Pet Transport from Iceland to Australia

Taking your dog or cat from Iceland to Australia comes down to good timing and the right paperwork. Around 10-14 weeks is sensible here, with a few steps that must happen in a strict order. Factor in …

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10-14

Weeks lead time needed

Start this early minimum

10 days

Quarantine on arrival

High

Route complexity

Airlines on this route

Lead time needed

10-14 weeks

Quarantine

10 days

Route complexity

High

Airlines

3 carriers on this route

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In short: Preparing to move a pet from Iceland to Australia typically takes around 10-14 weeks. Expect 10 days of quarantine on arrival. A rabies titre test is not required.

Regulations checked July 2026

Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team

Step by step

The Iceland to Australia import process

Start of planning.

Confirm the ISO microchip is in place, ahead of any other step.

Responsible: Icelandic vet

As early as possible; allow 20-30 days for processing.

Apply for the DAFF import permit through BICON.

Responsible: You or your agent

As soon as a target date is known.

Book quarantine space at Mickleham. Confirm your 180-day residency in Iceland (or another Group 1/2/3 country) is documented, since this is checked as part of the DAFF assessment.

Responsible: You or your agent, direct with Mickleham

In the weeks before travel, per DAFF's specified window.

Government-approved vet verifies the animal's identity against the microchip record.

Responsible: Government-approved vet in Iceland

Within 5 days of the arrival date in Australia.

MAST-endorsed health certificate completed, valid 5 days to arrival.

Responsible: MAST-accredited vet, endorsed by MAST

Day of travel.

Fly Keflavik to London Heathrow, then the onward direct sector into Melbourne.

Responsible: Airline cargo handlers at each leg

Immediately after arrival.

10 days minimum at Mickleham before release.

Responsible: Mickleham quarantine staff

Requirements

Australia 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 any vaccination and verified in person by a government-approved vet before export. Source: DAFF, agriculture.gov.au, 2026.

Rabies vaccination

Not required. Iceland's Group 2, rabies-free status removes the vaccination and titre test requirement that applies to Groups 3 to 6.

Rabies titre test

Not required. Iceland's Group 2 classification skips the rabies titre test and the waiting period tied to it entirely. Source: DAFF, agriculture.gov.au, 2026.

Quarantine

Mandatory minimum 10 days at the Mickleham Post Entry Quarantine Facility, Melbourne, the only DAFF-approved quarantine station in the country. This applies to Group 2 arrivals exactly as it does to every other group. Cost is the owner's responsibility. Source: DAFF, agriculture.gov.au, 2026.

Import permit

Required from DAFF via the BICON online system. Application charge plus an assessment fee, totalling roughly AUD 480 to AUD 1,200 depending on the assessment category. Allow 20-30 days for processing. Source: DAFF, agriculture.gov.au, fees and charges page, 2026.

Health certificate

Government-format certificate for Iceland, completed by a MAST-accredited vet, endorsed by MAST, and valid 5 days from issue to arrival.

Leaving Iceland

Export requirements

Export permit

No separate export permit. MAST's endorsement of the health certificate functions as the export step.

Health certificate

Government-format certificate specific to Australia, completed by a MAST-accredited vet and endorsed by MAST. Valid 5 days from issue to the date of arrival in Australia. Source: DAFF, agriculture.gov.au, 2026.

Costs

What this route typically costs

Vet check and microchip confirmation in Iceland: ISK 15,000-30,000 (roughly EUR 100-200)

MAST certificate endorsement fee: around ISK 6,600 (roughly EUR 44)

DAFF import permit: AUD 480-1,200

Mickleham quarantine, 10 days: AUD 2,000-4,000

IATA-compliant travel crate: EUR 60-250

Cargo, Keflavik to Melbourne via London and a second hub: EUR 2,200-4,200 depending on crate size and season

Agent fees, if used: EUR 400-900

Total typical range: AUD 8,000-16,000 (roughly EUR 4,800-9,700)

Critical points

Group 2 status removes the titre test, not the quarantine. Many owners assume a rabies-free origin skips Mickleham entirely; it does not. Budget the 10 days from the outset.

Australia requires the final international sector to land as a direct flight into Melbourne, the only quarantine-approved port. There is no exemption for Iceland the way there is for New Zealand or Norfolk Island departures. Whatever hub you route through, the last leg has to be a nonstop into Melbourne.

No airline flies Keflavik to Australia direct. Every route on this pair transits at least one hub, typically London, and since 1 November 2024 Icelandair carries pets only as manifested cargo, not checked baggage, on every one of its routes.

The federal ban on American Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Perro de Presa Canario, plus wolf-dog hybrids, has no permit route. If your dog is one of these types or a visible mix, it cannot be imported.

The 180-day residency check applies to any pet that has not lived in Iceland since birth. Given how tightly MAST controls its own borders, this rarely catches out a genuinely Icelandic pet, but confirm the paper trail if your animal was itself imported into Iceland recently.

Airlines

Approved carriers on this route

Airline	Notes	Type
Icelandair	Flies Keflavik (KEF) to London Heathrow (LHR) up to daily, roughly 3 hours 15 minutes in the air. Since 1 November 2024, Icelandair no longer accepts pets as checked or excess baggage on any route, so this first leg moves as manifested cargo through Icelandair Cargo.	Cargo Only
Emirates	Covers the onward leg from London Heathrow via Dubai (DXB) to Melbourne. Qantas and Emirates share the live animal handling room at Heathrow, and the DXB-Melbourne sector runs as a direct flight into Melbourne, which is required for pets clearing Australian biosecurity.	Cargo Only
Qantas	An alternative for the final leg if routed via a Qantas partner hub instead of Dubai. Qantas Freight requires that pets arrive in Australia on a direct flight into Melbourne (the exemption for New Zealand and Norfolk Island departures does not apply here), and it will not carry animals when the forecast temperature is above 35C or below 5C.	Cargo Only

Meeting Australia's entry requirements

Bringing a pet into Australia involves a fair amount of documentation. Keep everything organised and check each item against the current requirements before you book.

Advice worth following

Use an official, government-authorised vet for the health certificate, not just your usual clinic. Many destinations only accept certificates signed by an approved vet.

If this is your first international move, consider an IPATA-registered pet transport agent. They handle the documents, airline booking and crate sizing, and can troubleshoot problems.

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.

FAQ

Common questions about this route

No. Iceland is classified in DAFF’s Group 2, the rabies-free tier, which removes the titre test and its associated waiting period. The pet still needs a microchip, a DAFF import permit, an identity check by a government-approved vet, and 10 days of quarantine at Mickleham on arrival.

Yes. Every dog and cat arriving in Australia, Group 2 origins included, completes a minimum of 10 days at the Mickleham Post Entry Quarantine Facility in Melbourne. Group 2 status shortens the pre-export process, not the quarantine itself.

No direct flight exists between Keflavik and any Australian city. Routing runs through at least one hub, typically London Heathrow, with the final international sector required to be a direct flight into Melbourne, the only DAFF quarantine-approved port. Since 1 November 2024, Icelandair moves pets as cargo rather than checked baggage on every route it flies.

Yes, and this has nothing to do with Iceland’s own rules. The American Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Perro de Presa Canario are banned outright from import under Australian federal law, along with wolf-dog hybrids. There is no permit or exemption for these types, regardless of origin country.

Allow 10 to 14 weeks. The DAFF import permit takes 20-30 days to process, and you should run the Mickleham quarantine booking and the government vet’s identity check alongside that. Because Iceland’s Group 2 status removes the titre test and its waiting period, this route is considerably shorter than the 22 to 40 weeks typical of Group 3 and Group 4 origins such as the UK, the USA or most of the EU.

Airline guides

Icelandair
Emirates
Qantas

Breed guides

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