Importing your pet bird

To be eligible for import your bird must be:

• able to comply with requirements under Australian environment legislation (the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, see step 2); AND
• able to comply with the biosecurity import permit conditions under the Biosecurity Act 2015 (see step 3 onwards); AND
• compliant with rules of the state or territory of residence in Australia (such as entry or keeping permits). You should contact the relevant state or territory for information.

To import your psittacine pet bird to Australia, you will require at least two import permits – one granted under biosecurity laws by us – the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and one granted under environment laws by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is administered by a separate department, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).

To be eligible for import under that legislation, your pet bird’s species must be listed in the live import list. Check this list to see if your bird’s species is listed. All psittacine species currently listed are in Part 2 of the list.

If your bird’s species is on Part 2 of the list you must apply to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water for a permit to import under this environment legislation. The permit will be either a:

• CITES permit, for CITES listed species, or
• Regulated Live Import permit, for non-CITES listed species.

We suggest contacting the DCCEEW wildlife trade team for advice by email at wps@dcceew.gov.au before applying. Allow up to 40 business days for your permit to be processed. When granted, permits are usually valid for 6 months.

If your bird’s species is not on the list, it cannot be imported into Australia unless the species is added to the list. You may apply to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water for the species to be added to the list. Enquiries should be sent to exotic.species@dcceew.gov.au

We are aware that the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is seeking public comment between 1 and 30 June 2023, on their proposal to delete most psittacine species from the live list. You can find more information about this proposal on their website.

We’ve listed some of the conditions here. Check BICON to ensure you can meet all requirements. Your pet bird must be:

• a psittacine species
• moving with you from New Zealand to live in Australia
• a genuine household pet. You can import up to 2 birds only per household. They must not be kept in an aviary or used for breeding
• kept by you for at least one year before starting pre-export quarantine
• identified with a microchip or permanent leg band.

Check that you can meet all of the biosecurity import conditions. Follow these steps:

1. Go to our BICON database.
2. Enter ‘pet bird’ into quick search bar.
3. Select ‘Household pet birds (psittacine birds only)’.
4. Answer each question and select the ‘Next’ button.

The import conditions you must meet will be listed on the final page.

For more information you can email avianimports@aff.gov.au.

Check our charging guidelines for fees and charges relating to services we provide:

• biosecurity import permit application charge and assessment fees
• biosecurity document assessment fees
• inspection of post-arrival quarantine premises fees
• bird inspection fee/s.

You can also expect costs associated with services provided by others:

• the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries
• export wildlife/conservation permits from New Zealand
• wildlife/ environment import permit (DCCEEW)
• any Australian state import permit/ wildlife keeping permits
• meeting import permit conditions, such as private veterinarian examination/s
• travel arrangements.

Contact the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries to:

• arrange for approval of the pre-export quarantine facility
• arrange supervision of pre-export quarantine
• arrange examination of your pet bird in pre-export quarantine
• book an appointment for final certification and sealing of the transport crate
• determine whether New Zealand has any additional export requirements, including wildlife trade export permit requirements.

See more about pets leaving New Zealand on the New Zealand website.

You will need to apply for a biosecurity import permit.

1. Go to our BICON database.
2. Enter ‘pet bird’ into quick search bar.
3. Select ‘Household pet birds (psittacine birds only)’.
4. Answer each question and select the ‘Next’ button.
5. Click ‘Apply now’ at the end of the last page.

If granted, a biosecurity import permit is valid for 6 months.

You need to set up a dedicated quarantine room where your bird will complete 45 days post-arrival quarantine.

This must be at the post-arrival quarantine premises address that you nominate in your biosecurity import permit application (step 6). The premises may be your home, or that of a close family member or friend. The premises must:

• be close to one of our regional offices
• not have any other birds on site, including pet birds and poultry.

The dedicated quarantine room must:

• be entirely indoors and enclosed (have no exterior opening doors)
• securely contain your bird to prevent escape (you must provide a cage within the room)
• provide 2 mosquito-proof barriers (for example, a mosquito-proof door into the room, mosquito-proof lockable windows and mosquito gauze over the cage)
• be suitable for housing your bird and its waste for at least 45 days (including droppings, food, feathers and cage linings).

Once the dedicated room is set up, email your closest regional office to arrange an inspection.

A biosecurity officer must inspect your nominated post-arrival quarantine premises before we issue your biosecurity import permit.

We recommend using a pet transport company in New Zealand. They may help you with:

• flights (including pickup and drop-off)
• a mosquito-proof IATA compliant transport crate
• Australian customs requirements
• submission of the Notice of intention to import to us
• certification and transport crate inspection by the Ministry for Primary Industries government veterinary officer.

See IATA Pet Shippers: Air and Ground for a list of animal transport companies in New Zealand.

Place your bird in pre-export quarantine at the approved premises at least 45 days immediately before export.

A New Zealand official government veterinary officer must examine your bird in pre-export quarantine within one week of commencement.

A veterinarian must examine your bird within 96 hours of export from New Zealand and complete a health declaration.  

This examination may be performed by a New Zealand registered private veterinarian this, or a New Zealand official government veterinary officer.

Ensure that you have a clean, mosquito-proof, IATA-compliant transport crate. Contact the airline for assistance if you are not using a pet transport company.

Remember:

• keep items in your bird’s transport cage to a minimum
• no fresh fruit or vegetables are to be provided as food during transport
• your bird’s pellets or seed must be kept to a minimum. It will be removed as biosecurity waste on arrival by a biosecurity officer.
• the cage and items must be stored in the post-arrival quarantine room until your bird completes post-arrival quarantine (at least 45 days).

At least 72 hours before your bird will arrive in Australia, you must submit your Notice of intention (NOI) to import by email to us.

All the details you need to include in your NOI are found in your import permit.

Take to your appointment with the New Zealand official government veterinary officer:

• a printed but unsigned ‘Certificate 1: Owner’s pre-export declaration’ (Appendix 1 of your import permit)
• the private veterinarian’s examination declaration within 96 hours of export (if applicable)
• wildlife trade export permit/s
• wildlife/environment import permit (DCCEEW)
• any relevant Australian state/territory permits
• Australian biosecurity import permit
• your pet bird inside the clean, mosquito-proof, IATA compliant transport crate.

The New Zealand official government veterinary officer will:

• complete and certify the ‘Certificate 2: Zoosanitary certificate’ (Appendix 2 of your import permit)
• examine your bird
• apply official government seal to the transport crate.

Take your pet bird in the sealed transport crate, and the original official certification, to the airport before the flight.

If you are using a pet transport company, they may do this for you.

You or your agent must be at the airport on arrival to:

• receive your bird after inspection
• accept responsibility for meeting all the import conditions.

One of our officers will inspect your bird and health certification.

You or your agent may be required to handle your bird to verify its leg ring or microchip number. This will either be done at the airport, or an officer will visit your approved quarantine premises within 3 days.

Transport your bird by the most direct route to your post-arrival quarantine premises. Your bird must remain inside their transport cage for the entire journey.

On arrival at the approved post-arrival quarantine premises:

• take your bird straight to the approved quarantine room
• remove the official seal from the transport crate (if not removed by an officer at the airport)
• place your bird into the approved cage
• drape the mosquito gauze over the entire cage
• collect pellets or seed from the transport crate for a biosecurity officer to collect (if not removed by an officer at the airport)
• store the transport crate and cage items at the post-arrival quarantine premises until the bird is released from quarantine.

Your bird must remain securely in its cage within the approved quarantine room for the duration of post-arrival quarantine.

Contact a veterinary practice of your choosing to arrange a registered private veterinarian to conduct a house call to examine your bird while in post-arrival quarantine.

This examination must be no earlier than 38 days after arrival in Australia.

Once you have arranged the examination, you must send us the veterinarian’s and practice details as soon as possible.

Your bird must spend at least 45 days in the approved quarantine room after arrival. You must comply with all post-arrival quarantine conditions. These are detailed on your import permit.

Your nominated private veterinarian must examine your bird in the post-arrival quarantine room no earlier than 38 days after arrival. You must pay for this examination.

When you have met all of the biosecurity import requirements, you will receive notification from us that you may remove your bird from quarantine.