Group 3 Country : Cats and Dogs

  • Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Canary and Balearic Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jersey, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malta, Malaysia (Peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak only), Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Netherlands—Antilles & Aruba, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, the Republic of South Africa, Reunion, Saipan, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Sweden, Switzerland (including Liechtenstein), Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States (including the district of Columbia, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands (but excluding Guam and Hawaii, Uruguay.
  • Group 3 countries are described as approved countries and territories in which rabies is absent or well-controlled and animals from these countries require an import permit to be eligible for import to Australia.

Cats

Dogs

Group 3 : Step by step guide for cats

Cats coming to Australia from group 3 countries must be accompanied by a valid import permit, which provides the conditions for importing the cat.

Step 1- Contact the competent authority

Contact the competent authority in the country of export to find out:

  • which veterinarians and laboratories are approved to prepare your cat for export (all veterinary procedures and testing must be done in an approved country and testing must be done in a laboratory recognised by the competent authority of the approved exporting country)​
  • if the country of export has any requirements in addition to those stated on this webpage
  • if the country of export has an agreed veterinary health certificate to use instead of the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources standard veterinary health certificate.

Step 4 - Check rabies vaccination

  • Your cat must be vaccinated with an inactivated or recombinant rabies vaccine that:
    1. was given in an approved country when the cat was at least 90 days old
    2. is valid, in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions, at the time of export
    3. is approved for use in cats by the competent authority of the country of export.
  • Rabies vaccines with a three (3) year validity are acceptable if given in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 2 - Confirm General Eligibility

Cats

  • can only be exported to Australia from an approved country
  • can only be exported to Australia after 180 days from the time of blood sampling for the rabies neutralising antibody titre test (RNATT) – steps 4 and 5
  • must not be under quarantine restrictions at the time of export
  • must not be more than 30 days pregnant nor be suckling young at the time of export.

Step 5 - Rabies Neutralising Antibody Titre (RNAT) test

  • Wait 3-4 weeks between the date of rabies vaccination and blood sample collection for the RNAT test, but if the cat has a history of regular rabies vaccinations it may be possible to collect the blood sample sooner.
  • The RNAT test must meet the following requirements:
    • A government approved veterinarian must scan the cat’s microchip and collect the blood sample for the RNAT test in an approved country.
    • The cat’s microchip number must be written accurately on the blood tube and the laboratory submission form.
    • The testing laboratory must be approved by the competent authority in the exporting country. It is acceptable to draw blood in an approved country and test at a laboratory in a different approved country.
    • The testing laboratory must use either a fluorescent antibody virus neutralisation (FAVN) test or a rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT).
    • The laboratory report must be in English and written on the testing laboratory’s letterhead. It must include:
      • the cat’s microchip number
      • the blood sampling date and location
      • the signature of the person issuing the laboratory report
      • the test type and test result.
  • A result of 0.5 IU/ml or more is acceptable. A result of less than 0.5 IU/ml is not acceptable and in this circumstance you must re-vaccinate and repeat the testing process.
  •  The RNAT test is valid for 24 months from the date of blood sampling. If the RNAT test is more than 24 months old at the time of export, it is not valid and you cannot export the cat to Australia. You must have your cat retested.
  • The cat is not eligible for export to Australia until at least one hundred and eighty (180) days after the date the blood sample is drawn for the RNAT test (with a satisfactory result). There is no requirement for the cat to stay in an approved country during this period.

Note: There are no exceptions for dispensations available to this mandatory 180 day waiting period

Step 3 - Verify existing microchip or implant a new microchip

  • Cats must be identified by a microchip that can be read by an Avid, Trovan, Destron or other ISO compatible reader.
  • A government approved veterinarian must scan the microchip at each veterinary visit and check that the scanned microchip number is correctly recorded on all documentation.
  • If the microchip cannot be read or is recorded incorrectly in the cat’s documentation, the cat cannot be imported to Australia.

Step 6 - An Official Government Veterinarian must complete the rabies vaccination and RNAT test declaration

  • Submit the RNAT test laboratory report and rabies vaccination certificate to an official government veterinarian.
  • An official government veterinarian in the country of export (not the Government approved veterinarian – your preparing veterinarian) must complete, sign and stamp the RNAT test declaration.
  • The microchip number, test result and blood sampling date must be consistent between the RNAT test laboratory report and RNAT test declaration.
  • Ensure that the completed RNAT test declaration states the name of the testing laboratory, not the submitting laboratory.