Bringing Pets into New Zealand

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What Kind of Pets Can You Take With You to New Zealand?

Only a few kinds of animals can be brought into New Zealand. There are only four other kinds of animals that you will be able to bring with you in New Zealand aside from the obvious cats and dogs (see below).

You will be able to bring horses, but only from approved countries, some kinds of fish under tight conditions, chinchillas only from the UK, and rabbits only from Australia. That’s it!

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What is the Process to Bring Cats and Dogs into New Zealand?

Note: Many links are to the same PDF file as it contains 40 pages of forms and info wrapped together.

Cats and dogs have a pretty similar regulation on their importation in NZ. The amount of paperwork needed will depend on your country of origin. To find your country’s category, check your category now. Then you will have to get your vet to fill up the veterinary certificate on the same PDF document.

Next step, is to ensure that your pet has an approved microchip so you can get on to the vaccinations and record them to onto its microchip. Any vaccinations that are not recorded onto the microchip do not count! Vaccinations depend on your country’s category. Then it is time for you to get on the serious paperwork, you will have to check all of the following:

• Make a reservation at a quarantine facility
• Apply for an import permit
• Sort out your pet’s medication and declare them along with the appropriate documents
• Send advance notification of arrival to MPI at the port of arrival.

Finally, your pet will have to pass between 5 to 12 treatments and inspections during the 30 days prior to departure. For full info refer to the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) website.

Bringing Assistance and Guide Dogs to New Zealand

For bringing an assistance dog to New Zealand, the process is similar to the above with just a few exceptions:

• You will need to provide documentation to show that your dog meets the assistance dog requirements
• You will have different contact numbers and MPI notification process for informing MPI of your arrival into New Zealand
• Home quarantine will be mandatory.

For more information on importing assistance and guide dogs, see this page of the MPI website.

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How to Travel with a Pet in New Zealand

Upon researching the subject, we only found fewer than 70 hotels that would allow you to bring your pets in the whole New Zealand. For those on a budget, no hostel in the country will let you bring any pets in their dorms. It seems quite obvious that one who wants to travel with a pet in New Zealand will have a hard time…

The easy choice would be to start looking at camping options, many private camping will let you have your pet on a leash but only if they behave. Most of the camping grounds ran by the Department of Conservation will not allow you to bring pets as most reserves, national parks and other protected areas ban pets. In short:

• When in a backpacking adventure in New Zealand, don’t bring your pet!
• If you do, stick somewhere! In a farm, for example, for most of your trip and leave your pet there to take short trips around.
• Prepare your pet’s arrival months prior to departure and be ready for a load of paperwork.

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List of Animals Strictly Prohibited in New Zealand

It is nearly impossible to bring the following pets with you in New Zealand:

• Birds
• Ferrets
• Guinea Pigs
• Mice
• Rats
• Reptiles
• Snakes

There’s so much amazing wildlife here in New Zealand that maybe you don’t need to bring your pet? Check out our article for inspiration: 11 Animals and Birds Unique to New Zealand.