Taking a Pet Overseas: Which Documents Need Certifying

Mostly not by a notary. When you take a pet overseas from Australia, the key documents are certified by your registered vet and by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, which issues the export permit and health certificate. A notary comes in only when the destination asks for something notarised, such as a passport copy.

Key takeaways

• The importing country sets the health requirements. They can be complex and can change without notice.
• Your registered vet prepares the animal and the supporting records: tests, treatments, vaccinations and examinations.
• The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry issues the export permit and the government health certificate.
• Documents from the importing country that are not in English need a certified translation, which the department says should be by a NAATI translator or equivalent.
• A notary is only needed if the destination asks for something notarised, such as a copy of your passport or a signed declaration.
• If your pet may come back to Australia, talk to the department's imports team before it leaves.

Who certifies what when a pet leaves Australia?

The word "certified" means different things at different stages of pet export, and people often pay for a notary where none is needed. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) sets out the process in its guidance on exporting companion animals. In outline: you find out what the importing country requires, a registered vet prepares your animal against those requirements, you lodge a Notice of Intention to Export with the department, the vet does a final health examination close to departure, and a departmental certifying veterinary officer checks everything and issues the export permit and health certificate.

The health certificate is the document the destination relies on. It is issued by the Australian Government, not by a notary, and a notary cannot add anything to what it says about your animal. Check the current rules with the department before you start, since they are updated and the importing country's requirements drive the timing of every step.

Does the health certificate need an apostille?

Usually not. Most importing countries accept the Australian Government's health certificate as issued, because the certifying authority is itself a government body, and many work directly with the department on the certificate's wording. A few destinations may ask for extra steps, such as legalisation of the certificate at their embassy. If the importing country asks for that, raise it with the department early, because the certificate is issued close to departure and any extra step has to fit in the time before the flight.

If an apostille or authentication is genuinely required, the certificate is an original document issued by an Australian government agency, which is the kind of document DFAT's page on documents it can legalise says it can legalise directly, without a notary. Confirm with DFAT and the department whether that is possible for your certificate and in the time available. Our guide to which documents can be apostilled explains the general rule.

What about translations?

Translation comes up in two directions. Going in, DAFF says it only accepts documents issued by the importing country's government, such as an import permit, as the basis for the health certificate, and that where these are not in English you must provide a certified translation by a NAATI translator or equivalent. Going out, the destination may want Australian documents, such as vaccination records or the vet's declarations, translated into its language, and may say who can translate them.

A translation made in Australia by a NAATI certified translator suits the department's requirement. Whether the destination accepts it is up to the destination; some want a translator from their own list or a sworn translator in their country. Ask before you order one. Our guide to certified translation in Australia explains what a certified translation includes.

Document	Who issues or certifies it	Notary needed?
Importing country's requirements or import permit	The importing country's government	No; translate if not in English
Test results and laboratory reports	Laboratory; vet arranges	No
Vaccination and treatment records	Registered vet	No
Pre-export examination declaration	You and your vet sign it	No
Export permit and health certificate	Department of Agriculture	No
Copy of your passport for a foreign import application	You	Only if the destination asks for notarised copies
Ownership or residence declaration for the destination	You	Sometimes; the destination decides the form

When would you actually need a notary?

Only when the destination's rules ask for something notarised. That can happen when an import permit application wants proof of your identity or residence in a certified form, since a JP's certification is for Australian use and is not accepted overseas. It can also happen when the destination wants a signed statement from you, for example that the pet is your personal pet travelling with you rather than an animal for sale, or that you are moving there permanently. A notary can certify copies of your documents after sighting the originals, witness your signature, or administer an oath for a sworn statement.

What a notary cannot do is certify anything about the animal. A notary has no way to confirm a microchip number, a vaccination or a test result, and a notarial certificate on a vet's record only confirms the copy matches the original, not that the record is accurate. If a destination asks for a vet's document to be "certified", the answer is almost always the department's endorsement, not a notary. Ask the destination to confirm which it means.

How do you get the paperwork in order?

1. Get the importing country's requirements in writing. From that country's authority, and check the department's published requirements for that destination.
2. Decide whether your pet may return. If so, contact the department's imports team before export, because some return conditions must be met before the animal leaves.
3. Engage a registered vet. Give them the requirements and any import permit, and plan the tests, treatments and examinations.
4. Arrange translations. NAATI translations of any non-English foreign documents, and any translations the destination wants.
5. Lodge the Notice of Intention to Export. With the department's regional office, or through a pet transport company.
6. Notarise only what the destination asks for. Such as a passport copy or a signed declaration, with an apostille if required.

What if your pet may come back to Australia?

This is the step most often missed. The department warns that some animals cannot be imported or returned to Australia at all, that some cannot come from certain countries, and that there may be requirements to meet before export if the animal is returning within a short period. Cats and dogs coming into Australia need an import permit and must meet Australia's own biosecurity conditions, which are strict. Assistance dogs are not exempt from those conditions on return.

If there is any chance you will bring the animal back, speak to the department's imports team before your pet leaves. Keep every record from the export, because the department requires exporters to keep them for a period, and they may be needed for a return. Our guide to documents for moving overseas covers the rest of a permanent move.

Should you use a pet transport company?

The department suggests considering one, because the preparation is detailed and a missed step can delay departure or lead to the animal being detained on arrival. A pet transport company can manage some or all of the preparation, lodge the Notice of Intention to Export if it agrees to, and attend the vet and departmental appointments on your behalf. It does not change who certifies what: the vet and the department still sign the animal's papers. If the company asks you to sign an authority so it can act for you with an overseas airline or agent, read it carefully, and ask whether the destination actually requires it to be notarised before paying for that.

What about birds, native animals and other species?

The department's guidance covers more than cats and dogs: birds, fish, exotic and native animals, and others. Some species carry extra requirements. Animals listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and Australian native animals that are not on the CITES list, need further permits before they can leave. These are government permits, not notarial documents, and a notary has no role in obtaining them. Check early with the department, because export of some of these animals is tightly restricted.

Common mistakes to avoid

The first is paying a notary to "certify" vaccination records when the destination actually wants the department's health certificate. The second is starting too late: tests and treatments often have to be done in a set order before departure, and the importing country decides the timing. The third is relying on a translation the department or the destination does not accept. The fourth is not asking about the return trip until the pet is already overseas.

Here is an illustration, not a real case.

Marco is moving from Melbourne to Italy with his dog. He asks the Italian authorities and the department what is required, and his vet plans the microchip check, vaccination and examinations. The Italian side accepts the department's health certificate. Marco's Italian residence application separately wants a notarised copy of his passport with an apostille, so he sees a notary for that alone. He also asks the imports team what he would need if the dog returns in a few years.

In short

Taking a pet overseas from Australia runs through your vet and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, which issues the export permit and health certificate that the destination relies on. Translations of foreign documents should be by a NAATI translator. A notary is needed only for the extra documents a destination asks to have notarised, such as a passport copy or a signed declaration. Check the current rules with the department and the importing country. Our document translation services page covers translating import permits and other documents.

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Asked for a notarised copy or a translation for your pet's move? Send us the destination's requirements, and we will explain each step before you book.