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Bringing your dog from the UK to Perth: steps and timeline.

We brought Norman, our black Lab, from Yorkshire to Perth. Here's the process, step by step, checked against the official rules.

13 October 2026 · 9 min read

When we decided to move to Perth, leaving Norman behind was never an option. Bringing a dog from the UK to Australia takes time, money and a lot of paperwork, but thousands of families do it, and so can you.

This guide covers the process for dogs coming from the UK, which Australia treats as a "Group 3" country (rabies is present in the wider region but well controlled). We've checked it against the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) guidance, but the rules do change. Always follow the official step-by-step guide for dogs from Group 3 countries, and use a government approved vet. This is general information, not veterinary or legal advice.

The short version: allow at least 6 months, and realistically more. Get your dog's identity checked by an OV66 vet before the rabies blood test, then wait at least 180 days. Apply for an import permit, do the final tests and treatments in the weeks before travel, fly into Melbourne, and complete quarantine at Mickleham (minimum 10 days if you've done the ID checks correctly, otherwise 30) before flying on to Perth.

Before you start

  • Check your dog's breed is allowed. Australia prohibits some breeds. DAFF lists them on its website.
  • Think about your dog's health and age. DAFF itself notes that long-distance travel can be stressful, especially for sick or elderly animals.
  • Consider a pet relocation specialist. Companies such as Dogtainers and Jetpets handle the flights, crates, timings and quarantine booking. We found it took a huge weight off.

Step 1: Microchip

Your dog needs a readable microchip, and the number must match exactly on every document from here on. A single wrong digit on a lab report can cause serious problems, so check every form.

Step 2: Rabies vaccination

Your dog must be vaccinated against rabies and the vaccination must be current, following DAFF's requirements. Your vet will know the details, but make sure they're working to the Australian rules, not just the rules for travelling to Europe.

Step 3: OV66 identity checks (the key to 10 days, not 30)

This is the step people most often get wrong, and it matters a lot.

Since 4 November 2024, dogs from the UK can be eligible for a minimum of 10 days in quarantine instead of 30, but only if their identity (including a microchip scan) has been verified by an official veterinarian with OV66 authorisation before the blood sample for the rabies antibody test is taken. The identity check must also happen at least 180 days before export.

According to DAFF, an identity check done after the RNATT blood sample can't be recognised. If you get the order wrong, your dog will need a minimum of 30 days in quarantine, or you'll need to restart the 180-day wait with a new test. In practice, UK specialists arrange the ID checks with two different OV66 vets from separate practices, so ask your vet or relocation company exactly how they'll handle it before booking the blood test.

Step 4: Rabies blood test (RNATT) and the 180-day wait

Next, an approved vet takes a blood sample for the Rabies Neutralising Antibody Titre Test (RNATT), which is sent to an approved laboratory.

  • Your dog can't be exported until at least 180 days after the sample arrives at the laboratory. DAFF is clear there are no exceptions.
  • The 180 days is a residency period, not quarantine. Your dog lives at home with you as normal.
  • The RNATT sample must be taken between 12 months and 180 days before the date of export, so don't do it too early either.

This 180-day wait is why the dog's timeline often decides your whole moving date.

Step 5: Apply for an import permit

You apply for the import permit online through BICON, DAFF's biosecurity import conditions system, and pay the application fee. Applications aren't processed until fees are paid, and missing or incorrect information can delay things. Apply well ahead of your planned travel date, and check current processing times on the DAFF site.

Step 6: Book quarantine at Mickleham

All imported dogs must fly into Melbourne and complete post-entry quarantine at the government facility in Mickleham, Victoria. There's no quarantine facility in Perth. Spaces are limited, so book as soon as you can once you have your permit. Your relocation company can often do this for you.

Step 7: Final tests and treatments before travel

In the weeks before export, your government approved vet will need to carry out the pre-export tests and parasite treatments set out in your import permit. For dogs from Group 3 countries, these include testing for Leishmania infantum and, if your dog isn't desexed, Brucella canis, within 45 days of export, plus internal and external parasite treatments within set windows.

The exact tests, timings and accepted test types are listed in DAFF's guide and your permit. Follow those, not a checklist from a forum, as the details have changed over the years.

Step 8: Health certificate and export paperwork

Before your dog flies, a government approved vet completes the veterinary health certificate, and it's endorsed by the UK government authority (the Animal and Plant Health Agency, APHA). This is where every microchip number, date and result gets checked, so give yourselves time for corrections.

Step 9: The flight and Mickleham

Dogs travel in an approved crate, usually as manifested cargo, and fly into Melbourne. A biosecurity officer collects your dog on arrival and takes them straight to Mickleham.

  • Minimum 10 days if the OV66 identity check was done correctly before the RNATT, otherwise minimum 30 days.
  • Your dog may need to stay longer if there are any biosecurity issues, such as paperwork problems or ticks found on arrival.
  • You pay the quarantine fees, and the account must be paid in full before your dog is released. Current fees are listed on DAFF's quarantine fees page.

Visiting may be possible depending on the facility's current arrangements, but most people moving to Perth won't be in Melbourne. Your relocation company can arrange the domestic flight from Melbourne to Perth once your dog is released.

A realistic timeline

  • 9 to 12 months before: check breed rules, choose a relocation company, check the microchip and rabies vaccination.
  • At least 180 days before (ideally earlier): OV66 identity checks, then the RNATT blood sample.
  • The 180-day wait: apply for your import permit, book Mickleham, start crate training.
  • Final 45 days: pre-export tests and treatments as listed on your permit.
  • Final days: health certificate and APHA endorsement, then the flight.
  • After arrival: at least 10 or 30 days at Mickleham, then the flight to Perth.

What we learned with Norman

  • Start earlier than you think. The 180-day wait can't be shortened, so start the clock as soon as you're fairly sure you're going.
  • Crate train at home. Get your dog comfy in their travel crate weeks before the flight.
  • Keep a folder. One place, paper and digital, for every certificate and lab report.
  • Plan your rental around your dog. Line up pet-friendly options and a pet résumé. Our guide to renting from overseas covers this.
  • Find your dog beach. Perth has plenty of dog-friendly beaches, and the first run on the sand makes it all worth it.

Want to see Norman's journey? It's on our pets page. And if you'd like help planning your dog's timeline alongside your own move, book a $79 planning call. We'll map it out together and introduce you to relocation specialists we trust.

Hero photo: Norman on a Perth beach (our own photo). General information only, correct to the best of our knowledge on 13 October 2026. We don't give visa or migration advice.

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