Shipping a dog from Australia to the USA is the mirror image of the famously hard move in the other direction. Getting a dog into Australia takes six months of tests and a stay at the Mickleham quarantine facility. Getting one out to the US takes a few weeks of planning, an Australian government export permit and a short list of US entry rules. Australia is free of dog rabies, so on arrival in the mainland US there is no quarantine and no titer test.
The hard part is not the rules. It is the logistics: long-haul flights where pets almost always travel in the hold, airlines that generally want bookings made through a pet transport company, and a 72-hour window for the final government vet check. This guide sets out both governments' requirements, how the flights actually work, what it costs, and the one decision you should make before you leave: whether your pet might ever need to come back to Australia. It is part of our inbound-to-the-US series alongside the Europe to the US hub. For the reverse move, see pet transport to Australia.
The Australian side: export permit and health certificate
Every cat or dog leaving Australia needs an export permit and a health certificate issued by a veterinary officer of the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The department's page on exporting companion animals sets out the process in three stages: preparation by you, your registered vet and usually a pet transport company; a pre-export appointment with the department's regional office in the state you will leave from; and departure, usually within 72 hours of the permit being issued.
The step that drives the timeline is the Notice of Intention. You complete the NOI form for exporting live animals other than livestock, attach the supporting documents, and email it to the regional office in your departure state at least 10 working days before departure. The NOI is also how you book the pre-export appointment. The final government vet inspection has to happen within 72 hours of the scheduled departure, or within whatever window the importing country sets. Fees apply and change each year, so confirm the current figure when you book.
The department also expects you to give your registered vet the importing country's requirements in writing. For the US that is a short list, which makes the paperwork straightforward compared with most destinations.
The US side: the low-risk CDC track
Because Australia is free of dog rabies, a dog that has only been in Australia or other low-risk countries during the six months before arrival follows CDC's simplest path. The CDC page for dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries requires that the dog:
- is at least six months old on arrival;
- has a microchip readable by a universal scanner;
- appears healthy; and
- travels with a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, completed online, one per dog.
The dog can arrive at any US airport. There is no CDC rabies certificate requirement on this track, no titer and no federal quarantine. Australia is not a screwworm-affected region, so the USDA screwworm certificate that applies to dogs from Mexico and South America does not apply either.
Watch the six-month look-back if the dog is routed through, or has recently lived in, another country. A dog that spent time in a country on CDC's high-risk list during the last six months is treated as a high-risk dog, with far more steps. Our guide to importing a dog into the US explains that path.
Rabies vaccination: not required by CDC, but think ahead
Australian dogs are usually not vaccinated against rabies, because the disease is absent from the country. CDC does not require it for this route. But two other parties may: some US states require dogs to be vaccinated against rabies within a set period after arrival, and some airlines ask about it. More importantly, rabies vaccination is the first step of the long process to bring a pet back into Australia later. If there is any chance you will return, talk to your vet about vaccinating before departure, because the timeline home is measured in months.
How the flight actually works
In practice, pets flying into and out of Australia travel in the hold as cargo, not in the cabin. Independent travel writer Travelnuity, which documented exporting a dog from Australia step by step, notes that it is difficult to export a pet without a pet transport company because most airlines require bookings to go through one. That shapes the whole move: the agent books the space, arranges the IATA-compliant crate, coordinates the vet and the government appointment, and hands the dog over at the airline's cargo terminal.
Routes to the US are long. Direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane reach Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas or Honolulu, and many moves then continue on a domestic connection. Ask your agent how the dog will be handled at the US gateway: who clears it through customs, where it waits, and how it reaches the final city. A long layover in a cargo facility is very different from a same-day connection.
Snub-nosed breeds such as pugs, French bulldogs and boxers face tight airline restrictions on cargo travel, and some carriers refuse them outright. If you own one, confirm the airline will carry your breed before you plan anything else.
Choosing a pet transport company in Australia
Since the agent is effectively mandatory, choosing one well is the biggest decision you make. Look for membership of IPATA, the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association, which signals the company handles international moves routinely and agrees to an industry code. Then ask the same questions of each candidate: which airline and route they plan to use, whether the dog connects in a third country, who clears the dog at the US end, whether the quote includes the crate and the department's fees, and what happens if the flight is delayed past the 72-hour inspection window. A company that answers each of those plainly is usually a company that has done this route many times. Be wary of any quote that is far below the others, and never pay a large sum to an agent you found only through a social media message. Our guide to DIY pet relocation versus hiring a company covers the trade-offs in more depth.
The travel crate and crate training
Your dog will spend about 14 hours in its crate on the longest leg alone, plus loading and connection time. Airlines follow the IATA Live Animals Regulations, which require a rigid, ventilated crate large enough for the animal to stand without its head touching the roof, turn around and lie down naturally. Your agent will measure the dog and specify the size; resist buying a crate before that conversation, because a crate that is too small is refused at the cargo terminal and one that is too big costs more to fly. Start crate training as soon as the crate arrives: meals inside it, short closed-door periods, then longer ones, so the crate is a familiar den rather than a frightening box on the day.
Arrival day in the US
When the flight lands, the dog goes to the airline's cargo area, not the baggage hall. A customs broker, usually arranged by your agent, presents the documents to US Customs and Border Protection, which may inspect the dog and check the CDC receipt and microchip. Clearance can take a few hours, longer on weekends or when the flight lands late in the day. Plan to collect the dog yourself or have the agent's US partner do it, and have water, a lead and a quiet car ready. Many US states also require dogs to be vaccinated against rabies by a certain age, so book a local vet visit within the first weeks to bring the dog's records in line with your new state's rules.
Hawaii is different, and in a good way
If your destination is Hawaii, you are in luck. Hawaii keeps its own rabies-free rules and runs its own quarantine program, but it treats a few rabies-free places, Australia, New Zealand, the British Isles and Guam, as exempt areas. Dogs and cats arriving from them on a direct flight can qualify for direct airport release without the full rabies-vaccine and titer process that mainland US pets need. Hawaii's Checklist 4 for pets from rabies-free areas lists what to send, and the documents must reach the Animal Quarantine Station at least 10 days before arrival. The direct-flight condition matters: routing through the mainland first can change your pet's status. Our guide to Hawaii pet transport covers the rest.
Sedation, food and water on a long-haul flight
Owners facing a 14-hour flight often ask about sedating the dog. Veterinary bodies and airlines generally advise against it for air travel, because sedatives can affect breathing and balance at altitude, and many airlines will refuse an animal that looks sedated. Talk to your vet about the dog's specific health instead, and read our guide on whether to sedate a dog for travel. Feed a light meal several hours before check-in, make sure the crate has a water bowl that can be refilled from outside, and attach a small bag of dry food to the crate in case of a delay. Your agent will tell you exactly what the airline allows.
Cats from Australia
Cats are simpler still on the US side. CDC does not require an import form or rabies certificate for pet cats, though the cat must appear healthy and airlines and states may ask for documents. The Australian export permit and health certificate apply to cats exactly as they do to dogs, so the timeline on the Australian side is the same.
Planning the reverse trip before you go
This is the most valuable advice in this guide. Moving a pet from the US back to Australia is one of the longest and most expensive pet moves in the world, with rabies vaccination, a blood test, a waiting period of around six months and a minimum stay in government quarantine. If your US posting is temporary, ask your vet and agent before departure which steps you can start in Australia, and keep every vaccination and microchip record. A move that might be undone in two years should be planned as a round trip from the start.
What it typically costs
Because airlines usually require an agent, a move from Australia to the US lands toward the higher end of international pet shipping costs. These ranges are in US dollars, are drawn from the published figures in our international pet shipping cost breakdown, and are planning numbers, not quotes. Australian government fees are set by the department and change yearly.
| Item | Typical range (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pet transport company coordination | About $1,000 - $4,000+ | Usually required in practice, because airlines book pets through agents |
| Airfreight, Australia to US | About $1,000 - $4,000+ | Driven by pet plus crate weight, route and season |
| IATA-compliant crate | About $70 - $450 | Giant or reinforced crates can exceed $1,000 |
| Vet exam and export preparation | About $150 - $400 | By your registered vet in Australia |
| Department export permit and inspection | Set by the department | Fees listed by the department, revised each year |
| US customs clearance at the gateway | About $150 - $1,000 | Often bundled in the agent's quote |
| CDC Dog Import Form | Free | One per dog |
Timeline that works
- Two to three months out: choose a pet transport company, confirm the airline will carry your breed, and decide whether you may return to Australia.
- Six weeks out: crate training begins in the actual travel crate. Check the microchip scans.
- At least 10 working days out: the Notice of Intention goes to the department's regional office and the pre-export appointment is booked.
- A few days out: complete the CDC Dog Import Form.
- Within 72 hours of departure: the government vet inspection, export permit and health certificate.
- Arrival: customs clearance at the US gateway, then the domestic leg or pickup.
If you are comparing agents, our list of the best international pet transport companies is a starting point. Ask each one for an itemized quote that separates the agent fee, airfreight, crate and US-side clearance.