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BRINGING A DOG FROMUnited States 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, 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 4 STAMPED
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

Same requirements as from any non-rabies-free country; no CBSA inspection fee for pets arriving from the United States.

01
Non-commercial limits
before travel

Personal pet dog only: the dog will live with its owner, and the owner must be the importer and be able to prove, on request, that they owned the dog before it entered Canada. A dog to be given away, sold, adopted out, fostered, bred, shown, used in research or trained as an assistance dog is a commercial import with different rules. "Accompanied by owner" means the owner personally; a friend, family member or flight companion counts as "unaccompanied".

DETAILS +

Personal pet dog only: the dog will live with its owner, and the owner must be the importer and be able to prove, on request, that they owned the dog before it entered Canada. A dog to be given away, sold, adopted out, fostered, bred, shown, used in research or trained as an assistance dog is a commercial import with different rules. "Accompanied by owner" means the owner personally; a friend, family member or flight companion counts as "unaccompanied".

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
03
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
04
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
  • The CBSA inspection fee for dogs and cats is not charged for arrivals from the United States (the fee after a vaccination order still applies). — Canada Border Services 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 2 ready.

Official fees

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

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) NH
    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 QR
    CabinNo
    HoldYes, up to 75 kg incl. crate
    Snub-nosedHold: restricted

Return trip to United States

Easy for a returning pet (no separate returning-resident rule; standard import rules apply), about 1 week of preparation. No quarantine.

Source:U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (opens official site: Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries)· checked 04 Oct 2026

Full checklist for a dog from Canada to United States

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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More routes

Checklists for nearby trips — same rules engine, same official sources.