Want to visit Australia with your pet? You should be aware that Australia, like most other countries, has a specific policy for importing pets. The requirements for moving animals differ depending on which country you are coming from.

In order for your pet (cat or dog) to be able to enter Australia, you must:

• Obtain an official import permit through the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website and pay for it. The exceptions are New Zealand and Norfolk Island, for these countries, an entry permit is not required;

• Upon arrival, pets are subject to mandatory quarantine for a minimum of 10 days. Cats and dogs from New Zealand, Cocos and Norfolk Islands are exempt from quarantine;

• All pets must be identified with an ISO standard microchip (readable by Avid, Trovan, Destron, etc.). If your pet's microchip is not read, it will be denied entry into Australia;

• It is important that your pet has mandatory vaccinations. For dogs, these are vaccinations against rabies, leptospirosis, distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza and bordetelliosis. For cats – vaccinations against rabies, feline enteritis, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus;

• Within 48 days prior to departure to Australia, dogs must be tested for the following infections: Ehrlichia canis, Brucella canis, Leishmania infantum and Leptospira Canicola (if the pet is not vaccinated against leptospirosis). Data on analyzes and vaccinations must be indicated in the pet's veterinary certificate;

• Cats and dogs should be treated for external and internal parasites;

• Within 5 days before departure, all animals must undergo a clinical examination by a veterinarian, who must confirm the absence of parasites and signs of disease in the pet;

• You need to provide a veterinary certificate. The certificate must be completed and certified by a competent veterinarian within 5 days prior to departure.

If your country is in Group 3, your pet will also need to be tested for rabies antibody titer. After that, the competent veterinarian in your country must fill out an official declaration of carrying out an antibody test on the sample. Group 3 includes most of the EU countries, Canada, Israel, South Korea, the UK, the United Arab Emirates, the USA, etc. You can see which group your country belongs to here.

Breeds of dogs that are considered dangerous to society are prohibited from being imported into Australia. These include:

• Dogo Argentino;

• Fila Brasileiro;

• Japanese Tosa;

• American Pit Bull Terrier;

• Perro de Presa Canario (Presa Canario);

• Any dog-wolf hybrids.

Remember that pets are only allowed to enter Australia from approved countries. Approved countries are those that have been able to demonstrate that they have competent veterinary services and that their pets are in a satisfactory state of health. However, this does not mean that you cannot bring your pet to Australia if you live in a non-approved country.

In order to transport animals from non-approved countries, you will first need to transport them to one of the approved (countries 2 and 3 groups). Depending on the country, quarantine for the animal may be required, after which you can prepare for the trip in accordance with veterinary requirements. Please note that all necessary vaccinations and tests must be carried out in one of the laboratories of the approved country through which you are travelling to Australia.

In case of non-compliance with veterinary requirements, your pet may remain in quarantine for more than 10 days, undergo additional tests, be sent to the country of export, or be euthanized.

Be sure to check Australia's detailed import requirements for pets on the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website. If you have any questions, you can contact the department on 1800 900 090 or online.