Build the plan around the arrival date

New Zealand requires much more than a health certificate issued just before flying. A move with a dog or cat needs a coordinated plan for eligibility, veterinary preparation, official documents, an import permit, transport and quarantine.

The arrival date is especially important during the current change of import rules. Before beginning tests or booking a flight, agree which import health standard your pet will meet. Keep that decision with the veterinary schedule so the whole team works to the same requirements.

The 2026 rules and the April 2027 change

MPI's revised Cats and Dogs Import Health Standard came into force on 1 July 2026 with a nine-month transition. During that period, eligible imports can still use the previous 2021 standard, provided they meet that pathway's conditions.

From 1 April 2027, MPI says cats and dogs entering New Zealand must meet the new standard, including the applicable official identity check at least six months before export. A move around that date needs particular care because a flight delay can move the animal into a different regulatory period.

Do not combine convenient parts of the old and new checklists. Ask the certifying team to confirm the standard, current UK certificate and supporting declarations that fit the intended import. If the planned arrival changes, review that decision before proceeding.

Check eligibility before starting the veterinary programme

Give the vet the animal's species, breed or type, date of birth, microchip details, previous countries of residence and travel, and any existing New Zealand export history. These details can affect eligibility and the evidence required.

Check breed and hybrid restrictions early. A health certificate does not override a prohibited-animal rule. Also discuss pregnancy, ongoing illness, medication or other care needs with the vet and quarantine facility before the transport plan is fixed.

The UK route involves more than the rules used for pets arriving from Australia. Do not borrow an Australia-to-New-Zealand checklist for a pet being prepared in Great Britain.

Identity and rabies preparation

Arrange the official identification procedure required by the selected standard before assuming that an ordinary microchip scan is sufficient. Have the microchip checked against every vaccination record and laboratory report as the preparation progresses.

Rabies vaccination and antibody testing are part of the relevant UK preparation pathway. Their order, acceptable evidence and timing need to match the standard and permit. Ask for the earliest eligible travel date to be calculated from the actual records.

Plan well ahead and keep vaccination validity continuous where required. If records are missing, request them from previous practices before repeating work or promising a travel date. A clear early review can prevent months of avoidable delay.

A workable relocation timeline

At the start, confirm eligibility and the applicable standard, then create a veterinary schedule with the required identity, vaccination and testing stages. Choose a tentative travel period with enough room for the longer preparation requirements.

Next, coordinate the import permit, approved quarantine reservation and transport arrangements. Use the animal's confirmed eligibility date when choosing a flight, rather than selecting a ticket first and trying to fit preparation around it.

In the final preparation period, complete the required species-specific tests, treatments and examination, then obtain the correct official certification. Build in time for laboratory reporting and document checking. If any step is delayed, review every deadline affected by the new date.

Keep one complete evidence pack

Your working folder should contain the microchip and identity-check evidence, vaccination history, rabies test report, any other required laboratory results, treatment records, import permit, quarantine confirmation and the complete flight itinerary.

APHA publishes separate UK export certificates for dogs, certificate 6026, and cats, certificate 2593. The Official Veterinarian must check the current versions, supporting documents and compatibility with the chosen New Zealand standard. A certificate number alone is not proof that the full current pathway has been met.

Use the same animal identity and owner or importer information across all records. Ask the certifying team to flag any mismatch early, especially on a laboratory report. Keep clear copies, but carry originals and certified attachments in the form required for the journey.

Dogs and cats have different final checklists

Some preparation is shared, but the full dog and cat programmes are not interchangeable. The relevant standard and permit determine the applicable disease tests, vaccinations, parasite treatments and declarations.

Ask for a schedule that names each task and its deadline, rather than a note saying 'export bloods and worming'. This makes it possible to see which appointment depends on a previous result and which evidence must reach the certifying vet before signing.

Tell the team about neuter status, changes in health and any new medication. If treatment is prescribed during preparation, have its compatibility with the export programme checked. Do not substitute an owner's routine parasite product for a required veterinary treatment without confirmation.

Quarantine is part of the arrival plan

For the ordinary UK pathway, expect a stay at an MPI-approved quarantine facility. MPI describes a mandatory minimum of ten days for the usual cat-and-dog route, with longer stays or additional treatment and testing possible when needed.

Reserve the appropriate facility and confirm how the animal is transferred from the arrival point. Ask what information it needs about medication, food and care before departure, and what must be left out of the travel crate.

Plan the family's first days around the pet being in quarantine. Keep the collection date flexible until release is confirmed, and avoid booking an onward domestic journey that depends on the minimum stay being guaranteed.

Flights, transit and handover

Every connection should be checked against the selected import standard and the carrier's pet conditions. Ask where the animal is held, whether it changes aircraft and how long the transfer will take. A change in transit country is a change to review, not a purely administrative amendment.

Confirm the approved crate dimensions and introduce the crate well before departure. Make sure the transport provider has the latest certificate pack and the contact details for the quarantine facility and receiving person.

Choose one person to maintain the master itinerary and share updates with the vet, shipper and quarantine facility. This avoids a revised flight reaching one party while another is still calculating deadlines from the original booking.

Keep the evidence for any future return

If your pet may later return to Great Britain, retain its New Zealand import and vaccination records. A qualifying return from New Zealand follows Britain's listed-country pathway, so a rabies antibody test is not routinely required simply because the journey is long-haul.

Accepted return documentation, identification, rabies preparation and an approved route still need to be arranged. Discuss the appropriate New Zealand export certification well ahead of the return flight rather than expecting the old outward EHC to remain a return ticket.

Dogs normally need a vet-administered tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before British arrival. Account for the total flight and connection time. Any side trip or change in country history should be disclosed when the return requirements are checked.

The points that can derail a move

Starting under one import standard and finishing under another without review is a particular risk during the transition. So is postponing the official identity process because the pet already has a microchip.

Other preventable problems include inconsistent chip numbers, a missed vaccination deadline, an unapproved transit arrangement and flights booked without a matching quarantine reservation. Keep a dated checklist and review it whenever the itinerary changes.

New Zealand pet travel: common questions

Which New Zealand rules apply to my pet?

The answer depends on the import date and the pathway chosen during the transition. From 1 April 2027 the new standard is mandatory. Ask the certifying team to confirm the standard in writing before preparation begins.

Does an existing microchip satisfy the new identity requirement?

Not by itself. The official identity-check process is a separate evidential step. Have the required procedure and timing confirmed for your animal and arrival date.

Will my pet need quarantine?

For an ordinary dog or cat arriving from Great Britain, plan an approved quarantine stay. The published minimum is ten days, but release depends on compliance and the animal's condition.

Can I use the same export certificate for a dog and a cat?

UK export certification is species-specific, with separate dog and cat certificates. The preparation schedule and supporting declarations must also match the animal and selected import standard.

Plan your paperwork with TPPC

For help with your New Zealand travel paperwork, send The Pet Passport Co. your proposed dates, full route, pet details and available veterinary records. Include any import permit, previous overseas residence and whether you are planning to return to Britain.

Ask for the relevant pathway and appointment availability to be confirmed before committing to a tightly timed flight. The aim is a clear preparation plan, with the right evidence ready for certification.

Ask us about your pet's journey

Official sources and review date

Guidance checked on 11 October 2026. Requirements can change; the current official conditions, individual permit where applicable and transport operator's rules should be checked again for your travel date.

• MPI: choosing the current New Zealand pathway
• MPI: 2026 import steps
• MPI: requirement documents and certificate models
• MPI: approved quarantine under the 2026 process
• APHA: dog export certificate 6026
• APHA: cat export certificate 2593
• GOV.UK: the document needed for entry to Great Britain
• GOV.UK: tapeworm treatment for dogs returning to Britain