Of course your beloved pet has grown to become part of the family, and the thought of having to part with them is enough to put you off migrating. But there is no reason why your pet can't come with you, it is just something that requires a little bit of forward planning.

Generally you can ship any species of animal but different quarantine restrictions will apply. There are some species of dogs that are not eligible for importation to Australia, New Zealand or the Province of Ontario in Canada due to their aggressive nature.

There are many specialist pet removal companies that will handle all the paperwork for you and take the hassle out of organising the shipping of your pet.

Australia

Australia is particularly strict, and will require your pet to be housed in quarintine for a period of time after it arrives. This is not done to put people off bringing their pets with them, but rather to insure that no exotic diseases are introduced into Australia.

If you want to import a cat or dog into Australia, you need to apply with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) at least five months prior to departure. AQIS officers will assess your application and – provided your pet meets the conditions –grant you an import permit. With this import permit you can book your pet into an AQIS-approved post-arrival animal quarantine station, quarantine stations are located in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

For other animals you should check the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service website to see what quarantine restrictions apply.

New Zealand

New Zealand is not quite as strict when it come it importing pets but there are still restrictions and health criteria that must be met.

Cats and dogs coming from Australia, United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Hawaii and Singapore do not require quarantine, but do require certification and will be inspected for ticks on arrival.

You should check the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Biosecurity website for more information.

Canada

Canada does not have any quarantine restrictions for cats or dogs being imported, but it may require certificates if the pet is under a certain age (generally 3 months) and if the country you are coming from is certified as rabies free or not.

Other pets may have quarantine or other restrictions placed on them, you can check the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website for more information.