Taking your dog or cat from Australia to Iceland comes down to good timing and the right paperwork. Around 12-16 weeks is sensible here, with a few steps that must happen in a strict order. Factor in …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Australia to Iceland
typically takes around 12-16 weeks.
Expect 14 days of quarantine on arrival.
A rabies titre test is required, which adds a fixed waiting period, so start early.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The Australia to Iceland import process
01
Start of planning.
Implant the ISO microchip, then start the rabies vaccination course.
Responsible: Your vet in Australia
02
Runs alongside the rabies vaccination schedule.
Complete leptospirosis, distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza cover alongside rabies.
Responsible: Your vet in Australia
03
Roughly 5-6 weeks before target travel, allowing for lab turnaround.
Draw blood for the titre test at least 30 days after vaccination, send to an approved laboratory.
Responsible: Your vet and the laboratory
04
At least 4 weeks before travel.
Apply to MAST for the import permit.
Responsible: You or your agent
05
As early as possible.
Book isolation station space at Reykjanesbae or Mosel. Intake dates are limited, so lock this in early rather than after the permit clears.
Responsible: You or your agent, direct with the station
06
Close to departure, per the certificate's validity window.
Complete MAST's Category 1 certificate with your accredited Australian vet, then get DAFF endorsement.
Responsible: Accredited Australian vet and DAFF
07
Day of travel.
Fly Melbourne or Sydney to a hub such as Dubai, then onward to Keflavik via London or Frankfurt.
Responsible: Cargo handlers at each leg
08
Immediately after arrival.
14 days minimum in isolation before release.
Responsible: Quarantine station staff
Requirements
Iceland entry requirements
Every item below must be in place before your pet can enter. We verify and track each one.
Microchip
ISO 11784/11785 microchip required, implanted before the rabies vaccination. Source: MAST, mast.is.
Rabies vaccination
Primary rabies vaccination after the microchip. MAST also requires two leptospirosis doses 3 to 4 weeks apart, plus current distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza cover for dogs, on top of the rabies course. Source: MAST guidance notes, 2026.
Rabies titre test
Required regardless of Australia's own rabies-free status. Blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, minimum result 0.5 IU/ml. Australia is on MAST's Category 1 list, so once the result clears, there is no further fixed wait before travel, unlike Category 2 countries such as Canada or the USA, which face a 90-day wait from the blood draw date. Source: MAST, mast.is, 2026.
Quarantine
Mandatory 14 days minimum at one of two approved isolation stations, Einangrunarstoedin i Reykjanesbae or Einangrunarstoedin Mosel, for every dog and cat entering Iceland, Category 1 origin or not. Source: MAST, mast.is, 2026.
Import permit
Required from MAST before travel, with the application form, a photo, the health certificate and lab results. Base fee is roughly ISK 40,000 (about EUR 270). Quarantine station space must be booked separately, on a limited intake schedule. Source: MAST, mast.is, 2026.
Health certificate
MAST's Category 1 certificate (Form D1 or C1), completed by the Australian accredited vet and endorsed by DAFF.
Leaving Australia
Export requirements
Export permit
No export permit required for a personal pet move out of Australia.
Health certificate
MAST's Category 1 certificate (Form D1 for dogs, Form C1 for cats), completed by an accredited Australian vet within the validity window MAST specifies, then endorsed by DAFF as the competent authority of origin. Source: DAFF, agriculture.gov.au; MAST, mast.is, 2026.
Costs
What this route typically costs
Rabies titre test at an approved laboratory: AUD 200-400
Leptospirosis and core vaccination course: AUD 120-250
MAST import permit base fee: around ISK 40,000 (roughly EUR 270)
Quarantine, 14 days: around ISK 220,000 for a dog (roughly EUR 1,450), ISK 100,000-110,000 for a cat (roughly EUR 670-730)
IATA-compliant travel crate: AUD 100-400
Cargo, Australia to Keflavik via two hubs: EUR 2,400-4,600 depending on crate size and season
Agent and handling fees at both ends: EUR 400-900
Total typical range: EUR 3,300-6,600 for a dog, lower for a cat
Critical points
The 14-day quarantine applies to every pet entering Iceland, Australian rabies-free status or not. It is not a penalty for bad paperwork, it is the baseline rule, and it needs budgeting into the plan from day one.
No airline flies Australia to Iceland direct. Every route on this pair transits at least two hubs, and the final connecting leg into Keflavik moves as cargo on Icelandair since it stopped taking pets as checked baggage on 1 November 2024.
Keflavik is Iceland's only approved pet entry point. Whatever routing you choose, it has to land there.
MAST's Category 1 certificate (Form D1 or C1) is a different document from a standard Australian domestic vet certificate. Brief your accredited vet on the MAST-specific format early, since a generic certificate will be rejected.
MAST's banned breed list applies on arrival regardless of Australian export rules. A Pit Bull Terrier type or Boerboel cannot enter Iceland even with a spotless Australian export certificate.
Airlines
Approved carriers on this route
Airline
Notes
Type
Emirates
Covers the long-haul leg from Melbourne or Sydney to Dubai (DXB), where Qantas and Emirates share a livestock handling room. From Dubai, a connecting sector onward to a European hub links into the final Iceland leg.
Cargo Only
Icelandair
Operates the final connecting sector into Keflavik from London Heathrow or Frankfurt. Since 1 November 2024, Icelandair no longer accepts pets as checked or excess baggage on any route, so this leg moves as manifested cargo through Icelandair Cargo.
Cargo Only
Lufthansa
An alternative for the final sector, flying Frankfurt to Keflavik direct and receiving pets into its own Frankfurt Animal Lounge, a purpose-built live animal facility, for the transfer between the long-haul and short-haul legs.
Cabin and Cargo
Meeting Iceland's entry requirements
Bringing a pet into Iceland involves a fair amount of documentation. Keep everything organised and check each item against the current requirements before you book.
Advice worth following
Confirm live animal acceptance on every flight segment before booking. Not all aircraft or connections take pets, and cargo terms can differ leg to leg.
Keep every original document together and take copies. Border officials want originals, and a missing signature or date can hold up clearance.
Work backwards from your travel date and add a buffer. Fixed waiting periods mean a single slipped appointment can push the whole move back by weeks.
Check the airline’s crate size and labelling rules early. An undersized or wrongly labelled crate is a frequent reason pets are refused at check-in.
FAQ
Common questions about this route
Yes. Iceland’s 14-day quarantine applies to every dog and cat entering the country, regardless of the origin country’s own rabies status. Australia’s rabies-free status shortens the pre-export titre test wait under MAST’s Category 1 classification, but it does not remove the isolation period on arrival.
No. There is no direct flight between the two countries. Routing runs through at least two hubs, typically Dubai and a European gateway such as London or Frankfurt, with the final connecting sector into Keflavik moving as cargo on Icelandair since it stopped accepting pets as checked baggage on 1 November 2024.
Considerably. Australia sits on MAST’s Category 1 list, which means no fixed wait once the titre test result clears at 0.5 IU/ml or above. Canada and the USA are Category 2, which adds a mandatory 90-day wait from the blood draw date on top of the same test.
MAST requires its own Category 1 form, D1 for dogs or C1 for cats, rather than a standard Australian domestic certificate. An accredited vet completes it and DAFF endorses it as the competent authority of origin. Confirm your vet is familiar with MAST’s specific requirements before the appointment.
Yes. MAST bans a specific list outright, including Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa Inu, Dogo Argentino, Cane Corso, Presa Canario, Boerboel and wolf-dog hybrids within 10 generations. This applies on arrival regardless of Australian export rules.
Airline guides
Emirates
Icelandair
Lufthansa
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.