BRINGING A DOG FROMPortugal →to Australia

ISO-compliant microchip before starting (10 or 15 digits; numbers starting 999 refused), scanned at each visit and before any blood sample; its number must be on every document — corrected lab reports are refused.

Optional but recommended: official government veterinarian verifies identity (country template) before — and not at the same visit as — the RNATT blood draw, and sends it directly to DAFF. Pet passports or chip certificates are not accepted instead. Reduces quarantine from at least 30 to at least 10 days.

not at the same vet visit as the RNATT blood draw

Approved rabies vaccine given at 84 days of age or older, by a government approved vet, approved for dogs in the export country; must stay valid continuously from the RNATT sample to export (boosters on or before the due date). A lapse means revaccination, a new RNATT and a new 180-day wait. 3-year vaccines accepted if given per label. DAFF suggests 3–4 weeks between a first vaccination and the RNATT blood draw.

Rabies neutralising antibody titre test (RNATT): blood taken by a government approved vet in an approved country, tested by FAVN or RFFIT at a lab recognised by the export country's government (can be in another approved country); result ≥0.5 IU/ml. Sample taken between 12 months and 180 days before export; export no earlier than 180 days after the sample ARRIVES at the lab (no exceptions). Valid 12 months from sampling — retest before expiry (sample must reach the lab within 12 months of the first) to avoid restarting the 180 days. English lab report on the testing lab's letterhead.

blood sampling date; DAFF equates 12 months with 365 days

after a first rabies vaccination (3–4 weeks); regularly vaccinated dogs may not need to wait

Export no earlier than 180 days after the RNATT blood sample arrives at the laboratory — no exceptions (a residency period, not quarantine). Counted from the lab's receipt date, not the sampling date.

RNATT declaration on the country-specific template, completed, signed and stamped by an official government veterinarian (not the preparing vet) from the vaccination certificate and lab report; microchip, result and sampling date must match exactly; name the testing (not submitting) lab. Needed for the permit application.

Continuously resident in an approved country (or countries) for at least 180 days immediately before export; a stay in a non-approved country restarts it. Quarantine time in the approved country does not count.

Not more than 30 days pregnant, not nursing, not under quarantine restrictions at export.

Apply in BICON after the RNATT declaration, uploading the RNATT lab report and declaration (and the identity declaration or Australian export certificate for the 10-day quarantine); pay in full on submission. Most permits take 20–40 business days, up to 123. Valid until the RNATT expires (12 months from blood sampling) and must be valid on arrival.

Book Mickleham PEQ online after the permit is granted (partial payment at booking); airline "OK to Forward" approval before departure.

Negative Brucella canis test (standard RSAT, TAT/SAT or IFAT; 2ME and AGID variants refused) within 45 days before export; no mating/insemination in the 21 days before sampling or after it. Pregnant dogs only if not more than 30 days pregnant.

• · Only for entire (not neutered) animals

Negative Leishmania infantum test (standard quantitative IFAT or ELISA) within 45 days before export.

External parasites: product killing ticks and fleas on contact applied by a government approved vet, starting at least 30 days before export and repeated per label until export; restart if parasites are found. Oral isoxazolines (Bravecto, NexGard…), selamectin and tick collars are not accepted.

Internal parasites (nematodes and cestodes), first of two treatments — within 45 days before export, ≥14 days before the second.

Internal parasites, second treatment within 5 days before export (can be at the final vet check).

Imidocarb dipropionate (7.5 mg/kg once, or 6.0 mg/kg twice 14 days apart, subcutaneous) within 28 days before export.

• · the dog has ever visited mainland Africa

Pre-export clinical exam within 5 days before export by a government approved or official vet; the country-specific veterinary health certificate (blank from the competent authority) completed by the approved vet and endorsed — every page signed and stamped — by an official government veterinarian within 5 days before export, together with the RNATT, Leishmania, Brucella and (if not vaccinated) Leptospira reports. Originals with wet-ink stamps travel with the dog, plus the permit and RNATT declaration.

Manifested cargo (not cabin) in an IATA-approved crate, nothing else in the crate. Transit anywhere; transhipment only in an approved country, staying airside under the competent authority's supervision.

Directly into Melbourne International Airport (MEL); no domestic transfers (e.g. via Sydney).

DAFF collects the dog at Melbourne airport and takes it to Mickleham; health and documents are checked. Landing windows: Mon, Tue, Sat, Sun 05:00–14:30; Wed–Fri 05:00–21:00; out-of-hours fees for weekends, holidays and after 14:30. Release only after the account is paid in full.

State the breed in the permit application and sign that the dog is not an ineligible breed.