Moving a Dog from India to Australia: What to Know

Bringing a dog from India to Australia is one of the more complex international pet moves in the world. India is classified as a non approved country by Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), which means your dog cannot fly directly from India to Australia under any circumstances. But that does not mean the move is impossible. It means the process is longer, more structured, and requires careful planning from the start.

Here is an honest picture of what this move involves.

Why India Is a Non Approved Country

Australia groups all countries into categories based on rabies status. Group 1 countries are essentially rabies free neighbors. Group 2 and Group 3 countries are approved countries where rabies is absent or well controlled. Non approved countries, including India, have a higher incidence of rabies and are not permitted to export pets directly to Australia.

The purpose of this classification is biosecurity. Australia is rabies free, and it intends to stay that way. The import rules are not arbitrary bureaucracy, they reflect a genuine effort to protect the country's wildlife, livestock, and pets from a disease that does not currently exist there.

The Two Step Move

For a dog coming from India, the path to Australia involves two separate relocations.

First step: move to an approved country

Your dog must move to a Group 2 or Group 3 approved country and reside there continuously for a minimum of 180 days before being eligible to travel to Australia. This is not a transit stop or a brief layover. It is a genuine relocation, and the 180 day clock matters. During that time, your dog must complete all the veterinary preparation required for Australian import while living in that approved country.

Second step: travel to Australia and complete quarantine

Once all requirements are met, your dog flies from that approved country to Melbourne, where a mandatory quarantine stay at the Mickleham Post Entry Quarantine facility begins.

The total timeline from start to finish is typically around 12 months or more. That is not a worst case scenario, it is a realistic expectation for a non approved country move.

What Happens in the Approved Country

The 180 day residency period is not just a waiting period. It is when your dog's veterinary preparation takes place. The core requirements that need to be completed in the approved country include:

• An ISO compliant microchip must be implanted before any rabies vaccination is given. Microchip numbers beginning with 999 are not accepted by DAFF. All documentation across the process must reflect the same microchip number exactly.
• Your dog must receive a rabies vaccination after microchipping. Following that vaccination, a Rabies Neutralizing Antibody Titre Test (RNATT) must be conducted at an approved laboratory to confirm an adequate immune response. The result must be at least 0.5 IU/ml. The 180 day eligibility window runs from the date the laboratory receives the blood sample, not the date blood is drawn. The earlier the RNATT is completed in the staging country, the earlier your dog becomes eligible to travel.
• If the titre test result is unsatisfactory, your dog will need to be revaccinated and retested, which resets the 180 day countdown from the new lab receipt date. This is one of the reasons it is important to verify your vet and laboratory are DAFF recognized before starting.

Identity verification and its effect on quarantine length

Before the RNATT blood draw, your dog must also complete an identity verification process through the competent authority of the staging country. This is the step that determines whether your dog serves 10 days or 30 days at Mickleham.

For dogs staged in the United States

This means completing the VEHCS three part process: two separate USDA accredited veterinarians at two different clinics each scan the microchip and submit identity declarations through VEHCS before any blood is drawn. The blood draw can happen on the same day as the Part 2 scan or on any day after, but not before Part 2 is complete. Booking it as a separate appointment on a different day is the cleaner approach and removes any sequencing ambiguity.

Getting this sequence right in the staging country is what qualifies your dog for 10 day quarantine. Skipping it means 30 days at Mickleham.

For dogs staged in other approved countries

The identity verification process is completed by the competent authority of that country. Confirm the specific process with your relocation coordinator early in the staging country phase.

Beyond the titre test and identity verification, your dog will also need other required vaccinations, internal and external parasite treatments, a government endorsed health certificate, and an Australian import permit secured through the BICON system. Confirm current processing times with DAFF when applying.

The Quarantine Stay at Mickleham

All dogs entering Australia complete mandatory post entry quarantine at the Mickleham Post Entry Quarantine Facility in Victoria, located about 30 minutes from Melbourne International Airport. There is only one such facility in Australia, and all pets must arrive into Melbourne specifically.

Dogs that completed the identity check correctly in the staging country before the RNATT blood draw are eligible for 10 days at Mickleham. Dogs that did not complete the identity check serve a minimum of 30 days. For a move that has already taken 12 months to reach this point, the difference matters both in cost and in reuniting with your pet.

When your dog lands, DAFF staff collect the dog directly from the airport and transport it to Mickleham. You do not pick up your dog at the airport. Visitation during the quarantine period is not permitted.

The facility itself is modern and purpose built. Dogs are housed in individual climate controlled pens, exercised daily, and monitored by handlers. Mickleham provides dry food. If your dog has dietary needs or requires medication, these should be noted on the import permit application under the special needs section before travel, not after arrival. Bedding and toys sent in the crate will be confiscated and destroyed on arrival as biosecurity waste. Australia treats them as potentially contaminated material and provides no reimbursement.

Quarantine space is not guaranteed by your import permit. It must be booked separately through the Post Entry Biosecurity System (PEBS) and confirmed before your dog can board the flight. Space at Mickleham can fill up, particularly in peak periods, so booking early matters.

The minimum standard government fee for a 10 day stay is 1,877 AUD, broken down as a 269 AUD reservation fee, a 1,078 AUD importation charge, and 530 AUD for 10 day accommodation at 53 AUD per day. Additional fees apply for out of hours airport collection, extended stays, or veterinary care during the stay. Confirm current fees directly with DAFF before finalizing travel dates, as fees are reviewed periodically.

This Move Is Manageable With Early Planning

The India to Australia route is long and requires real commitment. The two step process, the 180 day minimum residency, the titre testing, the permit, the quarantine booking. Each stage has its own timing requirements, and errors at any point can reset the clock or delay your dog's eligibility.

That said, dogs make this move successfully every year. The key is starting early and sequencing the steps correctly from the beginning.

If you are ready to start planning or want to talk through which staging country works best for your situation, get in touch with our team at PetRelocation. We have coordinated this route many times and can help you map out the full timeline from day one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a dog travel directly from India to Australia?

No. India is classified as a non approved country by DAFF. Dogs from India must first relocate to an approved Group 2 or Group 3 country and reside there continuously for a minimum of 180 days before becoming eligible to travel to Australia.

How long does the India to Australia move take?

Typically 12 months or more from start to finish. The 180 day residency in an approved staging country is the longest fixed delay, but the full veterinary preparation, identity verification, permit application, and quarantine booking all add time around it.

Which countries can be used as the staging country?

Any country on Australia's approved Group 2 or Group 3 list. The United States is a common staging choice for families who have contacts or other logistical reasons to be there. Confirm the staging country has a negotiated veterinary health certificate with DAFF before committing to it.

Does the 180 day clock start when the dog arrives in the staging country?

The 180 day eligibility window begins from the date the RNATT blood sample is received by the laboratory, not the arrival date and not the blood draw date. If the dog enters the staging country through quarantine, the 180 days begin only once the dog is released from quarantine into the country.

What determines whether my dog serves 10 days or 30 days at Mickleham?

Whether the identity check was completed correctly in the staging country before the RNATT blood draw. For dogs staged in the US, this is the VEHCS three part process requiring two USDA accredited vets at two different clinics. The blood draw must happen on a separate day from the second vet scan. Same day submissions are rejected by DAFF.

Can I visit my dog at Mickleham during quarantine?

No. Visitation is not permitted during the quarantine stay.