Traveling With Cats to New Zealand

Hi,

I want to move to New Zealand from Romania and take my three cats with me. Can you please tell me more information about the costs and everything that should be done before entering the country? Or, where do I go to get all the necessary information?

Best regards,
Alexandra

 

Hi Alexandra,

Thank you for reaching out with your question about traveling with pets to New Zealand, we'd be happy to help with some information. First, it's always a good idea to look to the official government source if possible -- here's the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries website.

Here you'll find a thorough outline of the steps you'll need to take to travel with your cats to New Zealand, including information about rabies vaccines and other health requirements as well as import documents. Note that pets will be required to fulfill a minimum 10-day quarantine upon arrival at one of these approved pet quarantine facilities.

Unfortunately, since you're coming from Romania, you're facing even bigger hurdles than these. According to the guidance document for cats and dogs, Romania is not an approved country for direct import so you'll need to bring your cats to an approved country for at least 6 months before they can be considered for entry into New Zealand.

Costs will depend on a few factors, but be prepared for the fact that moving pets to New Zealand is not cheap, especially for a situation like yours that requires additional travel. Pre-travel vet visits and vaccines, the cost of airfare and travel crates, and import and quarantine fees will all amount to a significant expense.

If this information brings up questions and you think you'd like to hire some assistance with your cats' move, please contact us for a pet travel consultation. We've helped many pets move to New Zealand safely -- including Wednesday the cat -- and we'd be happy to discuss your options with you, too.

Hopefully this helps, Alexandra! We hope to hear from you soon, and either way, good luck with everything.

Pet Travel Question Details:

Name: Alexandra
Number of Pets: 3
Pet Type: Cats
Pet Breed: European
From: Romania, Europe
To: New Zealand