*This post is 9 months in the making and all animals have arrived safely into Australia.
Moving pets to Australia is a highly detailed and stressful process and while I was in the early stages of planning for our family pets to move, I really wanted to read how it went for other families doing the same. 3 years ago, we survived the first round of getting our pets to South Korea, so this is my detailed account of exactly how we got our pets from South Korea to Canberra, Australia. It should be noted, that we do have a French Bulldog, a Brachycephalic breed (snub nosed), which complicates the process even more with airline restrictions.
While the importation system for animals is designed to protect the country’s strict biosecurity system, it forces you into a world of pet shipping, quarantine’s and spending money at every turn to make it all come together. Hands down, the hardest part of our move from Seoul to Canberra has been trying to get our dog and cat there with us.
After lots of research, we made the decision to hire pet shippers, and due to our location and breed, we ended up needing 3 separate pet shippers! Here is our story in hopes that it may help you!
Table of Contents
Preparation for Moving Pets to Australia
Australia has some of the strictest import rules in the world, including mandatory quarantine, vaccination protocols, and long preparation timelines. Official Australian pet import guide is the best place to begin your research. Ours began about 9 month prior to the move, where we hired the first of our pet shippers in Korea with hopes for a smooth transition. This began the first of many vet appointments for vaccinations, testing, and government documentation. Not only did we need to worry about getting into Australia, but we had to get our pets out of Korea, a country that loves bureaucratic red tape.
Key Requirements For Import
- Microchipping: Must be ISO-compliant and done before any other procedures
- Rabies vaccination: Must be current and valid throughout the process
- Rabies Titer Test (RNATT): Required to confirm immunity levels
- Import permit: Mandatory for most countries, including the U.S.
- Veterinary health certificate: Completed before travel
- Parasite treatments: Required shortly before export
Pets must meet all health and documentation requirements before travel, or they risk extended quarantine—or even refusal of entry. Getting a very educated and experienced pet shipper will save your sanity, ours created a timeline in which all of these things needed to occur, and we started the September prior to our June move. I’m not saying you can’t do it faster, but it was a tight timeline.
Timeline for Moving Pets to Australia
Timing is one of the most important aspects of moving pets to Australia. You really can’t start early enough, but I recommend 8-9 months out.
Typical Timeline Breakdown
6–7 months before travel
- Microchip implantation or certification
- Rabies vaccination
- RNATT blood test
Mandatory waiting period
- At least 180 days after the RNATT test before entry is allowed
1–2 months before travel
- Apply for import permit (processing can take weeks)
- Book quarantine (limited availability)
Final weeks
- Parasite treatments
- Final veterinary checks
- Travel crate preparation
On Arrival
- Pets must enter via Melbourne – this can complicate flight options and airline availability.
- Mandatory quarantine at Mickleham facility (typically 10–30 days)
Official Documentation & Government Resources
For accuracy, always refer to official government sources. There were plenty of rules and acronyms that I didn’t understand before we started this process and it took me several errors to get everything correct. Even with pet shippers, we were still doing many things ourselves and referenced these sites plenty of times.
- Australia Department of Agriculture – Cats & Dogs Import Guide
- USDA Pet Travel to Australia
- Australian Biosecurity Import Conditions Tool
These tools provide step-by-step instructions tailored to your country and pet type.
Difficult-to-Transport Breeds (Snub-Nosed Dogs & Others)
Some pets are more challenging when moving pets to Australia, especially snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds, such as bulldogs, pugs or Persian cats.
Why They’re Difficult
- Higher risk of breathing issues during air travel
- Airline restrictions or limited routing options
- Increased stress in cargo environments
Airlines often impose additional requirements or may refuse transport during warmer months due to safety concerns. Heat embargo’s are very real if you are moving during summer months, we had to consider into our timeline as we were aiming for a June move date. Fortunately, we were able to get our dog out of Korea prior to the hot months and LA wasn’t too hot even after several delays well into June.
Moving Pets to Australia: Our Specific Journey
Our Dog
Our dog had a different journey than our cat, due to the fact that there were no airlines willing to transport a snub nosed dog from Seoul directly into Melbourne for quarantine. She ended up having to leave Korea on Lufthansa airlines, fly into Frankfurt for an overnight and then onto LA where she stayed with relatives for around 35 days. Because she entered the US, she had to complete testing and final Australian import requirements with a local vet there and then she was able to fly directly to Melbourne via Qantas Airlines.
She had several flight delays due to pilot strikes and broken temperature controls in cargo holds, so we had to be very communicative and flexible with all our pet shippers and involved parties. At times, it felt like I needed one big group chat just to update everyone. Despite those challenges, everyone came through with their part and she continued on her travels a few days or weeks later.
My dog touched 4 continents on her journey to Australia. While she has since arrived safely, I was astonished at how difficult, time consuming and costly this whole experience was for everyone involved. If we didn’t have family willing to take her in and get her to those vet appointments, this would have been infinitely more stressful and costly. Needless to say, we are eternally grateful for their support.
Post quarantine, she checked in with our Australian pet shipper for the short flight into Canberra and boy was she excited to see us! She arrived in good shape, a little skinnier than she left, but overall in good spirits and health.
Our Cat
Our cat had a much quicker journey out of Seoul on Malaysian Airlines where she spent the night in Kuala Lumpur (at a pet hotel) and then into Melbourne the next day. We were notified of her arrival into PEQ (Post Entry Quarantine) and then our Australian pet shippers took over and arranged for her flight from Melbourne into Canberra, with one boarded night post quarantine due to Canberra not receiving pets on the weekends.
Most pet shippers in Australia understand the quarantine system quite well and are flexible when different situations arise. Despite the strict entry requirements, we found the Australian officials to be quite helpful and easy to deal with at most steps.
Quarantine Rules in Australia
All pets entering Australia must undergo quarantine at a government facility in Melbourne.
Key Facts
- Minimum stay: 10 days (if all requirements are met)
- Can extend to 30 days or more if documentation is incomplete
- Must be booked in advance (spaces are limited)
Quarantine ensures pets do not introduce diseases into Australia’s ecosystem. No news is good news once your pet arrives.
We were contacted by PEQ (Post Entry Quarantine) when our cat stopped eating for a second day in a row. They communicated via email and asked for any particulars she might enjoy and followed up when those suggestions didn’t work. We ended up calling in a vet (recommended by PEQ) who was able to visit the next day, assure us of our cat’s health and provide some anxiety medication for the remainder of her stay.
Overall, I felt that they handled the situation well and I was able to resolve issues fairly easily for our pet. This is all to say that each step comes with a cost and at times it felt like we were getting bills upon bills.
Final Thoughts
Moving pets to Australia requires patience, planning, and strict attention to detail—but it is achievable. By following the official guidelines, starting early, and hiring the most experienced pet shipper you can find, you can make a plan for success. If you want information on the specific pet shippers we used, please reach out and I am happy to share our experience with each.
Now that both pets have arrived safely, I can reflect on this experience as overall a success. However, it was by far the most stressful part of this move and I would not recommend it. Both my pets were experienced travelers, but it was difficult not knowing how they were doing during flights and beyond. They both did better than I expected and now we are all back to normal life. It’s worth it to have them with us.
exploring:
This sounds scary and exhausting. So glad you guys were reunited safely.