Lead time needed
30-36 weeks
Quarantine
30 days
Route complexity
High
Airlines
5 carriers on this route
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AU

Pet Transport from the Netherlands to Australia

A move from Netherlands to Australia with a dog or cat is mostly about preparing the documents in the right order. Around 30-36 weeks is sensible here, with a few steps that must happen in a strict order. Your pet will spend 30 days in quarantine after …

In short: Preparing to move a pet from Netherlands to Australia typically takes around 30-36 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 , Senior Pet Relocation Consultant
Step by step

The Netherlands to Australia import process

Every step must be completed in sequence. A single missed deadline can add months to your timeline. We own the entire process.

1
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

2
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

3
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

4
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

5
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

6
After the import permit is issued.
Book the Mickleham quarantine place

Responsible: You or your pet transport agent

7
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

8
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

9
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

What your pet needs to enter Australia

Every item must be verified before your pet can board. We track each one against current standards.

Microchip
An ISO compatible microchip, readable by an ISO compatible reader. DAFF does not …
Rabies vaccination
Given at 84 days of age or older, and kept valid without a single day's gap from …
Rabies titre test
Required. Blood taken 3 to 4 weeks after the rabies vaccination, tested by FAVN …
Quarantine
At least 30 days at the Mickleham post entry quarantine facility in Melbourne, …
Import permit
Required, from DAFF through its BICON system. DAFF says most permits are issued …
Health certificate
DAFF's veterinary health certificate, completed, signed and stamped on every …
Export permit
No export permit required for personal pet exports from the Netherlands. The …
Costs

What this route typically costs

Australian government charges for one pet (DAFF import permit and …
Veterinary work, tests and the health certificate in the export …
Flight as manifested cargo to Melbourne: depends on crate size, …
Prices change with your pet's size and crate, the airline and routing, …

Critical points

Netherlands 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 for this route

Not all airlines accept live animals. We book only with carriers that handle live animal cargo correctly.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines / Air France-KLM Cargo
Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) to Melbourne via various hubs. KLM does not operate direct …
Cargo Only
Emirates
Amsterdam to Melbourne via Dubai. Pets travel as manifest cargo via Emirates SkyCargo. …
Cargo Only
Qatar Airways Cargo
Amsterdam to Melbourne via Doha. Direct Doha-Melbourne service. Confirm temperature and …
Cargo Only
Singapore Airlines
Amsterdam via Singapore Changi to Melbourne. Pets as manifest cargo. Check AVS airside …
Cargo Only
Etihad Cargo
Amsterdam to Melbourne via Abu Dhabi. Pets as manifest cargo. Seasonal Gulf heat …
Cargo Only

Meeting Australia's entry requirements

The requirements for Australia are thorough rather than difficult. Work through them methodically and confirm anything you are unsure about with the official source.

Advice worth following

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.

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.

FAQ

Common questions

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. Netherlands 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
  • KLM Royal Dutch Airlines / Air France-KLM Cargo
  • Emirates
  • Qatar Airways Cargo
  • Singapore Airlines
  • Etihad Cargo
Breed guides

Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.

Browse all breed guides →

Move your pet to Australia.

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NL AUNetherlands to Australia
International pet transport route
Lead time30-36 weeks
Quarantine30 days
ComplexityHigh
Airlines5
ServiceDoor to door
Get a free quote for this route
Country and airline guides
Shipping Pets from the Netherlands→Australia pet import rules→KLM pet cargo policy→Emirates pet cargo policy→

Sources

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

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