How We Exported Our Dog From the USA (Back) to Australia

By the end of 2024, after traveling the world with our beagle Sniffy it was time to export him back home to Australia. Exporting our dog to Australia from the USA was a high-stakes and costly process, filled with anxiety every step of the way. With careful planning we successfully navigated Australia’s overly strict biosecurity regulations, minimized cost and anxiety by exporting our dog without a pet transport agent. This post will provide real-world experience and insight into the process, above what you will read on pet transport and government websites including access to our planning spreadsheet that includes our downloadable export schedule and cost with receipts for exporting a dog to Australia.

We had left Australia with our then 2-year old beagle Sniffy in March 2023 and traveled across the UK (6 months), Europe (90-days), United States (10 months) and Canada (2 months) by plane, train and automobile. Along with the amazing adventures, we had negotiated the logistics of relocating a dog between continents and countries, and come the end of 2024 it was time to return to our Perth home with family and friends.

To export Sniffy we had an advantage with his Australian Export Permit from March 2023, which includes his microchip details and continued vaccination history.

Useful Terms to Know

Before we dive in, let’s go over some key terms and acronyms we’ve come across. Many veterinarians and countries use different terms, some of which are often used interchangeably, so it’s important to be familiar with these to avoid getting confused and show confidence when dealing with vets and authorities:

• Exporting from the USA and Importing to Australia
• Rabies Neutralising Antibody Titre Test (RNATT), often referred to as “titre test‘‘, “titration test” or “FAVN Rabies Titre Test” (US), is the “rabies blood test“. It is used to measure the level of immunity to rabies, not the presence of the rabies virus itself.
• Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON) system is the Australian online portal to request an import permit.
• Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS) is US Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) online system for creating, issuing (complete, sign, date), submitting, and endorsing health certificates for export of animals from the USA.
• Leishmania is a virus that needs a negative blood test result to travel to Australia.
• Leptospira (“lepto“) Interrogans Serovar Canicola and Canine Influenza Virus (CIV) and viruses that need vaccination and booster evidence e.g. sticker in vaccination passport. Lepto immunity can be proven with a blood test result also.
• Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry (DAFF) administer the process for import including quarantine.
• Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) is the pet quarantine facility in Mickleham, Victoria. After COVID this is the only quarantine facility in Australia. Sometimes it is just called “Mickleham“, “quarantine” or “doggy detention“.
• Post Entry Biosecurity System (PEBS) is the online portal for the PEQ reservation system.
• PEQ Reference Number (PRN) is the number assigned for the quarantine booking in PEBS and will be needed for an online reservation.

How We Exported Our Dog in 2024

Here’s our experience through 2024 and a successful export to Australia from the USA in December 2024. It also includes some of the complexity in planning the logistics of traveling international with your dog!

We planned our export and recorded the tasks and costs, available in the spreadsheet below.

Access Sniffy’s Export Schedule & Cost Breakdown

Step 1: Find a Pet Transport Agent

We previously used a pet transport agent JetPets to export Sniffy from Perth, Australia to the UK. We exported him ourselves from Europe to the US with TAP Airlines. We found pet transport agents in the US (e.g. PetExpress, which is affiliated with JetPets), read online feedback and got quotes (around AUD 12,000); but after seeing the step-by-step process we decided to save money, have more control and export our dog to Australia, without the help of an agent!

The following content is structured by the nine steps we followed on the ‘How to bring your dog to Australia from a Group 3 country‘ website.

The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) provides step-by-step guides on bringing dogs to Australia.

What they don’t provide is insight and a practical approach to completing the steps, hopefully our experience will help you with this!

Step 2: Check Import Conditions

Of course, when we were planning to leave Australia in 2022, we confirmed we would be able to bring him back! We had been planning and researching for his Australia import for our entire overseas trip. But we always double-checking Sniffy met all eligibility requirements (as they can change), the ball park costs, joined Facebook Groups and emailed a few pet transport companies in the US.

• Country of origin: Sniffy was born in Australia and has visited other Group 3 countries (check out our worldwide travels with Sniffy!). We were exporting from the United States, a rabies-free Group 3 country.
• Breed restrictions: Sniffy is a Beagle, which is not on the prohibited breed list.
• Health considerations:
  • Sniffy is a fit and healthy purebred beagle; he will be 4-years old by the time of travel and we had no hesitation that Sniffy was fit for travel, even considering the stress and climate adjustments involved.
  • We had previously flew Sniffy from Perth to London and Lisbon to Miami successfully. We have seen no change in his personality or behavior with travel. We are aware Sniffy likely is anxious for his journey, and we do our best to make arrangements to quell his separation anxiety, but to be honest our concerns were more about him handling 10-days of quarantine.
  • Sniffy left Australia in March 2023 at around 20kg and we wanted to maintain his weight while in the US. He was on a light diet (1 cup of Royal Canin dog biscuits a day) so he would be fit and lean for the flight and familiar with the dry food he would be served at PEQ Mickleham quarantine.

And, actually, the logistics (and cost!) of returning back to Australia such as the number and duration of flights, influenced our decision to go-to the US from Europe! The return back to Australia from the US West Coast is one long 16-hour flight direct to Melbourne (for quarantine). Otherwise to return to Australia from Europe generally required a transit overnight stop in the Middle-East – which Sniffy had done previously on his Perth to London trip.

Step 3: Verify Microchip & Identity

Sniffy had an ISO-compliant 15-digit microchip implanted around his shoulders at 8 weeks old in Australia. The microchip was always scanned by the vet at each stage of the process:

• The microchip was scanned during every veterinary visit.
• Documentation was checked to ensure the microchip number matched all forms, including the blood tests and veterinary health certificate. We did have an experience later (in Step 8) where human-error (the vet tech fat-fingered completing a form) in copying the microchip number from the scanner to the computer form cost us hundreds of dollars.

Important: A working microchip is critical for import. If it cannot be scanned, the process must restart. We did see someone’s experience on Facebook Groups where their dog’s microchip was damaged and not scanning!

Step 4: Rabies Vaccination & Testing

Since leaving Australia in March 2023, we needed to maintain the continuity of rabies vaccinations and immunity proof. This was needed to have any flexibility to leave the US in either a planned or emergency departure. If the vaccination or immunity proof was to lapse, we would be trapped overseas with some hard decisions to make.

You can find the detailed requirements outlined by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry here.

Rabies Vaccination

Sniffy’s first rabies vaccination was in December 2022 while we were preparing to leave for the UK from Perth, Australia. Technically the vaccination was valid for 3 years and we had the evidence in his Australian vaccination passport. There was an outside chance that the anti-bodies (or, whatever) would not be high enough levels to pass the rabies blood test, but to be sure, we wanted (maybe needed) to have him vaccinated within a 12-month period. The consequences of not maintaining a continuous paper trail of negative rabies blood test results or letting it lapse, even by a day, was severe – we could not stay in the EU longer than our 90-day Schengen Area visa allowed and would likely have had to return to the UK.

While traveling in Europe, we had Sniffy vaccinated against rabies in Lisbon, Portugal in November 2023. It cost less than 50 bucks! The process was a little convoluted as he needed a European (EU) pet passport for the health certificate, but it was cost-effective, and aligned with EU regulations (in case he goes back, one day!):

• A government-approved veterinarian administered the Nobivac 3-year vaccine in Lisbon.
• The vaccination was recorded in a new EU pet passport (EUR 6), complete with stickers and signatures for authenticity.
• This ensured Sniffy rabies status was up to date, an essential step before moving forward with the RNATT once we arrive in the US.
• External parasite treatment with Nextguard Spectra

Rabies Blood Test

After arriving in Miami, Florida in December 2023, we arranged for Sniffy’s RNATT blood sample at a vet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This was to validate his rabies immunity levels following vaccination:

• Timing: The blood test must be done at least 3–4 weeks after the recent rabies vaccination.
• Continuity: Maintaining continuity of immunity is critical. The vaccination and RNATT must both be valid within one year of the previous instances to ensure eligibility for export. This gave us a hard deadline to have the bloodtest completed in December 2023.

The RNATT confirmed Sniffy’s immunity, providing a result above the required 0.5 IU/ml threshold. The laboratory report included:

• Sniffy’s microchip number.
• Blood sampling date and location.
• Test type and result.
• Vet identification and USDA registration.

The RNATT needed to be sent to the USDA for endorsement and certification. The USDA certified RNATT documentation was returned to the vet via FedEx 2 weeks later, and we had to return to the vet to collect the physical ‘wet signature’ document (which meant we had to stay near Fort Lauderdale into January 2024..).

The RNATT result cost roughly USD 300 was valid for 12 months from the December 2023 blood sampling date. This allowed us to plan Sniffy’s export from the US up to December 2024 (without having to do another blood test). We confirmed with DAFF that the RNATT does not need to be valid for the entire PEQ stay, only for arrival.

When we collected the RNATT blood test results paperwork 2 weeks later in January 2024 we got Sniffy’s regular booster vaccinations for Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Para-influenza and Bordetella Bronchiseptica. The stickers were added and signed in Sniffy’s Australian vaccination passport.

Step 5: Import Permit Application

In early 2024, we did not know how long we were going to be in the US (our B2 tourist visa only allowed 6 month visits at a time for 5 years.). We were required to leave by June 2024, Sniffy couldn’t go to Mexico or Central America (because they are not not Group 3 countries) and we could likely reset our US I94 entry in Canada.

The online Australian import permit application can be started in the BICON system and filled out as a sample to see all the questions asked. There are odd questions that needed research such as microchip type.

We applied for the AUD 167 (non-refundable) import permit on April 1, shortly after receiving Sniffy’s RNATT results. We entered an indicative travel date in December 2024, as it could be updated later.

This was emotional and anxious event for us; as was almost a commitment that we were going to:

• have an anxious wait up-to 123 days (~4 months) for the import permit approval:
  • before confirming our return to Australia plans
  • before confirming and booking our go-to Canada itinerary
• visit Canada (in June 2024) to reset our I94 and obtain 6 months entry (to December 2024)
• continue to road-trip across the US and Canada for up-to 12 months
• return to Australia, which by then we will have been away for nearly 2 years.
  • beholden to a negative Leishmania blood test (of which we had seen a Facebook Group post a bad experience with false positives)
  • had to be in Los Angeles (or Dallas) by December 2024
  • had to get to Melbourne in December 2024
  • return home to Perth

The Australian approval of the import permit took us 30 business days to receive via email.

Step 6: Quarantine and Travel Arrangements

After securing Sniffy’s import permit, we worked through the next steps alongside our travel plans, including booking quarantine, planning travel routes, and arranging his flight to Melbourne. Here’s what we did.

Booking Quarantine at Mickleham

Sniffy’s journey to Australia required at a 10-day stay at the Mickleham Post-Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility in outer Melbourne. There is no other facilities in Australia. This step is mandatory for all dogs entering Australia to ensure they meet the country’s BS biosecurity standards.

• Duration: While most dogs require a minimum 10-day stay, this period could extend to 30 days if certain criteria aren’t met. Fortunately, Sniffy’s rabies neutralizing antibody titre test (RNATT) was performed by a government-approved veterinarian, reducing his quarantine to the minimum.
• Reservation & Booking: Using the Post Entry Biosecurity System (PEBS), we booked online Sniffy’s quarantine stay about 3 weeks after receiving the import permit. We needed the 3-weeks time to plan for our Canada entry. This reservation was 8 months before his planned departure in December 2024! You are provided a PEQ Reference Number (PRN) and can confirm, change and check status of the reservation online. Try to use a desktop computer to make the online booking.
• Payment: We made the required reservation charge of AUD 253 to confirm the booking using our Australian visa debit card. If Sniffy’s export date changed the amount could be credited to the new dates.

For details on quarantine requirements, visit the Mickleham post-entry quarantine guide.

Planning the Travel Route

Australia has strict rules regarding dogs traveling through other countries en-route to Melbourne. We evaluated options to comply with these rules and minimize stress for Sniffy. We received quotes from a pet transport company PetExpress to understand costs and benefits of getting assistance – we chose to do it ourselves!

We wanted Sniffy on a direct flight from the US to minimize his handling and anxiety. The US to Australia flight had no stopovers and is a direct to Melbourne Tullamarine airport from either Los Angeles or Dallas.

Picking the departure point was a commitment on when our trans-America road trip would finish, including selling the vehicles and spending time living (and maybe working) near the finish line. We had also seen on Facebook Groups experiences where Dallas to Melbourne flights could be delayed by many hours before departure. We also had this confirmed on messages with PetExpress.

We chose to depart from Los Angeles because:

• Direct flight to Australia
• Better chances of avoiding flight delays
• More options in California to find a vet familiar with the export to Australia process, and find a used second-hand crate to buy
• More flight options for us to leave the US or to accelerate our departure plans (maybe even stopover in Hawaii? will there be civil unrest around the election? another pandemic?)
• Plenty of tourist activities to do in California, complete a Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) road-trip and potential for additional trips out to Arizona, Utah and Colorado
• Potential for family to visit us on holiday in California (not so much interest there in Texas for them!)

Booking Flight to Australia

QANTAS Freight was the only option to fly Sniffy into Australia from LAX. QANTAS Freight would NOT book a flight more than 21 days before departure and required evidence of the quarantine booking and PRN.

• Selecting a Flight: We booked Sniffy on a direct Saturday evening flight QF94 from LAX to Melbourne International Airport, as domestic transfers within Australia (e.g., arriving in Sydney and flying to Melbourne) are not permitted. We chose not to fly Sniffy onward home to Perth to minimize his time away from us and anxiety.
  • Picking up dogs from quarantine on a weekend comes with additional cost – so you want the quarantine end date (10-days for us) to fall on a weekday.
  • Time differences and transit times affect the arrival date and time to quarantine. Once your pet arrives at the Melbourne International Airport, quarantine officers will collect them and bring them to the quarantine facility for further assessment. Pet collection hours are between 4.30 and 16.30 hours on weekdays. If your flight lands in Melbourne outside these hours, there are additional charges.
  • Target business working days and avoid public holidays for the 5 days the USDA has to  endorse the health certificate.
  • We wanted to fly out the next night (not the same day or flight) to be able to take phone calls and manage if something was to go wrong with Sniffy’s departure.
• Travel Class: Sniffy traveled as manifested cargo, per Australian regulations, in an IATA-approved pet crate. Size was to be determined, he left Australia in a PP70 and we planned for him to return in a PP70. The freight cost depends on the crate dimensions and the total weight (i.e. crate and dog). We traded emails with QANTAS freight to confirm crate types and got a response “The kennel must be a rigid hard sided kennel large enough for the pet to stand with head clearance, a non-collapsible kennel and approved for air transportation.”, we decided to keep with the IATA PP range that we used to fly out of Australia previously.
• Animal Transport Company: While we managed Sniffy’s travel arrangements ourselves, pet owners can use services from the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA)

Because QANTAS Freight (email qffreightusa@qantas.com.au) would not confirm or receive payment for the flight 21 days before, Steps 6 and 7 had to progress for the meantime in preparation.

Access Sniffy’s Export Schedule & Cost Breakdown

Step 7: Veterinary Preparations

Sniffy’s veterinary preparations required careful planning, as vaccinations and internal/external (i.e. flea/worm) treatments had to be administered at certain times, with boosters needed with evidence. The Step 7 health certificate process was make or break for export, to be completed in a tight 5-day window so we needed to be sure began we were working with a vet had experience with the process.

There is a USDA database of USDA-accredited vets. We emailed a handful in California and critically judged their responses for competency, confidence and price. We found a USDA-accredited vet in Orange County, California that claimed to have experience with the USDA Health Certificate and VEHCS portal.

There was a decision whether to get two vaccinations for Leptospira or a blood test confirming negative – we opted for the vaccination route.

In August 2024 (3 months before departure), we got Sniffy vaccinated (first and then booster 10 days later) for:

• Leptospira Interrogans Serovar Canicola
• Canine Influenza Virus (CIV)

Our experience with the vet did not give us full confidence they could be diligent and urgent when the USDA health certificate process starts in December 2024, so we decided to find another vet. Also, AirBnB costs in the LA are were very expensive and we needed other options.

After many emails and phone calls to USDA-accredited vets, we found a vet 4 hours away in Phoenix, Arizona that had relevant experience and positive reviews from users on Facebook Groups.

We started Sniffy on a reduced dinner diet of 1 cup Royan Canin only to prepare him for quarantine and get him back closer to 20kg.

We then visited the Phoenix vet to get the Leishmania blood test. We had some outside chance that the result could be false positive, but the experienced vet said this was almost impossible as only pets exposed to the middle-east were at risk (gave a story of a military German Shepard that served in Middle-East).

The vet physically sends via FedEx the blood sample to the USDA accredited test lab (we had to give a bank check to pay, go-to Quick Stop to get the check), with an indication that the results will take up to 10 days, we received a phone call that Sniffy’s test result was negative (relief!) in 2 days.

The Leishmania blood test result actually had an incorrect digit for the microchip number on the paperwork, so some email iteration with the vet in getting it corrected.

This kicked off our 3-month travel plan to the December finish line for Los Angeles – Las Vegas – National Parks (Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon) – Phoenix – Colorado (Snow) – National Parks (Arches, Canyonlands) – Phoenix – Los Angeles. We aimed to pickup a used PP70 or PP60 crate on our travels and found a near new PP60 in Colorado Springs for USD 150 on Facebook Marketplace.

Step 8: Final Preparations & USDA Health Certificate

A vet exam is required exactly 5 calendar days before departure date. The ‘exam’ was a weight check, temperature check in the ear, look in the eyes and outer ears and a bit of a feel around the waist. The USDA-accredited vet had to then (immediately that day) submit a health certificate form in the VEHCS system online for USDA endorsement. The endorsement had to be returned before Sniffy’s departure date.

The USDA health certificate can be received electronically. We had a fear for months that we needed to receive the FedEx health certificate physically with wet signatures within that 5 days, and procured a virtual mailbox as contingency. We got written email response from Australia that the electronic signature was sufficient.

There was some stress and discussion that the first page of the Australian import permit needed to be signed by the USDA – but the vet just uploaded to VEHCS what is asked of them.

After the Phoenix vet submitted the health certificate in VEHCS (on a Tuesday), we drove 4-hours to LA and we received the USDA health certificate via email via the vet the next day (whew!). We celebrated with some fried chicken at Knott’s Berry Farm.

We then printed (at a hotel reception) all the endorsed paperwork (import permit, USDA health certificate, Aus vaccination passport) to attach to the crate in a folio with an Apple AirTag.

Step 9: Travel to Australia

Flight to Australia

We booked, paid (USD 1974.50) and confirmed Sniffy’s QANTAS QF94 flight exactly 21 days before departure over the phone with credit card (no credit card fees or surcharges).

The amount paid included the QANTAS Freight surcharges in November 2025 (which included no notes on the acronyms):

• Fuel $1.12/kg – $10 min on chargeable weight. 
• Screening on Pax & Freighter flights – $0.18/kg -$10 min. on chargeable weight applicable for all unscreened cargo.(Does not apply if tendered screened and effective   05JUN2024 will not apply to DG shipments unless the DG’s are tendered in a mixed consol with other general cargo.)
• Export Processing Fee $20.00 – per MAWB 
• DG fee $80.00 per UN line entry, regardless of UN number. Min $80.00 (add $80 for RFS from origin to departure airport,per required truck) 
• Western Canada to USA- $30.00 per MAWB / Eastern Canada to USA $25 per MAWB + 1 HAWB, each add’l HAWB will be billed at $25.00 / $30.00 ACI E-Manifest fee per AWB from USA to Canada

Apparently only 5 pets are on each flight. We did not want to risk his flight being full, as it would have cascading issues for our itinerary. We (eventually) got a PP60 crate and resumed familiarity training for him to ‘box’ on command (and our toddler!). The PP60 is smaller than previous crates (PP70 and SKUDO 7) he used to fly but the size was fine and saved almost AUD 1000 compared to the PP70.

Sniffy’s flights was QF94 leaving at 1030pm. We got to LAX QANTAS Freight at 4pm as the sun was setting. Dogs had to be received by 5pm. Before arriving in preparation we had purchased:

• Calming (placebo for us) collar
• Calming treats
• Pet pee pad
• Externally filled drinking bowl
• Folio to hold paperwork
• Cable ties
• Water to fill the bowl

We let Sniffy have a walk around the QANTAS Freight car park and drain his bladder. We assembled the crate, making sure we had all 14 screws for the PP60. The documentation was in a folio sticky-taped to the roof of the crate. We had to confirm whether an Apple AirTag was allowed on the crate – the answer was ‘no‘ (lithium battery) and we removed it from the crate.

We checked in at reception, then took Sniffy and the crate around to the roller door around the corner on the right. There was two dogs quietly in the crates ready, to be be Sniffy’s travel buddies for the flight.

We put Sniffy in the crate without his collar and had to fill the water bowl, cable tie the 4 corners and the front gate shut. We said took a photo, said goodbye and backed away. There was no documentation or receipt given to us. We could hear Sniffys familiar beagle barking as we walked away at the 5pm cutoff. The PetExpress van arrived at the front of the building just as we were leaving.

Sniffy was in his crate for 5 hours before his 16 hour flight. We received no confirmation that he had landed or been transferred to quarantine. We followed his QF94 flight on flight-tracker to know when he took of and landed.

We spent the day dog-less, went to Universal Studios Hollywood and then flew out the next evening to Sydney. We drove to from Sydney to Melbourne via Canberra ready to pickup Sniffy.

Arrival at Quarantine

Two days after landing we received an automated message that he had been received by PEQ Mickleham quarantine.

Contact with PEQ

The following day we got message that he was well, but Leishmania documentation not correct.

1. USDA did not attach endorsed Leishmania bloood test in VEHCS (but we did have the negative Leishmania test in the paperwork)
2. USDA then attached a Leishmania blood test result with the fat-fingered microchip number
3. USDA then attached the correct Leishmania blood test

This all cost us some very stressful moments, calls with the Phoenix vet, emails to the USDA (who were prompt in reply) – and cost AUD 117 for 3 hours of PEQ Mickleham vet fees for the privilege.

We emailed and called a couple of times during his stay to for a progress update, to be told he was eating and toileting well. You can contact the Australian quarantine center by phone, fax or email.

• Phone: 1800 900 090 or +61 3 8318 6700 (outside Australia)
• Email: PEQservices@agriculture.gov.au
• Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 – 16:00 hours
• Weekends and Australian public holidays: closed

Unfortunately, you are not allowed to visit your dog at PEQ Mickleham.

We did read on Facebook Groups that you can send meals to your dog (e.g. hot chicken from the nearby Coles), but as Sniffy was eating his Royan Canin biscuits we decided not to disrupt this.

Picking Up at Quarantine

Pickup from PEQ Mickleham required an online booking of a time-slot a few days before pickup in PEBS. Pet collection hours are between 10.00 and 12.00 hours for the general public. As soon as we could, we booked online the earliest time-slot 10 – 10.15am.

We arrived at Mickleham at 9.45am and buzzed at the gate to be told to come back at 9.50am. We parked at the curb and could hear Sniffy’s bark from the facility 100m away.

Cars started lining up around us; 4 pets are allocated for the 15 minute booking window and first come first served and managed by a security officer outside the gate.

When our time came, we drove through the gate and up to the facility. We showed our booking and Sniffy was wheeled out in his crate. There was no photos or videos allowed.

We opened the door, clicked on his retractable leash and was reunited with our world-traveller puppy. He was so happy to see us! But he was not allowed to pee or mark inside the quarantine area so after a quick kiss and pat we all got back in the (rental) car. The PEQ staff helped to lift the dog crate into the car.

Sniffy was a bit stressed and thirsty after his morning back in the crate. He did not smell, and was in good condition. He did not seem to lose any weight. We stopped by the side of the road outside the facility so he could go toilet and let out some energy.

We then drove 15-minutes to the Craigieburn dog park and he was pretty much sniffing around like normal and disinterested in other dogs! There was no signs of anxiety. Interestingly, we had seen a large dog crate abandoned at the nearby Coles. We too have previously had the stress of what to do (dump, donate or sell?) with a bulky dog crate after pickup!

We have had no experience with a change in personality or behavior and we are very happy to have Sniffy back after his adventures. We were cautious with our toddler around him for days after pickup, but he was totally fine.

How Much Does it REALLY Cost to Export a Dog to Australia?

When it is all added up, the total cost to export a beagle from the US to Australia was AUD 8,500 in 2024.

This does not include costs of getting to Los Angeles, or returning home from Melbourne to Perth.

Access Sniffy’s Export Schedule & Cost Breakdown

Lessons Learnt

After our experience exporting our dog to Australia from the US, we have the following lessons:

• You can arrange transport yourself without using an agent, and save thousands of dollars.
• Join and monitor the Facebook Groups for updates and experiences.
• A larger ‘more spacious’ crate for your dog does not mean a more comfortable flight.
• Go with your instinct on vet selection.
• Attention to detail on paperwork, names, dates, microchip numbers and keep digital copies.