Taking your dog or cat from United States to New Zealand comes down to good timing and the right paperwork. Expect a long lead time of roughly 36-44 weeks; the waiting periods here cannot be rushed. …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from United States to New Zealand
typically takes around 36-44 weeks.
Expect 10 days of quarantine on arrival.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The United States to New Zealand import process
01
Start of planning.
Confirm ISO microchip pre-dates rabies vaccination.
Responsible: USDA-accredited vet
02
7+ months before travel.
Rabies vaccination. At least 30 days before titre test blood draw.
Responsible: USDA vet
03
Blood draw date determines earliest NZ entry.
Titre test blood draw at FAVN-approved laboratory. 180-day waiting period starts from this date.
Responsible: FAVN-approved lab
04
During waiting period. Allow 4-8 weeks.
Apply for MPI Import Health Standard pre-clearance.
Responsible: Owner or NZ agent
05
4-8 weeks before travel.
Book cargo with Air New Zealand or United. Confirm live animal availability.
Responsible: Owner or agent
06
Within 30 days of travel.
USDA-accredited vet issues MPI-format health certificate within 30 days of NZ arrival. APHIS endorsement. Original only.
Responsible: USDA vet + APHIS
07
Travel day.
Pet arrives at Auckland. MPI inspection. 10-day quarantine at MAFBNZ begins.
Responsible: MAFBNZ quarantine facility
Requirements
New Zealand 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. Must be implanted before the rabies vaccination.
Rabies vaccination
Required. Primary course completed. Blood for titre test drawn at least 30 days after vaccination.
Rabies titre test
FAVN titre test mandatory for all countries including the USA. No exemptions. Result at least 0.5 IU/ml. Blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination. 180-day waiting period from the blood draw date before New Zealand entry.
Quarantine
10-day mandatory quarantine at the MPI-managed facility (MAFBNZ, previously known as Biosecurity New Zealand). Owner-paid. Applies to all dogs and cats from all countries.
Health certificate
USDA-APHIS endorsed health certificate in MPI format. Original only. Issued within 30 days of arrival.
Leaving United States
Export requirements
Health certificate
USDA-APHIS endorsed health certificate from a USDA-accredited vet. Original with USDA stamp. Compatible with MPI New Zealand requirements. Issued within 30 days of New Zealand arrival (MPI-specific window).
Costs
What this route typically costs
Titre test (USA)
USDA-accredited vet + APHIS endorsement
MPI Import Health Standard application
IATA-compliant crate
Cargo fee: US hub to AKL
MPI 10-day quarantine (owner-paid)
Agent fee
Critical points
New Zealand requires a titre test and 180-day wait from ALL countries without exception. There is no approved-country exemption. The USA has the same requirements as any other origin.
MPI pre-clearance is required before booking cargo. Do not confirm travel without MPI approval in hand.
Qantas routing via Sydney involves a transit through Australia. Australian biosecurity rules apply at the transit point. A direct Air New Zealand or United service to Auckland avoids this complication.
The 10-day quarantine at MAFBNZ is mandatory. Budget for this from the start.
Airlines
Approved carriers on this route
Airline
Notes
Type
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Cargo from Los Angeles (LAX) to Auckland (AKL). Direct transpacific service. New Zealand's flag carrier with established live animal cargo handling. No cabin pets on international routes.
Cargo Only
United Airlines
United PetSafe cargo from LAX/SFO to AKL. Direct transpacific service on selected routes. Confirm live animal availability and seasonal restrictions.
Cargo Only
Qantas
Via SYD. US cities to AKL via Sydney. Strong live animal handling at SYD. Adds an Australian transit. Australian biosecurity rules apply at Sydney transit.
Cargo Only
Cathay Pacific
Via HKG. US cities to AKL via Hong Kong. Live animal handling at HKG. Two-transit routing: longer but broad US gateway coverage.
Cargo Only
New Zealand entry requirements at a glance
Entry to New Zealand is tightly controlled, and officials verify each requirement in turn. Treat it as a sequence where every step gates the next.
Getting the details right
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.
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.
FAQ
Common questions about this route
Yes. New Zealand requires a titre test from all countries without exception. There is no approved-country list that exempts pets from the titre test requirement. Your dog needs: a current vaccination, a titre test with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, a 180-day wait from the blood draw date, and 10-day quarantine on arrival.
Allow 36-44 weeks minimum. The 180-day wait from the titre test blood draw is the dominant constraint. Add vaccination timing (at least 30 days before the blood draw), MPI pre-clearance processing (4-8 weeks), cargo booking, and the 10-day quarantine on arrival, and a 10-month total plan is realistic.
No. The 10-day quarantine at MAFBNZ is mandatory for all dogs and cats arriving in New Zealand from all countries. There is no waiver and the period cannot be shortened, regardless of documentation quality or country of origin.
Qantas via Sydney adds an Australian transit, which brings Australian biosecurity rules into the picture at the transit point. This adds complexity compared to Air New Zealand or United direct transpacific services to Auckland. For most USA-NZ pet moves, a direct transpacific route is strongly preferred to avoid the additional biosecurity checks at the Sydney transit.
MPI pre-clearance is New Zealand’s import approval process for pets. You submit your pet’s vaccination records, titre test result, and travel plan to MPI, and they confirm clearance under the Import Health Standard. Apply as soon as your titre test result is confirmed. MPI clearance is tied to a specific travel window. Applications go through MPI (mpi.govt.nz). Using a NZ-experienced pet relocation agent simplifies the process.
Airline guides
Air New Zealand
United Airlines
Qantas
Cathay Pacific
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.