Australia Pet Travel: Important Sydney Quarantine Update for 2015

If you're planning to relocate to Australia with a pet in the coming months, be aware that a few big changes involving available quarantine facilities could affect your plans. After Oct. 16, 2015, the Australia Government Department of Agriculture will no longer take pet quarantine bookings at the Eastern Creek Facility in Sydney.

To protect its status as a rabies-free nation, Australia imposes a minimum 10 day quarantine for all pets arriving into the country. Currently two quarantine facilities exist that pet owners can choose from to fulfill this requirement -- one is in Sydney and one is in Melbourne. After Oct. 16 of this year, pets will need to fulfill their quarantines in Melbourne.

Note that this closure is part of a bigger plan that will eventually lead to there being just one updated pet quarantine facility. A new Post Entry Quarantine facility (PEQ) is currently being constructed on a Commonwealth owned site in Mickleham, Victoria. By the end of 2018, all pets will fulfill their quarantines here and no more facilities will exist in any other locations in Australia.

Find out about the new PEQ (the modernized facility will serve as as a secure quarantine site for plants and bees arriving from overseas, as well), and review the pet import requirements for Australia carefully if you're planning to relocate here.

Please contact PetRelocation if you need assistance with an upcoming pet move to Australia, and stay in touch for more pet news updates.

Plan ahead for streamlined pet travel to Australia