Taking a pet abroad, and bringing it home again

Why the return trip sets the timeline

Taking a dog to Portugal or Spain is a short list of tasks. Bringing it home again can take more than six months, because the country you return to makes its own rules for a pet that has lived somewhere else. That is why the timeline starts with the return trip.

This article follows dogs travelling with their owners. Cats are covered by the same rules in some places and different ones in others, so read each agency's cat pages too. [P1] [P2]

Getting out is the simple part

The European Commission sets pet entry conditions at EU level, so they cover Portugal, Spain, France and Italy alike. The dog needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks or older and valid from at least 21 days after the primary vaccination, and an animal health certificate from an official or authorised vet, endorsed by the competent authority. The certificate is valid for 10 days from issue until the checks at the country's travellers' point of entry.

A rabies titre test is not required for pets from countries on the Commission's list, which includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, Mexico and Malaysia. Thailand is not on it. A dog arriving from Thailand needs a blood sample taken at least 30 days after the primary vaccination and at least 90 days before the certificate is issued, with a result of 0.5 IU/ml or more from a designated laboratory.

For Mexico, the agriculture health service SENASICA issues an import certificate at the port of entry. A dog travelling from the United States needs a document, signed by a USDA-accredited vet within 5 days before travel, showing it is free of screwworm (a translation of "gusano barrenador del ganado"). Dogs from other countries need a health certificate issued no more than 15 days earlier, with the rabies vaccination date and deworming in the previous six months.

Thailand's Department of Livestock Development requires an import form, a health certificate in English endorsed by the exporting country's government, and vaccinations at least 21 days before departure, including rabies for dogs. The Royal Thai Embassy page that lists these is undated, so confirm current rules with the department before you book. Dogs leaving Australia must also meet Australia's own export requirements, on top of the destination's. [P8] [P9] [P16] [P17] [P1]

Returning to Australia

Preparing a dog's return to Australia can take over six months, because a cat or dog that leaves Australia immediately loses its Australian health status. Portugal, Spain, France and Italy are on the Group 3 list, for countries where rabies is present but well controlled. Mexico and Thailand are on neither the Group 2 nor the Group 3 list, so a dog living there counts as coming from a non-approved country.

From a Group 3 country, the dog must have lived in an approved country for at least 180 days before export, counted from the date a rabies antibody titre (RNATT) blood sample reaches the laboratory. There are no exceptions, and this is a residency period, not quarantine. The sample is taken after vaccination, between 12 months and 180 days before export, with a result of 0.5 IU/ml or more, and it expires 365 days after sampling. If vaccination lapses, the dog needs a new vaccination and a new test, and the 180 days restart. An import permit usually takes 20 to 40 business days, and sometimes up to 123.

The shortcut is to do the work before you leave. A rabies vaccination and an RNATT before a dog goes to a Group 3 or non-approved country, both valid for the whole time abroad, let the dog return in the shortest possible time. Without them, the 180-day wait applies.

Quarantine is at the Mickleham facility in Melbourne, at your cost. The minimum is 30 days, cut to 10 if the dog originated in Australia and has its identity on an Australian export certificate, or an official vet verified its identity before the RNATT blood sample.

A dog from Mexico or Thailand cannot be imported directly. It must be resident in a Group 1, 2 or 3 country for at least 180 days immediately before export, then meet that country's conditions in full. [P1] [P2] [P3] [P4]

Returning to New Zealand

From 1 April 2027 only New Zealand's 2026 import health standard for cats and dogs applies. The Ministry for Primary Industries issued it on 12 May 2026 and it took effect on 1 July 2026, with a nine-month transition in which importers can use the 2021 or 2026 rules.

Exporting countries are sorted into categories: 1 is Australia, 2 is rabies-free and 3 is rabies absent or well controlled. The ministry's guidance lists which countries are in each, so look up yours before you plan.

For a dog of New Zealand origin coming back from a category 3 country, the standard offers a shorter route than the general rules. The dog is vaccinated before leaving New Zealand, with cover that stays continuously valid until it is shipped back. An RNATT sample is taken before it leaves and within 12 months of the return shipment, with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml. Vaccinations and samples taken in non-categorised countries are not accepted. The dog also travels with its original New Zealand export certificate.

Quarantine for a dog arriving by air is at least 10 days, and a signed quarantine booking form is part of the permit application. Under the 2021 process the ministry needs at least 30 working days to process a permit. [P5] [P6] [P7]

Returning to the United States

A dog flying back from Spain needs a free CDC Dog Import Form receipt, completed online, and nothing else. It must also be at least 6 months old, microchipped and healthy on arrival. The rules turn on where the dog has been in the 6 months before it enters, not where it lives, and if it has been only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries in that time, the form is the only document needed.

The CDC lists only high-risk countries and treats any unlisted country as rabies-free or low risk. In the version updated 15 April 2026, Thailand and Malaysia are listed, while Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Costa Rica and Mexico are not. A dog that spent part of the last 6 months in Thailand falls under the high-risk rules.

For a US-vaccinated dog, those rules add a Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination, completed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA before the dog leaves the country. It is a specific CDC form, not an ordinary rabies certificate. USDA export health certificates issued after 31 July 2025 are not accepted for re-entry.

Without that form, the dog follows the foreign-vaccinated rules: a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, arrival by air at its airport, and a 28-day quarantine there unless the dog has a valid titre from a CDC-approved laboratory. The sample must be drawn at least 30 days after the first vaccination and at least 28 days before entry. Importers pay all facility costs. [P10] [P11] [P12] [P13] [P14]

Returning to Canada

As of 8 October 2025, Canada does not quarantine pet dogs after import, from any country.

A dog aged eight months or older from a country not designated rabies-free needs a valid rabies vaccination certificate in English or French, from a licensed vet in the country of origin, showing it is currently vaccinated. The alternative is an RNATT result of at least 0.5 IU/ml, taken three to four weeks or more after any prior vaccination. Dogs under three months need neither. Younger dogs have separate rules, and provinces and municipalities add their own once the dog is in Canada. [P15]

What to line up before you book

The order of tasks matters more than any single form. Before booking a one-way flight, work out which countries the dog will be in over the next 6 and 12 months, because the CDC counts 6 months, Australia 180 days of residence and New Zealand 12 months of test validity. A rabies vaccination that stays valid the whole time abroad matters just as much, since a lapse can restart Australia's 180 days.

If the RNATT and any return forms can be done before you go, an approved vet at home can do them. Then check how permit and quarantine lead times fit the date you want to be back. [P1] [P7] [P12] [P15]