Pet Transport from India to Australia

Relocating a pet from India to Australia follows a clear path once you understand what Australia asks for. This is one of the more demanding routes, so allow around 30+ weeks and treat the …

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30+

Weeks lead time needed

Start this early minimum

30 days

Quarantine on arrival

Very High

Route complexity

Lead time needed

30+ weeks

Quarantine

30 days

Route complexity

Very High

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In short: Preparing to move a pet from India to Australia typically takes around 30+ weeks. Expect 30 days of quarantine on arrival.

Verification date not recorded. Confirm current requirements with the destination authority.

Prepared by Marcus Webb, Senior Pet Relocation Consultant

Step by step

The India to Australia import process

India is not on DAFF's list of approved countries, so a pet cannot be exported to Australia directly from India.

Know that direct export is not possible

Responsible: You

The pet is then prepared there under that country's DAFF guide. The old pathway for pets from non-approved countries closed on 1 March 2023.

Move the pet to a Group 2 or Group 3 country

Responsible: You or your pet transport agent

For a Group 3 country, at least 180 days before export, counted from the day the rabies blood sample arrives at the laboratory.

Live in the approved country

Responsible: You

Identity check, rabies vaccination, blood test, import permit, tests, treatments and health certificate, as for any pet from that group. DAFF says to allow at least 6 months for a Group 3 move.

Complete that group's steps

Responsible: Government vets in the approved country

From the approved country. Pets cannot travel in the cabin, and there are no domestic transfers.

Fly as manifested cargo directly into Melbourne

Responsible: Airline cargo

For a Group 3 pet, 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.

Rabies vaccination

Under the rules of the approved country the pet is prepared in. For Group 3: at 84 days of age or older, kept valid without a gap until export.

Rabies titre test

Not possible as a direct route from India, because India is not an approved country. Once the pet lives in a Group 3 country: 0.5 IU/ml or more, and export no earlier than 180 days after the sample arrives at the laboratory.

Quarantine

After preparation in a Group 3 country: at least 30 days at Mickleham, Melbourne, or at least 10 if an official government veterinarian verified identity before the blood test.

Import permit

Required from DAFF, but only once the pet qualifies in an approved country. DAFF does not accept pets directly from India.

Health certificate

Issued in the approved country the pet is exported from, not in India.

Leaving India

Export requirements

Export permit

No-Objection Certificate (NOC) required from AQCS for the India-to-Singapore leg. Apply through the AQCS regional office nearest your departure city. Allow 4-6 weeks. Source: aqcsindia.gov.in

Health certificate

Required for export from India. Health certificate from a registered Indian vet, endorsed by AQCS (Animal Quarantine and Certification Services, aqcsindia.gov.in). Two clinical examinations required: first approximately 7 days before travel, second within 2 days of departure. This certificate covers the India-to-Singapore leg. A separate certificate in DAFF-approved format is required for the Singapore-to-Australia leg, issued in Singapore.

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), once the pet is prepared in an approved country; living costs there are extra.

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

India is not on Australia's approved country list. A pet cannot fly to Australia directly from India; it must first live in a Group 2 or Group 3 country and be prepared there.

For a Group 3 country that means at least 180 days of residence before export, counted from the day the rabies blood sample arrives at the laboratory.

Pets enter Australia only through Melbourne International Airport, as manifested cargo.

If you prepare your pet in Singapore: since 1 April 2026 its veterinary authority (AVS) requires an AVS-recognised pet agent for import clearance, and pets from countries in its Schedule III spend at least 30 days at its Animal Quarantine Centre, booked in advance (AVS import conditions).

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).

The rules for bringing a pet into Australia

Australia runs a strict import regime, so every document is checked closely on arrival. Build your plan around the fixed waiting periods, because they set the pace for everything else.

How to keep this move on track

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.

Ask about temperature embargoes for your travel window. Summer and winter cargo restrictions can rule out certain routes and dates entirely.

FAQ

Common questions about this route

Longer than from an approved country, because a pet cannot go directly from India. It must first move to a Group 2 or 3 country, and for Group 3 live there at least 180 days from the day its blood sample reaches the laboratory. DAFF says to allow at least 6 months for the Group 3 steps alone.

Yes. After preparation in a Group 3 country, the stay at Mickleham, Melbourne, is at least 30 days, or at least 10 if an official government veterinarian verified the pet’s identity before the blood test.

Not for a direct move, because Australia does not accept pets directly from India. Once the pet lives in a Group 3 country, it needs a result of 0.5 IU/ml or more, and export is allowed no earlier than 180 days after the sample arrives at the laboratory.

Yes, from DAFF through BICON, but only once the pet qualifies in an approved country. DAFF does not accept pets directly from India.

One issued in the approved country your pet is exported from, by that country’s official government veterinarian. A certificate from India is not enough, because direct export from India is not allowed.

Singapore is in DAFF’s Group 2. If you choose it, AVS has required an AVS-recognised pet agent for import clearance since 1 April 2026, and pets from countries in Singapore’s Schedule III spend at least 30 days at its Animal Quarantine Centre. For a cat, Australia then requires 180 days in Singapore or another Group 1 or 2 country after the official identity check; a dog is eligible 180 days after that check, and dogs from Singapore must be fully vaccinated against canine influenza (DAFF).

Breed guides

Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.

Browse all breed guides →

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Sources

Requirements on this page were checked against the authorities below. Rules change, so confirm current conditions with the relevant authority before you travel.

AQCS · Animal Quarantine and Certification Service, India, under the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying
AVS · Singapore Animal and Veterinary Service, importing dogs and cats
DAFF · Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry