You dont have javascript enabled! Please enable it!

Pet Shipping to Australia

Pet Shipping to Australia Introduction

Accredited Veterinarians can electronically submit health certificates for USDA APHIS endorsement through VEHCS (Veterinary Export Health Certification System).

But don’t let that scare you. As long as your furry beloved has all his paperwork in order, he will be welcomed with open paws. The Australian Department of Agriculture provides step-by-step guides to help you, but you’ll find all the basics below.

Pet Travel Microchip & Vaccinations Requirements

  • Microchip

    Pet must be identified by a microchip that can be read by an Avid, Trovan, Destron or other ISO compatible reader. Microchip must be scanned and recorded at each vet visit.

  • Rabies Vaccine

    Your dog must be vaccinated with an inactivated rabies vaccine that:

    • was given in an approved country when the dog was at least 90 days old
    • is valid, in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions, at the time of export
    • is approved for use in dogs by the competent authority of the country of export
    • Rabies vaccinations with a three (3) year validity are acceptable if given in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Other Vaccines - Dogs

    Leptospira interrogans, Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza and Bordetella bronchiseptica as well as CIV (Canine Influenza Virus). Pet has to be fully vaccinated more than 14 days before the export

  • FAVN - Rabies Titer Blood Test

    Wait 3-4 weeks between the rabies vaccination and the blood sample collection for the RNAT test.  If the dog has a history of regular rabies vaccinations, it may be possible to collect the blood sample sooner. A result of 0.5 IU/ml or more is acceptable. The RNAT test is valid for 24 months from the date of blood sampling.

    The dog is not eligible for export to Australia until at least one hundred and eighty (180) days after the blood sample arrives at the lab for this RNAT test (with a satisfactory result). There is no requirement for the dog to stay in an approved country during this period.

    Note: There are no exceptions or dispensations available for this mandatory 180 day waiting period.

  • RNATT Declaration

    An official government veterinarian (not the government approved veterinarian) in the country of export must check the RNAT test laboratory report and rabies vaccination certificate and complete, sign and stamp the RNAT test declaration.

  • Import Permit

    Once the RNAT Declaration has been endorsed by the USDA, apply for the import permit. The import permit will be valid for 12 months or until the Rabies Neutralizing Antibody Titer (RNAT) test expires, whichever occurs first

  • Quarantine Space

    Apply for quarantine space. Dogs must spend at least 10 days at the Mickleham post entry quarantine facility. 

  • External Parasite Treatment

    A government approved veterinarian must treat the dog with a product that kills ticks and fleas on contact at least 21 days before blood collection for Ehrlichia canis antibody testing. Continuous protection from external parasites must be maintained until the time of export and treatments may need to be repeated by the veterinarian in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions. To calculate 21 days after initial external parasite treatment, count the day the treatment is applied as day 0.

  • Ehrlichia Canis Testing

    A government approved veterinarian must scan and verify the animal’s microchip and collect a blood sample at least 21 days after external parasite treatment starts (Step 10) and within 45 days before export. The sample must be tested for Ehrlichia canis infection by an Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT) for the detection of IgG antibodies. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests or an IFAT for the detection of IgM antibodies are not accepted. The test must produce a negative result at a dilution of 1:40.

  • Brucella Canis Testing

    • If the dog is desexed it doesn’t need testing for Brucellosis (evidence of desexing may be requested by the competent authority in the exporting country or the department).

      OR
    • If the dog is not desexed, a government approved veterinarian must scan and verify the animal’s microchip and collect a blood sample to be tested for Brucella canis using a rapid slide agglutination test (RSAT), a tube agglutination test (TAT) or an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) within 45 days before the date of export.
    • The test must produce a negative result.
    • The dog must not be mated or artificially inseminated from 14 days before blood sampling until export.
  • Leishmania Infantum

    A government-approved veterinarian must scan and verify the animal’s microchip and collect a blood sample to be tested for Leishmania Infantum using either an Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT) or an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) within 45 days before the date of export. The test must produce a negative result.

  • Leptospira Interrogans Serovar Canicola testing

    This step only applies if the dog has not been vaccinated against Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola as per Step 9.

    • A government approved veterinarian must scan and verify the animal’s microchip and collect a blood sample to be tested for Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola using a microscopic agglutination test (MAT) within 45 days before the date of export.
    • The test must produce a negative result (less than 50% agglutination) at a serum dilution of 1:100.
  • Internal Parasite Treatments

    A government approved veterinarian must treat the dog twice with an internal parasite treatment effective against internal parasites (nematodes and cestodes). The two treatments must be administered at least 14 days apart and within 45 days before export. The second treatment must be given within five (5) days before export.

  • Health Certificate/Exam

    The dog must be examined by a government approved veterinarian or an official government veterinarian and found to be free from external parasites and clinical signs of infectious or contagious disease within five (5) days before export. An official government veterinarian must complete, sign and stamp all pages of the veterinary health certificate.

Pet Import Documentation

The original documents below must travel with your pet when we collect them.

  • Proof of Microchip.
  • Rabies Vaccination Certificate.
  • Routine Vaccination Certificate.
  • Blood test results.
  • International Health Certificate (unless we are handling this).
  • Australia Health Certificate (unless we are handling this).

Read Our Reviews

5.0
Based on 187 Reviews
google

With snow storms and a pandemic Heather managed to get my cat from Atlanta to Dublin! She communicated so well with me and I couldn’t be more grateful for all of her help. I would highly recommend Continental Pet Relocation to anyone trying to get their pet across the ocean!

Alice Boyle 03/01/2021
google

Heather was easy to get in touch with. The process went smoothly and our three animals arrived safely and happily in Germany. We will recommend this company to our friends and use them to bring our fur babies back home.

Bobby Cyr 11/13/2019
google

Continental Pet helped me relocate my cat, Panther, to England Oct 2020 and they did a wonderful job. Kristi and Heather were flexible with our last minute bookings and all the paperwork changes that Covid-19 entailed. They helped me through each phase of the process and gave me really useful checklists far in advance for the vet visits and forms needed for travel. Panther was so cared for! And Kristi and Heather made themselves available at all times for texts and calls. Can't recommend them enough! I wanted the best for my little guy and know I got it using their services.

google

I am very thankful I picked Continental Pet Relocation to coordinate my Great Dane and Irish Wolfhound safe travel from USA to Europe. The team was on top of every detail concerning the move. The move overseas was already stressful but knowing my dogs travel was taken care of by the professionals at Continental Pet Relocation provided me a peace of mind. I highly recommend Continental Pet Relocation and will use them again.

Amy Smith 01/27/2021
google

I would highly recommend using Continental Pet Relocation. My husband and I will use them if we ever need to move our dog overseas again! Heather and Katie were very quick to respond and made the whole process very easy! We moved our Portuguese Water Dog from the US to Germany. The original departure date was canceled due to strikes for Lufthansa. Katie made sure we were updated and worked with us to get our pup out as soon as possible.

google

I was extremely nervous about shipping our 80 lbs lab to Germany, especially during the covid crisis with limited flights. Heather made the process easy with detailed instructions, and took care of everything. She is flexible as well which was great when my vets office took longer than anticipated for paperwork. She even updated me about her flight status and offered to help with process of picking her up in Germany. My dog was well taken care of at the boarding facility before her flight and was happy when she got off the plane.

google

We cannot thank Kristi and Heather enough for getting our two dogs and cat shipped from North Carolina to Austria. They made everything super easy and they are so knowledgeable in the process of shipping pets. They replied to every question I had almost immediately. Kept us informed every step of the way. They really remove the stress out of what would have been a stressful situation. I highly recommend them and they’ll be my first call should we need to move again. Thanks so much Kristi and Heather. Best regards, David and Laura.

David Beachy 01/18/2021
google

Heather was amazingly responsive to all my inquiries when we shipped our Rhodesian Ridgeback back to the US and needed ground transportation from GA to NC. She kept us updated when our dog’s flight was detoured to Charlotte, and when she finally landed in Atlanta. Ground transportation was speedy, and our old dog was in great hands. We will definitely use them again.

J Loomis 08/02/2020
google

Spectacular service! I was extremely stressed throughout the whole process of shipping my Lab from the US to Germany but the staff at CPR practically took me by the hand made it all seem easy! The near daily communication and instructions were succinct and accurate, my questions were answered promptly and there was always a thorough follow-up as I completed each step of the process. A truly amazing service! Thank you!

google

I am genuinely grateful for Heather and Kristi at Continental Pet Relocation. They have gone above and beyond to get my fur babies from North Carolina to Okinawa, Japan. I never recommend doing things last minute; however, when our two pet shipper companies failed me and my family, Heather and Kristi were able to do the impossible with such little time. I cannot say thank you enough to them and the rest of their team. I completely trusted them, and I made the right choice! Thank you, Continental Pet Relocation, for all you’ve done for my family and me!

Anna Kallal 10/06/2022
google

We were moving from Germany to the US in the middle of the pandemic, needing to book flights right as the CDC announced their rabies ban and airlines stopped flying dogs. Heather was communicative, understanding, and so helpful. Her team was consistently professional. They were also just kind people, which goes such a long way for nervous pet parents hoping to ensure their baby gets to their destination safely. We are so grateful that we reached out to Continental.

google

Heather and Kristi were fantastic and so helpful when we relocated our small 20lb dog, Rexi, from Seattle to London, while personally and professionally handling lots of twists, turns and unexpected challenges with logistics. Couldn’t have imagined shipping her on our own, and so thankful for their help with everything. We’re now all settled in and exploring the UK! Thanks again and highest recommendation for those considering shipping a pet!

Passionate Pet Shippers! Continental Pet Relocation -Helping families to relocate their pets worldwide.

Jujubee is headed to The UK! 🇺🇸 ✈️ 🇬🇧 #basset #bassethound #mixedbreed #spaniel #pettravel #petrelocation #petshipping
Ash arrived from Russia and is reunited with his family! 
🇷🇺 ✈️ 🇺🇸 #corgi #welshcorgi #petrelocation #pettravel #petshipping
Snoopy and Coco! #doodle #poodle #goldendoodle #goldenretriever #terrier #snoopy #coco
🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩”Ubbe made it to my parents in South Korea and he is doing great! I wanted to thank you all so so much for all you did to help make the process of moving him easy and for how responsive and understanding you all have been. You all were efficient and very communicative. I appreciate all of your hard work because it made me way less anxious about the move. I cannot say thank you enough for everything!” #happydog #worldtraveler #siberianhusky #husky
Loki is united with his new family! 🇺🇸 ✈️ 🇨🇭
It was a pleasure working with @moving_animals! #goldenretriever #golden #newpuppy #petshipping #retriever #petrelocation #petrravel
top 3 reasons you NEED a pet shipper! anything we missed?

#petrelocation #pettravel #dogsofinstagram #pettransport #petsofinstagram #dogs #travel #cats #petshipping #relocation #petshippingexperts #relocationexperts #vetservices #veterinarian #usda #lufthansa #klm #americanairlines #britishairways #internationalpettravel #internationalrelocation #internationalpet
Gary is ready for his trip to bring home the gold at The Veneto Open Sheepdog Trial 2024 in Italy. We are honored to be a part of “Team Gary”! 
🐶 🇺🇸 ✈️ 🇳🇱 🚘 🇬🇧 🚘 🇮🇹 🏆 🐶 🐑 🐑 🐑 🐑 🚘 🇳🇱 ✈️ 🇺🇸 #bordercollie #sheepherding #pettravel #petrelocation #petshipping #klm
Summit is traveling to Germany! 🇺🇸✈️🇩🇪#pettravel #petshipping #petrelocation #military #pcs #pcsorders #pcsing #petshippingexperts #lufthansa
Lottie’s adventure begins! She’s spending a few days with our friends at Pet Paradise while the movers pack her house. She will have her health check up and will be flying to London later this week! #bernedoodle #minibernedoodle #bernesemountaindog #poodle #newdayveterinarycare #petparadise
🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩Billy arrived Spain and is reunited with his family! Thanks @premierpettravelsl for your wonderful care in Spain! 🇺🇸 ✈️ 🇪🇸 
“Billy did so well last night, he’s already running around the yard. Thank you so much for all your help! I feel complete now. Stuart was so great! He waited for me to get to the airport after getting stuck in traffic. He walked him and helped me get the crate in the car. You guys are such a great company. I contacted four other companies. I appreciate everything”
-Ashley
Beau is traveling from Japan to the US! 🇯🇵 ✈️ 🇺🇸 #maremmasheepdog #maremma #petrelocation #pettravel #petshipping #allnipponairways #ana
Tito is traveling from Italy to The US! 🇮🇹 ✈️ 🇺🇸 Thanks to our friends at @relocatitaly for services in Italy! #pettravel #petrelocation #petshipping #klm #klmairlines
Cosmo is traveling from Italy to The US! 🇮🇹✈️🇺🇸 Thanks to @relocatitaly for their assistance in Italy! #petshipping #petrelocation #pettravel #klm #klmairlines
It warms my heart to see how happy Sophie is at @dancingcreekfarm! She’s in such good hands! Love too see her meeting new friends to spend time with before she relocates to Bermuda!
Elliot’s mom sent a nice message about our Katie! 
“Katie I would like to remind you. You are the best. You exceeded all expectations. You must  be commend you for excellent work. It’s fulfilling to know that you give your best thank you. I am very grateful I was able to work with you. Maybe some day you can visit me somewhere on the globe. 
Again thanks a million 💐❤️” ~Shanmatie 

Elliot is traveling to South Korea! 
🇺🇸 ✈️ 🇰🇷 #dachshund #pettravel #petrelocation #petshipping
Comet and Hermes traveled to Japan! 🇺🇸 ✈️ 🇯🇵 #collie #shepherd #petrelocation #pettravel #petshipping #usmilitary #pcsing #militarypcs
Thanks to winter storm “Heather”, Summer’s flight was cancelled so she will be spending a little more time with family until we can get her flight rebooked. You can tell by her name that Summer doesn’t like snow 🥶😂. #petshippingadventures #winterstormheather #winterstorm2024
error: Alert: Content selection is disabled!!