Pets Traveling Overseas
In Australia, there are rigid quarantine requirements in order to preserve the disease free status of this country for many diseases that are present (endemic) overseas. The Australian Government Department of Agriculture (DA) is responsible for regulating the export and import of animals from and into Australia.
Certain veterinarians are registered with the Department of Agriculture as approved veterinarians to advise and perform appropriate requirements for export of pets. These requirements will vary from country to country and may also change over time. The department website is www.agriculture.gov.au and should be consulted for any matters pertaining to traveling overseas with your pet.
If you are taking your pet overseas and are considering then re-importing your pet back to Australia, it is important to investigate this prior to travel. For some countries, such as New Zealand, no quarantine is required as long as the requirements have been met. It is not possible however to import pets directly from some other countries (due to their disease status) and other circumstances will involve long periods of quarantine.
Your veterinarian will be happy to assist you in your enquiries and redirect you to an accredited veterinarian as necessary.
© Copyright 2025 LifeLearn Inc. Used and/or modified with permission under license. This content written by LifeLearn Animal Health (LifeLearn Inc.) is licensed to this practice for the personal use of our clients. Any copying, printing or further distribution is prohibited without the express written consent of LifeLearn. This content does not contain all available information for any referenced medications and has not been reviewed by the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine, or Health Canada Veterinary Drugs Directorate. This content may help answer commonly asked questions, but is not a substitute for medical advice, or a proper consultation and/or clinical examination of your pet by a veterinarian. Please contact your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns about your pet’s health. Last updated on Nov 17, 2016.
