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Bringing a dog from Canada to Australia

Yes — but Canada is a Group 3 country for Australia, so this is the full protocol: ISO microchip, rabies vaccination, a passing RNATT titer test, a 180-day wait, a DAFF import permit, and quarantine at Mickleham — 10 days if you complete the optional CFIA identity declaration before the blood draw, otherwise 30 days. Canada adds one condition no other origin has: your dog must be vaccinated against H3N2 canine influenza, or meet an isolation-and-testing alternative in the final 10 days. Start 7–8 months ahead.

7–8 months

Start preparing

DAFF's own floor is 'at least 6 months'

180 days

Titer wait

From the sample reaching the lab

10 or 30 days

Quarantine

Mickleham, Melbourne — the identity declaration decides

HA3200

Health certificate

Canada's own form — not the specimen inside the permit

Step-by-step checklist

Requirements — Dog · Canada → Australia
Step	What to do	When
Residency	Your dog must have lived continuously in approved countries (or Australia) for the 180 days before export, or since birth, and must not be under quarantine restriction.	180 days before export
Microchip	ISO-compatible microchip, scanned and confirmed before preparation starts and at every vet visit. The number must match on every document — CFIA's first rule for this route is: scan and verify the chip every single time the dog is tested, treated, vaccinated or examined.	Before anything else
Rabies vaccination	Inactivated or recombinant vaccine at 12 weeks (84 days) of age or older, kept valid without a lapse from the titer test until export. A lapse restarts the whole sequence.	Before the titer test
Identity declaration (optional, saves 20 days)	A CFIA official verifies your dog's microchip and completes the Identification Declaration (HA3201), which CFIA sends to the Australian authorities. It must be done BEFORE the RNATT blood collection, and it is what qualifies your dog for 10-day instead of 30-day quarantine. Book it through your local CFIA Animal Health Office.	Before the titer test
RNATT titer test	FAVN or RFFIT at a laboratory on CFIA's approved list, result 0.5 IU/ml or higher, at least 3–4 weeks after the primary vaccination course. The laboratory report must state the blood sampling date and location (the collecting vet's name and clinic address) or Australia will not accept it. Afterwards, the RNATT Declaration (HA3202) is completed at your local CFIA office — bring the original lab report and rabies vaccination certificate. The result is valid 12 months.	≥180 days before export
Wait 180 days	Export is only allowed once the blood sample has been at the laboratory for at least 180 days. Your dog lives with you during this wait — it is not quarantine.	180 days from lab arrival
Import permit (BICON)	Apply online in BICON with the RNATT report and CFIA-endorsed RNATT declaration (plus the Identification Declaration for 10-day quarantine). Fee: AUD $626 for the first animal, $299 for each additional. Most permits take 20–40 business days; DAFF says it can take up to 123. The permit stays valid until the RNATT expires.	During the wait
Disease tests & parasite treatments (dogs)	Within 45 days of export: Leishmania and Leptospira Canicola tests; a Brucella canis test if your dog is not desexed. External parasite treatment must be topical, kill ticks and fleas on contact, start at least 30 days before export and stay continuous until export — Bravecto, NexGard, Advantage Multi and Revolution are expressly NOT compliant. Two internal parasite treatments at least 14 days apart, the second within 5 days of export.	Final 45 days
Canine influenza — dogs from Canada only	Australia singles out dogs exported from Canada. Either vaccinate against canine influenza with an H3N2-covering vaccine between 365 and 14 days before export, or meet all three alternatives: 10 days' isolation from other dogs immediately before export (with a signed declaration on the health certificate), a negative PCR test on a nasal or deep pharyngeal swab within 7 days of export, and an examination within 48 hours of export showing no clinical signs. Dogs routed through the US must instead be vaccinated and certified in the US.	Final 10 days (or vaccinate earlier)
Health certificate HA3200 + CFIA endorsement	Your licensed veterinarian completes Canadaʼs Veterinary Health Certificate – Dog (HA3200) after an examination within 5 days before export. Do NOT use the specimen certificate (Appendix 1) printed inside the Australian import permit — CFIA states it is the wrong form for Canada. A CFIA Official Veterinarian then reviews and endorses it, signing, dating and stamping every page, including the laboratory reports. Book the Mickleham quarantine before you travel; your dog flies as manifested cargo to Melbourne.	Final 5 days

Your preparation timeline

1~7–8 months out — Chip check, rabies vaccination, optional CFIA identity declaration (HA3201)
2~6–7 months out — RNATT blood draw — the 180-day clock starts when the sample reaches the lab; then the HA3202 declaration at CFIA
3During the wait — Apply for the BICON import permit; book Mickleham quarantine
4Final 45 days — Disease tests, parasite treatment schedule, canine influenza vaccination or the isolation pathway
5Final 5 days — Vet examination, HA3200 certificate, CFIA endorsement, cargo flight to Melbourne
6Arrival — Post-entry quarantine at Mickleham: 10 days with the identity declaration, otherwise 30 days

The mistake that causes trouble on this route: Reaching for the certificate inside the Australian import permit. CFIA is explicit: the Appendix 1 specimen in the permit is the wrong form for Canada — the health certificate must be HA3200. Discovering that at the endorsement appointment burns the appointment, and can burn the flight and the permit window with it.

Costs you can plan for

Official Australian charges (AUD, per animal): import permit $626 for the first animal ($299 each additional). Quarantine at Mickleham: reservation $282, importation charge $1,132, accommodation $56/day — $560 for 10 days or $1,680 for 30 days — plus inspection and document assessment at $84 per 30 minutes and an airline terminal fee from $170. A 10-day stay therefore starts around AUD $1,974 in facility charges alone. Add the Canadian side: vet and laboratory fees, the RNATT, the CFIA endorsement fee (set under the CFIA Fees Notice), and air cargo.

✈️ 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

Why is there a 180-day wait if quarantine is only 10 days?

The 180 days is a pre-export observation period in an approved country after the titer test — your dog lives at home in Canada. Quarantine at Mickleham (10 or 30 days) is separate and happens after arrival.

Why does only Canada have a canine influenza rule?

Australia's import conditions single out dogs exported from Canada for its canine influenza condition. It is satisfied either by an H3N2 vaccination inside the 365-to-14-day window, or by the 10-day isolation + negative PCR + 48-hour examination alternative set out by CFIA.

Can my dog fly into Sydney or Brisbane?

No. Dogs on this route travel as manifested cargo to Melbourne, where the Mickleham quarantine facility is located.

Are any breeds banned in Australia?

Yes — pure-bred Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa, Pit Bull Terrier and Presa Canario cannot be imported, and wolf-dog hybrids are prohibited. Crosses of the listed breeds are not restricted.

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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