Pet Relocation from India to Australia
Hoping to take your dog or cat from India to Australia? Share your details. We will explain the 180-day third-country pathway honestly and quote the work we can do.
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Moving a Pet from India to Australia
A long biosecurity pathway, not a direct next-month flight. India is not an approved country for importing cats and dogs into Australia.
Pet relocation from India to Australia is the route we are most careful not to oversell. The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) does not approve direct imports of cats and dogs from India. Pets originating in a non-approved country may become eligible only after they have lived continuously in an approved Group 1, 2 or 3 country for at least 180 consecutive days immediately before export to Australia, and only after they meet every import condition of that approved country. Tests and vaccinations done in India are not accepted for the Australian import itself.
A family leaving India for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth cannot treat this like a USA or UAE file. The honest timeline is many months: 180 days of continuous residence in an approved country after any incoming quarantine there has finished, an Australian import permit, a Mickleham booking, and a cargo flight into Melbourne. DAFF suggests starting preparations at least six to seven months before export from the approved country — on top of the residency period.
PawSpace will tell you this up front, help you understand the official pathway, and support the pieces we can manage (Indian departure planning if the pet first leaves for an approved country, crate and airline guidance, and coordination with partners where needed). We will not invent a shortcut around DAFF’s 180-day rule, and we will not quote a “direct India to Sydney next month” service that the law does not allow.
If your destination is elsewhere, the direct-from-India routes are documented on our pages for the USA, UK, Canada, UAE and Singapore. The export overview is at international pet relocation from India.
How an India-origin Pet Can Reach Australia
A multi-stage pathway. The first conversation is about eligibility, not about booking a crate for next week.
Tell us the whole timeline
Send your name, WhatsApp number and email. We need the pet’s details, where you can spend the 180-day residency, and when you hoped to be in Australia — so we can say whether that date is realistic.
Choose an approved country pathway
The pet must live continuously in an approved Group 1, 2 or 3 country for 180 days immediately before export, and complete that country’s full Australia-export preparations there.
Australian import permit and Mickleham
Apply for the biosecurity import permit. Book Mickleham only after the permit is granted. Arrival must be as cargo into Melbourne.
Quarantine, then onwards
After post-entry quarantine at Mickleham (generally at least 10–30 days), your pet can continue to the Australian city where you live.
How Your Pet Must Travel to Australia
DAFF is specific: cargo into Melbourne, then government quarantine. Cabin travel is not the ordinary pathway.
Manifest cargo into Melbourne
DAFF requires cats and dogs to travel to Australia as manifest cargo. They must arrive directly at Melbourne International Airport for transfer to Mickleham. They cannot land in Sydney or Brisbane and connect domestically.
No ordinary cabin option
Travelling in the cabin with you is not how ordinary pet imports enter Australia. Eligible assistance dogs may be exempt from the cargo condition — we follow DAFF’s assistance-dog guidance if that is your situation.
Documents Most Routes Need
Australian biosecurity papers prepared in an approved country, not a shortcut pack assembled only in India.
Australian import permit
A valid biosecurity import permit is mandatory. Processing can take a long time if the file is incomplete; DAFF has described waits of up to 123 business days for assessment.
ISO-compatible microchip
Readable by an ISO-compatible scanner, 10 or 15 digits. Numbers starting with 999 and 9-digit AVID chips are not acceptable.
Vaccinations and RNATT in an approved country
DAFF will not accept the vaccination and testing requirements as having been completed in a non-approved country such as India.
Mickleham quarantine booking
Available only after you have the import permit. Minimum stay is generally 10–30 days and can extend to 180 days.
Official veterinary certificates
Issued and endorsed in the approved country of export, travelling with the animal to Melbourne.
IATA cargo crate
Sized so your pet can stand, turn and lie down, with fixed water arrangements the airline and DAFF expect for a long cargo flight.
DAFF Rules: India Is Not an Approved Country
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) does not allow cats and dogs to be imported directly from non-approved countries, including India.
You cannot put a dog or cat on a next-month flight from India to Melbourne and call that an import. DAFF’s FAQ states that cats and dogs originating from non-approved countries may be eligible only after continuous residence in an approved Group 1, 2 or 3 country for at least 180 consecutive days immediately before export, and after meeting all other import conditions for that approved country. Vaccination and testing done in a non-approved country are not accepted.
You must hold a valid Australian biosecurity import permit. DAFF recommends starting preparations at least seven months before export from a Group 3 country and at least six months from a Group 2 country. The animal needs an ISO-compatible microchip (10 or 15 digits; numbers starting with 999 and 9-digit AVID chips are not acceptable). Arrival must be as manifest cargo directly into Melbourne International Airport, then post-entry quarantine only at Mickleham (generally 10–30 days, up to 180 days if issues arise). There is no ordinary home quarantine; eligible assistance dogs can have different conditions. Quarantine can be booked only after the permit is granted. DAFF publishes government fee estimates (not PawSpace prices): A$3,114 for a minimum 10-day stay and A$4,234 for a minimum 30-day stay, reviewed annually. Some breeds are prohibited. Third-country quarantine time does not count toward the 180 days.
Source: DAFF, Bringing cats and dogs to Australia; DAFF cats and dogs FAQs (“My country is not approved…”, quarantine, cargo and Melbourne arrival questions). Confirm the current approved-country groups and fees before you plan.
What Affects the Cost
International moves are quoted for the destination, the airline and your pet. We do not publish a fixed export tariff, and we do not reuse domestic India rupee ranges as if they were export prices.
Destination rules
Tests, permits and quarantine differ sharply by country.
Airline and travel mode
Accompanied baggage versus manifest cargo, plus the airline’s live-animal charges.
Pet size and crate
Crate dimensions and weight drive the airline fare.
Documents and tests
Microchip, vaccines, rabies titer (RNATT), health and export certificates.
Quarantine and permits
Government fees where the destination requires them.
Pickup, boarding and delivery
Door pickup in India, any stay before the flight, and arrival handling.
PawSpace international relocation is quote-based. Cost depends on the destination country’s rules, the airline and travel mode, your pet’s size and crate, documents and tests, and any government quarantine or permit fees. Fill in the form for a quote on this route.
Why Choose PawSpace
4.5★ from 2,000+ Google reviews and 15,000+ pet relocations done.
One point of contact
One team from booking to arrival, so you are never chasing updates.
Paperwork handled with you
Help with vaccination records, fit-to-travel certificates and the documents your route needs.
Safe travel
Vetted carriers with temperature control, ventilation and secure enclosures.
Pets of all sizes
From small cats to large dogs, with advice on crate size, airline or road rules and breed restrictions.
Door to door
We move your own pet door to door with a trained handler. It’s pet transport, not a parcel courier.
7-day WhatsApp support
Reach us on WhatsApp any day of the week while you plan the move.
India to Australia Pet Relocation FAQs
Direct answers about the non-approved-country pathway.
Can I fly my dog directly from India to Australia?
No. India is not an approved country for direct cat or dog import. The official pathway is at least 180 consecutive days of residence in an approved Group 1, 2 or 3 country immediately before export, plus that country’s full conditions and an Australian import permit.
Will Australia accept rabies vaccines given in India?
No. DAFF states that all testing and vaccination requirements must take place in an approved country.
Does my pet have to go into quarantine?
Yes. Post-entry quarantine is only at Mickleham in Melbourne. There is no ordinary home quarantine. Eligible assistance dogs may have different conditions.
Can my pet land in Sydney?
Not for an ordinary import. Cats and dogs must arrive directly at Melbourne International Airport.
Can my pet travel in the cabin?
Ordinary imports must travel as manifest cargo. Eligible assistance dogs may be exempt.
How long should I plan for?
DAFF recommends starting preparations at least six to seven months before export from the approved country, and that is after the 180-day residency has been met. Many families should think in terms of the better part of a year.
How much does this cost?
There is no single price, because the third-country residency, the Australian permit, Mickleham fees and the cargo flight are all separate. DAFF publishes its own government quarantine fee estimates (A$3,114 for a minimum 10-day stay and A$4,234 for a minimum 30-day stay, subject to change). Those are government figures, not PawSpace prices. We quote the work we actually do.
Will PawSpace pretend there is a shortcut?
No. If a direct flight from India were allowed, we would say so. It is not, and this page exists so you can plan with official facts.
Want Honest Advice on an Australia Move?
Tell us your timeframe and your pet’s details. We’ll WhatsApp you about the official 180-day pathway and what we can help with.
Get International Relocation Quote
Name, WhatsApp number and email. That’s all we need to start.
We’ll message you on WhatsApp right after you submit.
Prefer to talk? Call 99969 99505
