Traveling to and From Australia with Pets

Hi PetRelocation,

Could you advise me of the requirements for bringing my dog on my holiday to Colombia and then back to Australia?? My dog is 3 years old.

Thanks,

Henry

Hi Henry,

Thank you for submitting a question to us. Because Australia has particularly strict pet import rules, it is probably not advisable that you take your dog out of the country just for a holiday.

Australia is rabies free, and all pets must fulfill a 10-day quarantine upon arrival (even if you started there originally). Furthermore, Colombia is a country not approved for direct travel back to Australia, so if you brought your dog there and chose to return to Australia, you would need to go to a third country first and fulfill various requirements there in a process that would take a few months.

Essentially, what you imagine to be a dog-inclusive holiday would turn out to be a complex and expensive experience that would require months of planning, paperwork and stress. That's not to say it's impossible, but you'll probably want to consider all factors before moving forward with your decision.

Sorry to be less than encouraging, Henry, but in our experience most people decide not to go through such an ordeal once they find out how pet travel to a rabies free country works. Going to Colombia and/or Australia is definitely worth it if you're relocating, but in this case it's probably better for your dog to stay behind with a trusted pet sitter.

You're welcome to contact us if you have any questions we might be able to help with. Good luck!
 

Pet Travel Question Details:

Name: Henry
Number of Pets: 1
Pet Type: Dog
Pet Breed: Jack Russell/Maltese
From: Australia
To: Colombia