The ultimate guide to moving cats to Australia from the U.S.
Are you moving overseas and trying to navigate moving cats to Australia? If so, you have come to the right place. Australia is one of the strictest countries in the world for exporting animals. Still, I’m here to tell you that with pre-planning and sufficient time, it is possible to bring your cats to Australia. This guide will focus specifically on the steps you need to take to export your cat from the United States (U.S.) to Australia, from rabies vaccination certificate to the import permit and everything in between, we have covered it all.
Moving cats internationally is not new to me. Regardless of the fact that I have done it multiple times, I still find it stressful. I hope to take some of the stress out of the process for you with this article.
I have been living and working overseas for the last 11 years. In that time, I have moved internationally six times, and my cats have moved internationally seven times!! Yes, they’ve had one more move than me, in order to get home from an unapproved country.
Since leaving Australia, my cats have moved to Singapore, Bangladesh, Malaysia, back to Australia, then to the U.S., Kazakhstan, and finally back to the U.S. Every time I move internationally, I think “what am I doing, this is too complicated.” Nonetheless, I’m here to tell you that no matter how complicated it is, it is possible and worth it. I am so grateful to have been able to bring my cats with me on my travels.
In this article, I will break down the complicated Australian export process for cats into simple, easy-to-follow steps. Once you understand each step the process will feel a little less daunting.
Two disclaimers I must note upfront:
- This is very important – the rules to bring pets to Australia could change anytime. This article is correct as of January 2023. It is important that you confirm on the Australian Government official website that these rules are still accurate.
- This article is specific to bringing cats from the United States to Australia. The United States is categorized as a Category 3 country and the below process is specific to cats coming from a Category 3 country. If you are bringing cats from another country, you must confirm the requirements based on the country you are exporting your cats from.
With those disclaimers out of the way, let’s jump in and look at what you need to do to get your pets to Australia from the U.S..
Step 1: Getting Prepared and Doing your Research
Relocating cats to Australia is a complicated and lengthy process, so it’s important to you do your research before the move. An important decision you need to make is whether you will move your cats yourself or if you want to pay a pet relocation company to assist. Pet relocation companies are expensive. In saying that, they know the in’s and out’s of the process, which means less stress for you and less risk that there will be a costly mistake that will prevent you from moving your cats as planned.
I have used numerous pet relocation companies and would highly recommend Jet Pets. I have used Jet Pets several times and found them fabulous at communicating and caring for my cats during transit. Many companies offer international pet relocation, so do your research and find a company you feel you can trust and who knows the in’s and out’s of moving pets to Australia specifically.
With that said, if you don’t have the budget for a pet relocation company, it is possible to do it yourself. It can seem overwhelming, but when you break it down into individual steps, each step is manageable. The most important thing is to understand each stage and the timeframe during which it needs to be completed. You need a minimum of 7 months to complete this process. Starting early and have a well-mapped-out plan will help you throughout the process.
The ultimate guide to moving cats from australia
For those about to embark on the the process of moving your cats to Australia, I know it can feel overwhelming.
To help guide you through every part of the journey I have put together this FREE step-by-step guide to moving cats from Australia to the US.
The guide is broken down in to an easy to understand checklist with timeframes and important information all in one place. It also has links to key resources you will need to access during the process.
If you would like an email PDF copy of this FREE Guide simply click the link below.
Step 2: Finding an approved vet that you can work with throughout the process
The first essential things you will want to do are pretty straightforward.
Check that your cat is eligible for export to Australia – to be eligible, your cat must meet the following requirements:
Find an approved veterinarian who is approved to complete the export process for your cat. I suggest contacting your current vet to confirm if they are able to help you, or if not if they know who can.
Next you need to confirm that your cat has an ISO-compatible microchip – your vet should be able to help you confirm this. The microchip will need to be scanned and recorded at every step of the journey.
Step 3: Getting started
Consider having your cat’s identity verified by the U.S. Government Veterinary Service. This entirely optional; however, the benefit of doing the identity verification is that it reduces the time your cat needs to spend in quarantine on arrival in Australia. If your cat’s identity is verified before the RNAT tests are completed, the quarantine requirement reduces from 30 days to just 10 days. This will not only save you a significant amount of money but will also reduce the stress on your cat.
You can contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in your state by referencing the attached contact page
If you do decide to complete the identity verification check you will need to get this done before the blood sample is drawn for the Rabies Neutralising Antibody Titre test (RNATT).
Step 4: Begin the RNATT Process
Before your vet conducts the RNAT test, your cat must have had an approved rabies vaccine that was given either in the U.S. or another approved country. Ask your vet to provide you with an official rabies vaccine certificate that notes the date of the vaccination.
Step 5: With all the checks in place, it’s time to start the RNAT tests.
To ensure that the rabies vaccination has enough time to show in the rabies blood test, you should wait 3-4 weeks after the vaccination before taking the RNAT rabies titer test.
It’s time to visit your veterinarian and have the RNAT Rabies Titer Test completed. Some important things to watch out for in this step include:
To meet the Australian requirements the rabies blood test result must show 0.5 IU/ml or more. If the result is lower than this, you must re-administer the rabies vaccination to your cat and repeat the RNAT Rabies Titer Test.
The RNAT Rabies Titer Test is valid for 12 months after the blood is taken. Cats will become eligible for export to Australia once 180 days have passed since the satisfactory RNAT blood arrived at the laboratory.
This window of time between 180 days and 12 months (from when the RNAT blood sampling was done) are the period during which your cat is eligible to be exported to Australia. Using this time period you can begin planning all other elements of your cats export.
Step 6: Completing the official paperwork
With the satisfactory RNATT report, you are ready for the next step – the official paperwork that will allow your cat to be exported.
Now that you have the RNAT laboratory report you need to submit this, together with the rabies vaccine certificate, to an official government veterinarian (not your local vet). They will complete, sign and stamp an RNAT test declaration and return this to you.
Once your documents are completed and signed, you are ready to apply for your import permit.
Step 7: Import Permit Application
You can apply for your Import permit application online through the Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON). When you apply for your import permit you will be asked to submit a copy of the following information:
Once issued, the import permit will be valid until the RNAT test expires (i.e., 12 months from when the RNAT test blood sample was received at the testing laboratory).
Step 8: It’s time to book your cat’s quarantine accommodation and make their travel arrangements
All cats entering Australia must undergo quarantine on arrival in the official Australia Quarantine Facility. The quarantine will either be for a minimum of 10 days if the cat’s identity was verified (as noted above) or 30 days if it was not. The quarantine facility is in Melbourne and can book up quickly, so make sure you leave plenty of time to get this booking done. I recommend booking this as soon as you have your import permit.
All cats arriving in Australia must come directly into Melbourne, they can’t transit through another Australian state. It is also important to note that cats cannot arrive in Australia as cabin baggage. They MUST travel by cargo. For your cats to travel as cargo, you will need an airline-approved travel crate and be booked as freight on the flight. Every airline has slightly different pet crate requirements and freight booking processes, so confirm these with the airline.
Regarding travel routes, it is possible to have your cat transit through another country en route to Australia as long as they do not leave the airport’s international transit area, if the transit is through a non-approved country.
Step 9: Final arrangements before your cats travel
In the final stretch before travel, you will need to return to your vet for internal and external parasite treatment.
A treatment that kills external parasites such as ticks and fleas must also be given by your vet at least 21 days before the date of export.
Your vet must also complete an internal parasite treatment against nematodes and cestodes. Two (2) treatments for internal parasites are required at least 14 days apart, and can not be done more than 45 days before export. The final internal parasite treatment must be done within five days of export.
Step 10: Final Vet clearance
Within five days of travel, your vet must complete a final external parasite check and confirm that your cat is free from fleas, ticks, or signs of infectious or contagious diseases. This is the final step before a health certificate will be issued.
STEP 11: VETERINARIAN HEALTH CERTIFICATE
An official U.S. Government Veterinarian (not your local vet) will need to complete, sign and stamp a final veterinarian health certificate for your cat. This veterinarian health certificate must accompany your cat on arrival into Australia along with the import permit.
The official U.S. Government Veterinarian also needs to sign and stamp every page of the RNATT declaration and laboratory report – note that copies can be used to obtain the signature, but the original signature must be on the documents that will accompany your cats during export.
Step 12: Finally – It’s time to take to the skies!!
Your cat will need to travel to Australia as cargo in an IATA-approved travel crate, and will need to arrive directly in to Melbourne International Airport. Generally, check-in for cargo will be at the cargo area of the airport, not the passenger terminal – check with your airlines for information on checking your cat in before the trip. Make sure to hand them a copy of all the necessary documents, including your valid import permit and health certificate.
On arrival in Australia, staff will collect your cat from their airport and take it directly to the Melbourne quarantine facility, where they will begin their mandatory quarantine period.
After completing quarantine at the authorized quarantine facility, you can make arrangements for domestic travel of your cat onwards to any destination in Australia, assuming Melbourne is not their final destination.
And with all that behind you, it is finally time to celebrate being reunited with your fur babies.
Good luck with your move
I hope this article will make it easier for you to navigate the process of moving pets to Australia. There are many resources available to help with this process, whether that is a pet relocation company or the Australian Government Website, which has a lot of detailed information and all the forms you need for the process.
Good luck with this exciting adventure! I would love to hear about your experience of moving your cats abroad. Drop me a comment below or share a picture of your fur baby so I can enjoy seeing them in their new home!
Don’t forget my FREE step-by-step guide to moving cats from Australia to the US. Make sure to grab a copy via the link below!
The ultimate guide to moving cats from australia
For those about to embark on the the process of moving your cats to Australia, I know it can feel overwhelming.
To help guide you through every part of the journey I have put together this FREE step-by-step guide to moving cats from Australia to the US.
The guide is broken down in to an easy to understand checklist with timeframes and important information all in one place. It also has links to key resources you will need to access during the process.
If you would like an email PDF copy of this FREE Guide simply click the link below.
