Taking your babies with you is becoming easier as more and more countries are lessening the quarantine time. Australia has only a 10 day minimum quarantine, and in most cases. Canada has no quarantine period. We recommend using a professional pet relocation service as they can offer door to door services and organize your pet passport, vet records, or any other travel documents needed. Pet relocation companies are not cheap, but they offer peace of mind and minimize all risk of moving your pets from one country to the next.
Do your Homework
Moving to Australia? Go to the Department of Agriculture’s website and look under the section for bringing in dogs and cats or other pets. This site lists the rules and regulations. Pets from South Africa may be listed under countries not approved for direct import. Don’t worry, this means that your pet must go through approved vets for all records and must have an import permit. Your pet will then go under quarantine. It is good to check the Department of Agriculture’s website for any country you will move to. Bringing in pets should always be listed on these sites. There are no age restrictions for your older pets. The main focus is that the vet will give them a positive health certificate deeming them fit to travel. Pets for Australia must be at least 9 months old. For Canada, the animal must be at least 3 months old. South Africa has no quarantine for cats. Dogs may need quarantine depending on what country they are from. The typical guidelines are that pets should be fit to travel, be micro-chipped, and have the correct tests done beforehand. These tests and results are time sensitive, so use a professional pet relocation company to sort this out for you. Health certificates and blood titre tests can take time as well. If you plan to use your own travel crates, you must make sure they are compliant with the airline. Do this research beforehand.
Costs
The veterinary costs will vary animal to animal. If you need crates, the pet relocation companies can custom build these to your pet’s measurements. This will cost more, but you will be assured that your pet has the regulated size and most comfortable crate available. Quarantine costs will depend on how many pets you have. If you want your pets to stay together, you can request this. The cost goes down per pet. There are quarantine stations in Sydney and in Melbourne. You may need to factor in the cost of pet transport once the quarantine period is over. Ask your pet relocation company to quote for all of these costs. The air freight cost depends on the airline and how much space your pet takes up within the cargo area. With most airlines, you can only book your pets for flights 10 days in advance.