Bringing a Pet From New Zealand to Australia: Skip Quarantine (2026)

How the Group 1 biosecurity status of New Zealand, Norfolk Island and the Cocos Keeling Islands lets a cat or dog skip the rabies test and quarantine most countries require. Covers the microchip, health certificate and BICON import permit, and the real 4-to-6-week timeline. Figures as at September 2026.

Read the full guide, with official sources →

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Chapters

  1. 0:00 Bringing a pet from New Zealand?
  2. 0:12 Group 1 status:
  3. 0:24 Step one: a microchip
  4. 0:35 Health certificate +
  5. 0:45 Apply for the import permit
  6. 0:57 4 to 6 weeks.
  7. 1:08 No Mickleham quarantine —
  8. 1:22 Check DAFF's current rules

Transcript

Moving a cat or dog from New Zealand? You skip the two hardest parts of the process almost every other country has to deal with.

New Zealand is classed as a Group 1 country for biosecurity, along with Norfolk Island and the Cocos Keeling Islands. That means no rabies blood test, and no quarantine on arrival.

The first step is a microchip. A New Zealand vet implants an ISO-standard chip, and you keep the number — you'll need it at every step that follows.

Next, get a health certificate from your vet, plus proof of any vaccinations. DAFF asks for both when you apply for the import permit.

The import permit is applied for through BICON, the biosecurity system. You'll need the microchip number, a description of your pet, your vet's details, and your Australian address.

Start to finish, this typically takes 4 to 6 weeks. Most other countries require a 180-day rabies antibody waiting period before their pet can even apply.

Your pet travels in an IATA-compliant crate, and most arrive through Melbourne. There's no trip to the Mickleham quarantine facility — Group 1 pets are exempt — though DAFF may still run a brief health check at the airport.

Biosecurity rules get reviewed regularly, so confirm the current requirements on the DAFF website before you plan a move date around any of this.

The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description.

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