Bringing your dog or cat from Australia to NZ

Australia is New Zealand's easiest country to bring a pet from, but "easiest" still means parasite treatments counted to the day, a government-endorsed certificate and a vet inspection at Auckland Airport.

The short version

Cats and dogs flying in from Australia don't need an import permit and don't go into quarantine if they pass inspection on arrival [1][3].
New Zealand brought in a new import health standard on 1 July 2026. Either the 2021 or 2026 rules apply until 1 April 2027, then only the 2026 rules [2].
Your vet must give parasite treatments in set windows, from 30 days down to 2 days before the flight [3].
Pets must fly as manifested cargo into Auckland or Christchurch, and you must give MPI at least 5 working days' notice [3].
Plan for the trip home too. Cats and dogs imported into New Zealand must stay at least 180 days before they can go to Australia [5].

How New Zealand sees an Aussie pet

New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) sorts countries into categories by disease risk. Australia, including Norfolk Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, is Category 1, the lowest-risk group [3].

That matters because it removes the two things that make most international pet moves miserable:

No import permit for cats and dogs from Australia arriving by air. MPI's fees page says pets need a permit "apart from cats and dogs from Australia" [1].
No minimum quarantine. The 10-day quarantine in the standard applies to Category 2 and 3 countries, not Category 1. Your pet is inspected on arrival and, if all's well, released [3].

There's one condition people miss: your pet must travel directly from a Category 1 country [3]. If your dog came to Australia from somewhere else, it still has to fly straight from Australia and meet all the same tests.

The 2026 rules change

MPI issued a revised Import Health Standard for Cats and Dogs on 12 May 2026. It took effect on 1 July 2026 with a nine-month transition, during which MPI accepts either the 2021 or 2026 requirements [2]. From 1 April 2027, every cat and dog must meet the 2026 rules [2]. MPI suggests asking the government authority in the exporting country, or your pet transport company, which set to use [2]. If you're moving in 2027, plan around the 2026 standard.

What your pet needs before the flight

Here's what the 2026 standard asks for pets from Australia [3]. Your vet will know the tests, but you'll be the one counting days.

Requirement	Cats	Dogs	When
Microchip, recorded at every vet visit	Yes	Yes	Before any treatment
Worming (roundworms and tapeworms)	2 treatments	2 treatments	First within 30 days of the flight and at least 14 days before the second; second within 5 days
Tick and flea treatment	1 treatment	2 treatments	Last within 16 days of the flight, with continuous protection
Angiostrongylus (lungworm) treatment	No	Yes	Within 5 days of the flight
Heartworm treatment	No	Yes	Within 5 days, or a current long-acting injection
Heartworm blood test	No	Dogs 7 months and older	Within 30 days of the flight
Babesia gibsoni blood tests	No	Yes	First tick treatment at least 14 days before the sample
Vet exam, fit to fly	Yes	Yes	Within 2 days of the flight

A few more rules from the standard [3]:

Age: about eight weeks old at shipment, at minimum.
Pregnancy: no more than 42 days pregnant on the day of the flight.
Undesexed dogs have extra checks, including for Brucella canis, and a vet examination for a transmissible tumour before departure and again on arrival.
Owner declarations are needed for some diseases, such as canine influenza in the 21 days before the flight.
Depending on how MPI lists Australia's status for diseases like leptospirosis and Leishmania, extra tests may apply. Your vet should work from the Category 1 model certificate in the standard.

Banned breeds

New Zealand's Dog Control Act bans importing dogs that are wholly or mainly Brazilian Fila, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Perro de Presa Canario or American Pit Bull Terrier type [3]. That rule applies to Australian dogs too, with no exceptions for family pets.

The certificate

All of this goes on a veterinary certificate that must be completed and endorsed by an official government veterinarian in Australia. Every paper page needs their stamp, signature and date [3]. Your own vet does the treatments and tests, then the paperwork goes to the Australian Government for endorsement. Leave time for that step, because the final treatments fall in the last few days before the flight.

Your countdown to the flight

Work backwards from the flight date. This is a typical order for a dog. Cats need fewer steps.

Two to three months out: check the microchip scans, decide whether you'll use a pet transport company, and book the flight. Pets must travel as manifested cargo, not in the cabin, unless it's an assistance dog and the airline agrees [3].
Six weeks out: give MPI's step-by-step guide and the standard to your vet, and book every appointment against the flight date [4].
About 30 days out: first worming treatment and the heartworm blood test for dogs aged 7 months or older. Make sure the first tick treatment is done at least 14 days before the Babesia blood sample [3].
At least 5 working days out: email MPI's Application for Veterinary Inspection form to australia.dogsandcats@mpi.govt.nz [3].
Within 16 days: final tick and flea treatment [3].
Within 5 days: second worming, lungworm and heartworm treatments for dogs [3].
Within 2 days: fit-to-fly exam, then the official government endorsement of the certificate [3].
Arrival: an MPI vet inspects your pet and checks the documents at Auckland or Christchurch Airport [3].

Arriving by yacht or ship? You'll need a permit and your pet goes to a transitional facility until it's inspected the next working day [3].

What it costs on the New Zealand side

MPI charges fees to inspect and clear your pet. These are the rates listed in 2026 [1]:

MPI fee	Excluding GST	Including GST
Inspection, first cat or dog	NZ$325.26	NZ$374.05
Each additional cat or dog	NZ$108.42	NZ$124.68
Extra inspection time, per hour	NZ$216.84	NZ$249.37
Cancellation without enough notice	NZ$54.21	NZ$62.34

If your pet arrives sick, has ticks or fleas, or lands outside inspection hours, it may have to go to an MPI-approved quarantine facility, which sets its own fees [1]. Travel charges also apply if an MPI inspector has to travel [1].

You'll also pay your Australian vet, the government endorsement, the airline or pet transport company, and an IATA-approved crate. Those costs vary a lot by animal size and route, so get written quotes.

Settling in: Auckland Council rules

Once you're through the airport, the local rules kick in.

Register your dog. New Zealand councils require dogs over three months old to be registered every year. Do it with Auckland Council soon after you arrive. The council's Responsible Dog Owner Licence (RDOL) gives a discount on the fee [7].
Check where dogs are allowed. Auckland Council sets rules on where and when you can walk your dog, and beach and park rules can change by season and time of day [7].
Two-dog limit. Under Auckland's Dog Management Bylaw 2019, you generally need a licence to keep more than two dogs on an urban property [7].
Renting with a pet. Landlords in New Zealand can charge a pet bond on top of the general bond. See Renting in Auckland as an Australian.

New Zealand is as strict about biosecurity as Australia. Smartraveller warns that failing to declare risk items brings an instant fine, and false statements can mean heavy fines or prison [8]. Declare the pet food and treats you pack, or leave them behind.

Moving back across the Tasman

This is the part many Australians find out too late.

The 180-day rule. MPI says cats and dogs imported into New Zealand need to stay at least 180 days before they can travel to Australia [5]. If you're on a six-month contract, your pet may not be able to come home with you.

The Leishmania test. MPI says dogs imported into New Zealand must be tested for Leishmania infantum before entering Australia. The test must be done after the dog has lived in New Zealand for at least 21 days, and pre-entry tests can't be used [4][5]. MPI's page doesn't say whether dogs that originally came from Australia are exempt, so ask MPI and the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry before you book anything.

Back in Australia. New Zealand is in Group 1 for Australian pet imports, and pets from Group 1 don't have to do post-entry quarantine [6]. Keep the export health certificate from your original move, because it carries your pet's microchip number [6]. For the full picture, read Bringing your pet home to Australia.

Moving with a pet? Ask in Cooee New Zealand, our Facebook group for Australians in New Zealand. Someone has usually done the same route with the same breed.

Bringing your dog or cat from Australia to New Zealand: no quarantine, lots of timing