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BRINGING A DOG FROMAustralia to Canada

Dog · Moving

Bringing a cat instead?
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Prep time about 1 week

No quarantine. Needs non-commercial limits, rabies vaccination, rabies-freedom certificate, customs declaration and arrival inspection.

Timing assumes an adult pet; young or unvaccinated pets may face other rules.

Always confirm with the destination's official authority and your airline before travelling.

Entry requirements

Tap the seal to stamp a step done.0 OF 5 STAMPED
Source:Canadian Food Inspection Agency — Automated Import Reference System (opens official site: AIRS — Domestic dogs, Personal dogs accompanied by owner (origin Japan, rabies-free))· checked 24 Sep 2026

Either a rabies vaccination certificate or an official Rabies Country-Freedom Certificate. No permit, microchip, titer or quarantine. Puppies under 8 months flying without their owner also need a 72-hour vet health certificate.

01
Non-commercial limits
before travel

Personal pet dog only: it will live with its owner, who must be the importer and able to prove ownership obtained before entry. Otherwise it is a commercial import.

DETAILS +

Personal pet dog only: it will live with its owner, who must be the importer and able to prove ownership obtained before entry. Otherwise it is a commercial import.

ONE OF THESE IS ENOUGH
02
Rabies vaccination
before travel

Dog 3 months or older at arrival: valid rabies vaccination certificate issued and signed by a licensed veterinarian, in English or French (CFIA's tool also accepts an official translation). It must identify the dog (age, breed, sex, colour/markings, weight, microchip/tattoo number if any) and the owner, give the vaccination date, vaccine trade name and serial number, and the validity period — if no validity is stated the vaccination counts as valid for 1 year. The dog must have been at least 3 months old when vaccinated and the vaccination must be current on arrival. No minimum wait after vaccination is stated. An EU pet passport is accepted if it contains all these elements.

DETAILS +

Dog 3 months or older at arrival: valid rabies vaccination certificate issued and signed by a licensed veterinarian, in English or French (CFIA's tool also accepts an official translation). It must identify the dog (age, breed, sex, colour/markings, weight, microchip/tattoo number if any) and the owner, give the vaccination date, vaccine trade name and serial number, and the validity period — if no validity is stated the vaccination counts as valid for 1 year. The dog must have been at least 3 months old when vaccinated and the vaccination must be current on arrival. No minimum wait after vaccination is stated. An EU pet passport is accepted if it contains all these elements.

  • · For pets aged 3 months or more
Source:Canadian Food Inspection Agency — Automated Import Reference System (opens official site: AIRS — Domestic dogs, Personal dogs accompanied by owner (origin Thailand, Travellers & Personal use))· checked 24 Sep 2026
03
Rabies-freedom certificate
before travel

Instead of a vaccination: Rabies Country-Freedom Certificate in English or French on official letterhead of the origin country's veterinary authority, issued and signed by an official veterinarian (or by a licensed vet designated by that authority and endorsed by an official veterinarian). It identifies the dog and states that the dog has lived in that country since birth or for at least the 6 months before export, and that rabies has not occurred there for at least 6 months before export. No validity period is stated.

DETAILS +

Instead of a vaccination: Rabies Country-Freedom Certificate in English or French on official letterhead of the origin country's veterinary authority, issued and signed by an official veterinarian (or by a licensed vet designated by that authority and endorsed by an official veterinarian). It identifies the dog and states that the dog has lived in that country since birth or for at least the 6 months before export, and that rabies has not occurred there for at least 6 months before export. No validity period is stated.

  • · For pets aged 3 months or more
04
Customs declaration
before travel

Declare the pet to CBSA on arrival and present it with all documents at the first port of entry. Undeclared animals, including family pets, can be refused entry, confiscated or detained.

DETAILS +

Declare the pet to CBSA on arrival and present it with all documents at the first port of entry. Undeclared animals, including family pets, can be refused entry, confiscated or detained.

Source:Canada Border Services Agency (opens official site: Travelling with animals)· checked 04 Oct 2026
05
Arrival inspection
before travel

CBSA officers check the documents (rabies certificate valid, description matches the animal) and look at the pet. A healthy pet with correct papers that was transported humanely is released without the CFIA. A sick animal or a humane-transport problem is referred to a CFIA veterinarian (extra CFIA fees). A pet without a valid rabies certificate gets a Notice to Vaccinate: vaccinate within the deadline given (at most 14 days) and send proof to the CFIA; otherwise the CFIA typically orders the animal removed from Canada. Carry paper originals.

DETAILS +

CBSA officers check the documents (rabies certificate valid, description matches the animal) and look at the pet. A healthy pet with correct papers that was transported humanely is released without the CFIA. A sick animal or a humane-transport problem is referred to a CFIA veterinarian (extra CFIA fees). A pet without a valid rabies certificate gets a Notice to Vaccinate: vaccinate within the deadline given (at most 14 days) and send proof to the CFIA; otherwise the CFIA typically orders the animal removed from Canada. Carry paper originals.

Source:Canadian Food Inspection Agency (opens official site: Bringing animals to Canada: Importing and travelling with pets (interactive tool — dog and cat results))· checked 24 Sep 2026
  • A dog that has lived in the rabies-free country for less than 6 months (and less than since birth) cannot use the Country-Freedom Certificate — it needs a rabies vaccination certificate. A pet also counts as coming from a country only after at least 60 days there. — Canadian Food Inspection Agency (incorporated by reference into the Health of Animals Regulations)
  • The rabies-free list is short and "under review"; check it before relying on the freedom certificate. — Canadian Food Inspection Agency
  • For the microchip, the EU pet passport, assistance dogs, the medical exemption and non-compliance, the same applies as for a personal pet dog from any other country.

No quarantine

Source:Canadian Food Inspection Agency (incorporated by reference into the Health of Animals Regulations) (opens official site: Import Reference Document (As referenced in the Health of Animals Regulations), Part III ss. 1–2, Part IV)· checked 04 Oct 2026

Timeline

Working out your dates…

Documents

One paper per requirement above; carry originals. 0 of 3 ready.

Official fees

Fees the authorities publish for this route, in their own currency. Vet and airline charges are not included.

CBSA inspection — first animal in the shipment
Source:Canada Border Services Agency (opens official site: Inspections and fees — Schedule of inspection fees)· checked 04 Oct 2026
CAD 36.95 per consignment (excl. tax)
CBSA inspection — each additional animal in the shipment
Source:Canada Border Services Agency (opens official site: Inspections and fees — Schedule of inspection fees)· checked 04 Oct 2026
CAD 6.16 per animal (excl. tax)
vaccination order — first animal in the shipmentif an officer issues a vaccination order (Notice to Vaccinate); charged for arrivals from every country, including the United States
Source:Canadian Food Inspection Agency (opens official site: CFIA Fees Notice, Part 11 — Health of Animals Fees (item 14))· checked 04 Oct 2026
CAD 67.75 per consignment (excl. tax)
vaccination order — each additional animal in the shipmentif an officer issues a vaccination order (Notice to Vaccinate); charged for arrivals from every country, including the United States
Source:Canadian Food Inspection Agency (opens official site: CFIA Fees Notice, Part 11 — Health of Animals Fees (item 14))· checked 04 Oct 2026
CAD 36.95 per animal (excl. tax)

Entry points

Where a pet may enter Canada, per the rules.

  • Any point of entry.
    No source designates ports of entry for personal pet dogs, cats or assistance dogs: present the pet to CBSA at the first port of entry (see the arrival inspection step). This is our reading of the sources' silence.
    CFIA inspectors are not at every port at all hours — book ahead only when a CFIA inspection is required (medical exemption, some commercial imports).

Airlines

Airline rules are separate from entry rules and change without notice — confirm in writing when you book. Only what the carriers' own pages say, read 25 Sep 2026. All airlines

  • Lufthansa LH
    CabinYes
    HoldYes
    Snub-nosedHold: no · Cargo: restricted
  • Emirates EK
    CabinNo
    HoldYes
    Snub-nosedCargo: only Nov – Apr
  • ANA (All Nippon Airways) NHhold: cargo only on this route
    CabinNo
    HoldYes, up to 45 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: not 1 May – 31 Oct
  • Qantas QF
    CabinNo
    HoldCargo only
    Snub-nosedNot stated
  • Delta Air Lines DLcabin: not on this route
    CabinYes
    HoldNo
    Snub-nosedHold, cargo: no
  • KLM KL
    CabinYes, up to 8 kg incl. carrier46 × 28 × 24 cm
    HoldYes, up to 75 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: no
  • Air France AF
    CabinYes, up to 8 kg incl. carrier46 × 28 × 24 cm
    HoldYes, up to 75 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: no · Cargo: restricted
  • British Airways BA
    CabinNo
    HoldCargo only
    Snub-nosedCargo: restricted
  • Qatar Airways QRhold: cargo only on this route
    CabinNo
    HoldYes, up to 75 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: restricted

Return trip to Australia

Hard for a returning pet (no separate returning-resident rule; standard import rules apply), about 30 weeks of preparation. Quarantine: at least 30 days at a government quarantine station.

  • Rabies antibody (titer) test — the blood draw must happen before you leave, so plan it into the outbound trip: Rabies neutralising antibody titre test (RNATT): blood taken by a government approved vet in an approved country, tested by FAVN or RFFIT at a lab recognised by the export country's government (can be in another approved country); result ≥0.5 IU/ml. Sample taken between 12 months and 180 days before export; export no earlier than 180 days after the sample ARRIVES at the lab (no exceptions). Valid 12 months from sampling — retest before expiry (sample must reach the lab within 12 months of the first) to avoid restarting the 180 days. English lab report on the testing lab's letterhead.
  • Waiting period — 180+ days after the lab receives the sample: Export no earlier than 180 days after the RNATT blood sample arrives at the laboratory — no exceptions (a residency period, not quarantine). Counted from the lab's receipt date, not the sampling date.
  • Residence period — 180+ days before departure: Continuously resident in an approved country (or countries) for at least 180 days immediately before export; a stay in a non-approved country restarts it. Quarantine time in the approved country does not count.
  • Import permit: Apply in BICON after the RNATT declaration, uploading the RNATT lab report and declaration (and the identity declaration or Australian export certificate for the 10-day quarantine); pay in full on submission. Most permits take 20–40 business days, up to 123. Valid until the RNATT expires (12 months from blood sampling) and must be valid on arrival.
  • Quarantine booking: Book Mickleham PEQ online after the permit is granted (partial payment at booking); airline "OK to Forward" approval before departure.
Source:Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) (opens official site: How to bring your dog to Australia from a Group 3 country)· checked 25 Sep 2026
+3 more
Also:U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS),Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF),Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)

Full checklist for a dog from Canada to Australia

Leaving Canada with the pet

  • Leaving Canada with a dog — most destinations need an export certificate from a licensed vet endorsed by an official CFIA veterinarian.
Source:Canadian Food Inspection Agency (opens official site: Travelling with your dog)· checked 04 Oct 2026

What they actually checked at the border

Reports from people who made this trip, read by a person before publishing.

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Sources

Every requirement above comes from one of these pages. Last researched 24 Sep 2026. Seen a change? Tell us.

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