Australia's rabies process is identical for cats and dogs from the US (Group 3): verified microchip, rabies vaccination, an RNAT titer test with a mandatory 180-day wait, an import permit, and post-entry quarantine at Mickleham. The difference is the disease panel — cats have almost none of it.
Minimum lead time: about 6.9 months (208 days). DAFF advises at least 6 months. For cats the driver is the same: no export until 180 days after the RNAT sample reaches the lab. But cats skip the Leishmania, Brucella, Leptospira and canine-influenza steps entirely.
Going on vacation, not moving? The same timeline still applies. Australia makes no exception for tourists or short stays — these rules apply to every dog and cat entering the country, so a two-week holiday needs the same months of preparation as a permanent move. There is no short-stay shortcut.
The requirements, in order
Order matters — several steps are only valid if the earlier ones were done first. This is the same sequence the planner above turns into dated deadlines.
- ISO microchip implanted & verifiedAn ISO-compliant (10 or 15 digit) microchip, implanted before anything else and at least 180 days before export. A government-approved vet must scan it at every visit; chips starting with 999 are not accepted.
- Official identity verification (cuts quarantine 30 → 10 days)Optional but strongly recommended: have an official government veterinarian (USDA) verify your pet's identity BEFORE the RNATT blood draw, at a separate visit, at least 180 days before export. Without it, post-entry quarantine is a minimum of 30 days instead of 10.Cannot be done at the same vet visit as the RNATT blood draw.
- Rabies vaccination (valid through export day)An approved inactivated rabies vaccine, given at 84 days of age or older, and kept continuously valid from the RNATT blood draw through the day of export.First-time vaccination: DAFF says wait 3–4 weeks before the RNATT blood draw. Pets with an unbroken vaccination history may be sampled sooner.
- RNATT blood draw (rabies titer test) — starts the 180-day clockBlood sample for the rabies neutralising antibody titre test (FAVN or RFFIT, result ≥ 0.5 IU/ml) at an approved lab. Australia's mandatory 180-day wait runs from the day the sample ARRIVES at the laboratory to the day of export — no exceptions. The sample must be taken no more than 12 months before export.We plan the draw 187+ days out: the official 180-day clock starts at lab ARRIVAL, so we add a one-week shipping buffer. Ship the sample overnight and confirm the lab's received date.
- RNATT declaration endorsed by USDAOnce the lab report arrives (FAVN results can take 2–4 weeks), an official government veterinarian (USDA APHIS) completes, signs and stamps the RNATT declaration. You need it for the import permit application and it travels with your pet.
- Apply for the import permit (BICON)Apply as soon as the RNATT declaration is endorsed. Most permits are issued in 20–40 business days; some take much longer, so DAFF says apply as early as you can. The permit stays valid until your RNATT expires (12 months from blood sampling) and must be valid on arrival.
- Book quarantine at MicklehamOnce the permit is issued, book your pet's post-entry quarantine stay at Mickleham (Melbourne). Spaces are limited — book immediately.
- Start external parasite (tick & flea) treatmentA product that kills ticks and fleas on contact, started at least 21 days before export (treatment day counts as day 0) and maintained continuously until export.
- Internal parasite treatment #1First of two treatments against nematodes and cestodes, given within the 45 days before export and at least 14 days before the second treatment.
- Internal parasite treatment #2Second treatment, at least 14 days after the first and within the 5 days before export. Can be combined with the final clinical exam.
- Final clinical examinationA government-approved vet examines your pet for external parasites and signs of infectious disease within the 5 days before export.
- Health certificate completed & endorsed by USDA APHISThe veterinary health certificate plus all lab reports, endorsed (signed and stamped on every page) by an official government veterinarian — USDA APHIS, via VEHCS — within the 5 days before export, after the final exam.
What cats skip
The dog-only requirements a cat does not need: the Leishmania test, the Brucella canis test, Leptospira cover, and the US-specific canine influenza vaccination. A cat's external parasite treatment also starts 21 days before export rather than 30. Cats keep the core: microchip, rabies, RNAT titer and its 180-day wait, the import permit, paired internal parasite treatments, the final exam and USDA-endorsed certificate, and the 10–30 day Mickleham quarantine (10 days only if identity was verified before the titer draw). The planner shows exactly the cat steps.
Official sources
These are the only authorities on this route. If anything here disagrees with them, they win — and please tell us.
- DAFF — Step-by-step guide: bringing a dog from a Group 3 country (US mainland is Group 3)
- DAFF — Step-by-step guide: bringing a cat from a Group 3 country
- USDA APHIS — Pet travel from the US to Australia
Rather have a professional handle the whole move? Pet relocation companies manage the vet visits, paperwork, and bookings end-to-end. (Referral placement — link to relocation partner here.)
Traveling internationally with a pet? Vet visits abroad are out-of-network by definition. (Pet insurance affiliate placement here.)
FAQ
- How long does it take to bring a cat from the US to Australia?
- Roughly 7 months minimum — the rabies/RNAT chain and 180-day wait are the same as for dogs — plus 10–30 days of Mickleham quarantine after arrival. The planner computes your dates.
- Which requirements do cats skip versus dogs?
- Cats skip the Leishmania, Brucella and Leptospira tests and the canine influenza vaccine, and start external parasite treatment 21 days out instead of 30. Everything else is the same.
- Do cats still quarantine at Mickleham?
- Yes — a minimum of 10 days if an official vet verified identity before the RNAT blood draw, otherwise a minimum of 30. Same as for dogs.
Other cat routes
- USA → Japan~7 months lead · 12-hour clearance if done right
- USA → Spain (EU)3–4 weeks lead · no quarantine
- USA → France (EU)3–4 weeks lead · category-1 breed ban
- USA → Portugal (EU)3–4 weeks lead · 48h arrival notice
- USA → Germany (EU)3–4 weeks lead · breed import ban
- USA → Italy (EU)3–4 weeks lead · no breed bans
- USA → New Zealand~6 months lead · 10-day quarantine
- USA → United Kingdom~3 weeks lead · no quarantine if compliant
- UK → Japan~7 months lead · 12-hour clearance if done right
- UK → Australia~7 months lead · 10–30 days quarantine
- UK → Spain (EU)3–4 weeks lead · AHC, not a passport
- Canada → USANo waiting period · just the CDC form + 6-month age
- Canada → Japan~7 months lead · 12-hour clearance if done right
- Canada → Australia~7 months lead · 10–30 days quarantine
- Canada → Spain (EU)3–4 weeks lead · AHC, not a passport
- USA → MexicoNo waiting period · screwworm cert for dogs (Aug 2026)
- USA → Dominican Republic~1 month lead · easy in, harder home for dogs
- USA → Brazil~3 weeks lead · easy in, harder home for dogs
- USA → Colombia~3 weeks lead · easy in, harder home for dogs
- USA → Argentina~3 weeks lead · no permit, no quarantine
- USA → Cayman Islands~3 months lead · titer test, no quarantine option