Moving a Dog or Cat to New Zealand
Planning pet travel to New Zealand can feel like a lot at first, but if you start early and map the steps out carefully, it is manageable. New Zealand has one of…
When we route our clients through Los Angeles—oftentimes on cross-continental moves to places like Australia and New Zealand—we love booking their pets’ layover stays at Kennel Club LAX! We’ve always had a great…
TLDR: For New Zealand, the microchip must be implanted before or at the exact same time as the rabies vaccination and titre test. An RNATT or rabies vaccine conducted before a microchip is confirmed in place is entirely invalid. This…
TLDR: New Zealand allows Bengal cats to enter if they can prove five generations of domestic ancestry. Without pedigree documentation establishing that lineage, entry will be refused. Australia banned Bengal cats entirely as of March 1, 2026, with no exceptions. Owners moving…
TLDR: Non-desexed dogs traveling to New Zealand require the owner to sign a declaration confirming the dog has not mated in the 44 days prior to shipment. There is one exception: mating with a dog of equal Brucella canis health status…
TLDR: As of March 1, 2026, New Zealand removed the crate seal requirement for pets traveling from Category 3 countries including the US mainland. Crates no longer need to be sealed before departure. However, Certificate B still contains the seal wording from before…
TLDR: New Zealand requires an ELISA blood test for heartworm for all dogs 6 months of age or older, completed within 30 days of shipment. Dogs under 6 months are exempt from the blood test but must have the required preventative medication instead.…
TLDR: New Zealand requires all dogs to meet leptospirosis requirements before travel. There are two options: a negative MAT blood test within 30 days of shipment, or doxycycline treatment for at least 14 consecutive days within 30 days of shipment. We recommend doxycycline.…
