Cost of Bringing a Pet to Australia: The Real DAFF Fees (2026)

What it actually costs to bring a dog or cat into Australia — the fixed DAFF fees for Mickleham quarantine and the import permit, the RNATT blood test that unlocks the 180-day wait, and why vet fees, crates and flights need their own quote. Covers when the cost is lower, and why skipping a step isn't an option. Figures as at September 2026.

Read the full guide, with official sources →

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Chapters

  1. 0:00 Bringing a pet to Australia?
  2. 0:11 Mickleham quarantine:
  3. 0:21 Reservation $282.
  4. 0:34 Stay 30 days instead?
  5. 0:44 Import permit: $626
  6. 0:58 Permits: 20 to 40 days typical.
  7. 1:08 One blood test unlocks
  8. 1:18 Vet fees, crate, flights, transport:
  9. 1:31 DAFF fees alone: about $2,600.
  10. 1:45 Some countries skip
  11. 1:58 Fees change every year.
  12. 2:10 Where to read more

Transcript

Moving your dog or cat to Australia can cost $3,000 to $10,000 — and most of that isn't optional.

The single biggest cost is compulsory: 10 days at the Mickleham quarantine facility in Victoria, from $1,974.

That breaks down into a $282 reservation charge, a $1,132 importation charge, and $560 for 10 days of accommodation at $56 a day.

Stay longer, and it costs more: a 30-day stay is $1,680 for accommodation alone, because it's charged per day.

Before your pet even flies, an import permit from DAFF costs $626 for the first animal — $135 lodgement plus $491 assessment — and $299 for each extra one.

Most permits are issued in 20 to 40 business days, though DAFF says it can take up to 123 — start planning at least 6 months ahead.

A blood test called RNATT is what unlocks the 180-day waiting period before travel. Fail it, and you revaccinate and wait another 180 days.

Vet fees, an IATA-compliant travel crate, international flights, and any pet-transport company are priced individually by each provider — get a written quote for each one before you book.

Add the two DAFF fees together, and you get a floor of about $2,600 before any vet work, crate or flight is added — the full total commonly reaches several thousand dollars, and can exceed $10,000 on a long-haul move.

From New Zealand, Norfolk Island or Cocos Islands, there's no quarantine and no rabies test at all. From Japan, Singapore or Mauritius, quarantine still applies but the RNATT test doesn't.

DAFF reviews these fees every year, so confirm the current schedule before you book — and never falsify a health certificate: it's a criminal offence, and biosecurity checks are strict.

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

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