Reviewed by Vet Travel Docs on 17 September 2026. Official requirements can change; the linked government sources remain authoritative.
Vet Travel Docs supports an NZ$25 check for one personally owned dog or cat flying directly from Great Britain or any EU Member State to New Zealand.
Quarantine is required
Plan for a minimum 10 days at an MPI-approved quarantine facility. The stay may be longer if requirements are not met, the pet is unwell, parasites are detected or final inspection is delayed. MPI clearance sets the actual release date.
What the check covers
- the approved Category 3 country pathway;
- ISO-readable microchip and applicable official identity-check timing;
- rabies vaccination, testing, treatment and veterinary-certificate evidence;
- the MPI import permit and approved quarantine booking;
- the live transition between the 2021 and 2026 import standards; and
- clear quarantine, carrier, transit and outstanding-action findings.
The 2026 standard came into force on 1 July 2026. MPI accepts the older pathway only during the published transition through 31 March 2027. Vet Travel Docs does not obtain the permit, book quarantine, issue the official certificate or decide the release date.
Non-commercial boundary
This check excludes sale, adoption, rehoming, breeding-stock transfer and every other commercial movement.