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Bringing a dog from Ireland to Australia

Yes — but Australia is the most demanding route on this site. Ireland is a DAFF Group 3 country, so a dog needs a rabies vaccination, a titer test (RNATT), a 180-day wait, a BICON import permit, and mandatory quarantine on arrival at Mickleham: a minimum of 10 days if an official government veterinarian verifies its identity before the blood test, otherwise a minimum of 30 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 — identity check decides

5 days

Health cert window

Exam within 5 days before export

Step-by-step checklist

Requirements — Dog · Ireland → 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, implanted before any pre-export preparation begins, scanned and confirmed at every vet visit. The number must match on every document — and note that DAFF does not accept an EU pet passport as proof of identity for the quarantine reduction.	Before anything else
Rabies vaccination	Inactivated or recombinant vaccine at 12 weeks (84 days) of age or older — the same minimum age as under the EU pet-travel rules — kept valid without a lapse from the titer test until export. A lapse restarts the whole sequence.	Before the titer test
Identity check (optional, saves 20 days)	Only an official government veterinarian can complete it, and DAFF sends it directly from the competent authority. It must be completed BEFORE the RNATT blood draw and cannot be done in the same visit as the blood draw. It is what qualifies your dog for 10-day instead of 30-day quarantine. In Ireland you arrange the identity declaration through your local Regional Veterinary Office (RVO) — it cannot be arranged through the Live Trade office.	Before the titer test
RNATT titer test	FAVN or RFFIT, result 0.5 IU/ml or higher, at a recognised laboratory, at least 3–4 weeks after the primary vaccination course. You also need the country-specific RNATT declaration, completed, signed and stamped by an official government veterinarian. 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 endorsed declaration (plus the identity declaration for 10-day quarantine). Fee: AUD $626 for the first animal, $299 for each additional, non-refundable. Most permits take 20–40 business days; DAFF says it can take up to 123. A Group 3 permit stays valid until the RNATT expires.	During the wait
Disease tests & parasite treatments (dogs)	Within 45 days of export: a negative Leishmania infantum test, and a negative Leptospira Canicola test — or full Leptospira Canicola vaccination completed at least 14 days before export. If your dog is not desexed, a negative Brucella canis test within 45 days, with no mating from 21 days before that sample until export. A Babesia treatment applies only if your dog has ever been to mainland Africa. Unlike dogs from the US, dogs from Ireland do not need a canine influenza vaccination. External parasite treatment with a product that kills fleas and ticks on contact starts at least 30 days before export and stays continuous; two internal parasite treatments at least 14 days apart within 45 days, the second within 5 days of export.	Final 45 days
Health certificate + official endorsement	Examination within 5 days before export — your dog must be free of ticks, fleas and signs of infectious or contagious disease, and healthy and fit to travel and undergo quarantine. The veterinary health certificate is completed by a government-approved veterinarian and endorsed (signed and stamped) by an official government veterinarian of the competent authority. Your dog travels as manifested cargo to Melbourne. Book quarantine at Mickleham before you travel. In Ireland your own vet completes two health certificates in full — the PVP version, which they sign and stamp, and the DAFM version, left unsigned — and the government vet at your local RVO signs and stamps the DAFM version; contact the RVO at least 2 months before travel.	Final 5 days

Your preparation timeline

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

The mistake that causes trouble on this route: Skipping the identity check to 'save time'. It must happen BEFORE the titer blood draw — it cannot be added later, it cannot share a visit with the blood draw, and an EU pet passport does not count as a substitute. It is the difference between 10 and 30 days of quarantine, plus three extra weeks of facility fees at AUD $56 a day.

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, before the permit, local veterinary and laboratory fees in Ireland, official endorsement, 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 pet lives at home. Quarantine at Mickleham (10 or 30 days) is separate and happens after arrival.

Can my pet fly into Sydney or Brisbane?

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

Are any dog breeds banned in Australia?

Pure-bred Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa, Pit Bull Terrier and Presa Canario cannot be imported, and wolfdog hybrids (such as Czechoslovakian Vlcak and Saarloos wolfdogs) are prohibited.

Does my dog need a canine influenza vaccination coming from Ireland?

No. In DAFF's BICON conditions the canine influenza requirement applies only to dogs from the United States and the Republic of Korea (with a separate pathway for Canada). Dogs exported from Ireland do not need it — one test fewer than on the US route.

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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