International Pet Relocation: A 12-Month Planning Timeline

Most pet relocation disasters happen because of timing - not because of complexity. Start too late, miss a window, get a low titre test result, and you’re looking at a 6-month delay while the household has already moved.

This guide is a planning template. Fill in the dates for your specific route.

Starting Point: How Much Time Do You Have?

Before anything else, identify your latest permitted travel date for your pet and work backward. For most routes:

If you have less time than the minimum for your route, contact a specialist agent immediately. Some cases can be accelerated; others cannot.

Month 12-10 Before Travel: Research

• Identify your destination country’s import requirements (DAFF, MAFF, APHA, MOCCAE, etc.)
• Confirm your pet’s microchip number and verify it reads correctly
• Check that the microchip was implanted before any rabies vaccination on record
• Research IPATA-registered agents for your route
• Book initial consultation with your chosen agent

Month 10-8 Before Travel: Vaccinations and Titre Test

• Month 10: Confirm vaccination status. If vaccination is not current or is approaching expiry, re-vaccinate at the earliest permitted point.
• Month 9: Blood draw for titre test (minimum 30 days after vaccination). Use an approved laboratory - confirm this with your vet before drawing blood.
• Month 8-9: Receive titre test result. If satisfactory (≥0.5 IU/mL), record the date - this is Day 0 for your waiting period countdown.

If the result is below threshold, re-vaccinate and retest. Add 30 days minimum to your timeline.

Month 8-6 Before Travel: Permits and Bookings

• Apply for destination country import permit (DAFF for Australia, MAFF for Japan, APQA for Korea, DLD for Thailand, MOCCAE for UAE)
• For Australia: book Mickleham quarantine space - do not wait for the permit to arrive first
• Research airline options and verify breed restrictions apply or don’t apply to your pet
• Purchase crate, introduce to your pet, allow several weeks for familiarisation

Month 6-4 Before Travel: Logistics

• Confirm airline booking with cargo space reserved
• Confirm quarantine booking (if applicable)
• Book connecting transport to the airport
• Prepare “second set of everything” - copies of all documentation

Month 2 Before Travel: Pre-Travel Checks

• Confirm all documents are assembled and cross-reference microchip numbers
• Confirm health certificate appointment with your vet (within the required window before departure)
• Re-confirm airline cargo booking
• Re-confirm quarantine booking

Week 2-1 Before Travel: Health Certificate Window

• 10 days before travel (7 days for Australia): Vet appointment for health certificate
• Submit to government endorsement authority immediately (APHA, USDA, etc.)
• Chase endorsement if not returned within 3 working days
• 24-120 hours before travel (dogs): Tapeworm treatment if required for destination

Day of Travel

• Arrive at cargo check-in 3-4 hours before departure (confirm exact requirement with airline)
• Bring originals and copies of all documents
• Have water in crate before check-in
• Take photos of your pet in the crate before handover

Data current as of {TODAY}.