If you are planning on bringing your dog or cat to New Zealand, you will need to obtain an import permit.
Importing pets can be expensive and take up to several months. However, depending on your pet’s country of origin, a professional pet exporter can help you bring them safely to New Zealand. Services include arranging veterinary checks, treatments, shipping crates, flights, and other requirements. All dogs and cats must land either in Auckland or Christchurch and be transferred to a quarantine facility if they are not from Australia.
You can use this link below to help you find an exporter who will be your pet’s guide when transferring to New Zealand.
IPATA – International Pet And Animal Transportation Association
Costs
Payments are required for import permits, inspections through customs, quarantine fees, and other types of fees. Cats and dogs from approved countries, rabbits, and guinea pigs (Australia only), and Chinchillas (only from the United Kingdom) are allowed to be imported to New Zealand.
To see the payment costs in detail, click on the link below.
Fees and charges when bringing pets to NZ
Import permit
Apart from cats and dogs from Australia, you must have an import permit. Applications are NZ $220.74, and if you spend more time on your application, additional time will be charged at a rate of NZ $102.27 per hour. Remember that all health examinations for your pets must be done within two days before they travel. Your pet will be inspected at the border to see whether they are cleared or sent to a transitional facility for quarantine. Application rates depend on your pet’s country of origin (Ministry of Primary Industries, 2022).
| Country of Origin | Fee for each animal, including GST |
| Pets that do not require veterinary inspection | NZ $57.05 fixed fee |
| Pets that require a veterinary inspection | NZ $214.25 per hour |
If your pet is in the clear on arrival, it will be directed to an approved transitional facility, where you will incur the hourly inspection charges.
| Hourly rate for veterinary inspectors | Fee including GST |
| Veterinary inspectors inspecting/monitoring live animals from the EU or Switzerland | NZ $108.54 |
| Veterinarians inspecting/monitoring pets from all other countries | NZ $214.25 |
Quarantine costs
Pets not from Australia must be put into a Ministry of Primary Industries approved facility for a minimum of ten days on arrival. If they arrive outside of inspection hours or feel unwell and have fleas/ticks, they must be put into the facility.
Quarantine facilities for cats and dogs
Documents
Several documents are compulsory to go through customs. These include the following:
- Proof of purchase or evidence of ownership
- Permit to import the animal
- Air Waybill
- Veterinary certificates
- Exempting statutory declaration (dogs)
- Copy of your photo identification
Banned dogs and cats/ prohibited pets
A list of animals and breeds of specific cats/dogs is completely banned from entering New Zealand (Ministry for Primary Industries, 2023). Not all pets are allowed in New Zealand, so use this link below to help you identify what types of pets and breeds are allowed (New Zealand’s Customers Service, 2023).
Registering your dog in New Zealand
When your dog lands in New Zealand, register them with your local council, as penalties apply if registration payments are not cleared in time.
Last Update: 24 March 2023
