Bringing a dog or cat from Australia to Ireland

Ireland lets Australian pets in without quarantine. The work is in the timing, and in thinking ahead to the flight home.

The short version

Australia is treated as a "listed" country under EU rules, so there's no rabies blood test or three-month wait for dogs and cats coming in [1][3].
Your pet needs a microchip, then a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel, then an EU health certificate endorsed by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) [1][5].
Dogs going to Ireland need a tapeworm treatment between 24 and 120 hours before travel, recorded on the certificate [1][4].
Non-EU pets must enter through an approved point such as Dublin Airport or Dublin Port, with advance notice to the Irish Department of Agriculture [2].
Ireland is a Group 3 country for Australian imports, so coming home later means a rabies antibody test, an import permit and quarantine at Mickleham [7][8].

What Ireland and the EU require

Ireland follows the EU rules for non-commercial pet movements, now set out in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 [9]. Ireland adds one thing most EU countries don't: a tapeworm treatment for dogs [1][4].

Requirement	Dogs	Cats	Timing
ISO microchip	Yes	Yes	Before the rabies vaccination [1]
Rabies vaccination	Yes	Yes	Pet at least 12 weeks old; travel at least 21 days after a primary shot [1]
Rabies antibody (titre) test	No, for Australia	No, for Australia	Not applicable [3]
Tapeworm (Echinococcus) treatment	Yes	No	24 to 120 hours before travel, on the certificate [1][4]
Hendra statement	No	Yes	Vet certifies no Hendra cases at the premises in the last 60 days [3]
EU animal health certificate	Yes	Yes	Issued no more than 10 days before arrival in the EU [1]

A few details trip people up:

The chip goes in first. If the rabies vaccine was given before the microchip, it doesn't count and must be repeated [1].
Boosters must be on time. If a booster is late, it counts as a new primary vaccination and the 21-day wait restarts [1].
Five pets maximum. More than five falls outside the pet rules unless you're going to a competition or show [1][2].
You travel with your pet, or within five days of it if an authorised person goes with it [2].

The certificate stays valid for travel between EU countries for up to six months, or until the rabies vaccination expires [1]. After that, ask a Dublin vet about an EU pet passport.

Getting the paperwork done in Australia

Australia is rabies-free, so most Australian pets have never had a rabies shot. Your vet will need to source the vaccine.

DAFF issues the export health certificate. Where the importing country has its own form, it's attached to DAFF's certificate [5]. DAFF's Manual of Importing Country Requirements (MICoR) publishes the EU certificate and guidance updated for October 2026. That guidance lists the Republic of Ireland, along with Northern Ireland, Malta and Finland, as places where the tapeworm treatment applies to dogs [4].

Step-by-step timeline

Three months or more before: Check your pet's microchip is an ISO 15-digit chip. Book your vet and ask whether they handle export work.
At least 21 days before (in practice, six to eight weeks): Rabies vaccination, given after the microchip [1][5].
Same period: Book the flight. There are no direct flights from Australia to Ireland, so pets usually fly as manifested cargo through a hub. Airlines set their own rules on cabin pets and crates [2]. Many people use a professional pet transport company for this part.
Same period: If you also plan to bring your pet home one day, ask your vet about a rabies antibody blood test before you leave (see below) [7].
Within 10 days of arrival in the EU: The accredited vet completes the EU health certificate, and DAFF endorses it [1][4][5].
Within 72 hours of departure: Final health and welfare check by your vet [5].
24 to 120 hours before travel (dogs): Tapeworm treatment, recorded on the certificate [1][4]. Work backwards from your arrival in Ireland, allowing for stopovers.
Before you fly: Submit advance notice to the Irish Department of Agriculture through its Advance Notice Portal [2].

The tight squeeze is the overlap between the 10-day certificate window, the 72-hour vet check and the tapeworm window. A cancelled connection can push a dog outside the tapeworm window, so build in buffer.

Arriving in Dublin

Approved entry points

Pets from outside the EU can only come into Ireland through these points [2]:

Entry point	Contact for advance notice
Dublin Airport	petmove@agriculture.gov.ie
Dublin Port	dubport.petmove@agriculture.gov.ie
Cork Airport and Ringaskiddy Port	corkpetmove@agriculture.gov.ie
Shannon Airport	PetsShannon@agriculture.gov.ie
Rosslare Europort	rosslare.europort@agriculture.gov.ie

Carry the original paperwork, not copies [2]. Pets that don't meet EU rules can be sent back or quarantined [1].

Coming via Britain or another EU country

If your pet lands in London or a European hub first, the rules of that country apply on the way. Great Britain has its own pet rules since Brexit. If you transit Ireland to somewhere else, a non-compliant pet isn't allowed to disembark here [2]. Ask your pet transport company to map the whole route against each country's rules.

Settling in: dog licences and renting

Dog licence and microchip registration

Every dog over four months old in Ireland needs a licence [6]:

Licence	Cost (2026)
One year	€20
Lifetime of the dog	€140
General licence (multiple dogs, one location, one year)	€400

Buy it at licences.ie or a post office [6]. Your dog must be registered in your name on an authorised Irish microchip database, and must wear a collar or harness with your name and address [6]. Ask your new Dublin vet to register the Australian chip number on an Irish database.

The fines are real: €150 for no licence, €200 for no identification, €300 for a dog not under control, and €250 for not cleaning up after your dog [6].

Restricted breeds

Ireland has a list of restricted breeds, including Rottweilers, German shepherds, Dobermanns and Staffordshire bull terriers, plus their crosses. In public they must be muzzled, on a lead under two metres and controlled by someone over 16 [6]. XL Bully dogs can no longer be imported into Ireland, since a ban started on 1 October 2024 [6]. If your dog could be classed as an XL Bully, don't plan the move until you've checked with the Department.

Renting with a pet

This is where Dublin is hardest. The rental market is tight, and many leases and apartment management company rules restrict or ban pets. Mention your pet up front, offer a reference from your Australian landlord or agent, and send a short pet CV with vaccination and desexing records. Get any permission in writing in the lease. Our renting guide covers deposits and tenancy rules.

Bringing your pet home to Australia

This is the half people forget. Your pet loses its Australian health status the moment it leaves [7], and Ireland is a Group 3 country for Australian cat and dog imports [8].

What that means:

You'll need an Australian import permit and a valid rabies antibody test (RNATT) result of at least 0.5 IU/ml. The result is valid for 12 months from the blood draw [7].
Pets not prepared before leaving Australia face a 180-day wait after the blood test before they can fly home [7].
Group 3 pets must do post-entry quarantine at the government facility. Returning Australian pets may be eligible for a 10-day period if you can present the original export health certificate or its number [7].

The single best thing you can do: ask your Australian vet about a rabies antibody test before you leave, done through an approved Australian laboratory. If the lab report is in hand and rabies protection is kept up continuously in Ireland, coming home is much simpler [7]. Keep every certificate in a folder. Our guide to bringing your pet home to Australia covers the return process in full.

Moving to Ireland	Moving back to Australia
No titre test (Australia is a listed country) [3]	Titre test (RNATT) needed; valid 12 months [7]
No quarantine	Post-entry quarantine, often 10 days for returning pets [7]
DAFF endorses the export certificate [5]	DAFF issues the import permit [7]

Thinking of moving with a dog or cat? Ask in Cooee Ireland, our Facebook group for Australians in Ireland. Plenty of members have done the Sydney-to-Dublin crate run.

Bringing your dog or cat from Australia to Ireland: EU rules, the tapeworm window and the trip home