The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has changed the requirements for accreditation of registered veterinarians preparing companion animals for export.

1. From 2 January 2018 the Department no longer requires accreditation of registered veterinarians preparing companion animals for export.  All veterinarians fully registered by a State or Territory Veterinary Board in Australia are able to prepare companion animals such as dogs, cats and pet birds for export from Australia.
2. All registered veterinarians are now eligible to purchase rabies vaccine for use when preparing dogs and cats for export (other restrictions on the use of rabies vaccine are unchanged).
3. The Accreditation Program for Australian Veterinarians (APAV) will no longer be a requirement for veterinarians to prepare companion animals for export.

Information to assist veterinarians preparing companion animals for export is available on the department website http://www.agriculture.gov.au/export/controlled-goods/live-animals/companion/vets. This information outlines the step by step process of preparing companion animals for export.

All veterinarians preparing companion animals for export should refer to this information before proceeding with this process.

These changes will come into effect from 2 January 2018. The Department’s website has been updated to reflect this change. The list of veterinarians on the Department’s website will be removed in January 2018.

Please note there are no changes to the requirements for Australian Government Accredited Veterinarians (AAVs) preparing livestock for export.