Cat Travel Question: Australia’s 10 Day Quarantine
Name: Elleni
Number of Pets: 2
Pet Type: Cat
Pet Breed: Maine Coon & Siamese
From: Thailand
To: Australia
Dear Sir/Madam,
I have heard the law has changed when bringing house pets from Thailand to Australia, where it used to be that you had to send the pets to Singapore for 6 months including one month quarantine. Now I hear that the quarantine period for a dog or cat is 190 days, where 180 of these days can be completed in the county of origin then there will be 10 days of quarantine in Australia.
Where can I find all the information relating to this? I have house cats who do not go outside my apartment in Bangkok. Where does the 180 days take place? At my home or a special facility?
Thank you in advance.
Kind Regards,
Elleni
Hi Elleni,
Thanks for your question, we'd be happy to offer some information. To start, here is a link to the Australian Government Department of Agriculture website -- here you can find out everything you need to know and build a timeline for your move that will outline when to get each vaccine and permit, etc. You're right that the quarantine time has changed (it used to be 30 days upon arrival in Australia and now it's 10), however you'll still need to make some special arrangements based on where you're starting your journey.
Thailand is not an approved country from which you can directly enter Australia with pets, so you'll have to choose a third country for your cats to spend time in. You'll need to follow these pre-export requirements carefully, and then the cats will fulfill the 10-day quarantine upon arrival (before that they can remain under your care).
For general advice, please take a look at these common pet travel questions and tips for crate-training your cats. If you've never traveled with a pet before the situation probably feels overwhelming, and even if you have it helps to brush up on a few basics.
Please let us know if you'd like some assistance moving your cats to Australia. Thanks again for reaching out, and good luck!