Quarantine prices for pets in Australia

Unfortunately bringing pets to Australia is not as cheap as you would like it to be. Below we will show a table containing all set and variables costs but before there are a few basic info you should know.

Set quarantine costs

You or your agent need to book a quarantine accommodation for your pet at a chosen quarantine station. There are only 3 quarantine stations in Australia – Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. If you are moving to Sydney you should choose Sydney.. You need to pay for the quarantine time up in front, at the time of making a reservation. The pet quarantine rates keep changing from time to time so you should check the rates on the day of the booking.

Before you make the quarantine reservation you will have to obtain an Import Permit for each animal you want to move to Australia. Straight after the booking you will receive an invoice. Your quarantine reservation will not be confirmed until you have cleared the invoice. Once you have received the confirmation of the reservation you will be in position to obtain the approval to uplift.

The set Australian quarantine rates for dogs and cats consist of:

• Veterinary pet examination by one of The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry vet
• Paperwork checking and acceptance
• 1 day accommodation cost

Variable pet quarantine costs

You will also receive another invoice for variable pet quarantine costs. It will be issued during or at the end of the quarantine time. Usually it is send to you as soon as the date or the release of your pet has been established. This invoice has to be paid before the planned release date. If you fail to pay on time your pet will be kept until you settle the invoice. Additional quarantine costs for your cat or dog will be added to the invoice for each extra accommodation day.

The variable Australian animal quarantine prices include:

• The elivery by air freight or sea shipping
• The cost of a pet parasite treatment if your pet has been qualified
• Extra accommodation time
• All other unexpected charges like – veterinary actions, customs clearance, any necessary treatments

All costs above will have to be paid before your cat or dog has been released. The good thing is you can choose the payment method: cash, credit card or cheque. The last one must be made at least two weeks before the release. All the extra expenses will be added to the final bill.

Breakdown of cat and dog Australian quarantine costs and rates

Service	Notes	Price AUD$
Quarantine administration costs  – acceptance of the pet – 1 day procedures	This cost is charged for each pet	$15
Inspection of pet by DAFF veterinary surgeon	$40 Australian dollars is charged for each quarter of an hour for each car or dog. Usually 15 minutes is not enough. In most cases 30 minutes is needed for each animal to complete the vet examination	$40
Paperwork check, acceptance and clearance	Again this is the cost that has to be paid separately for each pet. Make sure the documents are complete and filled out transparently. If something is missing or need to be explained you will be charged additional $40 for each extra quarter needed to close the case	$40
1 day accommodation cost for a cat	This is one of the most expensive charges to be paid. If the import of your pet to Australia has been planned right your dog or cat will be kept 30 day in the quarantine premises	$29
1 day accommodation cost for an additional cat	If you are importing 2 cats that can be kept together the other cat daily accommodation cost will be $5 cheaper	$23
1 day accommodation cost for a dog	This price is charged for each day of your dog at the quarantine hotel	$39
1 day accommodation costs for the second dog	If you are sending 2 dogs that can share the same kennel area the second dog hotel costs will be $5 cheaper	$33
Additional services	If for some reason your dog or cat will require a vet interventions you will be charged the vet visit and dog treatment costs	Prices depend on the local vet
Your dog has not been picked up on time	If you fail to collect your dog or cat from the quarantine premises on time, you will be charged for additional day of accommodation	$29 for the first cat and $23 for the second cat if kept together, $39 for a dog and $34 for the second dog
International Documentation Fee (IDF)	This expense is settled by DAFF on the client behalf. It is charged by the freight forwarder. This cost is included on the final bill.	The price depends on the movers and depends on the weight and the cubic volume of the kennel

How much are average total quarantine costs for cats and dogs in Australia?

On average the Australian quarantine cost for one dog is $1395 on assumption that you have organized the move of your dog properly and the dog will have to sped the minimum 30 days quarantine time only.

If you are bringing two dogs that can share the same accommodation the quarantine price for the second dog will be approximately $1120.

Similarly is with the cats. The average quarantine cost for the first cat would be about $1000 and for the second cat sharing the same quarantine hotel would be about $820 Australian dollars.