Travel to New Zealand

Zach and Louis

in Dunedin

COVID-19 has caused disruptions and delays to international travel, including for cats and dogs travelling to New Zealand. The need for managed isolation means time frames can be adjusted and permits placed on hold when requested by pet transporter companies and pet owners. I strongly recommend using a pet courier to get you to New Zealand and navigate both the normal paperwork and increased pressures of managed isolation. Some courier companies have their own OV (Official Veterinarian) to sign paperwork, but some require your own OV to do the paperwork for them. The certificate consists of two parts- one to be signed when the animal is at home and one to be signed at the airport, two OV’s are needed to complete this paperwork. Your pet courier is likely to engage the second.

Import permits for cats and dogs will be valid for up to 6 months (not the usual 10 days). As well as this, a 10-day extension has been applied to all import permits. That is, 10-days had been added on to the timeframe in the import requirements. For example, a test that needs to be done in 16 days prior to shipment, can be done in 26 days prior to shipment. Note, the veterinary examination still needs to be done in the 2 days prior to shipment.

A special condition to allow residency in more than one approved country in the 6 months prior to shipment has also been added to all import permits due to limited flight route availability.

An export certificate must be obtained from the APHA in Carlisle. This can be done a few weeks before leaving the UK. You will need form 6026EHC for dogs and form 2593EHC for cats.

Prohibited dog and cat breeds or types

The Dog Control Act 1996 prohibits the import into New Zealand of any dog that belongs entirely or predominantly to one or more of these breeds or types of dogs:

Prohibited breeds:

Brazilian Fila
Dogo Argentino
Japanese Tosa
Perro de Presa Canario.

Prohibited type:

American Pit Bull Terrier

Hybrids

No hybrids (offspring of dogs or cats crossed with another species) are eligible for importation, with the exception of Bengal cats. Documentation showing five generations of domestic ancestry must be provided for Bengal cats.

Travelling with Dogs

Please click here if you are travelling with cats

RABIES VACCINATION

Time Frame: at least 6 months and not more than 1 year before travel

Dogs must be at least 3 months old to be vaccinated
A microchip must be read by the OV (Official Veterinarian) or placed prior to vaccination.
The first vaccination must be done by an OV at least 6 months before travel and no more than 1 year before travel
Booster vaccinations must have been given within 1 year of travel, and must have been kept up to date. The booster vaccinations must be up to date at the time of blood sampling, and kept up to date between blood sampling and travel.

RABIES BLOOD TEST (FAVN or RFFIT)

Time Frame: 3-4w after vaccination and taken between 3-24 months from travel

The OV must check the microchip before blood sampling, and perform either a FAVN or RFFIT blood sample to test rabies vaccination response.
The result must be greater than 0.5iu/ml or the vaccination and blood testing must be repeated

RABIES NEUTRALISING ANTIBODY TITRE TEST (RNATT) Declaration and Import permit

Time Frame: at least 10 days (though in reality, far longer as quarantine will need to be booked too)

The RNATT declaration forms part of the application for an import permit.
Once the blood results are returned at an acceptable level, a UK OV can fill out this declaration, sign it twice and stamp it.
A rabies vaccination and RNATT declaration need to be sent with the import permit application.

OWNER/EXPORTER’S DECLARATION

Time Frame: before paperwork is signed off by the OV

Owners need to provide the OV with a written declaration stating that their dog:

will be more than 9 months of age at the date of shipment
will not be more than 42d pregnant at time of shipment
has been continuously resident in the United Kingdom for the 6 months immediately preceding import
is not a dog that belongs wholly or predominantly to the breeds- Brazilian Fila, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Perro de Presa Canario nor American Pit Bull terrier
is not a hybrid (wolf dog)
in the case of entire dogs, in the 44 days prior to the date of shipment, the dog did not naturally mate, unless to a dog of equal Brucella canis health status. Any artificial insemination was done with semen that meets the relevant New Zealand import health standard for semen

TREATMENT FOR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PARASITES

Time Frame: Two treatments, one within 30d of travel and at least 2 weeks before the second treatment, the second treatment must be given within 2 days of travel

An approved treatment for internal parasites must be given twice prior to travel within 30d of travel and within 4d of travel, with 2 weeks or more between treatments.
The animal must be examined for external parasites at each examination and certified to be parasite free at both checks. It is worth ensuring parasite control is well maintained prior to travel to ensure no parasites are found on examination, as the delays may affect your travel times.
An approved topical product registered for tick and flea control must be used twice prior to travel. The first application must be within 30d of travel and the second within 2d of travel, with at least 2 weeks between treatments.
An approved Heartworm treatment must be given within 4 days of travel.

OTHER TESTING

Time Frame: all samples should be submitted as early as possible for testing, as re-sampling and re-testing with set time frames is sometimes needed

Tests need to be submitted to AHVLA Weybridge, who may submit samples to other labs

Heartworm: an ELISA blood test must be run within 30 days of travel and be found negative
Babesia spp or Babesia Gibsoni: Although 2 tests are accepted by NZ authorities, only 1 is available within the UK without the need for blood to be sent to South Africa (where results may not be back in time for travel). The test available in the UK requires two samples to be collected 30-37d apart, with the second sample collected in the 16 days prior to travel (it can take a week for samples to turn around, so leave as much time as possible).
Brucella canis: a blood test must be negative within 16 days of travel. Dogs may not be mated within 44d of travel, except with other dogs also tested and negative within 44d of mating.
Babsesia Canis: if the dog has lived in or travelled through South Africa, treatment for Babesia must be given within 16 of travel. The drugs needed for this are only available on special import license. Please let me know at the start of the process if this is going to be needed/
Leptospirosis: A MAT test must be negative within 30 days of travel

CANINE INFLUENZA

Time frame: 21d before travel

Dogs may not be kept around cats or dogs showing clinical signs of respiratory disease in the 21d before travel
Dogs may not travel if they have shown clinical signs of infectious respiratory disease in the 21d before travel

OTHER VACCINATIONS

Time frames: either kept up to date or starting at least 6 weeks prior to travel if a new course is needed

Dogs must be vaccinated against Distemper, Infectious Canine hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza and Bordetella (Kennel cough). Some facilities also require vaccination for Leptospirosis. These diseases are part of the typical U.K. annual vaccination, apart from Kennel cough which may be needed separately.
If your vaccines are not up to date, allow 6 weeks for a new course to be completed prior to travel.

COMPLETION OF THE IMPORT AND EXPORT CERTIFICATE

Time frame: within 2 days of travel

Dogs must be examined within 2 days of travel and be found healthy and fit to travel, free of external parasites, free of clinical signs of infectious disease and free from visible signs of canine transmissible venereal tumours.
Results of blood tests must be signed, stamped and attached to the import permit.
The export paperwork obtained from the APHA in Carlisle must also be completed and signed within 2d of travel.

Zach

in Dunedin

Travelling with Cats

An import certificate will be needed, as well as an export certificate from APHA in Carlisle

RABIES VACCINATION

Time Frame: at least 6 months before travel

Cats must be at least 3 months old to be vaccinated
A microchip must be read by the OV (Official Veterinarian) or placed prior to vaccination.
The first vaccination must be done by an OV at least 6 months before travel and no more than 1 year before travel. Booster vaccinations must have been given within 1 year of travel, and must have been kept up to date. The booster vaccinations must be up to date at the time of blood sampling, and kept up to date between blood sampling and travel.

RABIES BLOOD TESTING

Time Frame: 3-4w after vaccination and taken between 3-24 months from travel

The OV must check the microchip before blood sampling, and perform either a FAVN or RFFIT blood sample to test rabies vaccination response.
The result must be greater than 0.5iu/ml or the vaccination and blood testing must be repeated

SIGNING RABIES VACCINATION AND RABIES NEUTRALISING ANTIBODY TITRE TEST (RNATT) DECLARATION

Time Frame: at least 10 days (though in reality, far longer as quarantine will need to be booked too)

The RNATT declaration forms part of the application for an import permit.
Once the blood results are returned at an acceptable level, a UK OV can fill out this declaration, sign it twice and stamp it.
A rabies vaccination and RNATT declaration need to be sent with the import permit application.

OWNER/ EXPORTER’S DECLARATION

Time Frame: before OV paperwork is started

Owners must provide the OV with a written declaration that their cat:

will be more than 9 months of age at the date of shipment
will not be more than 42d pregnant at time of shipment
has been continuously resident in the United Kingdom for the 6 months immediately preceding import
is not a hybrid, with the exception of Bengal cats (documentation of five generations of domestic ancestry would need to be provided)