New Zealand – Importing a Pet

Does New Zealand allow pets to be imported, and are there restrictions on which animals are permitted?

New Zealand does allow domestic pets to be brought into the country, though the categories of animals that qualify are considerably narrower than in most other nations. The government’s biosecurity framework is designed to shield the country from exotic diseases not currently found within its borders, and entry is only granted to pets that fully satisfy the relevant import requirements. Both the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and New Zealand Customs must clear arriving animals at the border.

Cats and dogs may only be imported from countries that appear on an approved list, with each country assigned to one of three categories reflecting its rabies risk. If your pet’s home country is not on that approved list, importation is simply not possible. For small mammals, the restrictions are even tighter: rabbits and guinea pigs may only be brought in from Australia, and chinchillas are exclusively permitted from the United Kingdom.

Birds, ferrets, reptiles, snakes, mice, and rats are prohibited from entry. Hamsters are classified as prohibited organisms under the Biosecurity Act 1993. New Zealand’s native wildlife — including kiwis, kakapo, and tuatara — cannot be privately owned under any circumstances. Attempting to import a prohibited animal is a serious legal matter that can lead to fines, imprisonment, and the destruction of the animal in question.

Under the Dog Control Act 1996, certain breeds are barred from importation. The prohibited breeds are the Brazilian Fila, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Perro de Presa Canario, and any type of American Pit Bull Terrier. This ban covers any dog that is entirely or predominantly one or more of these breeds. An exception applies to certified guide, hearing, or companion dogs — owners must supply evidence of assistance dog certification to benefit from this exemption.

Hybrids produced by crossing a dog or cat with another species are ineligible for import, with Bengal cats being the sole exception. For Bengal cats, documentation tracing at least five generations of domestic ancestry must be provided. Puppies and kittens under three months of age that have not been vaccinated cannot enter New Zealand. Additionally, cats and dogs must not be more than 42 days pregnant at the time of shipment.

What vaccinations and health requirements do pets need before entering New Zealand?

New Zealand is entirely free of rabies, and safeguarding this status is central to the country’s import health conditions. The particular tests, vaccinations, and treatments your pet must undergo are determined by which category the country of origin falls into. Because the rules for cats and dogs differ depending on origin country, establishing your country’s category with MPI is the critical first step.

Every pet must be identified by a non-encrypted, 15-digit microchip that complies with ISO 11784 or Annex A of ISO 11785. All rabies vaccinations must be administered after the microchip is in place — not before — so sequence is vitally important.

Unless your pet is coming from a Category 1 country, proof of a current rabies vaccination administered after microchipping is required. If the vaccination is the first the animal has ever received, or if the previous vaccination had lapsed at the time a booster was given, the vaccination must have been administered no fewer than six months and no more than 12 months before travel (as of the date of the applicable import health standard). Always check the MPI website for the most current timeframes, as these requirements can be updated.

Pets originating from countries where rabies is present must also undergo a Rabies Neutralising Antibody Titre Test (RNAT). This test must be conducted at an approved laboratory no fewer than three months and no more than 24 months before travel. Acceptable methods are the fluorescent antibody virus neutralisation test (FAVN) or the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT). MPI requires an antibody level of at least 0.5 IU/ml; animals that fall below this threshold must be revaccinated and retested after a period of three to four weeks.

Within 16 days of travel, dogs must be tested for Babesia gibsoni and, if they have ever lived in or visited South Africa, for Babesia canis as well. Dogs entering New Zealand from any country other than Australia must be tested for Brucella canis and must be tested or treated for leptospirosis within 30 days of departure. Any dog diagnosed with Babesia gibsoni or Brucella canis is ineligible for import, regardless of treatment.

MPI-approved quarantine facilities require that general vaccinations are administered in line with manufacturer guidance. Vaccines must be more than 30 days old at the time of travel and must remain valid within 12 months of the pet’s arrival in New Zealand. Your veterinarian should also confirm that your pet is free from clinical signs of infectious respiratory disease before departure, as provisions relating to canine influenza have been part of the Import Health Standard since 2018.

All dogs and cats must show no signs of illness communicable to humans when inspected at the port of entry. If an animal appears unwell, a licensed veterinarian may conduct a further examination at the owner’s expense. Always consult the full and current list of required tests and treatments on the MPI website before making any arrangements, as these standards are subject to revision.

What is the application process for importing a pet into New Zealand, and what paperwork is required?

Bringing a pet into New Zealand requires satisfying two separate government bodies: MPI handles biosecurity clearance, while New Zealand Customs manages import clearance. From beginning to end, the process can span several months, making early preparation essential. The following steps provide a structured overview of what is involved.

1. Verify eligibility. Confirm that your pet qualifies for import — cats and dogs may only arrive from approved countries classified into one of three categories based on rabies status. If your country does not appear on the approved list, importation is not possible. Also verify that your pet’s breed is not prohibited under New Zealand law.
2. Arrange microchipping. Have a licensed veterinarian implant your pet with a non-encrypted, ISO-compliant 15-digit microchip. If the chip does not meet ISO standards, you may bring your own compatible scanner. The microchip number must appear consistently across all subsequent paperwork.
3. Fulfil all health requirements. Collaborate with an accredited veterinarian in your home country to complete vaccinations, blood tests, and parasite treatments in the prescribed order and within the required timeframes. MPI provides model veterinary certificates that specify exactly which tests, treatments, and examinations are necessary before your pet can travel.
4. Book quarantine accommodation (if applicable). Cats and dogs from all countries except Australia must spend a minimum of 10 days at an MPI-approved quarantine facility on arrival. Confirmation of a quarantine booking must accompany your permit application, so this must be arranged before you apply.
5. Submit your import permit application to MPI. From August 2024, MPI takes 30 working days to process a permit once all documentation has been received and verified as complete. MPI recommends allowing at least eight weeks for the permit process in its entirety. Pets from Category 2 and 3 countries require a permit before importation, and applications can be lodged online through the MPI website.
6. Organise transport. Animals destined for New Zealand must travel as manifest cargo — in-cabin travel is not an option. Engaging a professional pet relocation company in your country of origin can help coordinate tests, treatments, flights, import permits, travel crates, and other logistics. Your transport provider will supply an Air Waybill, which is a required import document.
7. Obtain an official veterinary health certificate. A health certificate signed by an official veterinarian in the country of export is mandatory. It must be completed within two days of your pet’s departure and then endorsed by an official government veterinarian.
8. Handle Customs documentation. Before your pet lands in New Zealand, contact NZ Customs and complete the NZCS 231 form (Bring a Pet or Other Animal into New Zealand), or engage a Customs broker to manage this on your behalf. If the dog has not previously been registered in New Zealand, you must also complete an Exempting Statutory Declaration.
9. Notify MPI ahead of arrival. Alert MPI at least 72 hours before your pet departs to arrange a veterinary inspection on arrival. For animals coming from Australia, the notification must be submitted at least five working days before the scheduled arrival time using the MPI veterinary inspection form.
10. Collect your pet. After payment is confirmed, a delivery order is sent to your transport company. Once all MPI biosecurity procedures are completed and any required quarantine period has been served, you will be able to collect your animal.

Your Customs invoice will include 15% GST, an Import Entry Transaction Fee (IETF), and the Biosecurity System Entry Levy (BSEL). If you are relocating to New Zealand for the first time, or returning after an absence of more than 21 months, the 15% GST may not apply to you. Confirm current fees and levies directly with MPI and New Zealand Customs, as these figures are subject to revision.

Does New Zealand require pets to undergo quarantine on arrival?

Quarantine is compulsory for the great majority of pets arriving in New Zealand. Every cat and dog not originating from Australia must spend a minimum of 10 days at an MPI-approved quarantine facility upon arrival. This requirement is not lifted for animals that have fully complied with all pre-travel health conditions — it is simply the standard procedure that all such arrivals must complete.

Pets entering from Australia or Norfolk Island are exempt from quarantine. Cats and dogs arriving from Australia that meet New Zealand’s entry requirements will be cleared at the border. Should an animal be unavailable for inspection during the designated inspection window, or if it falls short of the required conditions, it will be transferred to an approved quarantine facility and held there until a veterinary inspection can be carried out on the next working day.

New Zealand’s quarantine requirements are notably rigorous in an international context. In contrast to the EU Pet Travel Scheme — where compliant animals crossing between participating countries can do so without quarantine — New Zealand imposes quarantine as a standard measure for all non-Australian arrivals. This places New Zealand alongside Australia in terms of the seriousness with which it approaches incoming animals.

A confirmed quarantine booking at an approved facility is required as part of the import permit application. This means the booking must be secured well before the permit is submitted and cannot be left until after approval is granted. Approved quarantine facilities are located close to the two designated entry airports — Auckland and Christchurch — and can be identified on the MPI website.

If deficiencies in testing or treatment are discovered on arrival, or if external parasites are found, the animal may be redirected to a quarantine facility for further testing or treatment — potentially at considerable additional cost to the owner. Ensuring that all pre-travel requirements are fulfilled accurately and thoroughly documented before departure is therefore essential.

Is New Zealand part of any international pet travel scheme?

New Zealand does not participate in any international pet travel arrangement comparable to the EU Pet Travel Scheme or similar regional frameworks. The collection of documents needed to bring a pet into New Zealand is sometimes informally described as a “pet passport,” but this should not be confused with the official EU Pet Passport issued to pets resident in European Union member states.

The documentation package your pet will require for entry into New Zealand includes evidence of microchipping, current rabies vaccinations, rabies titre test results, parasite treatment records, an import permit, and a health certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian. Together, these documents function as travel credentials, but they represent a country-specific set of conditions rather than credentials recognised under any multilateral scheme.

Under the EU Pet Travel Scheme, for instance, pets moving between participating countries can do so without quarantine as long as they carry a valid EU Pet Passport and meet vaccination standards. New Zealand operates entirely outside this system. Every owner — wherever they are travelling from — must complete MPI’s import health standard process and, unless arriving from Australia, serve a compulsory quarantine period on arrival.

The nearest equivalent to a streamlined pathway exists for pets coming from Australia or Norfolk Island, which are assigned Category 1 (lowest risk) status. These animals require neither an import permit nor quarantine — only a border inspection. For all other origins, the full permit and quarantine process applies, making advance planning of many months a necessity.

Do pet owners need to register or licence their pet after arriving in New Zealand?

Once your dog has been cleared by biosecurity and Customs and is settled with you in New Zealand, you are legally obliged to register it with your local territorial authority (council). This is a recurring annual requirement under the Dog Control Act 1996. Registration aligns with the national financial year, running from 1 July through to 30 June of the following year, and applies uniformly across the country.

Microchipping is a legal requirement for all dogs being registered in New Zealand for the first time after 1 July 2006, and having a microchip is also a prerequisite for lower fee tiers. Since microchipping is already part of the import process, this condition will have been met before your dog arrives. Registered dogs are issued a colour-coded tag that must be attached to their collar at all times, enabling animal control officers to identify dogs at large.

Registration fees differ between councils and depend on the owner’s classification. As an illustration, in the Matamata-Piako District, the proposed standard dog registration fee for 2025/26 is NZD 162 before any applicable rebates. Fees in larger cities such as Auckland and Christchurch may be different — consult your local council’s website for the applicable rate. Early registration during July attracts a substantially lower fee than registering late, and failure to register can result in an infringement fine of NZD 300.

Cats are not subject to an equivalent mandatory annual registration requirement at the national level, though some councils operate voluntary microchipping programmes or have local by-laws governing cat management. Cat owners should check with their local council to understand any area-specific rules. Dogs classified as dangerous or menacing under the Dog Control Act typically incur registration fees set at 150% of the standard rate, reflecting the heightened monitoring obligations that apply to them.

Are there any additional rules or costs expats should be aware of when bringing a pet to New Zealand?

Beyond the core permit and quarantine requirements, there are several practical matters that owners should address early in their planning. Among the most fundamental is the restriction on entry points: international airlines carrying animals to New Zealand may only land at Auckland International Airport or Christchurch Airport. Pets cannot arrive at any other regional airport, so owners who will be living elsewhere in New Zealand must organise onward transport from one of these two cities.

Because pets must travel as manifest cargo — in-cabin transport is not permitted under any circumstances — owners should begin crate training their animal well ahead of the journey. This is a meaningful difference from the policies of some other destinations where small animals may ride in the cabin, and it means the welfare and comfort of the animal during transit requires careful thought and early preparation.

For pets on flights exceeding six hours, an animal welfare export certificate issued by an MPI official veterinarian is required. Since virtually all international routes to New Zealand involve long-haul flying, this will be relevant for the vast majority of importers. This appointment should be scheduled as part of the broader pre-departure veterinary programme.

Owners should also verify whether their pet falls under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This is particularly pertinent for animals other than cats and dogs — parrots and turtles are common examples — and additional CITES permits will be needed if the species is covered.

Engaging a professional pet relocation company in your country of origin is strongly advisable for managing the many moving parts of the process — including veterinary tests, import permits, flight bookings, travel crates, and quarantine reservations. The overall cost of moving a pet to New Zealand can run into several thousand New Zealand dollars for animals arriving from outside Australia, once quarantine fees, airline cargo charges, veterinary testing costs, and the import permit fee are all accounted for. Obtaining quotes well in advance and incorporating these figures into your overall relocation budget is essential.

If your country of origin is not included in any approved category, your pet must first reside in an approved country for a minimum of six months before New Zealand entry becomes possible. This can substantially extend the preparation period for owners relocating from non-approved countries and makes early planning all the more critical. Always verify the current approved country list and category assignments on the MPI website before finalising any travel arrangements.

Where can expats find official information about importing a pet into New Zealand?

The principal official resource for biosecurity and pet import matters in New Zealand is the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). The MPI website covers the full Import Health Standard for cats and dogs, the approved country list, model veterinary certificates, details of approved quarantine facilities, and the online permit application portal. The dedicated pet import section is available at mpi.govt.nz. This is the authoritative source for biosecurity compliance and should be consulted first.

For Customs matters — including the NZCS 231 form, GST relief, and import duty obligations — the New Zealand Customs Service is the relevant authority. Guidance on importing pets and animals is available at customs.govt.nz. Because arriving animals must be cleared by both MPI and Customs, both agencies need to be consulted as part of the process.

For questions about dog registration after arrival, local by-laws, and annual licensing fees, you should contact your local territorial authority (district or city council) directly. Registration conditions and fee structures are determined at the council level and vary across the country, so it is important to check with the specific council covering the area where you plan to live.

If your pet belongs to a species that may be subject to international wildlife trade controls, consult the CITES Trade Database at trade.cites.org to determine whether additional permits are required. It is also advisable to engage a professional pet relocation company experienced in both New Zealand’s import requirements and the export requirements of your home country, as regulations change and specialist knowledge can help prevent costly oversights.

Every owner is strongly urged to verify all requirements directly with MPI and NZ Customs before committing to any travel arrangements. Biosecurity standards, approved country lists, processing timeframes, and fees are all subject to change, and the consequences of arriving with a non-compliant pet can be severe — ranging from the animal being detained in quarantine at the owner’s expense to, in the most serious cases, repatriation to the country of origin.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if my pet arrives in New Zealand without the correct paperwork?

If your pet lands in New Zealand without the necessary documentation — such as a valid health certificate, import permit, or vaccination records — it may be detained in an MPI-approved quarantine facility at the owner’s expense while the issue is resolved, or it may be sent back to its country of origin. In the most serious cases of non-compliance, destruction of the animal is possible. Ensuring that every document is complete, accurate, and ready before departure is therefore non-negotiable. Contact MPI in advance if any aspect of the requirements is unclear.

How long does the full process take from start to finish?

Advance planning over many months is essential, as the entire procedure can take a considerable amount of time. The rabies vaccination and titre test sequence alone may take several months to complete in the correct order — the initial vaccination must precede the blood test, and for many countries the test must be carried out at least three months before travel. On top of this, MPI requires 30 working days to process a permit once all documentation is correct, and recommends allowing at least eight weeks for the permit process alone. Owners moving from most countries outside Australia should realistically plan for six to twelve months of preparation.

Are the rules different for cats versus dogs?

The overarching framework — approved countries, microchipping, health certificate, import permit, and quarantine — applies to both species. However, certain requirements are species-specific. Dogs must undergo additional testing for conditions such as Brucella canis and Babesia gibsoni, which do not apply to cats. Dogs are also subject to breed restrictions under the Dog Control Act 1996 and must be registered annually with the local council after arrival. Cats are not subject to the same mandatory national registration requirement, though local council by-laws may impose additional conditions in some areas.

Can I bring a rescue animal into New Zealand?

In principle, a rescue animal can be imported provided it satisfies the same biosecurity requirements as any other pet — including microchipping, vaccinations, blood tests, an import permit, and quarantine. In practice, rescue animals often have incomplete or unclear medical histories, which can make it more difficult to produce the documentation MPI requires. Working closely with a veterinarian who has experience in international pet relocations, and consulting MPI at an early stage to confirm that your situation is viable, is strongly recommended before committing time and money to the process.

Can pets travel to New Zealand from any country in the world?

No. Cats and dogs may only be imported from countries that appear on New Zealand’s approved list, with each country assigned to one of three categories based on rabies status. If your pet’s country of origin does not appear on the approved list, import is not permitted unless the animal first lives in an approved country for at least six months. The current approved country list should be checked on the MPI website before making any plans, as it is subject to revision.

Do pets from Australia face the same requirements as pets from other countries?

No — Australia holds Category 1 (lowest risk) status, and pets travelling from Australia benefit from a markedly simpler process. No quarantine is required for animals entering from Australia or Norfolk Island, and they are cleared at the border rather than being held at a facility. An import permit is also not required for pets from Australia, and fewer tests and treatments apply. Owners moving from Australia should nonetheless review the current MPI requirements carefully, as certain conditions still apply.

Are there restrictions on how many pets I can bring into New Zealand?

MPI does not set a fixed maximum number of pets per person for non-commercial imports, but every individual animal must satisfy all biosecurity requirements independently, have its own import permit where one is required, and have a separate quarantine booking. Bringing multiple pets simultaneously increases the complexity, coordination, and cost involved considerably. For imports carried out for commercial purposes — such as breeding, showing, or racing — a Customs broker must be engaged, as commercial imports are subject to different handling from personal relocations.

Is professional help worth using for the pet import process?

For most owners, particularly those moving pets from Category 2 or 3 countries, using a professional pet relocation company is strongly advisable. Specialists in this field will be well acquainted with MPI’s import health standards, the export requirements of your home country, approved testing laboratories, quarantine booking procedures, and airline cargo regulations. Given that documentation errors can result in costly delays, extended quarantine, or even refusal of entry for your animal, the investment in professional guidance is frequently justified — especially for complex long-haul relocations.