We don’t want to discourage anyone from adopting, but what they say it’s true: importing a cat into Australia is a long and arduous process. Putting together this section took a lot of research and fact-checking. We were lucky to get first-hand accounts from people who have done it and people who are now in the midst of it.
Wondering what you need to do to take your Cambodian rescue back home? Read on! MARCO LACHMANN/PIXABAY
The first thing to note is that Cambodia is not an “approved” country, so you are not allowed to send your pet directly from here. You must go through an intermediary country. The process can feel overwhelming as you will have to meet the import requirements of two separate countries.
With this in mind, let’s dive right in!
How is Covid Affecting the Process of Sending Pets to Australia?
If ever there was a bad time to take your pet to Australia, we hate to tell you, is now. There are several reasons why. First of all, Australia now has a cap on international arrivals. If you’re scheduled to fly home to Australia in the coming weeks, the government recommends that you confirm your itinerary with your airline or travel agent. On top of that, those returning home will have to shoulder the cost of mandatory hotel quarantine (AUD 3,000).
Getting home now as an Australian can be testing all on its own, let alone if you are bringing your pets along. The post-entry quarantine (PEQ) facility in Mickleham is experiencing an exceptionally high volume of requests and is booked out until April, according to users in the Facebook group Pets Flying to Australia.
One more thing to consider: a lot of airplane routes have been cancelled, further complicating the process. Not only that, but a lot of airlines have switched to smaller aircraft lacking the facilities needed to transport animals. All in all, the current time is a horrible one to take your pets back to Australia. At least one of the persons interviewed for this article told us that they have decided to wait unit next year when “hopefully, things have settled.”
How Much Does It Cost to Bring My Cat to Australia From Cambodia?
The cost can vary widely according to factors like which agent you choose (if any at all) or which intermediary country you go through. One of our interviewees, who went through this process two years ago, reckons she spent approximately $2,000-$3,000 per cat, not including accommodation in transit country (Malaysia). Sadly, it seems like the cost has increased drastically, particularly as Covid plays its dirty tricks.
Bringing your furry friends to Australia can get costly. MINISTRY OF CAT
Ministry of Cat interviewed Carol, who is now in the midst of it all. Using Singapore as her intermediary country, she has been quoted 13,842 Singaporean dollars (AUD 13,853) to move her two cats from Cambodia all the way to Brisbane. The quoted figure doesn’t include the flight from Cambodia to Singapore, but it seems to cover everything else. You can see pictures of this quote below under the section “Singapore”.
One of the highest expenses will be the accommodation of your pet (and yourself) in intermediary countries. Expect to stay in the intermediary country for at least a full month. No need to tell you that paying for accommodation for you and your pet for a month in a place like Singapore can get ridiculously pricey.
To make matters worse, it seems like the best shot to get your pet into Australia now is using New Zealand as the intermediary country. However, New Zealand won’t take in cats flying directly from Cambodia, as the Kingdom is classified as a high rabies country. You will first need to stay in Malaysia. Paying for accommodation in two intermediaries countries, as the Malaysia-New Zealand route demands, can make costs spiral out of control. If you choose this route, your pet will have to stay in New Zealand a minimum of 90 days, as required by the Australian government.
Cost Breakdown
The following is a list of all the costs involved in bringing your cat from Cambodia to Australia. We’ve compiled this list using this very helpful blog as reference as well as interviews with five people who either have already taken Cambodian pets to Australia or are now in the process.
We tried to make this list as comprehensive as possible, but there will always be extra costs according to each individual case. The cost of some items can vary greatly depending on the provider and on the country you choose for transshipment. What we’ve tried to do here is to provide a ballpark figure of what you can expect to pay.
For most figures, we err on the side of caution by giving you the larger estimates. For others, we have provided a range. A particularly hard item is the pet fee that airlines charge. This varies significantly according to the airline and, of course, the route. Since we are not basing these numbers on any particular route, for this item we are just giving you a wide range. Finally, when the “$” symbol is used, it refers to US dollars.
Cambodia
Microchipping: $80
De-sexing: $90
Initial rabies vaccination: $25
General vaccination: $35
General vaccination boosters: $35
Deworming: $10
Treatment for ticks and fleas: $10
Blood sampling for rabies test (including postage to approved lab): $60
Initial RNAT test: $90
Australian import permit: AUD 480 ($365)
Import permit for transit country (including admin costs): $35
Health certificate: $25
Export permit: $60
IATA-approved carrier: $50-$80
Transport to airport: $10
Pet fee to fly to transit country: $50-$500
Transit Country
Customs clearance:$25
Transport to quarantine station: $15
Quarantine: $500-$750
Boarding: $500-$600
Second rabies vaccination: $15
General vaccination: $35
General vaccination boosters: $35
Blood sampling for second rabies test (including postage to approved lab): $120
Second RNAT test: $100-$130
External parasite treatment: $40
Internal parasite treatment: $10
Export permit: $30
Health certificate and vet inspection: $30
Vet/agent admin charges: $250-$500
Transport to airport: $20-$80
Pet fee to fly to Australia: $50-$500
Australia
Airline handling fee: AUD 125-AUD 150 ($95-$114)
Customs clearance: AUD 163 ($124)
Quarantine stay at Mickleham: AUD 290 ($220)
Importation charge: AUD 1,200 ($911)
Grand total per cat: $4,155 - $5,794 (AUD 5,492 - AUD 7,659)
How Far in Advance Should I Begin the Process of Relocating My Cambodian Pet to Australia?
For this, we have a more straightforward answer than for the question of cost. It is imperative that you start the process of moving your Cambodian cat to Australia a full year in advance, at the very least. Anything short of that will surely spell disaster.
Life is unpredictable and you never know if circumstances will force you to go back home in the near future. We’ve seen way too many people suffer because they had to leave their pets temporarily behind after they were called back home unexpectedly. Because of this, we recommend that you start the process of getting your pet travel-ready as soon as you adopt her. This starts with getting your pet microchipped early and making sure you keep up-to-date with her vaccines.
Another step that you can get out of the way early is the initial Rabies Neutralising Antibody Test (RNAT) or titer test. Once you pass this test, it will be valid for two years from the date of blood sampling (for other countries, the RNAT test is good indefinitely).
Should I Hire an Agency?
The process of bringing a Cambodian cat to Australia is a complex one. It’s no wonder that some choose to rely on an agent as much as possible. This does, however, bring up the price considerably. According to the blog mentioned earlier, going through an agent could make the process twice as expensive, bringing up the cost by thousands of dollars.
However, if you have the money to do it, here is a good source to find agents that can help you. Keep in mind that prices among these agents vary significantly and not all of them offer the same services.
Ministry of Cat talked to an Australian resident who took two cats back home two years ago. Our interviewee chose to conduct all preparations by herself, beginning the process a whole year ahead of her expected departure date. She told us that, “it was stressful for me doing it solo but I was trying to keep costs down.”
It is worth noting, however, that you will probably have to hire the services of an agent at some point, whether you want it or not. For example, in certain countries, the transferring of pets to quarantine stations in airports can only be done by an agent.
The Process of Exporting a Cat to Australia at a Glance
Here is a very simplified breakdown of the steps involved in getting your pet from Cambodia to Australia.
In Cambodia
Get your pet microchipped
Vaccinate against rabies and keep up with yearly shots
First of two Rabies Neutralising Antibody (RNAT) tests
Choose intermediary country
Begin application for Australian import permit
In Intermediary Country
Your RNAT test must be confirmed
Revaccinate your cat with inactivated rabies vaccine
Get the rabies vaccination and RNAT test declaration completed by an official government veterinarian
Book space at the Mickleham quarantine facility in Melbourne
Your cat must receive treatment for internal and external parasites by a government-approved vet.
Final inspection by a veterinarian five days before departure to confirm that the cat is free of ticks, fleas, and infectious or contagious diseases
Five days within departure, a vet must complete the veterinary health certificate
In Australia
Pet will quarantine for a minimum of 10 days at the Mickleham quarantine facility in Melbourne
For an in-depth dive into each item listed above, continue reading.
What Intermediary Country Should I Choose?
Malaysia used to be the intermediary country by default if you wanted to bring your cats to Australia from Cambodia. However, in February, Malaysia was removed from the list of pre-entry countries due to some suspicious activity on behalf of several agents. Let’s take a look at the other options available.
Singapore
With Malaysia out of the picture, Singapore looks like the logical choice. We were able to contact Carol, who is currently in the process of moving her cats to Australia from Cambodia via Singapore.
She is using Shiloh Animal Express, a Singaporean agency. She was quoted over AUD 13,000 to take her two cats all the way to Brisbane. You can see pictures of her quote below. Keep in mind that each picture is for a separate leg of the same journey. One of the pictures is dated February, but that’s a mistake—the quote was issued in July. Note that the quote is in Singaporean dollars, which is now in near parity with the Australian dollar. The last thing you need to know is that the quote covers everything except the flights from Cambodia to Singapore.
Quote for bringing a cat from Phnom Penh to Brisbane, leg 1. COURTESY OF CAROL MARTIN
Quote for bringing a cat from Phnom Penh to Brisbane, leg 2. COURTESY OF CAROL MARTIN
If you choose this route, your cat must quarantine in Singapore for 30 days. Unfortunately, it seems like the quarantine facility in Singapore is booked out until March 2021. This has made several of our interviewees consider the option below. Finally, a big drawback of choosing Singapore as your transit country is that it is very expensive. If you stay in the city-state during your cat’s quarantine, your accommodation costs may be too much to bear.
Malaysia—New Zealand
Several people in the Pets Flying to Australia Facebook group are now attempting to ship their cat to New Zealand through Malaysia. The main benefit of this route is that you can skip quarantine in Melbourne, since Australia doesn’t impose this requirement on pets coming from New Zealand.
You will still have to quarantine though, but in New Zealand. However, according to Wayne, who is now in the middle of importing his own pets into Australia, “New Zealand quarantine is 50 percent cheaper than Australian quarantine. Also, the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland is a nonstop night flight, so perfect for pets as they just sleep.” Wayne also assured us that there were no delays or backlog in the quarantine facility in New Zealand.
This route’s main drawback is that it takes a long time. Your pet must stay in Malaysia at least 180 days. On top of that, she will have to spend at least 90 days in New Zealand to qualify to enter Australia. The “detour” to Malaysia is necessary because New Zealand won’t accept pets from high rabies countries like Cambodia.
Doha
With two flights connecting Phnom Penh and this Middle Eastern city per week, Doha used to be a strong contender until very recently. In fact, Diane recently succeeded in bringing her cat to Australia using this route. Her cat arrived home just this month.
Unfortunately, it seems like Doha is not an option anymore. A reliable source told us that Doha has stopped accepting pets unless they belong to a citizen or resident. Bummer.
A Note on Vets
Before we move on to explain each step of taking your Cambodian cat to Australia in more detail, I wanted to add a quick note on vets. Choosing the right vet in Cambodia is critical to successfully import your pet into Australia. The reason is that the standards of service quality vary greatly, as well as the quality of products like microchips. Possibly the number one factor to consider is whether the vet has experience with the process of getting animals ready to be exported to Australia. We can confirm that VSL has this experience and so they would be a good choice. People interviewed for this article have also recommended Agrovet.
While in Cambodia
The number one thing to remember is to start preparing your cat for travel as soon as possible. At the very least, give yourself at least a year to go through the following steps:
Microchipping your pet is the first step to take her home. MINISTRY OF CAT
1. Microchipping
You must get your animal microchipped before you conduct any tests or vaccinations. Anything done before you microchip her will not be recognized in Australia! Make sure the microchip your cat gets is approved by the Australian government and the intermediary country, otherwise all the subsequent steps will not be accepted and will have to be repeated. This microchip needs to be of a brand that is internationally recognized. Inserting a microchip costs anywhere from $25 to $80.
If you’ve adopted from Ministry of Cat, then you don’t have to worry about microchipping. All our cats here are already microchipped, fully vaccinated, and de-sexed.
2. Choose an Intermediary, ‘Approved’ Country
Pets cannot be shipped directly from Cambodia to Australia because the Kingdom is not an “approved” country. This means you will have to find an approved country and move your pet there. As we have mentioned above, with Malaysia out of the picture, your best bet as of writing (December 2020) is as follows:
Option A: Use Singapore as your intermediary country. The main problem with this alternative is that quarantine facilities in Singapore are apparently booked out until March 2021. Likewise, be ready for a significant toll on your pocket. A person interviewed for this article was recently quoted over AUD 13,000 to bring two cats from Phnom Penh all the way to Brisbane (not including airfare from Cambodia to Singapore).
Option B: Use New Zealand as your intermediary country. This option requires an extra step: since pets cannot fly directly from Cambodia to New Zealand, your cat will first have to be moved to Malaysia. The Malaysia-New Zealand route has its merits, the most appealing one is that you will be able to skip Australian quarantine (which is booked out until April).
3. Vaccinate Against Rabies
The initial rabies vaccination must be done in Cambodia. It must be followed by boosters annually or every three years (depending on the type of vaccine used). At least one rabies shot must be given after the microchip is implanted.
4. Perform the Initial RNAT Test
A month after the initial rabies vaccine, your vet can already draw a blood sample from your pet. This sample must then be sent to an approved lab for testing. This test cannot be done in Cambodia. It must be carried out exclusively in one of these approved labs.
I found some good advice on the topic of the RNAT test in the blog to which I linked earlier. The blogger recommends to be very thorough:
“Be very precise with the initial rabies blood test because this is critical for applying for and completing the import permit. If the blood test is not completed correctly to Australian standards/conditions it will be rejected and you have to start the process all over again (and make sure the laboratory that tests it is one of the APPROVED otherwise the Australian authority will reject it, which happened to another expat I knew).”
Keep in mind that there is a waiting period of 180 days, starting from the day the blood sample arrives at the laboratory, before you are allowed to import your cat.
5. Start Application for Import Permit to Australia
Once you get confirmation from the lab that your cat has passed the RNAT test, you can begin the application for the Australian import permit. However, you won’t be able to complete it until a later stage. The only documents you can submit in the initial application are the initial rabies vaccination and the results of the RNAT blood test.
The best way to complete the import permit application is to use the online system BICON. In total, it will set you back AUD 480, with about AUD 120 going toward the online application fee and the rest to cover the assessment process. The site is a bit clunky so be patient. You will only be able to complete the import permit once all the required tests have been performed at the intermediary country.
6. Obtain a Health Certificate
Some airlines demand a health certificate. This can be easily arranged with your vet, who should be able to get it done for about $60.
However, you can also go directly to the General Department of Animal Health and Production if you want to save some money. The same blogger says that she felt she was overcharged by her vet to get the health certificate done. After she spotted a mistake on the form, she went directly to the General Department of Animal Health and Production.
“They were incredibly friendly and helpful and provided me with a corrected certificate straight away. Now seeing how it works, if I was to have to export another dog I would personally organise the Cambodian health certificate myself,” she said, adding that it only took one to two hours to get the certificate done.
7. Purchase an IATA-approved Crate
You can read more on the topic of buying an international standard crate in our previous blog post Pet Travel Vol1: Bringing your cat to the EU or UK from Cambodia.
NOTE: At the Airport
On the day of your departure, make sure to arrive at the airport with even more time than you normally would as it might take a while for the airline to arrange for the right staff to come meet you.
While in Transit Country
Whichever transit country you chose, there is a long list of steps to follow now that you are on the second phase of the journey:
Your cats will have to spend at least a few weeks in the transit country. MINISTRY OF CAT
8. RNAT Test Confirmation
Your RNAT test must be confirmed. A government approved veterinarian in the country of transhipment must scan the cat’s microchip and collect a blood sample to perform the test. There are very precise specifications as to what constitutes a “passing grade” and how the report should be done, so make sure to read them at the official site of Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
9. Vaccinate Against Rabies Again
Your cat must be revaccinated with an inactivated rabies vaccine and you must provide evidence of this (see next step).
10. Rabies Vaccination and RNAT Test Declaration
An official government veterinarian must complete the rabies vaccination and RNAT test declaration. They must check the RNAT test laboratory report and rabies vaccination certificate and complete, sign, and stamp the RNAT test declaration. Once these documents are submitted to the Department of Agriculture, an export permit may be granted.
11. Finish Import Permit Application
You can now proceed to complete the application for the import permit that you started in Cambodia. Although the application website says it takes around a month to process your application, some users say theirs was approved/confirmed within a couple of weeks. Before you depart your transhipment country to Australia, you will need to have your import permit completed and issued with a valid import permit number.
12. Book Quarantine in Melbourne
Your cat will have to quarantine at the Mickleham post near Melbourne for a minimum of 10 days, so you will have to book her a spot in the facility. The problem is that there is a huge backlog of requests and the slots being granted as of writing are for April 2021.
If you chose to go the Malaysia-New Zealand route, you can skip this step. Your cat won’t have to quarantine in Melbourne as she would have already done it in Auckland. We heard from several contributors to the Facebook group Pets Flying to Australia that the quarantine facility in Auckland is more efficient and has less backlog than the one in Melbourne.
13. Internal Parasite Treatment
Your cat must receive two internal parasite treatments at least 14 days apart. These treatments must be administered by a government approved vet. The last treatment must be given 5 days within export.
14. External Parasite Treatment
A government approved vet must deflead the cat and treat her for fleas at least 21 days before departure.
15. Pre-departure Health Examination
Five days before export, the cat must be examined by a veterinarian and found to be free of ticks and fleas as well as of signs of infectious or contagious disease.
16. Complete Veterinary Health Certificate
A vet must complete, sign and stamp all pages of the veterinary health certificate (Appendix 1 in the import permit) five days within departure.
Once in Australia
The Sydney Opera House. ROBERT DYCHTO/PIXABAY
Once you arrive in Australia, your cat will be transported directly to the Mickleham post entry quarantine facility, where she will stay a minimum of 10 days (and consider yourself lucky because it used to be 30 days!)
Conclusion
Bringing a cat from Cambodia to Australia can be overwhelming. Heck, just writing this post took an insane amount of time and research. But with patience and care, you will be able to successfully bring your fur baby from the Kingdom to Australia.
The main thing to remember is to get started as soon as possible. There are several steps you can get out of the way right after the adoption, such as microchipping and vaccinating against rabies. Then begin researching which route is best for you as well the agents available. We hope this post is useful and helps you reunite with your feline friend at home. If you have more questions about this topic, drop us a message!