How Difficult is Flying a Dog from Australia to NZ?

With no quarantine required for dogs flying between Australia and New Zealand, a few years ago I I considered visiting New Zealand for a holiday with my dog. However, despite the lack of quarantine, it’s still not an easy or cheap process, and not advisable for a short holiday. Find out more about what is required to fly a dog from Australia to New Zealand and back to Australia.

Is Quarantine Required?

When flying a dog to either Australia or New Zealand, generally quarantine is required. However, there is a very short list of exceptions for dogs being imported to both countries.

When importing a dog to Australia, quarantine is required for all dogs except for dogs being imported from Group 1 countries. This group only includes Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Norfolk Island (both Australian territories), plus New Zealand. New Zealand is the only country of export where no quarantine is required.

When importing a dog to New Zealand, dogs being imported from Australia, including Norfolk Island, are classified as Category 1 countries. Simpler requirements apply including no quarantine.

In both cases, dogs being imported without quarantine should not currently be under any quarantine restrictions. The Australian guidelines also state that dogs imported to Australia from New Zealand must have lived in New Zealand for the past 180 days if they have lived in any country other than New Zealand or Australia. I believe a similar rule applies for New Zealand.

Additionally, if fleas or ticks are detected on a dog upon arrival in New Zealand, your dog will be taken to a quarantine facility for further testing and treatment. The same requirement likely applies for dogs arriving in Australia.

Steps to Take a Dog to New Zealand

The process to import a dog to New Zealand from Australia (a Category 1 country) is set out in this document, with a clear checklist at the end of the document. There are multiple steps required, including:

• Having a veterinarian test your dog for heartworm and examine your dog for signs of external parasites and infectious diseases
• Having a veterinarian treat your dog for external and internal parasites twice
• Notifying the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) at least five days before your dog’s arrival
• Completion of Model Veterinary Certificate A and B

Note that the steps related to testing for Babesia gibsoni only apply to dogs that have travelled to or resided in South Africa, something that can be skipped for most dogs. The references to an import permit generally also don’t apply for dogs and cats imported from Australia.

Pets are also required to be cleared through customs. It’s a requirement to contact customs, prior to the animal arriving in New Zealand if possible, and provide multiple documents. A fee may be charged for pets purchased overseas. For full details, see the Customs Service website.

Additionally, an export permit is required for all dogs being exported from Australia. A Notice of Intention to Export Live Animals is required to be lodged at least 10 days before departure, then an export permit and health certificate needs to be issued, after the final veterinarian inspections.

Not surprisingly, it’s recommended to use a pet transport company who is familiar with all these steps and can smoothly schedule everything.

Steps to Bring a Dog Back to Australia

For dogs being imported to Australia from New Zealand, while no import permit is required (as long as they meet the standard health certificate conditions), there are still a number of preparation steps required, as detailed in this guide. The key steps include:

• Contacting the MPI or a veterinarian to determine the type of veterinary health certificate to use, either the pre-printed export certificate (AUPET9) or the official assurance certificate (AUPETOA9)
• Testing for Leishmania infantum for dogs that have lived outside of New Zealand
• Having a veterinarian treat your dog for external and internal parasites
• Having a veterinarian examine your dog for signs of external parasites and infectious diseases
• Completion of the appropriate veterinary health certificate
• Notifying the relevant office at least three days before your dog’s arrival

It’s recommended to allow a month to complete all the requirements, for dogs that have never lived in another country. It’s also recommended to consider using a pet transport company. This is likely also to be a requirement to book the international flight for your dog.

Flights Including Cost

Unless you’re transporting your dog by sea, you’ll need to book an international flight for your dog between New Zealand and Australia.

For pets flying to New Zealand, even from Australia, they must enter New Zealand at either Auckland or Christchurch airports. It’s at one of these two airports that clearance is given for dogs and cats from Australia to enter the country. Inspections are only done during certain hours (check the document for the latest hours) and never on weekends.

For pets flying to Australia, there is no requirement to fly to a specific airport, unlike pets entering quarantine that must enter the country at Melbourne International Airport. All pets must fly directly from New Zealand to mainland Australia. Any airline can be used, although all pets need to travel as manifested cargo (not in the cabin).

Enquire directly with airlines for their rules for flying pets as cargo or speak to a pet transport company. The majority of available airlines (including both Qantas and Air New Zealand) require bookings for international pet transport to be made through a pet transport company. Some dog owners just use a pet transporter for the flight booking, while others use them for the entire process.

The cost to fly a dog in between Australia and New Zealand is not cheap. Based on reports that I’ve seen in online groups, allow about $2000 to $3000 AUD per dog. This does not include the other veterinary fees and other costs associated with exporting and importing a pet, which are higher for dogs travelling from Australia to New Zealand.

I recommend getting a quote with multiple pet transport companies, with different companies operating in Australia and New Zealand. (I’ve previously used Jetpets for flying my pet out of Australia.) Make sure it’s clear what is included in the quote.

So How Difficult is it?

As you can see from the above steps, it’s still not a simple process to fly pets in between Australia and New Zealand, even though no import permits or quarantine is required. It’s a complex process with multiple steps. Additionally, the cost to transport a pet between the two countries is quite significant, even the flight cost alone without adding on veterinary fees and government charges.

Due to this, I decided to skip taking my dog with me to New Zealand on a short trip, even though I initially thought it would be quite easy and cheap thanks to no quarantine and just a quick two hour flight from Sydney to Auckland. Many pets do fly between Australia and New Zealand, but it’s generally for people relocating either permanently or for a long period.

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