Australia Pet Quarantine Update: Fee Increase Effective July 1

A few weeks ago we reported about the possibility that Australia pet quarantine fees could potentially rise. As it turns out, this initiative was approved and, starting soon, a number of changes will go into effect relating to Post Entry Animal Quarantine (PEAQ) procedures at the facilities, which are located in Sydney and Melbourne.

You can find a full overview of the changes here, but read on for a few of the main ideas:

-The fee increase will take effect on July 1, 2014.

-The new fee will be $149 per pet, per day. (The minimum stay is 10 days.)

-It's been the case for a little while but it's worth restating: owners cannot visit pets during quarantine. It is due to the new, shorter quarantine period that PEAQ made the decision not to allow visits. During quarantine, department staff has pledged to exercise pets and attend to all their basic needs.

-Why are the fees being increased? The Australian Government Department of Agriculture lists three primary reasons:

• Fees haven't been adjusted since 2009, and since then various quarantine management costs have risen.
• The program is currently operating in deficit, and in order to meet the government policy of "full cost recovery," fees must be increased.
• The recent PEAQ policy changes have affected the bottom line of the overall operation, and the increase is meant to serve as a counterbalance.

This cost increase probably isn't welcome news to hear, but if you're planning a pet move to Australia it's important to be educated about the new conditions so as to make the process as streamlined as possible.

Please let us know if you have any questions or if you think you'd like some help organizing an upcoming relocation, and please stay in touch for more pet travel updates.