How much will it cost?
Moving a pet to New Zealand usually costs several thousand New Zealand dollars. We can break the cost down into:
Vet Costs before you leave
Getting a Permit to Import Animals into New Zealand
Air Transport
Quarantine Costs in New Zealand
We'll look at the cost of each of these items in turn and throw in a few details to help you get through the process successfully.
Vet costs before you leave
Your pet will need to undergo medical tests before you can bring it to New Zealand. These are described in the bio-security regulations at the bottom of the page.
A vet in your home country will also need to implant a microchip in your pet for identification purposes.
Coming from the UK allow around £100 for vet costs.
From the US, budget around $500 or so.
UK costs are lower because no rabies testing is required on UK animals.
If you are coming from a country where rabies is present remember that blood tests usually have to be performed at least 6 months before your pet comes to NZ. So if you want to come to New Zealand soon, best start getting those rabies tests done now.
Coastcat posted that Americans need to be careful about microchips as standards in the USA and NZ differ. If you are coming from the USA, you will save yourself trouble by getting your vet to implant a chip that can be read by scanners in New Zealand. In the USA the standard is a 125 kHz microchip. In New Zealand the standard is 134.2 kHz.
Permit to Import Animals
It costs NZ$130 for an import permit. (The cost is fixed at NZ$130 no matter how many pets you wish to bring in.)
A Permit to Import your pet will NOT be issued unless you have a letter from an approved quarantine facility (see below) confirming a space has been booked for your pet.
The particular pet import application form you need depends on whether your pet will be placed in a quarantine facility or not.
Download the Application Form to import dogs and/or cats into New Zealand from UK, Singapore, Hawaii, Sweden, Eire (Southern Ireland), Norway.
Download the Application Form to import dogs and/or cats into New Zealand from other countries.
You will also need an export certificate issued by your own country for your pet.
Air Transport
To fly a cat or a small dog to New Zealand from the UK will cost around £1,000.
Naturally you should shop around. You will find reputable shippers who charge both above and below the £1,000 mark. A good idea is to budget for £1,000. If you get a cheaper quote, or negotiate one, you can count it as money saved.
If you are flying from the USA, your small pet should travel to NZ for less than US$1,000.
Wherever you are coming from, bear in mind that if you are bringing a large animal, costs will rise accordingly. A proportion of the shipping charge is based on the size of the air-kennel the animal will need and another part of the cost is based on the animal's weight.
Quarantine Costs in New Zealand
Pets from a few fortunate places such as the UK, Ireland, Hawaii etc do not have to be placed in quarantine.
Instead, they must be isolated at the owner's home for 30 days.
If your pet is not from one of the lucky countries, you will need to place it in quarantine for at least 30 days in New Zealand. This will cost you around NZ$1,200 per animal.
There are four approved quarantine facilities in New Zealand located in
Avondale, Auckland (cats only)
Takanini, Auckland
Levin (North of Wellington)
Aylesbury, west of Christchurch
Detailed contact information for each of these four facilities is here.
Where is your pet coming from?
Complete Bio-Security Regulations
The complete (several pages long) of regulations controlling the import of your cat or dog depend on where you are coming from. Find your country on the list below and read through the complete documentation (strongly recommended).
Good Luck and may your dog(s) or cat(s) be thankful they have such caring owners.
