Pet Transport from Australia to Seychelles: 2026 Guide
If you are relocating a pet from Australia to Seychelles, the process is manageable once you know the sequence. Allow about 8-28 weeks; the requirements are detailed but predictable once mapped out. …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Australia to Seychelles
typically takes around 8-28 weeks.
Expect 28 days of quarantine on arrival.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The Australia to Seychelles import process
01
Before booking any tests, since this decides the whole timeline.
Confirm with the NBA whether Australia's rabies-free status qualifies for the lighter, 4-week-notice pathway their application form still references.
Responsible: Owner or agent, liaising with the NBA.
02
Vaccination 30 days to 12 months before export if the titre pathway applies.
Microchip implanted and rabies vaccination administered.
Responsible: Australian vet.
03
At least 30 days after vaccination for the draw; 3 months from the draw date before travel.
If required, titre test blood draw and the 3-month mandatory wait.
Responsible: Vet, accredited laboratory, and owner.
04
4 weeks ahead if the lighter pathway is confirmed; 4 months ahead otherwise.
Apply to the NBA for the import permit.
Responsible: Owner or agent.
05
At least 10 working days before departure for the NOI; final vet check within 72 hours of departure.
Lodge the DAFF Notice of Intention to Export and obtain the endorsed health certificate.
Responsible: DAFF-registered vet and DAFF.
06
Once all documents and the import permit are confirmed.
Book cargo via a Gulf hub and arrange the quarantine stay on arrival.
Responsible: Owner or cargo agent.
Requirements
Seychelles entry requirements
Every item below must be in place before your pet can enter. We verify and track each one.
Microchip
Microchip number must be declared on the National Biosecurity Agency (NBA) application. Industry practice points to ISO 11784/11785 compliance, though the current NBA document doesn't restate the standard explicitly.
Rabies vaccination
Minimum age 3 months for an inactivated rabies vaccine. Booster given 30 days to 12 months before export. All vaccinations, not just rabies, must be given at least 2 weeks before departure. Minimum age to travel is 16 weeks.
Rabies titre test
The NBA's current 2024 import document describes a single 'rabies-affected countries' pathway requiring a titre test and a fixed 3-month wait from the blood draw, and no longer spells out a distinct lighter route for rabies-free-country pets, even though the companion application form still references a shorter 4-week timeline for that category. This is a genuine, unresolved inconsistency between two live official Seychelles documents. Given Australia's internationally recognised rabies-free status, it's worth asking the NBA directly whether the lighter pathway the application form still names actually applies before assuming the full titre-test route. Source: NBA, 'Importation of Cats and Dogs,' 2024, and companion application form.
Quarantine
Mandatory by law, no exceptions. The 2024 document states 4 weeks (28 days) minimum for a compliant pet from a rabies-affected origin; the general baseline in the same document is 14 days. Which applies to a genuinely rabies-free Australian pet is exactly the ambiguity flagged above, and worth confirming with the NBA directly.
Import permit
Required from the NBA, issued within 7 working days of a complete application and valid for 1 month from the intended arrival date. The NBA's application form suggests 4 weeks' notice for rabies-free-country pets versus 4 months for rabies-affected-country pets, another reason to clarify Australia's actual treatment before finalising the timeline.
Health certificate
Health certificate confirming microchip, vaccination and, if required, titre result. Dogs also need clearance for Brucella canis, Trypanosoma evansi, Babesia gibsoni, Leishmania and Erlichia canis unless the exporting country's vet certifies the country free of these diseases.
Leaving Australia
Export requirements
Export permit
Required under Australia's Export Control Act 1982. Any state-registered veterinarian can prepare a companion animal for export. The owner submits a Notice of Intention (NOI) to Export Live Animals to DAFF's regional office, at least 10 working days before departure.
Health certificate
DAFF issues the export permit and health certificate once satisfied the animal meets Seychelles' published import requirements and Australian export law. The final veterinary check must happen within 72 hours of departure, and the export permit itself is valid for only 72 hours after issue.
Costs
What this route typically costs
DAFF export inspection and certificate: time-based fee, confirm current rate with the regional DAFF office.
Titre test and laboratory fee, if required: AUD 220-400.
NBA import permit and Ministry of Finance customs permit: fees set at application.
Quarantine facility, if the 4-week pathway applies: SR 1,000 for the first 2 weeks, plus SR 500 per week thereafter.
IATA-compliant travel crate: AUD 130-450.
Cargo, Australia to Mahe via Dubai or Abu Dhabi: AUD 2,200-4,600.
Total typical range: AUD 3,500-11,000, with the timeline and much of the cost hinging on which NBA pathway applies to Australia's rabies-free status.
Critical points
Seychelles' own 2024 procedural document and its companion application form disagree on whether a rabies-free-origin pet, which would include an Australian pet, gets a lighter pathway. Confirm directly with the NBA before assuming either the full titre-test route or the shorter one.
If the full pathway applies, the 3-month wait after the titre blood draw is fixed and cannot be shortened, and quarantine at Seychelles' single Mahe facility runs around 4 weeks even for a compliant pet.
Seychelles' health screen for dogs goes beyond rabies, covering Brucella canis, Trypanosoma evansi, Babesia gibsoni, Leishmania and Erlichia canis. Confirm this panel with the treating vet regardless of which pathway applies.
Airlines
Approved carriers on this route
Airline
Notes
Type
Emirates SkyCargo via Dubai
Australian gateways to Dubai, then Emirates' direct Dubai-Mahe service, the most established routing for this move.
Cargo Only
Etihad Airways via Abu Dhabi
Australian gateways to Abu Dhabi, then a direct onward leg to Mahe via the Pet Oasis facility.
Cargo Only
Qatar Airways via Doha
An alternative Gulf routing when Emirates or Etihad capacity is tight around peak travel dates.
Cargo Only
How Seychelles handles incoming pets
Seychelles asks for several pieces of paperwork, and they all need to line up. A checklist and a clear timeline are your best tools here.
What experienced owners do
Get your pet used to the travel crate weeks in advance. A calm, crate-familiar animal travels far better than one meeting the crate for the first time at the airport.
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.
FAQ
Common questions about this route
This is genuinely unresolved from Seychelles’ own published documents. The 2024 procedural rules describe only the titre-test pathway, but the companion application form still lists a lighter route for rabies-free-country pets, which would include Australia. Confirm directly with the National Biosecurity Agency before booking.
If the full rabies-affected pathway applies, around 4 weeks. If the lighter rabies-free pathway the application form still references applies, it could be shorter. This needs direct confirmation from the NBA.
No. The standard routing connects through Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha, then a direct onward leg to Mahe.
Clearance for Brucella canis, Trypanosoma evansi, Babesia gibsoni, Leishmania and Erlichia canis, regardless of which import pathway applies, unless the Australian vet certifies the country free of a given disease.
Airline guides
Emirates SkyCargo via Dubai
Etihad Airways via Abu Dhabi
Qatar Airways via Doha
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.