Taking your pets to Australia

Flying anywhere with your pets is expensive, time consuming and can be complicated.

At Pets by Plane, our job is to take the strain out of pet travel for you and let you get on with all the other things you need to do.  We can help manage your pet's travel to Australia from start to finish. 

We are proud of our motto 'We Care in the Air'. Our experience and dedication means that your pet's health, happiness and calm well-being throughout their whole international journey is our priority. 

Whether you choose to use our 'Full Service' offering – click here for more information or our 'Flight Only' service – click here we will ensure that your cat, dog, or other pet travels safely and calmly and is well cared for throughout their journey.

To find out more about our services please contact us here or call on +44 (0) 1725 487765.

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Pets by Plane Tip: As the entire international travel process for your pets (including the required veterinary tests and treatments) can take 6-7 months, you should start the planning for your pet's travel to Australia at the same time as you start planning your own travel.

Regulations:

The Australian regulations on bio-security are strict and any issues that increase biosecurity risk, such as a failure to submit the paperwork correctly or to have incomplete, or out of date, tests or treatments can result in your pet having an extended stay in quarantine in Australia. This could result in extra expense for you and extend the length of time you are separated from your pet.  An even more distressing event would be to have your pet rejected during its quarantine check on entry to Australia.

Click here for the Australian Department of Agriculture's step by step guides to exporting your cat or click here for the guide for exporting your dog. You will see how much there is to do before your pet leaves for their new home, Don't worry, Pets by Plane can obtain the necessary documentation from Australia and from the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and also liaise with your vet to help you through the whole process.

Some good news is that the standard quarantine period for dogs and cats entering Australia from the UK is now only 10 days. The less good news is that, unfortunately, you are not able to visit your pet during the quarantine period.

All pets must enter Australia via Melbourne Airport (MEL), regardless of whether your new home will be in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth or anywhere else in the country. They will spend their quarantine period in the new post-entry quarantine facility at Mickleham, which is close to Melbourne airport.  They must arrive as 'Manifested Cargo' which means that you cannot take them in the passenger cabin with you.

After their 10-day period in the Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility is finished, an appointment is made for you to collect your pet. If you are not able to collect the animal yourself, we can easily arrange, through our partner pet transport agent in Melbourne, the collection and onward ground or air transport to your new home.

Things You Need to Know

  • You should ensure your pet is up to date with a Rabies vaccination at least seven months before arrival into Australia. It pays to plan ahead!
     
  • The Rabies vaccination for your pet is extremely important. About a month after vaccination, your pet will need to undergo a special rabies vaccination test known as the Rabies Neutralising Antibody Titre test (RNAT) - this establishes whether or not your pet has a sufficient amount of antibodies to fight rabies, should they pick it up at any point.  The blood for the RNAT test must be taken at least six months before your planned leaving date.
     
  • If you are planning on bringing your dog to Australia, be sure to check that it will be allowed in. Certain dog breeds are not permitted entry - these include Dogo Argentinos, Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosas and American Pit Bulls to name just a few.
     
  • You will need to get an import permit from the Australian Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources before bringing your pet to Australia from the UK
     
  •  You will also need an Export Health Certificate from the UK's DEFRA, this document will need to be signed by an Official Vet or 'OV' a few days before your pet leaves.
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Travel Crates:

Your pet will need a rigid air-travel crate which is compliant with the latest IATA Live Animal Regulations and individual airline requirements. Don't worry, we can supply one but if you have a well-travelled pet, and already have a compliant travel crate you can, of course, use it. Click here to go to our page which outlines travel crate requirements.

Pets by Plane Tip: Your pet will need some time to get used to their new travel crate and we recommend that you should take delivery of their new 'home' at least a month before their travel date & relocation.  We will supply you with some suggestions for the best way to get your pet acclimated to the new travel crate.

If you're planning to take your pet to Australia and would like an estimate for using our pet travel export service, click here, complete the form and hit the Submit button. One of our friendly team will get back to you. 

Pets by Plane Tip: Pets by Plane Tip: As we will need some specific measurements (in cm) for your pet, if it is a dog, and its current weight, (in kg) for both cats and dogs, have a look at our pet measuring page here before you start to complete our Quotation Request form.

Alternatively, contact us if you have specific questions. We aim to respond to all quotation requests within 24 hours, usually faster.