Moving a cat or dog from Australia to Poland

What you do not need

• No RNAT titre test and no 180-day wait — the EU does not require them for animals coming from Australia.
• No quarantine in Poland. After the veterinary check at the airport the animal goes home.
• No Polish import permit for a pet travelling with its owner.

Step by step

• Microchip. An ISO microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination — otherwise the vaccination does not count.
• Rabies vaccination. After a first (primary) vaccination at least 21 days must pass before the animal enters the EU. A valid booster has no waiting period.
• Notice of Intention to the Department of Agriculture. Send it to the regional office of the state you fly from at least 10 working days before departure. The department charges fees for the notice, the health certificate and the export permit.
• EU health certificate. Your registered vet examines the animal and fills in the EU certificate for pets (English and Polish). The department endorses it at a pre-export appointment. The animal must enter the EU within 10 days of the certificate being issued.
• Flight. From Australia animals usually fly as air cargo with a connection, for example via Doha. The route and the crate are agreed with the airline in advance.
• Arrival in Warsaw. Veterinary and customs checks at the airport, then the animal is released to you.

The five-day rule

All of the above applies when the owner — or a person the owner authorises in writing — travels to Poland within five days of the animal. If nobody travels within that window, the move counts as a commercial import: a different certificate, a border control post and noticeably higher cost and time. This is worth deciding first, before booking anything.

How long it takes and what it costs

With a current vaccination, 4–6 weeks is usually enough. If the animal still needs a microchip or a first vaccination, add at least three weeks. The cost is made up of the Australian vet, the department's fees, the flight and the crate; the flight depends mostly on the animal's size and the season. We send an itemised estimate for your specific case.

What we do

We coordinate the move from Poland: we check the dates and the documents before they reach the department, arrange the flight with our airline partner and take care of clearance at Warsaw airport. You deal with one person instead of a vet, a department, an airline and a customs office.