🇳🇿

Country entry guide · Oceania

Traveling to New Zealand with your dog

Difficulty: Difficult — permit, tests and quarantine required ⏱ Several months to prepare

New Zealand welcomes dogs, but as a rabies-free island nation it runs one of the strictest biosecurity schemes in the world — set by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), not the EU. Dogs can only be imported from countries MPI has approved, grouped into three categories by rabies status. Every dog except those from Australia needs an import permit, and almost every dog must spend a minimum of 10 days in an MPI-approved quarantine facility on arrival. Dogs from rabies-controlled countries also need a rabies antibody blood test and several parasite and disease treatments. A few breeds are banned from import outright. This guide explains each category so you know exactly what to prepare — usually several months — before you book.

📋 At a glance

Dogs allowed	Yes — from approved countries only
Microchip	Required
Rabies vaccination	Required — Category 3 origins
Rabies antibody test	Required — Category 3 (not rabies-free)
Import permit	Required (except Australia)
Veterinary certificate	Required
Quarantine	Required — min 10 days (Australia exempt)

⚠️ Important

MyDogCanFly provides general information — not veterinary or legal advice.
Only a veterinarian can confirm the exact procedure for your individual dog.
Requirements depend on: the country of origin, previous travel history, identification, vaccinations, the itinerary and the travel date.

Always consult your veterinarian before booking your trip.

🧭

Find a flight to New Zealand

Compare the airlines that accept dogs and check their conditions.

🔎 Find a flight to New Zealand

🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided

1
Country of destination — New Zealand★★★★★
2
Country of departure★★★★★
3
Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆

✅ Entry requirements

Requirement	Required?	Exceptions	Official reference
ISO microchip	Required	The microchip must be verified before every test and treatment is certified.	MPI Import Health Standard CATDOG.GEN
Import permit	Required (except Australia)	Category 1 (Australia, including Norfolk Island): no import permit — notify an official vet instead.	MPI — Step-by-step guide to bringing cats and dogs to NZ
Rabies vaccination	Category 3 origins	Not required from Category 1 (Australia) or Category 2 (rabies-free) countries.	MPI IHS — Category 3 Model Veterinary Certificate A
Rabies antibody test	Category 3 origins	If the result is below 0.5 IU/ml the dog must be revaccinated and retested. Not required from Category 1 or Category 2 countries.	MPI IHS — Category 3 Model Veterinary Certificate A
Veterinary certificate	Required	The certificate model differs by category (A for Category 3, B for Category 2, and the Australia certificate for Category 1).	MPI IHS — Model Veterinary Certificates
External & internal parasite treatment	Required	The dog must be certified free of external parasites at treatment.	MPI IHS — parasite treatment schedule
Leptospirosis & Brucella (disease tests/treatments)	Category 2 & 3 dogs	Exact test and treatment list is set by the dog's category in the IHS; confirm with your vet and MPI.	MPI IHS CATDOG.GEN — Category 2 & 3 requirements
Quarantine	Required — min 10 days	Category 1 (Australia) dogs are exempt — cleared directly at the airport rather than sent to quarantine.	MPI — Quarantine facilities for cats and dogs
Puppies / minimum age	Effectively several months	There is no reduced quarantine or permit exemption for young puppies from Categories 2 or 3.	MPI IHS CATDOG.GEN
Prohibited breeds / hybrids	Import prohibited	See the restricted breeds section below for the full list.	Dog Control Act 1996; MPI IHS CATDOG.GEN

🗓 In what order, and when

Some steps only count once the previous one is done — check each deadline against the official reference above.

ISO microchipMust uniquely identify the dog and be scanned and recorded on the veterinary certificate.
Import permitApply to MPI online a minimum of 30 working days before you need the permit; required for all cats and dogs except those from Australia.
Rabies vaccinationDog vaccinated against rabies when at least 3 months old, before the rabies antibody test.
Rabies antibody testBlood collected at least 3 weeks after vaccination, tested in an approved laboratory, result ≥0.5 IU/ml; a waiting period applies before travel.
Veterinary certificateMPI model veterinary certificate completed and endorsed by an official government vet in the exporting country before shipment.
External & internal parasite treatmentTreated twice against ticks and fleas (second treatment within 2 days of shipment) and treated with registered products against internal parasites.
Leptospirosis & Brucella (disease tests/treatments)Leptospirosis: doxycycline for 14 consecutive days or a negative MAT test before shipment. Brucella canis: a dog testing positive is not eligible for import.
QuarantineBook an MPI-approved quarantine facility in advance; the dog is transferred there on arrival (Auckland or Christchurch) for a minimum of 10 days.
Puppies / minimum ageCategory 3 rabies vaccination is only valid from 3 months of age, and the antibody test and waiting period push the earliest travel date well beyond that.
Prohibited breeds / hybridsDogs belonging entirely or predominantly to a banned breed cannot be imported; hybrids (crossed with another species) are not eligible.

🌍 The different cases

Category 1 — Australia (simplest)

A dog coming from Australia (including Norfolk Island) needs no import permit and no quarantine. It must still be microchipped, meet the treatment rules and travel with the correct veterinary certificate; you notify an official vet in New Zealand and it is cleared at Auckland or Christchurch airport.

⏱ Category 1 (Australia): the simplest path — no import permit and no quarantine, but the dog must still meet all treatment and certification rules before travel.

Category 2 — rabies-free countries

From an MPI-approved rabies-free country, your dog needs an import permit (apply at least 30 working days ahead), microchip, the required disease tests and treatments, an endorsed veterinary certificate and a minimum 10-day stay in an MPI-approved quarantine facility. No rabies antibody test is required because the country is rabies-free.

⏱ Category 2 (rabies-free countries): allow several weeks to a couple of months — import permit (apply ≥30 working days ahead), treatments, certification and a minimum 10-day quarantine.

Category 3 — rabies absent/controlled

From an approved country where rabies is absent or well-controlled (such as the United States, United Kingdom-origin routes, most of Europe), add a rabies vaccination and an antibody test (blood ≥3 weeks after vaccination, result ≥0.5 IU/ml) with a waiting period, on top of the import permit, treatments, endorsed certificate and 10-day quarantine. Dogs from countries MPI has not approved cannot be imported directly.

⏱ Category 3 (rabies absent/well-controlled): several months — rabies vaccination and antibody test with a waiting period, multiple disease tests and treatments, permit and 10-day quarantine.

🛬 Arrival

What happens when your dog reaches New Zealand depends on its category and is tightly controlled by MPI.

Dogs must arrive at Auckland or Christchurch international airport, where MPI biosecurity officers verify documents and identity.
From Australia (Category 1): the dog is inspected and cleared at the airport — no quarantine — provided all rules are met.
From all other approved countries: the dog is transferred to a pre-booked MPI-approved quarantine facility for a minimum of 10 days.
Carry the original endorsed veterinary certificate, laboratory reports and the import permit — copies are not accepted.
If requirements are not met, MPI may extend quarantine, order re-export at the owner's cost, or in the worst case euthanasia.
Prohibited breeds are refused entry; a dog from a non-approved country cannot be landed at all.

🛫 Leaving the country (return trip)

Leaving New Zealand with your dog needs an export certificate from an MPI Official Veterinarian (plus an Animal Welfare Export Certificate for flights over 6 hours).

On site, before the flight Only certain MPI-authorised vets can sign the export certificate; requirements follow the destination's OMAR.

⚠️ Plan with an MPI-authorised vet during your stay; long-haul flights add an animal-welfare certificate.

🔗 Authority: MPI (Nouvelle-Zélande)

🚫 Restricted dogs

New Zealand bans the import of certain dog breeds under the Dog Control Act 1996, on top of MPI's biosecurity rules. The ban applies to any dog belonging entirely or predominantly to a listed breed or type.

Category 1

Prohibited from import (cannot enter New Zealand): American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Brazilian Fila, Japanese Tosa and Perro de Presa Canario. Dogs belonging entirely or predominantly to these breeds or types are refused importation under the Dog Control Act 1996.

Category 2

Hybrids — the offspring of a dog crossed with another species — are also not eligible for import. Separately, breeds classified as 'menacing' under New Zealand law face domestic controls (such as muzzling in public and neutering) for dogs already in the country.

A dog that merely resembles a listed breed is assessed on whether it belongs entirely or predominantly to that breed or type. Confirm your dog's eligibility with MPI before making any travel arrangements.

✈️ Airlines flying to New Zealand with a dog

Carriers we document that serve this country and accept dogs. The verdict is the airline's general policy — it does not prejudge your breed, your crate or your exact route.

Air New Zealand🇳🇿 2 airports Hold United Airlines 2 airports Cabin Emirates 2 airports Hold China Southern Airlines 2 airports Hold Singapore Airlines 2 airports Hold Cathay Pacific 2 airports Cargo only

+13 more documented airlines accept dogs to this country. See all airlines →

🛂 Airports in New Zealand

Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.

Auckland AKL Christchurch CHC

New Zealand with a dog: common questions

New Zealand: What does my dog need to enter?

New Zealand requires: ISO microchip, Import permit, Veterinary certificate, External & internal parasite treatment, Quarantine.

New Zealand: Is a rabies antibody test required?

New Zealand — Rabies antibody test: Category 3 origins. Blood collected at least 3 weeks after vaccination, tested in an approved laboratory, result ≥0.5 IU/ml; a waiting period applies before travel.

New Zealand: Are any dog breeds banned?

New Zealand: How long does it take to prepare a dog?

Category 1 (Australia): the simplest path — no import permit and no quarantine, but the dog must still meet all treatment and certification rules before travel. Category 3 (rabies absent/well-controlled): several months…

New Zealand: Do domestic flights have the same requirements?

Domestic flight in New Zealand: nothing is required to fly, including between the North and South Islands. New Zealand has never had a case of rabies, so no rabies vaccination applies.…

New Zealand: What is needed to leave with a dog?