Pet Transport Thailand to Australia: The 2026 Staged Move

Planning a pet relocation from Thailand to Australia is easier when you work backwards from your travel date. Plan for approximately 30+ weeks. This is a rigorous route with …

30+ wks

Preparation needed

30 days

Quarantine on arrival

Very-High

Route complexity

Managed

Full door to door

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Lead time needed

30+ weeks

Quarantine

30 days

Route complexity

Very-High

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What's required

MicrochipAn ISO compatible microchip, readable by …

Rabies vaccinationUnder the rules of the approved country …

Rabies titre testNot possible as a direct route from …

QuarantineAfter preparation in a Group 3 country: …

Import permitRequired from DAFF, but only once the …

Health certificateIssued in the approved country the pet …

Related routes

Pet Transport Singapore to Australia→

Country and airline guides

Shipping pets from Thailand→Australia pet import rules→

In short: Preparing to move a pet from Thailand 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 import process, in full

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

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

Checklist

What your pet needs

Every item below must be completed and verified before your pet can travel. Expand each category for the detail.

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 Thailand, because Thailand 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 Thailand.

Health certificate

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

Export permit

DLD export permit required for pets leaving Thailand. Apply through the DLD office. Allow 2-4 weeks.

Health certificate

Health certificate issued by a Thai veterinarian endorsed by the Department of Livestock Development (DLD). Required for entry to any transit country and for the Australian import documentation chain.

We handle the regulations for every animal, every country, every airline, so nothing on your Thailand to Australia move gets missed.

Pet Transport Global

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

Thailand is not on Australia's approved country list. A pet cannot fly to Australia directly from Thailand; 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).

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

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

Longer than from an approved country, because a pet cannot go directly from Thailand. 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 Thailand. 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 Thailand.

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

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to Australia.

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Breed guides

Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.

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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.

AVS · Singapore Animal and Veterinary Service, importing dogs and cats
DAFF · Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry