Prepare early if you want to move your pets to Australia.
Australia keeps a tight border and has strict rules on animal importation. The types of animals and the countries they come from decide the endeavor's degree of complexity. If you plan to move to Australia and bring your cherished pet with you, research and start getting things done early, because there may be a long list of procedures that your pet needs to go through. Your pet may also face quarantine upon reaching Australia, so prepare yourself thoroughly for this undertaking.
Instructions
1. Check that your pet is a type of animal that Australia allows into the country. From the US, you can only bring cats, dogs and horses with you. Only New Zealand birds and rabbits can enter Australia, and no other animals can make it into the country. You can find and buy fish, guinea pigs, hamsters, snakes and many other animals in Australia, but you cannot import them.
The offspring of crossbreeding between domestic cats and serval or savannah cats (Felis serval) is not allowed into Australia. Some purebred dogs cannot enter Australia, namely Dogo Argentino, Fila Brazileiro, Japanese Tosa, Pit Bull Terrier or American Pit Bull, and Perro de Presa Canario or Presa Canario. Any other cat or dog hybrids cannot be imported into Australia unless they are at least five generations removed from their wild ancestors.
2. Confirm the eligibility of your cat or dog. It must have been living in the country of export continuously for at least six months before the move, or since direct importation from Australia. It must be at least 6 months old and it must not be under quarantine restrictions. It must not be more than three weeks pregnant, nor can it still be suckling.
3. Implant a microchip in your pet that can be scanned using Avid, Trovan, Destron or other ISO-compatible readers. This is important because AQIS will send your pet back to the US if the microchip is different from the one identified in the import permit or cannot be read upon arrival in Australia.
4. Get your dog or cat vaccinated against rabies with an approved inactivated rabies virus vaccine within 12 months of export and when it is at least 3 months old. Request for a vaccination certificate from your vet; you'll need it to get an import permit.
5. Find a government-approved vet and a government-approved laboratory by contacting the government veterinary administration, which is the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the US. Conduct a Rabies Neutralizing Antibody Titer Test (RNATT) on your pet between 60 days and 12 months before the move, or between 150 days and 12 months before the move if your pet is pregnant. Do this as early to shorten the quarantine time to the minimum 30 days if possible, because your pet can only be released from quarantine at least 180 days after the date that the blood is sampled. The result of RNATT is valid for 12 months.
6. Locate an official government veterinarian who works in the USDA. Show him copies of the RNATT laboratory report and rabies vaccination certificate, then have him complete an RNATT Declaration.
7. Apply for an AQIS import permit within six months of your intended import date. If all supporting documents are complete, AQIS should issue the permit within 10 working days. You can pay the applicable fees by credit card or check.
8. Contact AQIS to book tentative quarantine accommodation for your pet. There are three quarantine stations that you can choose from: Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
9. Book travel arrangements for your pet. The flight should arrive in Australia between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
10. Confirm your booking at the quarantine station.
11. Get a vet to administer general vaccinations to your dog or cat between if it's not up to date on its annual vaccinations.
12. Have a government approved veterinarian scan your dog's microchip and conduct blood tests within 30 days of export. If your dog has been to Africa, treat it for babesiosis within 28 days of export.
13. Bring your pet and all paperwork to a government approved vet to complete Veterinary Certificate A within four days of export. Treat your pet for internal and external parasites and have the vet examine your pet for external parasites.
14. Show your paperwork to an official government vet and have him complete Veterinary Certificate B. This is usually done on the day of departure. He should also scan the microchip to check it against the paperwork, record the identification number on Veterinary Certificate B, and seal your pet into its crate. Once sealed, it should not leave the crate, so provide water and comfortable bedding in the crate for your pet before sealing it.
15. Check the animal in at the freight terminal. All paperwork with original signature and stamp of the official government veterinarian must travel to Australia with your pet. Retain a copy of all documents for your record.
When your pet arrives in Australia, AQIS staff will collect it and provide housing and care during its quarantine period. You can visit and play with your pet in the quarantine station as soon as the day after its arrival. If your pet requires veterinary care during quarantine, AQIS will contact you to arrange for a private vet. Pay the quarantine costs before taking your pet home.
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