Ireland to Australia Pet Transport: What Irish Pet Owners Need to Know
Ireland to Australia is a route we see frequently – many Irish expats settle in Australia, and when they decide to bring their pets over, they find the process more involved than expected.
Ireland is Group 3 for Australia
Ireland is classified as Group 3 for Australian pet imports. This is the same as the UK, USA, and most developed countries. Group 3 means:
- 10 days’ mandatory quarantine at the Mickleham Post-Entry Quarantine facility near Melbourne
- Full pre-export requirements including titre test, multiple parasite treatments, BICON permit, and government-endorsed documentation
What dogs and cats from Ireland need for Australia
- ISO microchip
- Rabies vaccination series (Ireland is rabies-free, so most Irish pets have never been vaccinated – this is where the timeline starts)
- Rabies titre test from a DAFF-approved laboratory, showing 0.5 IU/mL or above
- Blood drawn at least 30 days after the most recent rabies vaccination
- Australian entry at least 6 months after the satisfactory titre test date
- BICON import permit (AUD 420, apply at agriculture.gov.au)
- Parasite treatments (Praziquantel and Ivermectin) within specified windows before departure
- Official health certificate endorsed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in Ireland, completed within 10 days of travel
The challenge for Irish pets
Because Ireland is a rabies-free country, most Irish dogs and cats have never been vaccinated against rabies. That means the vaccination and titre test process starts from zero.
Typical timeline:
- Microchip (if not done)
- Rabies vaccination – clock starts
- Wait 30 days
- Titre test blood draw
- Wait for result (2-4 weeks)
- If satisfactory: 6-month stand-down begins
- Travel to Australia after 6 months
Minimum time from vaccination to travel: approximately 7 months. Realistically, with permit processing and scheduling, 9-10 months is a safer estimate.
Routing from Ireland
No direct flights connect Dublin to Australia. Most Ireland-Australia pet movements route through:
- London Heathrow → direct to Melbourne, Sydney, or Brisbane (Qantas, British Airways)
- Dubai → Melbourne, Sydney (Emirates)
- Singapore → Melbourne, Sydney (Singapore Airlines)
Your pet transport agent will arrange the most suitable routing based on available cargo capacity and breed restrictions.
Source
DAFF (Australia): agriculture.gov.au/pets (verified May 2026). DAFM (Ireland): gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/ (verified May 2026).