Moving your things is easy compared to moving your pets. When you are asked to travel or relocate, the thought of bringing your beloved dog or cat to a foreign country such as New Zealand can be stressful. Transporting your pets to New Zealand is not as difficult as it sounds as long as you fill out the necessary documents, contract with a reliable quarantine facility, make travel arrangements with your airlines, and ensure that your dog or cat has a thorough checkup by your veterinarian before you leave.
Contact a quarantine/transitional Facility. If you are traveling from Australia, the United Kingdom or Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Hawaii, and Singapore, where rabies is not a problem, your pet will not require quarantine or an import permit. If you are traveling from other countries, such as the mainland United States, your pet will require quarantine for up to 30 days. Before traveling and applying for a permit, you must contract with a quarantine facility in New Zealand to make arrangements to house your dog or cat for quarantine period and meet your pet at customs at the airport on the date that your pet will arrive. These facilities can also assist you in making travel arrangements for your pet.
Apply for an import permit from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) Biosecurity of New Zealand as your pet cannot enter New Zealand without one. You will need to provide where you and your pet will reside in New Zealand, contact information for the person sending your pet, name of your pet, species, breed, date of birth, when it will be traveling and the quarantine facilities that will house your pet once it arrives in New Zealand.
See your local veterinarian. Your dog or cat must be in good health, treated for fleas and ticks, have a working microchip under the skin, be up to date on all its shots and possess a negative test result for rabies within three weeks of traveling to New Zealand. A health certificate and test results must accompany your pet when it is transported.
Transport your pet. Contact your airlines regarding its guidelines for transporting animals and make sure that you place your pet in an internationally approved kennel/crate. Agencies such as the Animal Transportation Association and the Independent Pet and Animal Transportation Association can provide you with companies specializing in transporting pets internationally. Make sure that all copies of the necessary information (e.g., name of pet, breed, date of birth, Microchip Number, Owner Name and Place of Residency in New Zealand, Health certificate, test results, permit number and permit) and any prescriptions/medication accompany your pet.
Meet your pet in New Zealand. An MAF Inspector will examine the documentation accompanying your pet, the overall health of your pet, and ensure that no ticks or fleas are found on the animal, bedding or container. Once the inspector issues a biosecurity clearance, your pet will be met by the transitional facility for predetermined quarantine period. You can meet your pet at the quarantine facility. Once the 30 days have ended, MAF will issue a biosecurity release document so your pet can go home to you.
