In short: pets travel to Australia by air through a specialist pet-transport agent, not your removal mover. Australia has strict rules, including vaccinations, blood tests and a stay at the government quarantine facility near Melbourne.
The process takes months, so start early. We guide you and connect you with the right specialist; we are not a removal company.
Pets fly to Australia through a specialist agent, not a removalist. We help households from England and across the United Kingdom plan the strict import and quarantine steps.
Australia is one of the few rabies-free countries, and it guards that fiercely, so bringing a pet in is far more involved than shipping your furniture. It can be done, and thousands of families do it every year, but it takes planning, patience and at least six months of lead time. This guide walks you through what is involved so nothing catches you out.
The good news is the UK is an approved country, so healthy cats and dogs can come. The process runs through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, known as DAFF. A handful of breeds are banned, including some dangerous dog breeds and certain hybrid cats, so the first thing to check is that your pet is eligible at all.
Pets don't travel in your shipping container. They fly, usually through a specialist pet transport agent, and DAFF itself suggests using one with experience. Your household goods and your pet are two separate journeys that you line up to arrive around the same time.
That is where we come in. We're a free matching service for your home move, not a pet shipper. Tell us about your relocation and we introduce you to one FIDI-certified mover for your belongings, who can coordinate dates with your pet agent. There's no fee and nothing to commit to.
Free matching for your belongings. One FIDI partner. No fee.
Order matters more than anything here. Your pet needs an ISO microchip fitted first, because everything else is tied to that chip number. Only after the chip goes in can the rabies vaccination be given. Get this the wrong way round and the vaccination doesn't count, so you start again.
Next comes the part that sets the timeline. An official government vet verifies your pet's identity from the microchip, and this has to happen before any blood is drawn. Then the rabies blood test, the RNATT, is taken. Australia counts 180 days from the day the lab receives that sample, and only after those 180 days can your pet fly. The identity check is what lets your pet qualify for the shorter 10-day quarantine instead of 30.
With the waiting period under way, you apply to DAFF for a biosecurity import permit, which sets the conditions and the entry port and links to your quarantine booking. Close to travel, an official vet completes the export health certificate, your pet flies to Melbourne, and DAFF takes it to Mickleham for quarantine. Because each step is time-sensitive, most families use a pet transport agent to keep it all on track.
Four things decide whether your pet's move runs smoothly and how long the quarantine lasts. Get the order right.
An ISO microchip goes in first. Only then does the rabies vaccination count.
An official vet verifies the chip before blood is taken. This unlocks the 10-day quarantine.
The rabies blood test starts a 180-day countdown. Your pet can't fly until it's done.
Apply to DAFF for the permit, which fixes the entry port and quarantine booking.
Pet costs are separate from your household removal and these are a guide, not a quote. The total swings on your pet's size, the route and your agent. Government fees change, so always confirm the current figures with DAFF and your pet agent.
Chip, jab, RNATT, certificate
About £400 to £800
UK vet costs, dogs a bit more.
DAFF fee, paid in AUD
From about £250
Check the current DAFF fee.
Crate, flight, handling
About £2,000 to £6,000
Bigger pets cost more.
Mickleham, paid in AUD
From about £950
For the minimum 10-day stay.
Every cat and dog goes through the government quarantine facility at Mickleham, near Melbourne. Your pet flies into Melbourne airport, where DAFF officers collect it and take it straight to the facility. The minimum stay is 10 days if you completed the identity check before the rabies blood test, or a minimum of 30 days if you didn't, which is why that early step matters so much. You book the quarantine place ahead of time, because the import permit is tied to it.
Several pet costs, the permit and the quarantine, are charged in Australian dollars, code AUD, so the exchange rate feeds straight into your budget. Don't change money at the airport, where the rates are poorest. Hold a specialist like Wise or XE up against your bank, and think about an AUD account before you leave. The GBP to AUD rate moves every day, so check XE.com near the time you pay. For the avoidance of doubt, we match your home move and we do not exchange currency.
This guide is maintained by Darren Benjamin, who has run International Removals Companies since it launched in 2010 and has over 20 years in the logistics industry. Since 2013 he has also been Secretary and Manager of a UK removal company, a role verifiable on Companies House. In practice that means matching people moving abroad with the right certified mover, and knowing the customs and shipping detail behind an international move to or from Australia.
Our partner movers hold the industry's recognised credentials, including FIDI FAIM Certified (audited by Ernst and Young), BAR Overseas, IAM, EUROMOVERS and FEDEMAC membership. You can read more about who we are and how we vet partners on our about us page.
Yes. The UK is an approved country, so healthy cats and dogs can be imported once they meet the requirements. A few breeds are banned, including certain dangerous dog breeds and some hybrid cats, so check your pet is eligible before you start. Other species, like rabbits and ferrets, are far more restricted or not allowed.
Plan for at least six months. The rabies blood test alone triggers a 180-day waiting period before your pet can fly, and you also need the microchip, vaccination, identity check, import permit and health certificate done in the right order. Starting late is the most common reason pets miss the family's travel date.
All in, often somewhere between £4,000 and £10,000, depending on the size of your pet, the route and the agent. That covers vet preparation and tests, the import permit, the flight and pet agent, and quarantine at Mickleham. Fees change, so confirm the current amounts with DAFF and your chosen pet agent.
Yes. Every cat and dog spends time at the government quarantine facility at Mickleham, near Melbourne. The minimum stay is 10 days if you complete the identity check correctly, or 30 days if you don't. You book the quarantine place in advance, as the import permit is linked to it.
The RNATT is a blood test that proves the rabies vaccine is working. Australia then requires a 180-day waiting period, counted from the day the laboratory receives the sample, before your pet can travel. The result stays valid for 12 months, so timing the test right is key to hitting your travel window.
It decides how long your pet stays in quarantine. An official government vet must verify your pet's microchip identity before the rabies blood is drawn. Do this, and your pet qualifies for the minimum 10-day quarantine. Skip it or get the order wrong, and the stay jumps to a minimum of 30 days.
Cats and dogs must arrive in Australia at Melbourne on an international flight. DAFF officers collect your pet at the airport and take it straight to the Mickleham quarantine facility nearby. Domestic transfers from another Australian airport are not allowed for the arrival itself.
No. Pets travel by air through a specialist pet transport agent, not in your household container, and DAFF itself recommends using an experienced agent. We match your home move with a removal partner who can help line up the timing, so your belongings and your pet arrive close together.
We are a free matching service for your household move, not a pet shipper. Tell us about your relocation and we connect you with one vetted FIDI-certified mover for your belongings. They can coordinate dates with your pet agent. It costs you nothing and there's no obligation.
While your pet travels with a specialist agent, your belongings go with a removal partner. Every mover we match you with holds FIDI FAIM, the international moving industry's quality standard, awarded after an independent Ernst and Young audit of more than 200 criteria and renewed every three years. A good mover will happily work to your pet's timeline so the family lands together.
International Removals Companies has matched movers since November 2010, free of charge. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743. Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
While you line up your pet's journey, let us sort the rest. Send your UK collection postcode, your Australian delivery address and your rough dates, and we pair you with one FIDI-certified partner who can plan your shipment around your pet's travel.
Match My Household MoveFree matching for your belongings. One FIDI-certified mover. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, since November 2010.
We connect household removal enquiries for Australia with one vetted FIDI-certified partner mover, and offer plain-English guidance on bringing your pet. Pets travel via a specialist pet agent, not in your container. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743. Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
Pet rules, permits and quarantine fees are set by DAFF and confirmed by your pet agent before booking.