This step-by-step guide will help you prepare your cat for import into Australia from a Group 2 classified country.
Need to know
This is a complex process. Before you start the import process, we recommend you read this guide in full.
- Allow at least 6 months to complete health checks, tests and paperwork.
- All procedures must be completed by a government approved veterinarian in the country of export.
- Fees apply for our services, such as permit assessment and quarantine in Australia.
- There are certain breeds of cats that are prohibited from import into Australia.
- Overseas travel can cause stress to animals. If your cat is sick or elderly, consider if this is the right decision for them.
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We encourage you to use an experienced pet transport agent or shipper.
Importing a cat or dog to Australia is a complex process. It will take at least 6 months to complete. You will need to make sure your cat 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 cats 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 the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA).
We cannot recommend one agent over another. We have no influence over any fees or charges an agent may require for their services.
This is an optional step, but we recommend you use an agent.
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You must meet all import conditions before you can bring your cat to Australia.
Check the category for your country of export
This step-by-step guide is for cats exported from Group 2 countries. These are approved countries of origin for cat imports into Australia.
Check the list of Group 2 countries to make sure this is the right guide for you.
- American Samoa
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Christmas Island
- Cook Island
- Falkland Islands
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Fiji
- French Polynesia
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Iceland
- Japan
- Kiribati Mauritius
- Nauru
- New Caledonia
- Niue
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- Kingdom of Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
- Wallis & Futuna
Your country of export is not on the Group 2 list.
Find the right step-by-step guide for your animal and country of export.
If your cat is coming from a Group 2 country, continue through this guide.
Confirm your cat is eligible for import to Australia
You must import your cat to Australia from a department-approved country (includes Group 2 countries). Group 2 approved countries are rabies-free.
To be eligible, your cat must have either:
- lived in a group 1 or group 2 (rabies free) approved country since birth, or
- only resided in a group 1 or group 2 (rabies free) approved country since it was exported directly from Australia, or
- been in a group 1 or group 2 (rabies free) approved country for at least 180 days since an official identity check and immediately before the proposed date of export.
The 180 days in an approved country is NOT a quarantine period.
Your cat can be living with you or someone else in a group 1 or group 2 approved country while being prepared for export. They must complete a period of quarantine after arriving in Australia.
When you plan to export your cat, it must NOT be:
- under quarantine restrictions
- more than 30 days pregnant
- nursing kittens.
Non-domestic cat hybrids are not allowed into Australia.
This ban relates to environmental protection laws, not biosecurity laws. You will need to talk to the relevant government agency for details.
Hybrid cats NOT allowed into Australia include:
- Savannah cats: domestic cat (Felis catus) crossed with serval cat (Felis serval)
- Safari cats: domestic cat crossed with Geoffrey cat (Oncifelis geoffroyi)
- Chausie cats: domestic cat crossed with Jungle cat (Felis chaus)
- Bengal cats: domestic cat crossed with Asian leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)
Contact the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water at exotic.species@dcceew.gov.au. They can provide more advice on hybrid animals.
Bengal cat policy change
From 1 March 2025, The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water are no longer providing Bengal cat exemptions. If you applied for an exemption by 28 February 2025 and were granted one, your Bengal must be imported to Australia by 5pm 28 February 2026. From 1 March 2026, Bengal cats will no longer be permitted to enter Australia.
For further information on this policy change, please refer to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s webpage.
If your cat is sick or old
Consider your cat’s age and general health.
Sick and elderly animals do not cope with long distance travel and climatic stress.
We do not recommend importing sick or very old animals. International travel can cause them to de-stabilise and rapidly deteriorate. Even cats with well-managed chronic diseases can arrive in distress and poor health.
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.
Talk to the government agency (competent authority) in your export country
How to 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 an endorsed veterinary health certificate for your cat before it leaves for Australia. We check this document when your cat arrives in Australia. It verifies that your cat has undergone the required pre-export veterinary procedures in the country of export.
When you contact them, confirm they are recognised by us to oversee all veterinary checks and issue a health certificate.
All pre-export veterinary procedures must be completed:
- by a government approved veterinarian
- while your cat resides in the country of export
- before departing for Australia.
This process ensures your cat doesn’t bring diseases to Australia.
When you talk to the competent authority in your country, they will let you know:
- any local procedures or requirements you must meet before you export your cat
- how to find government approved veterinarians to prepare your cat for export to Australia
- how to find approved laboratories for pre-export testing.
We rely on the competent authority to identify which vets can prepare cats for export in their jurisdiction. In many countries, this may simply be a registered veterinarian. In some countries, it may be specific vets. Contact the competent authority to check local requirements.
Don’t risk arriving in Australia with the wrong checks, treatments or certificates.
Talk to the competent authority. Only use a government approved veterinarian to prepare your cat for export.
Export conditions can vary between countries. The competent authority and approved vet can advise you on extra steps you need to take that aren’t in this guide or detailed on your import permit.
Read through this guide
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 exact preparations required for your cat. You must meet all these conditions before you bring your cat to Australia.
Share this guide and your import permit with your approved veterinarian and pet transport company. They will help you meet all conditions.
The import process takes time.
Make sure you’re aware of how far ahead of export date you need to start each step. This will be covered in more detail in your import permit.
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Do this before you start the import process and at least 180 days before export.
Check your cat has a microchip or implant a new one
Microchips are the only approved identification method. The competent authority in the export country will use the microchip to verify your cat’s identity.
A government approved veterinarian must scan the microchip:
- at each vet visit
- before any pre-export blood sampling.
They will check that the microchip number is recorded on all documentation.
Your cat must be implanted with a microchip that is ISO compliant. Generally, microchips with 10 or 15 digits are ISO compliant.
Microchip numbers starting with 999 are not accepted because they are not unique.
It is essential your cat has a working microchip before you start the import process.
The government approved veterinarian must scan your cat’s microchip at each veterinary visit and accurately record this on all documents including test samples. This is how we match your cat to its preparations and documents.
We do not accept changes to laboratory reports or other documents to include or amend the microchip.
If a microchip cannot be read or is incorrect in your documents, your cat cannot be imported to Australia.
If your cat has 2 microchips
Both microchip numbers must be included on:
- the import permit application
- the final import permit
- all laboratory reports.
Both microchips must be scanned and recorded at each veterinary visit. They must match all import documents.
If your cat’s microchip stops working
The veterinarian should try multiple microchip scanners to read the microchip. An X-ray can be used to locate the microchip if it has moved from the implant site.
Your cat must arrive in Australia with a microchip that can be scanned and linked to the import permit, health certificate and laboratory reports.
Confirm your cat’s identity
Your cat’s identity must be verified by the competent authority in the export country.
Approach the competent authority in the export country. Ask them to verify your cat’s identity so you can import your cat to Australia.
They will provide an identification declaration directly to us.
Identity declarations are valid for as long as the animal:
- can be identified by the verified microchip on the declaration, and
- resides in the group 2 approved country.
Do this at least 180 days before export.
For cats less than 6 months old, get their identity verified before you start the import process.
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Allow plenty of time to get your permit before your proposed export date.
Your cat must have a valid import permit and meet all permit conditions before export.
Apply for a permit as soon as you intend to travel.
Permits can take time to be issued. Most permits are issued in 20-40 business days. It can take up to 123 business days in some cases.
Apply for an import permit
Apply for your import permit through our Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON).
Be aware that applying for an import permit does not guarantee you will be issued with one.
Pay in full when you submit your application in BICON.
Extra charges may apply if information is missing, incorrect, or if an application is put on hold.
Your import permit is NOT issued.
We may require more details from you before we can issue a permit. We’ll advise you of further action you can take to meet import conditions. In rare cases, we may refuse to issue an import permit.
Your import permit is issued.
Continue through the steps in this guide.
Meet all import permit conditions
Read your import permit carefully. It includes important conditions you must meet.
If your permit is issued, 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 cat. 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 cat may be:
- held longer in post entry quarantine
- subject to additional testing
- exported
- euthanised.
You will also be liable for any costs involved.
Import permits are valid for up to 12 months from date of issue.
The permit must be valid on the date your cat arrives in Australia.
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Do this after you receive your import permit.
Book your cat’s post-entry quarantine stay
Your cat will stay at least 10 days in quarantine in Australia.
Cats must spend at least 10 days at the Mickleham post entry quarantine facility. Our quarantine facility is designed to comfortably accommodate cats and meet their needs.
See more about the quarantine facility and how to book.
You must pay for all quarantine costs.
You must pay your account in full before your animal is released from quarantine. See our list of post-entry quarantine fees and charges.
Check rules for stops on the way to Australia
We have specific rules for travel that include stops in other countries.
These rules depend on whether the cat 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, cats may transit in all countries. This means the plane can touch down in a country, but your cat must stay on the plane on the international side of the airport.
Transhipping
Your cat 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 cat 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 cat may not be eligible for import if these conditions are not met.
Book travel for your cat
You can make the travel arrangements yourself or use an animal transport company.
You can use any airline to transport your cat to Australia, at the airline operator’s discretion. Find a list of animal transport companies on the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA) website.
Your cat must arrive directly into Melbourne International airport. We do not permit domestic transfers.
Your cat must travel:
- as manifested cargo (not in the cabin)
- in an International Air Transport Association (IATA) approved crate.
We are not responsible for your cat while they are under the care of the aircraft operator.
You must pay for all transport costs for your cat.
See the full IATA guidelines at Traveller's Pet Corner.
Chartered or private aircraft
If your cat will arrive in Australia by chartered or private aircraft, please download and read our advice.
Cats and dogs arriving by chartered or private aircraft (PDF 159 KB)
Cats and dogs arriving by chartered or private aircraft (DOCX 230 KB)
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
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These must be completed by the approved veterinarian in the country of export.
Check all timings of tests and treatments as soon as possible.
Plan early. You need to make sure you complete all treatments and tests in the correct timeframes before export.
All preparations are calculated from the date of export, local time in the country of export. For calculating timeframes, the date of the treatment or preparation counts as ‘day 0’.
Find a government approved vet
All veterinary preparations must be done by a government approved veterinarian.
Any testing must also 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 export country. This is the government veterinary service or equivalent.
We cannot give advice on treatments for diseases. Seek advice from a veterinarian if your cat tests positive to an infectious disease listed in the import conditions.
Some south Pacific Island countries may not have a permanent government approved veterinarian.
Contact us if you do not have a local government approved veterinarian. Do this well ahead of your planned date of export. In some cases, veterinary preparations can be completed by a regularly visiting foreign veterinarian.
We recommend you share this step-by-step guide and your import permit with the approved vet.
Your vet will help you make sure you meet all import conditions. This information is also useful to share with pet transport companies.
Guidance for vets
You can also download and share our guidance for vets.
Check vaccinations
This is an optional step.
We recommend that your cat is vaccinated against:
- feline enteritis (also known as feline panleukopenia or feline distemper)
- rhinotracheitis
- calicivirus.
These diseases exist in Australia. Vaccination is not mandatory.
Check when your cat was last vaccinated.
Vaccinations should be valid for the entire post-entry quarantine period
Treat for external parasites
A government approved veterinarian must treat your cat 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 veterinarian may need to repeat to maintain protection until export. They must follow the manufacturer’s directions.
At each visit after the treatment has started, the veterinarian must examine the cat for external parasites. If fleas or ticks are found they must be removed, and the treatment restarted.
See acceptable external parasite treatments.
Start at least 21 days before export and repeat according to manufacturer directions.
To calculate 21 days before the date of export, count the first day the treatment as day 0. For example, if treatment is given 1 January, then the earliest date of export is 22 January.
If the product manufacturer’s directions specify a 28-day re-treatment interval, then the cat must either be re-treated by the vet on 29 January or be exported to Australia before 29 January.
Treat for internal parasites
A government approved veterinarian must treat your cat for nematodes and cestodes (internal parasites).
See acceptable internal parasite treatments.
Plan enough time to complete these before you export.
Your cat must be treated twice within 45 days before export. The two treatments must be spaced at least 14 days apart. The second treatment must be given within 5 days before the export date.
For example, if the date of export is 30 January:
- The earliest date the first treatment can be given is 16 December.
- The earliest date the second treatment can be given is 25 January.
- There are more than 14 days between 16 December and 25 January – this meets the 14-day spacing requirement.
Ask your vet about products that cover both nematodes and cestodes.
Combined products that cover both nematodes and cestodes are available in many countries
Time saver.
It’s acceptable to do the final vet check and second internal parasite treatment at the same vet visit.
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These are the final preparation activities before you export your cat.
Book a pre-export clinical examination
Your cat must be examined for external parasites and clinical signs of infectious or contagious disease. A government approved veterinarian or official government veterinarian must do this.
You must bring these documents to the examination:
- a valid import permit
- a copy of the veterinary health certificate for the government approved vet to complete at this visit. You’ll need to get a blank copy from the competent authority.
Within 5 days before your cat’s export date.
It’s acceptable to do the second internal parasite treatment at the same vet visit as the final vet check.
Get your approved vet to complete your Veterinary Health Certificate
The veterinary health certificate is an agreed document between the department and your competent authority.
You will need to get a blank copy from your competent authority. The approved vet completing your cat’s preparations will then complete the certificate.
Get your Veterinary Health Certificate endorsed by an official veterinarian
Take the completed health certificate to the competent authority for endorsement by an official government veterinarian.
An official government veterinarian must:
- complete, sign and stamp all pages of the Veterinary Health Certificate (endorsement)
- give you a seal to be placed on the cat’s crate at the time of export. The official vet must record the seal number on the Veterinary Health Certificate.
Any corrections to the Veterinary Health Certificate must be struck through. Corrections must be legible and signed and stamped by the official government veterinarian. Do not use correction fluid.
Within 5 days before your cat’s date of export.
For example, if the date of export is 30 January, the earliest date the health certificate can be endorsed is 25 January. The certificate must be endorsed after the final veterinary health check and second internal parasite treatment has been completed. These can both be completed on the same day.
Check competent authority office hours and timeframes.
Government offices may be closed over local public holidays and weekends. You will need to make sure that you have enough time to get the veterinary health certificate endorsed before export.
Gather your import documents
Your cat must arrive in Australia with these documents:
- a valid import permit
- a Veterinary Health Certificate
- laboratory test reports (if relevant).
Each page of the veterinary health certificate and laboratory reports (if relevant) must bear the original (‘wet ink’) stamp, signature and date of the endorsing official government veterinarian and competent authority.
Only the first page of the import permit needs to be endorsed.
Send all import documents with your cat.
A valid import permit, health certificate and relevant documents must travel to Australia with your cat. Keep a copy of each document for your records.
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What to do when you’re ready to send your cat, and what will happen when they arrive.
Prepare your cat for travel
Your cat must arrive in Australia before your import permit expires.
On the day of travel:
- place your cat in an International Air Transport Association (IATA) approved crate for cats (see Step 5)
- 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 cat into the crate using the seal supplied by the official government veterinarian.
In most cases, you will check your cat in at the freight terminal, not the passenger terminal.
Check with your airline to find out which terminal you need to use.
What may happen during travel
The cat’s crate must remain sealed. The seal must be intact on arrival in Australia.
Your cat’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:
- official government veterinarian, or
- airport authority, or
- 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.
You can find more information on the IATA website.
When your cat arrives in Australia
One of our biosecurity officers will collect your cat on arrival. They will transport your cat directly to the Mickleham post entry quarantine facility.
We’ll help your cat settle in and get comfortable after its flight. We will check your cat to make sure they’re healthy and free from diseases or pests of biosecurity concern. We’ll assess your cat’s import documents to check your cat complies with our import conditions.
Your cat will be housed in large, individual, climate-controlled enclosure. They’ll be fed quality food, groomed, and provided with enrichment. We will give you updates on your cat’s health and wellbeing.
Read more about our state-of-the-art quarantine facilities.
If your cat does not comply with the permit conditions, further tests, treatments or quarantine may apply.
Cats must stay at Mickleham for a minimum of 10 days.
Any issues that increase biosecurity risk may result in a longer stay.
Register your cat in Australia
You are responsible for meeting local requirements for cats in Australia.
Contact your local Australian council or government. They can tell you what you must do. This might include registering your cat and their microchip and paying yearly fees.
We are not involved in local council and national microchip registration databases.