How to bring your dog to Australia from a Group 2 country

Importing a dog to Australia is a complex process. It will take at least 6 months to complete. You will need to make sure your dog meets a range of import conditions. This includes multiple veterinary visits, checks and treatments.

Seek help from a pet transport agent with experience in importing dogs to Australia.They will help guide you through the import process.

To find a pet transport agent or shipper you can:

• search online (use terms like ‘pet transport agent Australia’)
• check industry associations or member directories such as:
  • International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IATA).
  • Animal Transportation Association (ATA).

We cannot recommend one agent over another. We have no influence over any fees or charges an agent may require for their services.

This step-by-step guide is for dogs exported from Group 2 countries. These are approved countries of origin for dog imports into Australia.

Check the list of Group 2 countries to make sure this is the right guide for you.

To be eligible for import to Australia, your dog must have either:

• lived in a Group 1 or Group 2 approved country since birth, or
• lived in a Group 1 or Group 2 approved country since it was exported directly from Australia, or
• lived in a Group 1 or Group 2 approved country for at least 180 days since its official identity check and immediately before the proposed date of export.

You must also meet:

• all requirements outlined in this guide
• all import conditions on your dog’s unique import permit

You can apply for an import permit when you reach step 4.1 of this guide.

When you plan to export your dog, it must NOT be:

• under quarantine restrictions
• more than 30 days pregnant
• nursing puppies

Hybrid dogs NOT allowed into Australia include, but are not limited to, these breeds and any crossbreed offspring from them:

• Czechoslovakian wolfdog or Czechoslovakian Vlcak
• Saarloos wolfdog or Saarloos wolfhound
• Lupo Italiano or Italian wolfdog
• Kunming wolfdog or Kunming dog

Contact the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) at exotic.species@dcceew.gov.au. They can provide more advice on hybrid animals.

Pure breed dogs banned from Australia include:

• Dogo Argentino
• Fila Brasileiro
• Japanese Tosa
• American Pit Bull Terrier or Pit Bull Terrier
• Perro de Presa Canario or Presa Canario.

Mixed-breed dogs are allowed if the dog meets all other import conditions. Visit Australian Border Force for more advice on prohibited dog breeds.

If your dog is sick or old

We do not recommend importing sick or very old animals. International travel can cause them to de-stabilise and rapidly deteriorate. Even dogs with well-managed chronic diseases can arrive in distress and poor health.

An import permit will not be refused based on an animal’s age. Consider your dog’s age and how they may handle the journey and quarantine in Australia. Seek advice from your veterinarian if you’re concerned.

Dogs with special care requirements

There may be conditions that we cannot manage during the post entry quarantine period, or medications that we cannot administer. See Cats and dogs travelling to Australia with special care requirements.

Animals may be unable to get medication during transport. As a pet owner, you must consider if it’s in your pet’s best interests to travel the long distance and stay in quarantine.

Find the competent authority in your country

A competent authority is the government agency responsible for animal health. This may be a government veterinary service or similar. In Australia, it is us (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry).

The competent authority must provide official documents for your dog before it leaves for Australia.

We check these documents when your dog arrives in Australia to ensure your dog has met all pre-export requirements.

Find an authorised veterinarian to prepare your dog for export

All pre-export veterinary procedures must be:

• completed in the country of export
• completed by a government approved veterinarian
• endorsed by an official government veterinarian
• completed before departing for Australia

This process ensures your dog doesn’t bring pests or diseases to Australia.

When you talk to the competent authority in your exporting country, they will let you know:

• which documents or forms you must use
• any local procedures or requirements you must meet before you export your dog
• how to find a government approved veterinarian to prepare your dog for export to Australia
• how to find government approved laboratories for pre-export testing

We rely on the competent authority to identify which veterinarians can prepare dogs for export in their jurisdiction. In many countries, this may simply be a registered veterinarian. In some countries, it may be specific veterinarians.

We recommend you read this whole guide before you start the import process.

This guide details important actions you must take. This includes applying for and being issued with an import permit. Your import permit outlines the preparations required for your dog. You must meet all these conditions before you bring your dog to Australia.

Share this guide and your import permit with your:

• government approved veterinarian
• pet transport company

They will help you meet all import conditions.

Microchips are the only approved identification method. The competent authority in the country of export will use the microchip to verify your dog’s identity.

A government approved veterinarian must scan the microchip:

• at each veterinary visit
• before any pre-export blood sampling.

They must ensure that the microchip number is accurately recorded on all documentation, including test samples. This is how we match your dog to its preparations and documents.

Your dog must be implanted with a microchip that can be read by an ISO compatible microchip reader. Generally, microchips with 10 or 15 digits are ISO compliant.

Microchip numbers starting with 999 are not accepted because they are not unique. AVID microchips that are 9 digits long are not acceptable because they are not ISO compatible.

If your dog has 2 compliant microchips

Both compliant microchip numbers must be included on:

• the identity check
• the import permit application
• the final import permit
• all laboratory reports
• the veterinary health certificate.

Both microchips must be scanned and recorded at each veterinary visit. They must match all import documents.

If your dog has a compliant microchip and a non-compliant microchip, we will only use the compliant microchip.

If your dog’s microchip stops working

The veterinarian should try multiple microchip scanners to read the microchip.

If the microchip cannot be read, a new ISO compatible microchip must be implanted. Then the pre-export process must begin again. This includes all tests, treatments, examinations, and the official identity verification.

Your dog’s identity must be verified by the competent authority in the export country.

This step is required to import your dog to Australia. You must complete this step before starting any other pre-export preparations.

An official government veterinarian must:

• verify your dog’s identity
• complete the identity declaration form
• send the form directly to us

Each approved country has its own country-specific forms and processes. You must contact the competent authority in your country of export for guidance.

Pet passports, vaccination cards, or microchip certificates are not accepted as equivalent documents.

If this is done and a permit is lodged before the dog turns 6 months old, the 180-day waiting period before export may not apply.

Returning Australian animals

If your dog is returning to Australia directly from the country they were exported to, their health certificate may be used to verify their identity. We must have issued this certificate before your dog departed Australia.

Your dog’s microchip must remain valid and be able to be scanned. The microchip must be recorded for every test, treatment and examination. This includes scans on arrival into our quarantine facility.

See more on returning Australian animals.

Apply for your import permit through our Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON).

We cannot expedite an application for any reason. We understand this may be difficult. To ensure fairness to all applicants, we process permits in the order they are received.

Import permits are valid for 12 months from the date the permit is granted.

See more on how to apply for an import permit.

Assistance dogs

Assistance dogs must meet all import conditions to come to Australia.

If you want to import an assistance dog, you will need to submit extra forms to us. Do this through BICON as part of your import permit application.

See more on importing an assistance dog.

Once you are granted an import permit, you must make sure you meet all your import permit conditions.

The conditions will be specified on the permit. This includes specific pre-export veterinary procedures required for your dog. These conditions are mandatory.

Make sure you read all import permit conditions and understand what you need to do.

If you fail to comply with your permit conditions, your dog may be:

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

You will also be liable for any costs involved.

Dogs must spend at least 10 days at the Mickleham post entry quarantine facility. Our quarantine facility is designed to comfortably accommodate dogs and meet their needs.

See more about the quarantine facility and how to book.

We have specific rules for travel that include stops in other countries.

These rules depend on whether your dog will:

• remain on the plane (transiting)
• be unloaded from the plane and moved to another plane (transhipping).

Make sure you understand these rules when choosing flights.

Transiting

During transport to Australia, dogs may transit in all countries. This means the plane can touch down in a country, but your dog must stay on the plane on the international side of the airport.

Transhipping

Your dog may only tranship (change aircraft) in:

• an approved Group 1 or Group 2 country, OR
• these cities in Group 3 countries:
  • Amsterdam
  • Frankfurt
  • Copenhagen
  • London
  • Dubai
  • Hong Kong.

Your dog must not leave the international side of the airport. It must stay under the supervision of the competent authority in the country of transhipment. It must be in a place that restricts contact with other animals.

It is your responsibility as the importer to contact the competent authority in the country of transhipment. You need to find out:

• whether they allow animals to tranship
• whether they have a facility to hold animals during transhipment
• how long the animals can be held
• if additional conditions apply.

Your dog must arrive directly into Melbourne International airport from your country of export. We do not permit domestic transfers.

If you cannot get a direct flight into Melbourne International airport, contact us at imports@aff.gov.au. 

Travelling as manifested cargo

Your dog must travel:

• as manifested cargo (not in the cabin)
• in a crate that meets the International Air Transport Association (IATA) guidelines, including being the appropriate size for your dog.

We are not responsible for your dog while they are under the care of the aircraft operator.

Travelling via private or chartered flight

Find out more if you plan to import your dog via private or chartered flight.

Plan early. You need to make sure you complete all treatments and tests in the correct timeframes before export.

All veterinary preparations must be done by a government approved veterinarian in the country of export.

Your dog must be fit and healthy enough to:

• travel to Australia
• undergo post-entry quarantine without ongoing veterinary intervention

All testing must be done by a laboratory approved by the competent authority in the country of export.

To find a government approved veterinarian or laboratory, contact the competent authority in the country of export.

We recommend you share this step-by-step guide and your import permit with your government approved veterinarian.

Your government approved veterinarian will help make sure you meet all import conditions. This information is also useful to share with pet transport companies.

Some vaccination requirements depend on the country of export. Any required vaccinations are explained later in this guide.

Recommended vaccinations

We also recommend your dog is vaccinated against:

• Distemper
• Hepatitis
• Parvovirus
• Parainfluenza
• Bordetella bronchiseptica

These vaccinations are not required to import your dog to Australia.

These diseases are already present in Australia and are not considered a biosecurity risk. However, keeping your dog's vaccinations up to date may help protect their health during travel and quarantine.

All dogs coming to Australia from a Group 2 country must meet the leptospirosis requirement.

Your dog must meet one of the following options:

Option 1: Vaccination pathway

If you chose to vaccinate, your dog must be fully vaccinated against Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola.

This is:

• a primary vaccination course of 2 vaccines given at the interval recommended by the manufacturer, usually 2-4 weeks apart
• ongoing booster vaccinations given yearly, or at the interval recommended by the manufacturer, to maintain immunity.

The vaccination must:

• be administered in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• be registered for use in dogs in the country of export
• be valid at the time of export.

If the manufacturer specifies that the primary course injections must be 3 weeks apart, there must be 21 days between doses.

Manufacturers recommendations can differ between products and countries. Contact the official government veterinarian in the country of export for advice on vaccination intervals.

Option 2: Test for Leptospira canicola (leptospirosis)

If your dog is not vaccinated against Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola, it may meet the requirement through testing.

A government approved veterinarian must:

• scan and verify your dog’s microchip
• collect and test a blood sample using a microscopic agglutination test (MAT).

The MAT test must be completed within 45 days of export.

The test must produce a negative result.

If your dog receives a positive MAT result:

• it cannot switch to the vaccination pathway to meet import requirements
• vaccination does not override a positive MAT result
• you must contact the department for advice.

Further investigations, treatment requirements, or delays to export may apply.

Dogs from Singapore and Hawaii must be fully vaccinated against the circulating strain of canine influenza virus (CIV).

This is:

• a primary vaccination course of 2 vaccines given at the interval recommended by the manufacturer, usually 2-4 weeks apart
• ongoing booster vaccinations given yearly, or at the interval recommended by the manufacturer, to maintain immunity.

The vaccination must be administered in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. The vaccination must be valid at the time of export and registered for use in dogs in the country of export.

To be considered desexed:

• female dogs must have undergone ovariohysterectomy or bilateral ovariectomy
• male dogs must have undergone bilateral orchiectomy.

Evidence of desexing may be requested by the competent authority in the country of export. We may also request evidence.

If your dog is not desexed, you must:

• stop mating or artificially inseminating your dog within specific timeframes,
• have your dog’s blood collected by a government approved veterinarian for testing.

To meet these timings, you must:

• stop mating or artificially inseminating the dog at least 21 days before you intend to get the dogs blood sample collected
• take your dog to a government approved veterinarian
• request a government approved veterinarian scan and record your dog’s microchip number
• request a government approved veterinarian collect the blood sample for Brucella canis within 45 days of export
• do not mate or inseminate the dog again after the test sample is collected until export to Australia.

The blood sample must be tested using one of these methods:

• a rapid slide agglutination test (RSAT), or
• a tube agglutination test (TAT), or
• an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT).

The test must produce a negative result.

A government approved veterinarian must scan and verify your dog’s microchip. They must collect and test a blood sample using one of these methods:

• an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT)
• an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

The test must produce a negative result.

A government approved veterinarian must treat your dog with an acceptable product that kills ticks and fleas on contact. The chosen product must remain effective against new flea and tick infestations until the date of export to Australia.

The government approved veterinarian may need to repeat the treatment to maintain continuous protection until export. They must follow the manufacturer’s directions. Reapplication periods for fleas and ticks (or species of tick) may differ. If so, adhere to the shortest reapplication interval.

At each step of the export preparation the government approved veterinarian must:

• scan the dog’s microchip
• examine the dog for signs of external parasites.

If fleas or ticks are found they must be removed, and the preparation must be restarted.

See acceptable external parasite treatments.

A government approved veterinarian must treat your dog for nematodes and cestodes (internal parasites).

See acceptable internal parasite treatments.

If your dog has ever visited mainland Africa, a government approved veterinarian must treat your dog internally with imidocarb dipropionate.

Dosages are either:

• a single dose at 7.5 mg/kg body weight, or
• 2 doses at 6.0 mg/kg body weight given 14 days apart.

Treatments must be given by subcutaneous injection.

Your dog must be examined for external parasites and clinical signs of infectious or contagious disease. This must be done within 5 days of export by a government approved veterinarian or an official government veterinarian.

You will need these documents for the final examination:

• a valid import permit
• evidence of desexing (if desexed)
• Brucella canis laboratory report (if not desexed)
• Leishmania infantum laboratory report
• Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola laboratory report or vaccination certificate
• Canine influenza virus vaccination certificate (if required)
• evidence of external parasite treatments
• evidence of internal parasite treatments
• evidence of Babesia canis rossi treatment (if required)
• the veterinary health certificate, if required by your competent authority.

The veterinary health certificate is specific to your country of export. Different countries may use different certificates and processes.

You must get the veterinary health certificate required for export to Australia from the competent authority in your country of export. The competent authority can provide the certificate and advice on how it must be completed. DAFF does not issue or provide veterinary health certificates.

Depending on the requirements in your country of export, the certificate may be completed by a government approved veterinarian, an official government veterinarian, or both. The competent authority can tell you who must complete the certificate.

This may be done during the final pre-export clinical examination (see Step 7.1).

An official government veterinarian must:

• endorse every page of the veterinary health certificate
• give you a seal to be placed on your dog’s crate at the time of export
• record the seal number on the veterinary health certificate.

An official government veterinarian must also endorse every page of the:

• Leishmania infantum laboratory report
• Brucella canis laboratory report (if not desexed)
• Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola laboratory report (if not vaccinated).

Endorsement of the import permit is not required.

Corrections

Corrections to the veterinary health certificate must be struck through. Corrections must be legible and must be signed, stamped, and dated by the official government veterinarian.

Your dog must arrive in Australia with these documents:

• a valid import permit
• a veterinary health certificate
• all laboratory test reports required for import.

The veterinary health certificate and any required laboratory test reports must include evidence that they have been issued, approved or endorsed by an official government veterinarian of the competent authority. This may be shown through an official stamp, seal, signature or secure digital endorsement.

On the day of travel:

• place your dog in a crate that meets the IATA standard recommended container requirements that is appropriate for the size of your dog, including any bedding or other comfort requirements.
• don't place any items, including toys, medication or items of value in the crate (these will be destroyed as biosecurity waste upon arrival)
• seal your dog into the crate using the seal supplied by the official government veterinarian.

In most cases, you will check your dog in at the freight terminal, not the passenger terminal.

You can find general information on the IATA website, or the website of your chosen airline.

Your dog's crate must remain sealed. The seal must be intact on arrival in Australia.

Your dog’s crate may only be opened in exceptional circumstances. Opening the crate will cause the tamper-evident seal to be broken.

If this occurs, the crate must be resealed by:

• an official government veterinarian, or
• airport authority, or
• the captain of the aircraft.

They must also provide a certificate detailing the circumstances. The certificate should be attached to the outside of the crate before departure from the port where the seal was broken.

One of our biosecurity officers will collect your dog on arrival. They will transport your dog directly to the Mickleham post entry quarantine facility.

You will be notified via email that your dog has arrived safely, within 24 hours of arrival. We will contact you immediately if there is an issue with your dog on arrival.

We will:

• help your dog settle in and get comfortable after their flight
• check your dog to make sure they’re healthy and free from diseases or pests of biosecurity concern
• assess your dog’s import documents to check they comply with our import conditions.

Your dog will be housed in a large, individual, climate-controlled enclosure. They’ll be fed quality food, groomed, and provided with enrichment. We will send you updates on your dog’s health and wellbeing.

If your dog does not comply with the permit conditions, further tests, treatments or quarantine may apply.

Read more about our state-of-the-art quarantine facilities.

You are responsible for meeting local requirements for dogs in Australia. We recommend that you register your dog with a national microchip registry.

Contact your local Australian council or state or territory government for advice on:

• registering your dog
• microchipping
• yearly fees
• desexing requirements
• other legal requirements