Bringing your dog or cat from Australia to Malta

Getting your dog or cat into Malta is mostly a timing exercise. Getting them back into Australia later is the hard bit, so plan both ends now.

The short version

Australia is a listed third country under the EU's pet rules, which makes the move to Malta much simpler than from many places [2].
Your pet needs a microchip, then a rabies vaccination, then a wait of at least 21 days, then an EU animal health certificate issued no more than 10 days before arrival [1].
Dogs going to Malta need a tapeworm treatment 1 to 5 days before travel, recorded on the certificate [1].
Malta requires a Pets Arrival Notification online before your pet lands. Without it, entry can be refused [3].
On the Australian side, you lodge a Notice of Intention with the Department of Agriculture at least 10 working days before departure [5].

Why Australia has it easy (on the way out)

The EU splits non-EU countries into "listed" and "unlisted" for pet travel. Listed countries have a low rabies risk, and Australia is one of them [2]. Pets from unlisted countries generally need a rabies blood test (titre test) and a three-month wait after the sample before they can enter the EU [1]. The EU's own guidance says that test applies to most non-EU countries, with exceptions [1]. As a listed country, Australia is generally among them, but confirm with Malta's Veterinary Regulation Directorate before you book, because rules are applied at the border.

Here's the catch. Australia is rabies-free, so rabies vaccination isn't part of normal pet care at home. Book it through a vet who regularly prepares pets for export, and start early.

The EU rules your pet must meet

These are the EU requirements for a dog or cat travelling as a pet, which means non-commercial and travelling with you or someone you nominate [1].

Requirement	What it means for you
Microchip	Implanted before the rabies vaccination [1]
Rabies vaccine	Given at 12 weeks of age or older [1]
Waiting period	At least 21 days after the primary vaccination [1]
Titre test	Required from most non-EU countries; check that the listed-country exemption applies to you [1][2]
EU animal health certificate	Issued by an official state vet no more than 10 days before arrival in the EU, with a non-commercial declaration [1]
Fit to travel	Certified by an official vet [1]
Tapeworm (dogs only)	Treated 24 to 120 hours before travel, recorded on the certificate [1]
Number of pets	Up to five, unless you're travelling for a show or competition [1]

The microchip order matters. If your dog was vaccinated before being chipped, the vaccination doesn't count and you'll start again. Most Australian pets are already chipped, but check that the chip is a 15-digit ISO-standard one, or carry a scanner that can read it [7].

Cats have one Australia-specific condition. Malta's import requirements say cats may only come from Australia if they haven't lived in areas with confirmed Hendra virus cases in the previous 60 days [7]. If you're in parts of Queensland or northern New South Wales, raise this with your vet early.

Once your pet is in the EU, the health certificate also works for onward travel between EU countries for a limited period [1]. After that, a Maltese vet can issue an EU pet passport.

Malta's own extras

The Pets Arrival Notification

Malta asks every pet owner to submit a Pets Arrival Notification through servizz.gov.mt before the pet arrives [3]. Print the completed form and keep it with your pet during the trip [3]. The service page is blunt: if you don't complete the form, your pet's entry to Malta will be denied, and if entry requirements aren't met, your pet may be sent back or held in quarantine [3]. Pet travel guides put the advance notice at least 48 hours before arrival [7]. Do it a week ahead and relax.

Where pets can arrive

Pets arriving by air from outside the EU come through Malta International Airport at Luqa, where documents are checked [4][7]. The EU's list of Malta's pet entry points also includes the Grand Harbour and several marinas for people arriving by sea [4]. That list dates from 2010, so check current points of entry with the directorate if you're coming by boat.

Who to call

Malta's Veterinary Regulation Directorate handles pet imports. Visit Malta lists separate phone lines for pets coming from outside the EU [6]. Call them with your route and dates before you book flights. They can tell you exactly what they'll check at Luqa.

The Australian side: export paperwork

Australia controls the export of live animals, even pets. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry sets out the process [5]:

Check Malta's requirements and give them to your vet in writing. The department says this is your responsibility [5].
See a registered vet to plan the vaccinations, treatments and documents [5].
Lodge a Notice of Intention (NOI) to export, with supporting documents, to the regional office in your departure state at least 10 working days before departure [5]. An assessment fee applies.
Arrange an IATA-compliant travel crate and have your vet check it [5].
Final health examination by your vet within 72 hours of departure [5]. For a dog going to Malta, line this up with the 1-to-5-day tapeworm window [1].
Attend the pre-export appointment. A government certifying vet reviews everything and issues the health certificate and export permit [5]. Fees are time-based, so have everything in order.
Fly within 72 hours of the export permit being issued [5].

The 72-hour export window and the EU's 10-day certificate validity both run off your flight, so book the flight before the vet appointments, not after.

Flying from Australia to Malta

There's no direct route, so your pet will connect through a Gulf hub or a European city. Pets on long-haul flights from Australia usually travel as checked baggage or as cargo, depending on the airline, and most families use a professional pet transport company for the cargo booking.

Things to sort out early:

Transit rules. A connection inside an EU country is usually smoother because your pet enters the EU there. Transit through an unlisted country can mean extra paperwork, such as a transit declaration [7].
Summer embargoes. Some airlines restrict pets in cargo during hot months, and Gulf summers are fierce. Ask before booking.
Short-nosed breeds. Pugs, bulldogs and Persian cats often face airline restrictions.
Crate training. Start weeks ahead so the crate feels like home.

Life with a dog in Malta

Malta is dog-friendly in towns, and its parks and promenades are full of dogs on leads. The rules differ from home in a few ways.

Beaches

Malta's Commissioner for Animal Welfare explains that dogs aren't allowed on sandy beaches at any time of year, in the sand or the water, except at designated dog-friendly beaches [8]. In July 2023, 12 beaches in Malta and 4 in Gozo were officially designated dog-friendly, including Mġiebaħ [8], and more have been added or proposed since. Dogs can use rocky beaches all year except Blue Flag ones, which ban dogs in summer. At official bathing areas, dogs can stay on the rocks but can't swim [8]. Keep your dog on a lead and pick up after it [8].

For Australians used to off-leash dog beaches, that's a big change. Plan your summer swims around the designated beaches.

Registration and vets

Malta requires dogs to be microchipped and registered, so ask your new Maltese vet to register your dog's chip on the national database and to issue an EU pet passport. Keep rabies boosters up to date, because you'll need valid vaccinations for any trip elsewhere in Europe.

Heat

Malta's summers are long and humid. Walk dogs early or late, avoid hot limestone and tarmac, and never leave a pet in a car.

Planning the trip home now

Bringing a pet back to Australia is far stricter than taking it to Malta. You'll need an import permit, a rabies antibody test done months in advance, and a stay in post-entry quarantine. Start planning at least six months before you fly home, and read our guide to bringing your pet home to Australia.

Want vet recommendations or a dog-walking buddy in Sliema? Ask in Cooee Malta, our Facebook group for Australians in Malta.

Your timeline at a glance

When	What
3–4 months before	Book vet, check microchip, get rabies vaccine, call the Maltese directorate
6–8 weeks before	Book flights and pet transport; crate training
10+ working days before	Lodge the Australian NOI [5]
A week before	Submit Malta's Pets Arrival Notification [3]
1–5 days before (dogs)	Tapeworm treatment [1]
Within 72 hours	Final vet check, export permit, health certificate [5]
Arrival	Document check at Luqa [4]

Bringing your pet to Malta: the Australian dog and cat checklist