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Bringing a bird from New Zealand to Australia

Yes — but only just, and only on this route. New Zealand is the one country in the world from which Australia accepts pet birds at all, and only psittacine (parrot-family) species, only as genuine household pets moving with their owner, and only with two Australian import permits, 45 days of pre-export quarantine in New Zealand and at least 45 days of home quarantine on arrival. Pet birds from every other country — and non-parrot pet birds from anywhere — cannot be imported.

Bird rules move fast. Avian influenza (HPAI) restriction lists change week to week, and a listing can close a route with little notice. Seven days before you travel, re-check that your origin is still clear — the checklist below includes that step.

NZ only

Only origin country

No pet birds from any other country

≤2 birds

Per household

Psittacine species only, genuine household pets

1 year

Minimum ownership

Kept by you before pre-export quarantine starts

45 + 45 days

Quarantine

45 days pre-export in NZ, at least 45 days at home on arrival

Sources disagree: Who issues the environment permit changed mid-2026: the task-era guidance names DCCEEW, but DAFF's pet-bird page and DCCEEW's own pages both state that the National EPA was established on 1 July 2026 and that EPBC Act regulatory powers, including issuing these permits, were transferred to it from DCCEEW. The guidance pages are still hosted on dcceew.gov.au, but the application now goes to the National EPA.

Sources disagree: Which environment-permit fee applies is not settled by the pages read: the official fee schedule lists both AUD $397 (household pets, EPBC Act s303FG) and AUD $79 (standard single-use living-specimen import). DAFF says a Part 2 species needs either a CITES permit or a Regulated Live Import permit, without naming the fee line. Treat AUD $397 as the planning figure and confirm with the National EPA wildlife trade team before paying.

Until officials align, follow the stricter reading and confirm with the destination authority.

Step-by-step checklist

Requirements — Bird · New Zealand → Australia
Step	What to do	When
Check the species twice — parrot family AND on the Live Import List	Under biosecurity law the bird must be a psittacine species. Under environment law (EPBC Act) its species must also appear on the List of Specimens Taken to be Suitable for Live Import — every psittacine currently listed is in Part 2 of that list, which means an environment import permit is always required. A species that is not on the list cannot be imported at all unless the list is amended first, a process the environment department says can take several years.	Before anything else
Environment permit (EPBC Act / CITES side)	Apply to the National EPA — which took over EPBC Act permit powers from DCCEEW on 1 July 2026 — for the environment import permit: a CITES permit if your species is CITES-listed (most parrots are, typically Appendix II), or a Regulated Live Import permit if it is not. Allow up to 40 business days for processing; granted permits are usually valid for 6 months. Contact the National EPA wildlife trade team for advice before applying.	First permit — apply early
Biosecurity import permit (BICON) + premises inspection	Apply in DAFF's BICON system under the case 'Household pet birds (psittacine birds only)'. Your bird must be moving with you from New Zealand to live in Australia, be a genuine household pet (maximum 2 per household, not kept in an aviary, not for breeding), have been kept by you for at least one year before pre-export quarantine starts, and be identified by microchip or permanent leg band. A biosecurity officer must inspect and approve your nominated post-arrival quarantine premises before the permit is issued; if granted, the permit is valid for 6 months. You must also meet your Australian state or territory's own entry and keeping-permit rules.	Before pre-export quarantine
New Zealand export side — MPI and DOC	Through MPI: arrange approval of the pre-export quarantine facility, MPI supervision of the quarantine, the in-quarantine examination, and the final certification and crate-sealing appointment with an MPI official government veterinary officer. If your parrot is CITES-listed, you also need a New Zealand CITES export permit from DOC before it can leave — DOC's fee for a permit authorising export of live captive-bred parrots is NZ$600 and processing can take up to 20 working days. DAFF also lists NZ export wildlife/conservation permits among the documents to bring to the final MPI appointment.	In parallel with the Australian permits
Pre-export quarantine — at least 45 days in New Zealand	Place your bird in pre-export quarantine at the approved premises at least 45 days immediately before export. An MPI official government veterinary officer must examine the bird within one week of quarantine starting, and a veterinarian (NZ-registered private vet or MPI official vet) must examine it within 96 hours of export and complete a health declaration. Prepare a clean, mosquito-proof, IATA-compliant transport crate; keep food in the crate to a minimum and provide no fresh fruit or vegetables for the journey.	Final 45+ days in NZ
Notice of intention + final MPI certification	At least 72 hours before arrival in Australia, email DAFF your Notice of Intention to import pet psittacine bird(s) from New Zealand (NOI). Then attend the MPI official vet appointment with: the printed, unsigned Certificate 1 (owner's pre-export declaration, Appendix 1 of your biosecurity permit), the 96-hour vet declaration, your wildlife trade export permit(s), the National EPA environment import permit, any Australian state/territory permits, your Australian biosecurity import permit, and the bird in its crate. The MPI officer completes and certifies Certificate 2 (zoosanitary certificate), examines the bird and seals the crate.	Final 72 hours
Arrival + 45 days of home quarantine in Australia	You or your agent must meet the flight: a DAFF officer inspects the bird and its certification at the airport (you may have to handle the bird so its leg ring or microchip can be verified there, or at your premises within 3 days). Take the bird by the most direct route to the approved premises and into the dedicated quarantine room — entirely indoors and enclosed, with two mosquito-proof barriers, no other birds anywhere on the site, and close to a DAFF regional office. The bird stays in its cage in that room for at least 45 days; a private vet of your choice must examine it there no earlier than day 38, and DAFF notifies you when the bird may come out of quarantine.	Arrival onwards

Your preparation timeline

112+ months out — The 1-year ownership clock must already be running — you must have kept the bird for at least a year before pre-export quarantine can start
2~3–4 months out — Species check against the Live Import List (Part 2); National EPA environment/CITES permit application (allow up to 40 business days); DOC CITES export permit if the species is CITES-listed (up to 20 working days)
3~2–3 months out — BICON biosecurity permit application; set up the Australian quarantine room and have it inspected and approved before the permit can issue
4Final 45+ days (NZ) — Pre-export quarantine at the MPI-approved premises; MPI vet exam in week 1; private or official vet exam within 96 hours of export
5Final 72 hours — NOI emailed to DAFF; MPI official vet certifies Certificate 2 and seals the crate
6Arrival + 45 days — Airport inspection, direct transfer home, at least 45 days in the approved quarantine room; vet exam on or after day 38; DAFF release notice ends quarantine

The mistake that causes trouble on this route: Starting the 45-day pre-export quarantine before both Australian permits exist and the Australian quarantine premises have been inspected and approved. DAFF will not issue the biosecurity permit until the premises pass inspection, the environment permit alone can take up to 40 business days, and both permits are usually valid for only 6 months — sequence the paperwork first, then start the quarantine clock inside the permits' validity.

Costs you can plan for

Australia does not publish a single fixed total for this route. On the environment side, the official fee schedule as at 1 July 2026 (AUD) lists AUD $397 for an import/export permit for household pets and AUD $79 for a standard single-use permit for a living specimen — which line applies depends on the permit type the National EPA issues for your species, so confirm before you apply; the same page warns wildlife-trade fees are expected to rise from late 2026. DAFF's pet-bird page publishes no fixed biosecurity permit or inspection figure: it points you to its biosecurity cost-recovery statements, which cover the import permit application and assessment, document assessment, inspection of the post-arrival quarantine premises, and bird inspection fees. On the New Zealand side (NZD, incl. GST): MPI export unit fee NZ$20.57 per bird (NZ$0.31 for budgies, lovebirds, cockatiels, finches and rosellas), MPI official assurance NZ$62.34 plus NZ$249.37/hour after the first 15 minutes, and a DOC CITES export permit of NZ$600 for live captive-bred parrots (NZ$80 for a regular permit) where CITES applies. Add private vet examinations in both countries (including the day-38 house call), any state/territory keeping permits, a mosquito-proof IATA crate — a pet transport company is recommended by DAFF — 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

Can I bring my pet bird to Australia from the UK, the US or anywhere else?

No. DAFF states it plainly: you can import some pet psittacine species from New Zealand, and you cannot import pet birds from any other country. There is no permit, certificate or relocation-company workaround for another origin.

My bird is a finch / canary / dove — can it come from New Zealand?

No. The biosecurity pathway covers psittacine (parrot-family) birds only — that family does include budgerigars and cockatiels, but finches, canaries, doves and other non-parrot pet birds have no household-pet pathway into Australia.

What if my parrot's species is not on the Live Import List?

It cannot be imported. The list must first be amended to include the species — anyone may apply to the Minister for the Environment and Water, but the environment department warns amendments can take several years, and no permit can be issued for an unlisted species in the meantime.

Why does my bird quarantine at my house instead of a government facility?

That is how DAFF runs this route: the post-arrival quarantine premises are nominated by you (your home, or a close family member's or friend's), inspected and approved before the permit is issued, and must have no other birds on site and a dedicated indoor, mosquito-proofed room. The bird stays there at least 45 days, with a private-vet examination no earlier than day 38.

How long are the two Australian permits valid?

Usually 6 months each, per DAFF: the National EPA environment permit is usually valid for 6 months when granted, and a granted biosecurity import permit is valid for 6 months. Your 45-day pre-export quarantine, flight and arrival all need to fit inside those windows.

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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