Pet Transport from France to Australia: The Complete 2026 Guide
Getting a pet from France to Australia is a step by step process, and each stage has its own timing. Plan for approximately 40-48 weeks. This is a rigorous route with little room to compress the …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from France to Australia
typically takes around 40-48 weeks.
Expect 30 days of quarantine on arrival.
A rabies titre test is required, which adds a fixed waiting period, so start early.
Verification date not recorded. Confirm current requirements with the destination authority.
Prepared by Marcus Webb, Senior Pet Relocation Consultant
Step by step
The France to Australia import process
01
First. The vet who takes the rabies blood sample scans it, and every document carries its number. DAFF does not accept microchips starting with 999 for dogs.
Check or implant an ISO compatible microchip
Responsible: Your vet
02
At 84 days of age or older. It must stay valid, without a single day's gap, from the blood test until export.
Rabies vaccination
Responsible: Your vet
03
Before the rabies blood test, at a separate visit. Without it, quarantine in Australia is at least 30 days instead of 10.
Official identity check by a government veterinarian
Responsible: Official government vet
04
3 to 4 weeks after the vaccination, FAVN or RFFIT, result 0.5 IU/ml or more. The 180-day wait starts the day the sample arrives at the laboratory, not the day it is taken.
Rabies blood test (RNATT)
Responsible: Government approved vet and laboratory
05
DAFF says most permits are issued in 20 to 40 business days, and some take up to 123.
Apply for the DAFF import permit through BICON
Responsible: You or your pet transport agent
06
After the import permit is issued.
Book the Mickleham quarantine place
Responsible: You or your pet transport agent
07
Within 45 days of export: a Leishmania infantum test for dogs, a Brucella canis test for dogs that are not desexed, and Leptospira Canicola vaccination or a negative test. Two internal parasite treatments at least 14 days apart, the second within 5 days of export. External parasite treatment from at least 30 days (dogs) or 21 days (cats) before export.
Pre-export tests and treatments
Responsible: Government approved vet
08
Within 5 days before export, after the final health check and the second internal parasite treatment, with every page signed and stamped.
DAFF health certificate signed by an official government veterinarian
Responsible: Official government vet
09
No earlier than 180 days after the blood sample reached the laboratory. Pets cannot travel in the cabin, and there are no domestic transfers.
Fly as manifested cargo directly into Melbourne
Responsible: Airline cargo
10
At least 10 days if the identity check was done before the blood test, otherwise at least 30 days.
Quarantine at Mickleham, Melbourne
Responsible: DAFF
Requirements
Australia entry requirements
Every item below must be in place before your pet can enter. We verify and track each one.
Microchip
An ISO compatible microchip, readable by an ISO compatible reader. DAFF does not accept microchips starting with 999 for dogs.
Rabies vaccination
Given at 84 days of age or older, and kept valid without a single day's gap from the blood test until export.
Rabies titre test
Required. Blood taken 3 to 4 weeks after the rabies vaccination, tested by FAVN or RFFIT, result 0.5 IU/ml or more. Export is allowed no earlier than 180 days after the sample arrives at the laboratory. The result is valid for 12 months from the sample date.
Quarantine
At least 30 days at the Mickleham post entry quarantine facility in Melbourne, reduced to at least 10 days if an official government veterinarian verified your pet's identity before the rabies blood test. Book the place after the import permit is issued.
Import permit
Required, from DAFF through its BICON system. DAFF says most permits are issued in 20 to 40 business days, and some take up to 123.
Health certificate
DAFF's veterinary health certificate, completed, signed and stamped on every page by an official government veterinarian within 5 days before export.
Leaving France
Export requirements
Export permit
No separate French export permit required for pets. The government-endorsed AHC covers departure from France.
Health certificate
Animal Health Certificate (AHC) in DAFF-prescribed country-specific format for France, issued by a French official vet under DGAL authority and countersigned by DGAL (Direction générale de l'alimentation) or the relevant regional veterinary services. EU pet passports are not accepted by Australia. Source: DGAL, agriculture.gouv.fr.
Costs
What this route typically costs
Australian government charges for one pet (DAFF import permit and Mickleham quarantine): about AUD 3,000 to 3,300 with a 10-day stay, or about AUD 4,100 to 4,400 with a 30-day stay (DAFF fees, checked October 2026).
Veterinary work, tests and the health certificate in the export country: quoted per move.
Flight as manifested cargo to Melbourne: depends on crate size, routing and season, quoted per move.
Prices change with your pet's size and crate, the airline and routing, the season, fuel surcharges and exchange rates. Your quote may differ.
Critical points
France is in DAFF's Group 3, so the 180-day wait applies. It runs from the day the blood sample arrives at the laboratory, so time in the post is added to it.
Quarantine is at least 30 days unless an official government veterinarian verified your pet's identity before the blood test, in which case it is at least 10.
Pets enter Australia only through Melbourne International Airport, as manifested cargo.
Australia bans these dog breeds outright: dogo Argentino, fila Brasileiro, Japanese tosa, American pit bull terrier or pit bull terrier, and Perro de Presa Canario, plus the wolf hybrids Czechoslovakian wolfdog, Saarloos wolfdog, Lupo Italiano and Kunming wolfdog. Non-domestic cat hybrids (Savannah, Safari, Chausie and Bengal, and their crossbred offspring) are banned, and Bengal cats have not been allowed into Australia since 1 March 2026 (DAFF).
Airlines
Approved carriers on this route
Airline
Notes
Type
Air France Cargo
Primary carrier from Paris CDG for the France-Australia route. Pets travel as manifested cargo. No direct Paris-Australia service; connection required via Singapore (SIN), Dubai (DXB), or other hub. Brachycephalic breeds subject to restrictions and seasonal embargoes.
Cargo Only
Emirates SkyCargo
Cargo from Paris CDG via Dubai (DXB) to Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane. All pets as manifested cargo. Temperature restrictions on the DXB leg during Gulf summer months. Brachycephalic breeds accepted with additional conditions.
Cargo Only
Singapore Airlines Cargo
Cargo routing from Paris CDG via Singapore (SIN) to Australian gateways. Seasonal restrictions apply; confirm breed and crate eligibility before booking.
Cargo Only
Qantas Freight
Accepts pets as manifested cargo to Australian gateway airports. Brachycephalic breeds restricted year-round. No direct Paris-Australia service; connects with European carriers. Confirm routing and booking requirements with Qantas Freight directly.
Cargo Only
Cathay Pacific Cargo
Routing via Hong Kong (HKG) to Australian destinations. AFCD transit rules apply at HKG. Seasonal temperature restrictions; advance documentation review required.
Cargo Only
Australia import rules, explained
Australia takes biosecurity seriously, and the requirements reflect that. The paperwork is exacting, so accuracy matters as much as timing.
Practical tips for this move
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.
Ask about temperature embargoes for your travel window. Summer and winter cargo restrictions can rule out certain routes and dates entirely.
Book the titre test laboratory well ahead. Approved labs have limited slots and the sample takes time to process, so this is not something to leave to the final weeks.
Microchip before you vaccinate. The microchip must be in place before the rabies shot for the vaccination to count, and getting this order wrong is the most common and costly mistake.
FAQ
Common questions about this route
DAFF says to allow at least 6 months for a Group 3 move. The fixed part is the 180 days from the day the blood sample reaches the laboratory, plus the time before it for vaccination and the blood test, and quarantine after arrival.
Yes. Every pet goes to the Mickleham post entry quarantine facility in Melbourne for at least 30 days, or at least 10 if an official government veterinarian verified its identity before the rabies blood test.
Yes. France is in DAFF’s Group 3. The blood is taken 3 to 4 weeks after the rabies vaccination and must show 0.5 IU/ml or more, and export is allowed no earlier than 180 days after the sample arrives at the laboratory.
Yes. Apply to DAFF through BICON before you book. DAFF says most permits are issued in 20 to 40 business days, and some take up to 123.
DAFF’s own veterinary health certificate, completed, signed and stamped on every page by an official government veterinarian within 5 days before export.
Airline guides
Air France Cargo
Emirates SkyCargo
Singapore Airlines Cargo
Qantas Freight
Cathay Pacific Cargo
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.
Requirements on this page were checked against the authorities below. Rules change, so confirm
current conditions with the relevant authority before you travel.
DAFF· Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
IATA· International Air Transport Association, Live Animals Regulations