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Bringing a dog from Australia to the United States

Yes — and this is one of the easiest long-haul moves there is. Australia is on the CDC's dog-rabies-free / low-risk list, so the United States requires no rabies vaccination, no rabies blood test and no CDC health certificate. The only CDC document is the free online CDC Dog Import Form receipt. Your dog must be at least 6 months old, have a readable microchip and appear healthy on arrival, and can enter at any US port. Australia's own DAFF export process (Notice of Intention, export permit and health certificate) still applies on the way out.

Quarantine days

No quarantine for healthy dogs arriving from Australia

CDC document

The free online CDC Dog Import Form receipt is the only CDC paperwork

6 mo

Minimum age

Dogs must be at least 6 months old to enter the US

Any

Port of entry

Low-risk country dogs may arrive at any airport, seaport or land crossing

Step-by-step checklist

Requirements — Dog · Australia → the United States
Step	What to do	When
Microchip	Your dog needs a microchip that can be read by a universal scanner	Before you book
CDC Dog Import Form	Complete the free CDC Dog Import Form online and keep the receipt — it covers multiple entries from Australia for 6 months	Before travel day
DAFF Notice of Intention	Give the US requirements to a DAFF-registered vet in writing and lodge the Notice of Intention with the DAFF regional office for your departure airport	10+ working days out
Export permit and health certificate	A DAFF veterinary officer assesses the paperwork and issues the export permit and health certificate; the dog must leave Australia within 72 hours of the permit being issued	Final days
Airline check	Airlines may require extra documents of their own — confirm the pet policy before booking	Travel day

Your preparation timeline

14+ weeks out — Confirm the microchip scans correctly and your dog is at least 6 months old; choose a flight and check the airline's pet rules.
210+ working days out — Lodge the DAFF Notice of Intention and book the registered vet and DAFF appointments.
3Final week — Complete the CDC Dog Import Form online and save or print the receipt.
4Final 72 hours — DAFF issues the export permit and health certificate — fly within that window.
5Arrival — Present the CDC form receipt; your dog must appear healthy. Individual states may have their own rules.

The mistake that causes trouble on this route: Assuming a rabies vaccination certificate or US health certificate is required — or the reverse, landing without the one document that IS required. From Australia there is no vaccination, blood test or CDC health certificate, but there is no entry without the CDC Dog Import Form receipt, a microchip and a dog aged 6 months or more. Separately: Hawaii and Guam run their own rabies quarantine programmes, which apply even to dogs arriving from the US mainland — if that is your final destination, start months earlier.

Costs you can plan for

The CDC Dog Import Form is free and there is no CDC or USDA federal fee for a pet dog from Australia. On the Australian side, DAFF charges export fees (Notice of Intention assessment, health certificate inspection time and the export permit) — check DAFF/Micor for the current amounts. Your main costs are the registered vet's fees and air freight. Hawaii and Guam charge separately under their own programmes.

✈️ Government rules are only half the trip. Airlines set their own pet carriage rules (crate size, breed limits, seasonal embargoes). Re-confirm carriage with your airline after you meet the rules above.

Questions people ask about this route

Does my dog need a rabies vaccination to enter the US from Australia?

No. Australia is classified by the CDC as dog-rabies-free / low-risk, so no rabies vaccination, blood test or CDC health certificate is required — only the CDC Dog Import Form receipt, a readable microchip, a minimum age of 6 months and a healthy appearance on arrival.

Can my dog arrive at any US airport?

Yes. Dogs from low-risk countries may enter at any US port — airport, seaport or land border crossing. The exception to plan around is Hawaii and Guam, which run their own quarantine programmes with vaccination and blood-test steps that must start well in advance.

What if we might move back to Australia within a few months?

DAFF warns that a pet expected back in Australia within 6 months may need pre-export preparations before it leaves, because returning pets face Australia's full import process. Sort the return plan out before departure, not from overseas.

Related guides

✓ Last verified: 2026-11-12

Official sources for this page

We check each rule against the exporting country's official page and the destination country's official page. If the two disagree, we show the disagreement instead of guessing.

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