Live cats and dogs arriving on private or chartered flights

Live cats and dogs can travel to Australia on a private or chartered flight. They must meet all import conditions.

This guide is for cats and dogs imported on a private or chartered flight. You must read it together with your relevant step-by-step guide.

Travel on a private or chartered flight

Your cat or dog can travel to Australia in the cabin of a private or chartered flight. They do not usually travel as manifested cargo.

All cats and dogs must meet Australia's import requirements.

Cats and dogs arriving on a private or chartered flight must arrive in Australia in a compliant crate. The crate must meet International Air Transport Association (IATA) guidelines.

Travelling in the cabin may present additional biosecurity risks. Because of this, your pet may need to meet additional or different import conditions.

These conditions:

• will be listed on your import permit
• help manage the additional biosecurity risks of in-cabin travel.

Travel from a Group 1 country

Cats and dogs may also arrive in Australia on a private or chartered flight from New Zealand and other Group 1 countries.

The import process and requirements are the same as for cats and dogs on a commercial flight. You must comply with all notification requirements outlined in your import conditions.

There are additional requirements if you intend to use a private or chartered flight:

• contact the department as early as possible to discuss your travel plans and allow us to make appropriate biosecurity arrangements before your cat or dog arrives
• submit your Notice of Intent (NOI) 3 days before your cat for dog arrives and state that they are travelling on a private or chartered flight
• ensure your cat or dog is securely crated before the aircraft enters Australian territory
• your cat or dog must remain securely in the crate until they have been inspected and cleared for release.

Find out more in your Group 1 step by step guide.

Travel from a Group 2 or 3 country

Apply for your import permit

When you apply for your import permit, you must tell us if you plan to use a private or chartered flight. Your import permit must include any additional conditions for this mode of travel.

If you already have an import permit and later decide to use a private or chartered flight, you must tell us before departure. Your cat or dog’s import permit must be varied to allow this change.

Fees will apply and must be paid before you receive the updated permit. You can request this through your BICON account.

If you are approved to use a private or chartered flight, your import permit will include extra conditions and instructions. It will include the requirement to notify us before travel.

Organise your flight

You can organise your flight yourself or use an agent. You or your charter agent must understand all requirements for importing cats and dogs into Australia. Make sure you are familiar with:

• bringing cats and dogs to Australia
• aircraft regulations and procedures
• approved arrangements (AA)
• the Australian Border Force (ABF)
• first point of entry requirements

Prepare your cat or dog

You must prepare your cat or dog to meet all import conditions.

Check your relevant step-by-step guide to bring your cat or dog to Australia.

If travelling with other cats and dogs

Cats and dogs in the cabin of a private or chartered flight may be exposed to cats and dogs from different countries.

This can increase the risk of pests or diseases spreading between pets.

Where possible, contact between cats and dogs travelling together should be minimised. This will help reduce biosecurity risks.

Each cat or dog’s import permit is based on its country of residence and export. Some countries have higher biosecurity risks and require extra measures.

Your pet may be exposed to cats and dogs from countries with different biosecurity requirements. This may result in extra import conditions applying to your cat or dog.

Cats and dogs travelling on the same private or chartered flight may be treated as a single group. Biosecurity risks are assessed across all cats and dogs on the same flight. Not just individual pets.

If one cat or dog does not meet the import requirements, all cats and dogs on the flight may be affected. This could mean extra testing, treatments, longer quarantine stays and higher costs.

Before booking a flight, ask your transport agent or flight operator whether other cats or dogs will be travelling with your pet. Check whether this could affect your import arrangements.

Non-compliance with import conditions

It is important that your cat or dog meets all import conditions and import requirements.

If your cat or dog does not meet import conditions, it may be:

• held longer in post-entry quarantine
• subject to additional testing and treatment
• exported
• euthanised

You will be liable for any costs associated with these measures.

If a cat or dog on a flight does not meet the import requirements, other pets on that flight may also need extra testing, treatment or quarantine. Owners must pay the associated costs.

Rabies risk management for mixed flights

Standard rabies import conditions state:

• Cats and dogs from Group 3 countries must complete rabies testing and other pre-export measures.
• Cats and dogs from Group 2 countries do not need rabies testing but must meet other conditions.

If cats or dogs from Group 2 and Group 3 countries travel together on the same private or chartered flight:

• Group 2 cats and dogs must stay in a secure, sealed container for the entire duration of the flight.
• Group 3 cats and dogs may be removed from containers until they reach Australian Territory.
• the flight must only tranship cats and dogs through approved countries for Group 2 transhipments.

These requirements may not apply if all cats and dogs can show sufficient antibody responses to a compliant Rabies Neutralising Antibody Titre Test (RNATT) results.

Canine Influenza Virus

Dogs from the following countries must meet canine influenza virus (CIV) conditions:

• Singapore
• United States (including Hawaii)
• South Korea
• Canada

Dogs from other countries must meet CIV conditions if they have been in one of these countries within 33 days before export to Australia.

CIV import conditions will be listed on your dog’s import permit.

If you are unsure if your dog must meet these conditions, contact us on imports@aff.gov.au. 

Quarantine

All cats and dogs arriving on private or chartered flight must complete post-entry quarantine (PEQ). For more information about post-entry quarantine, see the PEQ facility page.

The minimum quarantine period for your cat or dog will be listed on your import permit.

Animals travelling together

Cats and dogs on the same private or chartered flight may have different quarantine periods.

If cats and dogs travel together, they may all need to complete the longest quarantine period required for any cat or dog on the flight. This may affect the quarantine period that applies to your pet.

For example:

• your cat or dog may be eligible for a minimum 10-day quarantine period
• another cat or dog on the flight may require a minimum 30-day quarantine period

In this situation, your cat or dog may also need to stay in quarantine for 30 days.

Before making travel arrangements, talk to your pet transport agent and/or flight operator about cats and dogs on the same flight.

Any extra time spent in quarantine will be at your expense.

Notify us before you depart

You must email a Notice of Intent to import your cat or dog before your private or chartered flight departs. This allows us to assess your documents and approve your animal’s travel before departure.

The Notice of Intent form is attached to your import permit. We must receive this at least 3 business days before your departure date from the country of export.

You must include all documents required by your import permit. This includes the veterinary health certificate and all supporting laboratory reports.

We will complete an initial assessment of your documents before your flight departs.

You cannot send your cat or dog to Australia until you receive our written approval.

You must also provide:

• details of all cats and dogs on the flight, including those not travelling to Australia
• details of any planned stops during the journey

Email us at PEQservices@aff.gov.au. 

Arrival in Australia

Private or chartered flights with live cats and dogs from Group 2 or 3 countries must land at a first point of entry (FPoE) airport in Victoria, Australia.

Your cat or dog must be crated before the aircraft enters Australian territory. Your cat or dog must stay in the crate until it reaches the PEQ facility.

When the flight arrives, all cats and dogs must be handled by a biosecurity import participant with a class 1.2 approved arrangement. They have the training and facilities to safely receive and manage live animals.

All passengers must complete standard clearance procedures. This usually happens while the approved arrangement staff remove the cats and dogs from the aircraft.

You must follow the directions of our biosecurity officials. You must not approach or interact with your cat or dog while it is being unloaded.

AA staff will remove your crated cat or dog from the aircraft and move it to a secure area at the approved facility.

PEQ staff will then collect your pet and transport it to the PEQ facility. Your pet will complete its quarantine stay there. We will advise you when they are ready for release from post-entry quarantine.