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:
| Destination | Minimum Lead Time |
|---|---|
| Australia | 8-9 months |
| Japan | 9-10 months |
| New Zealand | 5-6 months |
| Singapore | 3-4 months |
| UK (from non-listed country) | 4-5 months |
| Thailand | 3-4 months |
| USA/Canada | 1-2 months |
| EU (from UK) | 2-4 weeks |
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}.
Frequently Asked Questions
For Australia, you need a minimum of 8-9 months of lead time due to the 180-day waiting period after a satisfactory titre test result (plus 30 days between vaccination and blood draw, plus processing time). If you have less than 8 months before your intended travel date, contact an IPATA-registered agent immediately to assess whether acceleration is possible.
Verify your pet’s microchip number is correct and was implanted before any rabies vaccination. This is the foundation of the entire documentation chain. Then identify your destination country’s exact import requirements - not a general summary, but the official regulatory document. Your vet and a specialist agent can help interpret the requirements.