Pet Relocation from the U.S. to Australia: Australian Quarantine Explained

Dogs and cats from the US stay at least 10 days in post-entry quarantine (PEQ) at the government’s Mickleham facility in Victoria, near Melbourne, and at least 30 days if their identity was not verified before the rabies blood test, as the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) sets out in its Group 3 guides, checked in September 2026. DAFF’s fee page, updated July 1, 2026 and read November 1, 2026, charges AUD $560 in accommodation for a 10 day stay and AUD $1,680 for 30 days, on top of an AUD $282 reservation and an AUD $1,132 importation charge per animal, with the import permit charged separately. The clock that matters most starts far earlier, though: a rabies titer test (RNATT) at least 180 days before arrival.

In this guide, you’ll learn what quarantine looks like, how long it can be, what “Group 3” countries mean, and why timing around RNATT matters.

For cats and dogs, Australia’s government-run post-entry quarantine is provided at the Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility in Mickleham, Victoria, near Melbourne.

A few key points worth knowing before you plan:

Yes, under supervision and at your cost. DAFF’s fee page, read November 1, 2026, charges a supervision fee of AUD $42 per 15 minutes per animal when a private veterinarian, a groomer or a handler attends, and says you pay for any private veterinary attendance or emergency veterinary care. Out of hours collection, extra inspections and document checks are charged per animal too, and the fee table below has each one.

Australia’s FAQ explains that all cats and dogs must stay at Mickleham for at least 10 to 30 days and up to 180 days, and longer stays can occur if issues increase biosecurity risk.

That range depends on things like:

Australia groups approved exporting locations for cats and dogs. In Australia’s guidance, Group 3 countries are approved countries where rabies is present, but well controlled.

Yes. Australia’s Group 3 list includes “United States of America (excluding Guam and Hawaii)”.

Australia’s step-by-step guidance lists Guam and Hawaii separately in its location groupings, which is why official forms often treat “U.S. (excluding Guam and Hawaii)” differently from “Hawaii/Guam.”

To confirm your location and find the correct government checklist, start here:
Step-by-step guides (Australia)

Australia repeatedly emphasizes this is a complex process and you should allow at least 6 months to complete the steps.

A big reason the timeline is long is the rabies testing sequence and the waiting period tied to it. In the Group 3 cat guide, Australia notes that cats and dogs residing in a Group 3 country must have lived in an approved country for at least 180 days before export, calculated from the date the RNATT sample arrives at the laboratory.

A typical high-level flow looks like this:

Official Australian step-by-step guides:

Official U.S. export resource (bookmark it):
USDA APHIS: Pet Travel from the U.S. to Australia

Rabies gets most of the attention, but it is not the only requirement. Australia asks for a few more items on the veterinary checklist, and one of them applies specifically to dogs coming from the United States.

Dogs from the US must be fully vaccinated against canine influenza (CIV) before export. If your dog has never had this vaccine, the primary course has to be finished at least 14 days before the flight, so it belongs early in your schedule. Australia’s step-by-step guide for Group 3 dogs lists the current details.

Beyond CIV, dogs need either a Leptospira canicola vaccination or a negative blood test for it, plus a negative Leishmania infantum test, and a negative Brucella canis test if your dog is not desexed. These tests must be done within 45 days of export by a government approved vet.

Cats skip the canine influenza requirement, which is one reason a cat’s timeline can be slightly simpler than a dog’s.

Import conditions can change without much notice, so we confirm every item against your import permit before anything is booked.

This is where planning can really pay off.

Australia’s Group 3 dog guide explains that confirming identity is an optional step that can reduce the minimum quarantine period from 30 days to 10 days, but it must be done correctly and before RNATT blood sampling.

The practical takeaway:

Two timing realities matter here:

Permit info: Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry, import permits
Quarantine booking system (PEBS): Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry, post-entry quarantine

Quarantine at Mickleham includes Australian government fees, and your total usually depends on whether your pet qualifies for the minimum 10-day or 30-day stay, plus any extras (for example, additional document checks, inspections, extra services, or an extended stay). Australia’s FAQ estimates the total cost to import one cat or dog at about AUD $3,000 (minimum 10 days) or AUD $4,100 (minimum 30 days), with extra charges possible depending on your case.

Those are the Australian government charges only. For the full door to door picture from the United States, including airline freight by crate size, USDA endorsement and the titer lab fee, see our cost to ship a pet from the USA to Australia.

Click here for official cost estimate (10 vs 30 days)

Convert 1 AUD to USD using today’s live rate

Quarantine is only part of the budget. Our guide to how much pet shipping costs covers the flight, crate, and paperwork side of the move.

It’s normal to feel anxious about quarantine. Mickleham is a regulated environment designed to protect Australia’s biosecurity while providing care for cats and dogs during quarantine.

From a practical standpoint, the best prep tends to be:

Helpful reads from Pet Travel Advisors:

A lot of U.S. to Australia moves start in major gateways. If you’re beginning in Atlanta or Los Angeles, or you’re planning from Texas or Florida, it helps to start with your local service page and then build the international timeline around it:

Finally, here are the delay triggers we see most often:

Australia’s process is detailed, and one small mismatch can cascade into delays. Pet Travel Advisors can help you verify what applies, map a realistic timeline, coordinate documentation, and plan routing into Melbourne with quarantine in mind.

Start here: Request a quote
Questions first? Contact us
Phone: 1-877-540-0555
Email: info@pettraveladvisors.com

Most dogs and cats from the US complete a minimum 10 day stay at the Mickleham facility near Melbourne. Gaps in identity verification or paperwork can stretch the stay to 30 days, so the pre-travel sequence matters.

All imported cats and dogs complete post-entry quarantine at Mickleham, near Melbourne. Home quarantine is not an option, so routes are planned into Melbourne even when your final destination is another city.

The rabies titer test (RNATT) and its mandatory waiting period drive the timeline, alongside the import permit and quarantine booking. Most moves take several months from the first vet visit to arrival, so start early.

Planning the full move, not just the quarantine stay? Our step-by-step guide to pet shipping from the USA to Australia covers the permit, titer, and flight sequence from first vet visit to Mickleham release.

Australia’s own estimate is about AUD $3,000 for a minimum 10 day stay and about AUD $4,100 for a 30 day stay, per cat or dog, with extra charges possible in some cases. Flights, the import permit, USDA paperwork, and the crate are separate line items on top.

No, and this trips up a lot of timelines. Australia only lets you book quarantine accommodation at Mickleham once you hold a valid import permit number. Permit first, booking second, which is why the order of steps matters as much as the steps themselves.

Mickleham is a regulated care facility, not a kennel of last resort. Pets are housed individually, fed, monitored, and cared for by staff while the biosecurity clearance runs its course. Knowing that makes the separation easier to plan for, which is often harder on the human than the pet.

No. The Department of Agriculture does not permit visits to animals in post entry quarantine. Stays are short, most run 10 to 30 days, and staff handle feeding, daily exercise, and any grooming needed for welfare or hygiene reasons. The facility contacts you if anything needs a decision, like a specialist grooming appointment or private vet care. Plan the reunion for release day instead.

Australia is not the only rabies-free destination with a quarantine law. Hawaii applies one to pets arriving from the US mainland, with up to 120 days for an animal that does not meet its requirements. Our Hawaii pet quarantine guide explains how to qualify for same-day release instead.