Bringing a dog or cat to Australia: the DAFF pathway and the 180-day wait
Australia only accepts cats and dogs prepared in an approved country — a Group 2 (rabies-free) or Group 3 (rabies present but well controlled) country. If your pet is starting from a country Australia does not approve, the whole pathway must be completed from an approved country where the pet has lived at least 180 days first. The approved-country pathway is one of the strictest in the world, built around a rabies blood test and a 180-day wait, and it ends in quarantine near Melbourne.
This page tells you where the official rule is and what it says. It is not the rule and it is not legal advice. The official source decides, and the official source is the one that counts if this page and it ever disagree.
Australia’s two non-negotiables are a rabies blood test (RNATT) and a 180-day wait from the blood sample before your pet can fly — plus an import permit and post-entry quarantine at Mickleham. Plan at least 6 months end to end.
At a glance
The whole journey in order. Every point below is spelled out in full further down.
- Confirm your country’s group status (or route via an approved country)
- Microchip, rabies vaccine and the RNATT blood test
- Serve the 180-day waiting period
- Apply for the import permit via BICON
- Fly to Melbourne and complete quarantine at Mickleham
Entering Australia — the DAFF import rules
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) runs a strict, category-based import system. Pets are prepared in an approved Group 2 or Group 3 country, then must pass a rabies blood test, wait 180 days, hold a permit, and complete quarantine on arrival.
Authority: Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)
Confirm your country’s group status and allow at least 6 monthsDon't get this wrong
Australia only accepts cats and dogs prepared in an approved country. Approved countries are split into Group 2 (rabies-free, shorter pathway) and Group 3 (rabies present but well controlled, full pathway). If your pet starts in a country Australia does not approve, you must complete the entire pathway from an approved Group 2 or 3 country where the pet has lived at least 180 days first. Plan at least 6 months end to end.
- Only approved Group 2 or Group 3 countries can prepare a pet
- Unapproved country: route via an approved country, 180-day residency
- Plan at least 6 months end to end
Microchip your pet (and consider an identity check to cut quarantine)Don't get this wrong
Your pet must have an ISO-compliant microchip (generally 10 or 15 digits; numbers starting with 999 are not accepted). A government-approved vet must scan the chip at every visit and before every blood draw. An optional identity check, done before the RNATT at a separate visit, cuts quarantine from a minimum of 30 days to a minimum of 10 days.
- ISO-compliant microchip (10 or 15 digits, not 999-series)
- Vet scans the chip at every visit and before every blood draw
- Optional identity check cuts quarantine from 30 to 10 days
Vaccinate against rabies, then pass the RNATT blood testDon't get this wrong
Your pet must be vaccinated against rabies with a vaccine approved in the country of export (for dogs, given when at least 84 days old). The RNATT blood sample is taken at least 3–4 weeks after primary vaccination, must be FAVN or RFFIT, and the result must be 0.5 IU/ml or higher. Vaccination must stay valid continuously through to export.
- Rabies vaccine approved in the country of export
- RNATT at least 3–4 weeks after primary vaccination
- FAVN or RFFIT, result 0.5 IU/ml or higher
Serve the mandatory 180-day waiting period after the RNATTDon't get this wrong
This is the single hardest date to get wrong. Your pet cannot be exported to Australia until at least 180 days after the RNATT blood sample arrives at the laboratory. There are no exceptions to the 180 days, and the RNATT is valid for 12 months from sampling, so export must fall between day 180 and month 12. This is not a quarantine — the pet lives with you during this time.
- 180 days counted from when the sample arrives at the lab
- No exceptions to the 180 days
- Export must fall between day 180 and month 12
Apply and pay for the Australian import permit via BICONDon't get this wrong
You must hold a valid biosecurity import permit before export, applied for through Australia’s Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON). You submit the RNATT lab report and an endorsed RNATT declaration. Most permits take 20–40 business days but can take up to 123, and the fee is paid in full at submission and is non-refundable.
- Apply in BICON before export
- Most permits: 20–40 business days; up to 123 possible
- Fee paid in full, non-refundable
Complete the other required tests, vaccinations and parasite treatments
Dogs from a Group 3 country need extra checks beyond rabies: Leptospira canicola (vaccinate or test negative), Brucella canis for un-desexed dogs, Leishmania infantum, and a full parasite schedule. External parasite treatment starts at least 30 days before export, and internal treatment is given twice within 45 days, 14 days apart, with the second dose within 5 days of export.
- Leptospira, Brucella and Leishmania tests for dogs
- External parasites: start at least 30 days before export
- Internal parasites: twice within 45 days, 14 days apart
Final vet check, health certificate and government endorsement
Within 5 days before export, a government-approved vet does a final clinical exam and completes the country-specific veterinary health certificate. Every page needs an original wet-ink stamp and an official vet signature, and the permit, certificate, lab reports and RNATT declaration all travel with the pet.
- Final clinical exam within 5 days before export
- Original wet-ink stamps and signatures, not copies
- Permit, certificate and lab reports travel with the pet
Fly to Melbourne and complete post-entry quarantine at MicklehamDon't get this wrong
The pet must arrive directly at Melbourne International Airport (no domestic transfers) as manifested cargo in an IATA-approved crate, then complete quarantine at the Mickleham facility: a minimum of 30 days, or 10 days with a valid identity check. The owner pays all quarantine fees before release, and non-compliance can mean longer quarantine, extra testing, re-export or euthanasia.
- Arrive directly into Melbourne, as manifested cargo
- Quarantine at Mickleham: minimum 30 days (10 with identity check)
- Owner pays all quarantine fees before release
The kit this move actually needs
Heads up: some links below are affiliate links. Buy through one and Animalsss may earn a small commission — it costs you nothing extra, and it never changes what we list. We put down the kit this particular move actually needs, and nothing we were paid to.
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An IATA-approved travel crate or carrier
Airlines check the container against the IATA live-animal rules before they will load it: hard-sided, well ventilated, and big enough for the animal to stand up and turn around. The wrong crate is the most common reason a booked pet gets bumped at the counter.
See options on Amazon → -
Clip-on food and water cups
The crate has to travel with bowls fixed inside that ground staff can top up without opening the door. Free-standing bowls do not count.
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Absorbent crate lining
A layer that holds an accident through a long leg keeps the animal dry and keeps the crate from being pulled off the ramp for leaking.
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"Live Animal" labels and orientation arrows
Most carriers want the crate marked LIVE ANIMAL with "This Way Up" arrows. A cheap sticker set beats hunting for a marker at check-in.
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An ID tag that reaches you at both ends
A number someone can actually answer on the day — not just your home line — is what reunites a pet with you if the crate and the paperwork get separated in transit.
See options on Amazon →
Moving a pet abroad? Get free quotes from relocation specialists
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Official sources
Every step above was read off one of these pages. They are the version that counts — check them before you travel or ship.
Common questions
The questions people ask most about this corridor, answered from the same official sources above.
How long does it take to bring a dog to Australia?
Plan at least 6 months end to end. The core of it is a rabies blood test (RNATT) followed by a mandatory 180-day wait before the pet can fly, plus an import permit and post-entry quarantine.
Can I bring a pet directly from an unapproved country to Australia?
No. Australia only accepts pets prepared in an approved Group 2 or Group 3 country. From an unapproved country, the whole pathway must be completed from an approved country where the pet has lived at least 180 days first.
How long is quarantine for a dog arriving in Australia?
A minimum of 30 days at the Mickleham facility near Melbourne, or a minimum of 10 days with a valid identity check done before the RNATT.
Where to go next
Everything Animalsss holds on these animals — care, prices and listings.
This page tells you where the official rule is and what it says. It is not the rule and it is not legal advice. The official source decides, and the official source is the one that counts if this page and it ever disagree.
Reviewed by the Animalsss Movement Desk. Last reviewed 12 Oct 2026. Written from the DAFF step-by-step guides; the RNATT, 180-day and quarantine rules checked against the category 3 guide for dogs.
This page is free to read and always will be. It is written from the official pages linked above; those pages can change, and if one has, the link is the fastest way to see what it says now.
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