Bringing Your Pet from NZ to Australia: Quarantine Rules & Costs

11 July 2026

Two dogs in the bed of a pickup truck, one sitting and one standing, with trees and a road behind them.

Cats and dogs from New Zealand are in Group 1 of Australia's cat and dog import system, so they need no import permit and no quarantine if they meet the standard health certificate conditions. As at 12 October 2026, they must still travel as manifested cargo, carry an original veterinary health certificate and be checked on arrival.

Why NZ pets have it easier

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) classes New Zealand as a Group 1 country, an approved country of origin for cats and dogs, alongside Norfolk Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The veterinary health certificate certifies that New Zealand is free from rabies, Brucella canis, Leptospira canicola and indigenous cases of leishmaniasis. Pets from Group 3 countries, which include the UK and Canada and where rabies is present but well controlled, face a rabies titre test, a 180-day wait, an import permit and post-entry quarantine.

The process in outline

To qualify, your pet must have lived only in New Zealand since birth, or only in New Zealand since being imported from Australia, or, if it has ever lived in another country, in New Zealand for at least 180 days immediately before export. Those 180 days are a residency period, not a quarantine. Your pet must not be under quarantine restrictions, under 8 weeks old, more than 40 days pregnant or nursing. DAFF says to allow 1 to 2 months to organise health checks, tests and paperwork: a typical timeframe is about 1 month for a pet that has only lived in Australia or New Zealand, and at least 6 to 7 months for a pet that has lived elsewhere, depending on travel history.

1
Ask MPI which certificate you need
New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) decides which veterinary health certificate your pet needs: a pre-printed export certificate (AUPET9) from a vet at an MPI listed veterinary practice, or an official assurance certificate (AUPETOA9) from an MPI official veterinarian. MPI can help you find a listed vet (animalexports@mpi.govt.nz).
2
Microchip and vet preparations
Your pet needs an ISO-compliant microchip, scanned at each vet visit. A vet at an MPI listed practice treats for external parasites with a topical product and for internal parasites, each within 5 days before export. A dog that has not lived in New Zealand since birth (or since arriving from Australia) also needs a negative Leishmania infantum test on a blood sample taken after 21 days in New Zealand.
3
Final vet check and certificate
Within 5 days before export, the vet examines your pet for external parasites and signs of infectious disease and issues the veterinary health certificate. It must be an original, because copies are not accepted.
4
Book travel and notify Australia
Your pet must go directly from New Zealand to mainland Australia, by air as manifested cargo (not in the cabin) in an IATA-approved crate, or by sea. Email the department's regional office at the first point of entry at least 3 days before arrival. You pay all transport costs.

Costs to expect

There is no import permit fee and no quarantine charge for pets that meet the standard conditions. DAFF charges for the time taken to assess the documents that arrive with your pet, usually collected by the airline and shown on the air waybill. You also pay the MPI listed vet for the examination, parasite treatments and certificate, and all transport costs. Airfreight quotes vary, so get quotes early.

Key Takeaways

New Zealand is a Group 1 country, so cats and dogs that meet the standard health certificate conditions need no import permit and no quarantine.
Your pet needs an ISO-compliant microchip and an original veterinary health certificate from an MPI listed vet or an MPI official veterinarian, issued at an examination within 5 days before export.
By air, pets from New Zealand must travel as manifested cargo (not in the cabin) in an IATA-approved crate, directly to mainland Australia.
Confirm current requirements with DAFF before booking anything. DAFF says import conditions can change without notice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my pet need to go into quarantine on arrival?

No. DAFF says there is no quarantine period for cats and dogs from New Zealand that meet the standard conditions. A biosecurity officer checks your pet and its documents at the first point of entry in Australia and releases it if everything matches.

Are all breeds eligible?

No. DAFF bans some hybrid cats and dogs and some pure-bred dogs, as listed in the warning above, and Bengal cats are no longer permitted from 1 March 2026. Mixed-breed dogs are allowed if they meet all other conditions.

Can my pet fly in the cabin?

No. By air, your cat or dog must travel as manifested cargo, not in the cabin, in an IATA-approved crate. Do not book a connecting flight within 1 hour of your pet arriving in Australia, because DAFF needs at least that long to release and clear it.

If you are paying vets, airlines or a pet transport company in a different currency, or sending savings across to cover costs at the Australian end, compare transfer providers such as Wise, TorFX, Currencies Direct and Instarem before you convert. Our guide to moving money from New Zealand to Australia sets them side by side.

Your pet's travel is separate from your belongings. Our guide to shipping your household from New Zealand to Australia covers the options, and Send My Bag is worth a quote if you would rather not carry extra luggage on the flight.

Sources

DAFF, How to bring your cat or dog to Australia from New Zealand (Group 1 country) (page last updated 26 June 2026, read 12 October 2026)
DAFF, How to bring your dog to Australia from a Group 3 country (page last updated 20 February 2026), used for the UK and Canada comparison
DAFF, Step-by-step guides to bring your cat or dog to Australia

Import conditions can change without notice. Check DAFF's pages before you travel.

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