If you are planning to relocate to Australia, it is important to follow the right procedures so you can bring your pet without any hassles or delays. Sometimes, the addition of a family pet to your travel itinerary can mean week-long delays, or more, at customs. This is especially true in today’s post-pandemic world.
With that in mind, we have created a ‘Moving To Australia With Pets’ checklist to make relocating with your pet easier than ever:
Make Sure The Breeds Are Expected- some domestic and non-domestic hybrids are prohibited in Australia. For cats, you can’t bring Bengal cats, chausies, safari and savannah cats to Australia. For dogs, you can’t relocate with American pit bull terriers, Japanese Tosas, fila Brasileiros, dogo Argentinos, Presa Canarios, Italian wolfdogs, Saarlos wolfhounds, Czechoslovakian wolf dogs, and Kunming dogs.
Check The List Of Approved Countries- make sure that you come from an approved country. The government of Australia approves only countries with acceptable regulations and good animal health services. This ensures a level of assurance that pets being brought into Australia are in good condition.
Do Rabies Antibody Testing- the government of Australia requires pets to undergo rabies antibody testing six months before relocation. It may take up to six months for rabies symptoms to appear. At the moment, it is not possible to detect the rabies virus inside an animal’s nervous system.
Apply For Import Permit- the next step is to get an import permit. It may take up to three weeks for the Department of Agriculture, Water, and The Environment to process your application starting from the submission date. Make sure that your application is complete to avoid unnecessary delays.
Implant A Microchip- your pet must have an implanted microchip that can be read by well-known readers, such as Destron, Trovan, and Avid. Microchip numbers are usually between 9 to 15 digits long. Make sure that the microchip number doesn’t start with 999, because it’s not a unique numbering. The Australian authority uses the microchip as an identification method. If the microchip is incompatible or can’t be read in Australia, your pet can’t be brought into Australia. It could be necessary to extract the old, incompatible microchip and replace it with a fresh one.
Prepare Fees- when importing a cat or dog, your pet must undergo a 10-day quarantine, which costs $2000. If your pet requires extended quarantine, extra veterinary care, or parasite treatment, there could be some extra fees. Transportation costs with the airline can be quite expensive. IATA doesn’t recommend tranquilising or sedating pets because drugs may perform differently thousands of feet above sea level. Make sure that you train your pet for long-distance travel on an airplane.
Contact Starwood Animal Transport Limited
When migrating from one country to another, don’t forget that your pets could have special entry requirements as well. Let Starwood Animal Transport Limited help make migrating your pets easy and efficient. To learn more, contact Starwood Animal Transport Limited today and speak with a pet travel professional who can answer any questions you might have.
