Managing Pet Travel to New Zealand

Name: Karina
Number of Pets: 3
Pet Type: 2 Dogs, 1 Cat
Pet Breed: Labrador, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Siamese
From: United States
To: New Zealand

Hi,

I am looking at relocating back to New Zealand and want to bring my pets with me. How long does it take before I can bring them over? I was reading that you have to do some things 210 days before you are planning to bring them over, is this correct? If it is, is there any way to speed it up at all? I was not planning on being in the states for that much longer.

Thank you for your help.

Regards,

Karina

Hi Karina,

Great question. Because it is a rabies-free island nation, New Zealand does operate with strict pet import rules. If you've yet to do so, please take a look at the New Zealand government website for official details about bringing cats and dogs into the country.

One reason this is a long process: your pets need to be microchipped before the vaccines can begin (typically six months before departure). A rabies titer test is also required, and this must be done at least three months before departure. The import permit must be applied for at least six weeks before departure.

This all means that, unfortunately for pet owners in a hurry, most of this process simply can't be rushed.

Because it's a complex process and correct timing is very important, many people end up hiring assistance to help with a pet move to New Zealand. If you're interested in finding out about our door-to-door services, please fill out our consultation form. We've helped many pets move to New Zealand safely (including Wednesday the cat), and we've even arranged moves where the owner moved before the pet (for work or personal reasons) while we took care of the boarding and remaining preparations at home.

New Zealand pet moves can have a wide variety of solutions, and we're happy to help you find the right one for you and your pets. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance, and good luck!