Pet travel route
Taking a dog or cat from Romania → New Zealand
What the official rules ask for on this route, for a family pet travelling with its owner. Enter your travel date and your pet’s details to turn it into a dated checklist.
Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving Romania publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. ANSVSA's page lists a few certificate models and links to destination authorities under 'movement of pets from Romania to third countries'. It does not describe the general procedure, a deadline or a fee: ask your county sanitary veterinary directorate (DSVSA) which certificate and endorsement your destination needs.
Limited official guidance. The authority for entering New Zealand publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. This follows the 2026 Import Health Standard (in force from 1 July 2026). It sends many details to MPI's separate list of approved vaccines, tests and treatments, which we don't reproduce: your vet needs it. Pets coming from Australia are not covered yet. Until 1 April 2027 the 2021 standard can still be used instead, which we have not read.
Which rules apply to you
Romania is in the group “Not on MPI's lists: cats and dogs cannot be imported from this country” in New Zealand’s published list.See every group
Headlines for New Zealand
- Rabies blood test for some origins
- Import permit for some pets
- Quarantine possible
- Extra disease test for some origins
- Some origins not allowed
What your dog needs
Dogs
New Zealand only accepts cats and dogs from countries MPI has approved (Categories 1, 2 and 3), and this country is not on those lists. Your pet would have to live in an approved country first, or the exporting country's veterinary authority would have to ask MPI to approve it.
Good to know
- Banned in New Zealand: Brazilian Fila, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Perro de Presa Canario and American Pit Bull Terrier-type dogs (any dog that belongs wholly or predominantly to them).
- Bengal cats can be imported. Other hybrid cats and dogs are likely to be treated as 'new organisms' and need approval from the Environmental Protection Authority before they come.
- Under 'movement of pets from Romania to third countries', ANSVSA publishes veterinary health certificate models for exporting pet dogs and pet cats from Romania to the United States, and an international veterinary certificate model for dogs and cats entering Brazil with more details. It also links to the Canadian, Australian and Japanese authorities' pages on bringing pets in. For any other destination, ask the destination and your county DSVSA.
- Planning to bring your pet back to the EU? After a short stay in a non-EU country you can skip the 3-month wait after the rabies blood test, but only if, before you leave the EU, your pet was vaccinated against rabies, passed a successful titer test, and your vet recorded both in its EU pet passport. So do the blood test before you go.
What your cat needs
Cats
New Zealand only accepts cats and dogs from countries MPI has approved (Categories 1, 2 and 3), and this country is not on those lists. Your pet would have to live in an approved country first, or the exporting country's veterinary authority would have to ask MPI to approve it.
Good to know
- Bengal cats can be imported. Other hybrid cats and dogs are likely to be treated as 'new organisms' and need approval from the Environmental Protection Authority before they come.
- Under 'movement of pets from Romania to third countries', ANSVSA publishes veterinary health certificate models for exporting pet dogs and pet cats from Romania to the United States, and an international veterinary certificate model for dogs and cats entering Brazil with more details. It also links to the Canadian, Australian and Japanese authorities' pages on bringing pets in. For any other destination, ask the destination and your county DSVSA.
- Planning to bring your pet back to the EU? After a short stay in a non-EU country you can skip the 3-month wait after the rabies blood test, but only if, before you leave the EU, your pet was vaccinated against rabies, passed a successful titer test, and your vet recorded both in its EU pet passport. So do the blood test before you go.
Common questions
Does my dog need a rabies blood test to go from Romania to New Zealand?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for a rabies blood test.
Do I need an import permit to bring my dog into New Zealand?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for an import permit.
Will my dog be quarantined in New Zealand?
Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.
Does my dog need a microchip?
The official rules we have verified for this route don't list a microchip requirement.