General

The requirements for bringing animals into New Zealand vary greatly, depending on the type of animal involved and which country you are bringing it from. Biosecurity New Zealand regulates the importation of live animals to prevent the establishment of pests and diseases that could harm New Zealand's productive resources and biodiversity. If you wish to bring a pet into New Zealand, you will need to comply with the Animal Import Health Standards. A series of Import Health Standards set out the requirements relating to specific animals and specific countries. This is a document that specifies the requirements that must be met before the animal is imported into New Zealand. Information regarding Import Health Standards can be found on the website www.biosecurity.govt.nz (there may be additional requirements not listed but additional requirements will be made available when a permit is issued for your import).

All cats and dogs arriving in New Zealand from countries that do not require quarantine (Australia, United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Hawaii and Singapore) will be examined closely for ticks. Those that are infected will be treated. The animal will be transferred to one of the relevant facilities and treated at the recommended dose rate. It will be held for 48 hours following treatment so as to allow the active ingredient to kill any undetected ticks. A biosecurity clearance may be given forty-eight hours after treatment if the inspector is satisfied that the animal and container are tick free. The owner of the pet will be liable for all costs associated with these inspections, treatments and quarantine.

Costs

Moving a pet to New Zealand usually costs several thousand New Zealand dollars. This can be broken down into:

Vet costs before you leave;
Getting a permit to import animals into New Zealand;
Air transport;
Quarantine costs in New Zealand.

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 (www.biosecurity.govt.nz). A vet in your home country will also need to implant a microchip in your pet for identification purposes.

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 New Zealand. So if you want to come to New Zealand soon, best start getting those rabies tests done now.

Note: Coastcat posted that Americans need to be careful about microchips as standards in the USA and New Zealand 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 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. You will also need an export certificate issued by your own country for your pet.