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Flying to New Zealand with a pet

Requirements reviewed: April 2026 · Official authority: New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries — Bringing pets to New Zealand

Cat beside pet travel documents, microchip scanner, and a carrier

Entry requirements at a glance

Microchip
Required

ISO 11784/11785 standard 15-digit microchip. Must be implanted before or at the time of the first rabies vaccination — never after.

Rabies vaccine
Required. Specific primary course and booster timing required by MPI.
Health certificate
New Zealand MPI-required health certificate, USDA APHIS endorsed.
Rabies titer test
Required Required: FAVN titer test showing ≥0.5 IU/mL from an approved laboratory.
Quarantine on arrival
Mandatory quarantine Minimum 10 days at the MPI-approved quarantine facility (currently Palmerston North).
Breed restrictions / bans
American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Brazilian Fila, and Japanese Tosa are prohibited in New Zealand.

Step-by-step process notes

New Zealand requires an import permit (obtained from MPI) before you can ship a pet. Apply for the permit well in advance. The overall process from start to arrival typically takes 6–12 months. Quarantine must be pre-booked. Contact MPI early to get the current approved schedule for your pet's species and country of origin.

Confirm with the official authority

This page summarizes New Zealand's pet-import requirements as of April 2026. Pet-import rules change. Always verify with the official government authority before travel.

New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries — Bringing pets to New Zealand

Build your travel checklist

Use the Pet Travel Readiness tool to turn New Zealand's requirements into a sequenced, dated checklist — microchip, vaccines, titer test wait period, and USDA health certificate window — from your travel date.

Build my New Zealand checklist

Useful guides

USDA health certificate, step by step Microchip and rabies rules

Other destinations

United Kingdom Microchip req. · No quarantine Canada No microchip · No quarantine Mexico No microchip · No quarantine Japan Microchip req. · Quarantine Australia Microchip req. · Quarantine
All destinations