Your Pets
NOTE: Cats and Dogs from Australia
Until further notice, the restricted clearance times for cats and dogs from Australia to Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland are between 5.30 am and 6.30 pm on week days.
Ministry for Primary Industries must be notified at least 72 hours before the expected time of arrival of any animal. Please refer to section on arrival times in the Guidance Document for relevant contact details.
Cats and Dogs
For information on bringing cats or dogs to New Zealand
Other pets that may be imported
Chinchillas
Chinchillas can be imported from the United Kingdom only.
You will need to follow the Import Health Standard. All biosecurity requirements must be met before your chinchilla can enter New Zealand.
An import permit is required.
Fish (ornamental)
You can import ornamental fish that are listed in Appendix Two of the Import Health Standard (IHS). All biosecurity requirements listed in this IHS must be met before importation is allowed.
The fish will need to be quarantined on arrival at an approved transitional facility. See section Quarantine in New Zealand of the IHS for quarantine time requirements.
List of quarantine facilities 
(52 KB) you can contact to see if they will quarantine your fish. Once you have made the quarantine arrangements you will need to apply for an import permit.
Horses
Importing Horses from Approved Countries
Rabbits
Rabbits may be imported from Australia only.
You will need to follow the Import Health Standard. All biosecurity requirements must be met before your rabbit can enter New Zealand.
Importing Rabbits from Australia
An import permit is required.
Pets you may not bring to New Zealand
Birds
New Zealand has a unique population of rare and endangered birds. Because of its isolation it also has a unique disease freedom status with regards to a number of major diseases of birds and poultry. In order to keep this status no imports of live birds can be allowed until the risks of such imports have been thoroughly examined and an import health standard has been developed.
MPI is developing an import risk analysis for live psittacine birds (including parrots, budgerigars and cockatiels) to examine all the potential risks associated with importing parrots and the possible ways of managing these risks. An Import Health Standard can then be developed. This process involves extensive research and consultation and can take a few years to complete. You can subscribe to the MPI animal imports mailing list to be notified of progress with new standard development.
If the bird you wish to import is not a psittacine bird you will need to request an import health standard to be developed.
For further information on risk analysis and import health standard development.
Ferrets
Guinea Pigs
Mice & rats (except laboratory animals)
Reptiles
Snakes
For further information regarding live animals, animal products and germplasm (semen and embryos) contact animalimports@mpi.govt.nz
Page last updated: 6 May 2013