Scott
      We brought 6 back to Perth from Mauritius via KL via Singapore via Sydney quarantine which was a very long trip for them all but I was impressed with the care they were given – especially the 11 year old dog and the very nervous freaked-out-by-everything cat by the Singapore quarantine and Sydney quarantine staff (& we were lucky enough to have a couple of Bob’s wife company’s staff visit the girls as well).
      I think the pets deal with things far better than we think they will. It is a long trip from the UK but they will probably sleep for the majority of it.

    • Sean Bennetts April 26, 2016, 7:26 am |

      Hi Scott,
      Pets seem to cope with the export much better than the humans I think. They shouldn’t have a problem and depending on the airlines you use they are usually extremely well treated on the flights and stop overs.

      Please be aware that you will be looking at from 9 to 6 months of preparation before you can export them, so its probably a good idea that when you know what date you want to relocate to Oz that you contact a transport company for details about what you need to do. If you would like to do most of it yourself and make it less expensive, then Petmoves Import Consultancy can do a personalise import plan to Austraila for you allowing you to do most of the process yourself and paying far less for the export over all, it will also give you the time frames that specific things need to be done before you and your pets leave. You can find out more about Petmoves Import Consultancy at:

      http://www.petmoves.com.au

      Regards
      Sean

      • BobinOz April 26, 2016, 5:07 pm |

        Scott, it’s not really a question I can answer, we were still in England when he arrived at quarantine in Sydney. We had him flown to us from Sydney into Brisbane 30 days later when we had arrived.

        All I can tell you is he looked fine, fit and healthy, the 30 days in quarantine didn’t seem to have done him any harm at all.

      • scott May 1, 2016, 1:59 am |

        thanks sean, I had a look on the link and I went to get a quote but for some reason it wont let me progress because it doesn’t recognise my postcode.

        • Sean Bennetts May 1, 2016, 12:58 pm |

          Hi Scott,
          Ohh…Thanks for that, I’ll get that fixed for you. We sometimes forget in Australia that not every country uses simple numbers as Postcodes, so thats probably what the problem was. I have organised for that to be fixed and it should be done in the next couple of hours to allow Letters and symbols as well as numbers. Thank you for letting me know. Alternatively you can email me personally with the information if you like.

          Regards
          Sean

    • scott May 1, 2016, 2:04 am |

      o

      • scott May 2, 2016, 2:16 am |

        hi sean,
        I will try again and see if it works, I have also sent an email through the (contact us) tab on the website if that’s any help.

        Regards
        Scott

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