Lead time needed
65-100 weeks
Quarantine
10 days
Route complexity
Very High
Airlines
3 carriers on this route
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RU
AU

Pet Transport from Russia to Australia

Planning a pet relocation from Russia to Australia is easier when you work backwards from your travel date. Plan for approximately 65-100 weeks. This is a rigorous route with little room to compress the schedule. A 10 day quarantine stay applies once your pet …

In short: Preparing to move a pet from Russia to Australia typically takes around 65-100 weeks. Expect 10 days of quarantine on arrival.
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Step by step

The Russia 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
Before any veterinary preparation begins.
Confirm Russia's current non-approved status directly on agriculture.gov.au, then choose a transit country: UK for speed, Germany or France if you're relocating there anyway.

Responsible: Owner or IPATA-registered agent.

2
Month 1. Doses at least 30 days apart.
Microchip, then begin the two-dose rabies vaccination course, in Russia or on arrival in the transit country.

Responsible: Vet in Russia or the transit country.

3
Within 5 days of the first flight; the connecting booking should be confirmed 6-8 weeks ahead.
Apply for Rosselkhoznadzor Form No. 1 via eCert, then exchange for Form No. 5a at the airport, and book the Moscow-Istanbul or Moscow-Dubai leg.

Responsible: State Veterinary Service and Rosselkhoznadzor officer; owner or agent for the flight.

4
At least 30 days after the second vaccination. UK: no further wait. Germany or France: 180-day wait from this date.
Draw blood for the RNATT or FAVN titre test at a DAFF-approved laboratory in the transit country.

Responsible: Vet and DAFF-approved laboratory.

5
During the waiting period. Allow 20 to 30 working days.
Apply for the DAFF import permit via BICON.

Responsible: Owner or agent.

6
Once the permit and titre wait are both satisfied.
Pre-book Mickleham quarantine, obtain the transit country's health certificate, and fly to Melbourne.

Responsible: Owner, agent, DAFF quarantine authority.

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
Required (ISO 11784/11785). Must be implanted before or on the same day as the …
Rabies vaccination
Two vaccinations required, not less than 30 days apart, not more than 365 days …
Rabies titre test
RNATT or FAVN titre test, minimum 0.5 IU/ml, blood drawn at least 30 days after …
Quarantine
Mandatory 10-day stay at the Mickleham Post Entry Quarantine Facility, …
Import permit
DAFF import permit via BICON (bicon.agriculture.gov.au). Fee AUD 420, …
Health certificate
Official health certificate issued in the transit country by a government …
Export permit
No advance export permit for a standard personal move of up to 2 pets. …
Costs

What this route typically costs

Rosselkhoznadzor certification for the exit from Russia: Form No. 5a …
Cargo, Moscow to Istanbul or Dubai, then on to the transit country: …
Veterinary and titre test costs in the transit country: GBP 200-500 or …
DAFF import permit via BICON: AUD 420, non-refundable.
Long-haul cargo, transit country to Melbourne: AUD 1,500-4,500 …
Mickleham quarantine: approximately AUD 1,877-2,400 for the mandatory …
An IPATA-registered agent covering both the Russian exit and the …

Critical points

Russia is treated as a DAFF non-approved country, the same category as Kazakhstan, Armenia and Azerbaijan. There is no direct-import pathway, whatever documentation you assemble.

This route stacks two separate problems that don't overlap in time. First, Russia's own airspace closures mean reaching the UK, Germany or France at all needs an Istanbul or Dubai stopover, the same booking gymnastics as every other Russia-to-West route in this build. Second, once there, the pet still has to clear the full DAFF non-approved-country process from scratch.

The 180-day wait, where it applies, runs from the blood draw date, not the result date. Confirm this before assuming the Germany or France transit route is only marginally slower than the UK.

All pets arrive at Melbourne only, and Mickleham quarantine space must be booked before the final flight is purchased.

Airlines

Approved carriers for this route

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

Turkish Airlines
Handles the first, and hardest, leg: Moscow to Istanbul, since Turkey has joined neither …
Cabin and Cargo
Aeroflot
Resumed direct Moscow-Dubai flights on 1 June 2026, moving to twice daily from 1 July. …
Cargo Only
Lufthansa Cargo
Covers the long-haul leg from Frankfurt to Melbourne if Germany is the chosen transit …
Cargo Only

Australia import rules, explained

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.

Practical tips for this move

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.

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.

FAQ

Common questions

No, for two separate reasons. Russia is not on Australia’s DAFF-approved country list, so a direct import isn’t accepted regardless of paperwork. Separately, there’s no direct flight between Russia and Australia at all, so every booking runs through a third country such as Turkey or the UAE.
The UK, because Group 2 countries skip the 180-day wait that applies after a Group 3 country’s titre test. Via the UK, allow roughly 15 to 18 months in total. Via Germany or France, the 180-day wait adds around six months, closer to 21 to 24 months.
Yes. Every pet entering Australia completes a mandatory 10-day stay at the Mickleham Post Entry Quarantine Facility in Melbourne, currently costing roughly AUD 1,877 to AUD 2,400, paid by the owner. All pets arrive via Melbourne regardless of their final Australian destination.
Two problems stack rather than overlap. Reaching the required transit country from Russia needs the same Istanbul or Dubai stopover as any other Russia-to-West route, because of the mutual airspace closures since 2022. Once there, the pet still has to complete Australia’s full non-approved-country process from scratch, which is where most of the 65 to 100 week timeline comes from.
Airline guides
  • Turkish Airlines
  • Aeroflot
  • Lufthansa Cargo
Breed guides

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RU AURussia to Australia
International pet transport route
Lead time65-100 weeks
Quarantine10 days
ComplexityVery High
Airlines3
ServiceDoor to door
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