USA to Canada
Pet Shipping from the USA to Canada
We provide international pet transport from the USA to Canada, planned around its import rules, the season and your move date.
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.
- Airline booking
- The travel crate
- The export and import paperwork
- Check-in at your US airport
- Pickup in Canada with delivery to your new address
Canada at a glance
Full requirementsFor a dog or cat three months or older coming from the United States, CFIA asks for a valid rabies vaccination certificate that clearly identifies the animal and shows it is currently vaccinated.
For a line by line breakdown of what this move costs, see our USA to Canada cost page.
- Rabies vaccination
- From three months of age at import, a current certificate a licensed veterinarian has signed, clearly identifying the animal, for a shot given at three months of age or older
- Puppies and kittens
- Under three months old are exempt from the rabies requirement
- Microchip
- CFIA’s Import Reference Document, read October 13, 2026, asks for a certificate that clearly identifies the animal and has no microchip line for a dog or cat. For a dog that later comes back into the United States, the CDC requires a microchip that a universal scanner can detect.
Pet Shipping from the USA to Canada
Moving a pet to Canada is a simple, well-defined process overseen by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, with a document and health check at the border on arrival. If you would like a simple overview of international moves first, start with our guide to international pet shipping destinations. Bringing a pet the other way, into the United States? See our US import guide.
Approved Routes and Entry into Canada
Pets travel to Canada by air as cargo or in cabin where an airline allows it, or across the land border, and all pets are declared to the Canada Border Services Agency on arrival. We confirm the best practical route and make sure the documents match the entry point.
Route details: USA to Canada
- Route
- USA to Canada
- Arrival airports
- First port of entry in Canada: AIRS asks for the pet and its papers there, and CBSA checks them
- How the pet flies
- With its owner, or unaccompanied, including with someone the owner authorizes, CFIA says. Air Canada: cabin, checked baggage or Air Canada Cargo
- Rabies certificate
- From 3 months: a licensed vet’s rabies certificate, shot given at 3 months or older. The US is not on CFIA’s rabies-free list
- Health certificate
- Dogs under 8 months without their owner: a licensed vet’s certificate of health, exam within 72 hours before entry. APHIS: none for cats
- Quarantine on arrival
- CFIA: pet dogs from any country are not subject to post-import quarantine. CBSA checks papers; a pet that looks unwell goes to a CFIA vet
Work out your pet’s dates for this route
From official sources, read October 29, 2026: CFIA, Automated Import Reference System, HS 010619, OGD 2083 Domestic dogs, origin United States, Travellers & Personal use: accompanied by owner and unaccompanied 8 months or older, unaccompanied under 8 months; CBSA, Travelling with animals; CFIA, Bringing animals to Canada: Importing and travelling with pets; Air Canada, Travelling with your Pet; CFIA, Import Reference Document; CFIA, Countries recognized as rabies free for domestic cats and dogs; USDA APHIS, Pet Travel From the United States to Canada.
What are the entry requirements for pets going to Canada?
The short answer
CFIA’s Import Reference Document, read September 16, 2026, asks for certificates, rather than a permit, when a family dog or cat comes from the United States: the rabies vaccination certificate from three months of age, and for a dog under eight months traveling without its owner, an examination certificate as well.
Import Eligibility for Pets
CFIA’s Import Reference Document, read September 16, 2026, notes that pet dogs brought in from any country are not subject to post-import quarantine in Canada. Its section on domestic cats asks for a certificate and says nothing about quarantine either way. Where a dog arrives without what the document asks for, CFIA’s pet import tool, read October 29, 2026, says the case is reviewed and the animal may be ordered removed from Canada, and the document also lets an inspector require a rabies vaccination at the owner’s expense instead, so we keep the paperwork and your pet’s records in order.
Before scheduling vet steps or flights, we confirm what rules apply to your pet and whether airline policies affect travel. Most moves are dogs and cats, though we handle other pets too, and the requirements can differ by species. Eligibility can come down to your pet’s type and health, airline rules for certain breeds or conditions, the documentation and timing, and which routes are available. Ready to start? Request a quote.
What vet work and documents does a pet need for Canada?
Once a dog or cat is three months of age or older at import, CFIA’s Import Reference Document asks for proof of current rabies vaccination on a certificate a licensed veterinarian has signed, one that clearly identifies the animal. CFIA’s Automated Import Reference System, read October 29, 2026, adds for a pet coming from the United States that the shot must have been given at three months of age or older. The CDC requires a dog entering or returning to the United States to have a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner. Puppies and kittens under three months are exempt from the rabies requirement. A dog under eight months that travels without its owner also needs a veterinarian’s examination certificate on a strict clock, and our guide to taking a pet across the border sets out what it covers and when it has to be issued. We check that names, dates, and vaccination details all match across the paperwork.
| Requirement | Canada, from the United States |
|---|---|
| Rabies vaccination | From three months of age at import, a current certificate a licensed veterinarian has signed, clearly identifying the animal, for a shot given at three months of age or older |
| Puppies and kittens | Under three months old are exempt from the rabies requirement |
| Microchip | CFIA’s Import Reference Document, read October 13, 2026, asks for a certificate that clearly identifies the animal and has no microchip line for a dog or cat. For a dog that later comes back into the United States, the CDC requires a microchip that a universal scanner can detect. |
We keep your checklist aligned with the official rules. For the US export side, we follow USDA APHIS guidance for US to Canada travel. For the Canada entry rules, we follow the Canadian Food Inspection Agency guidance on importing animals.
Planning Timeline for Pet Shipping to Canada
Canada is one of the quicker moves to arrange once the rabies vaccination is current. A typical timeline runs like this: a consultation and a check of your pet’s records, the rabies vaccination if it is not current, a microchip if your airline needs one, then booking the route, getting the crate ready, any health paperwork your airline asks for, a document review, and travel.
Taking a Dog or Cat to Canada: What the Trip Involves
Canada’s paperwork for a family dog or cat is short, so the work on this move is the crate, the route, the airline’s rules and the date.
As freight, a pet travels as a shipment of its own. Air Canada Cargo’s booking page for cats and dogs, read October 13, 2026, says those shipped in cargo on its international and U.S. routes must be booked through an agent registered with IPATA, IATA or the Animal Transportation Association.
The date matters as much as the route. Air Canada Cargo’s live animal page, read October 13, 2026, says it takes no warm-blooded animals to or from Atlanta, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando or Phoenix from May 15 to September 30, no cats or dogs between the United States and Canada from December 15 to January 12, and no warm-blooded animals as cargo on some of its narrowbody aircraft, whose holds are not heated, from November 1 to March 31.
Once the plane is down, a pet shipped on its own is picked up from the airline’s cargo facility, a retrieval the agent arranges on those Air Canada bookings. What Canada asks for does not change with the mode: the certificate is the one a dog carries across the land border, so the rules that apply however your pet travels, from the three and eight month lines to Ontario’s breed law, the inspection fee and the CDC’s rules for the trip home, are in our border crossing guide.
Every Pet Travels
Differently
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Because timelines, airline rules, and Canada’s entry requirements all affect each other, we build a plan that fits your pet and your move date.
Destination-Focused Planning
We use Canada's official CFIA import rules as the baseline, then turn them into a simple checklist you can follow.
Smart Routing and Logistics
We help choose practical routes, travel windows, and handoff procedures so your pet’s trip is safer and more predictable.
Personalized Support
Pet Travel Advisors assigns a move coordinator who keeps you updated and checks details before travel so nothing important is missed.
Questions about moving a pet to Canada
Request a QuoteWhat does it cost to ship a pet from the USA to Canada?
Costs depend on your pet’s size and crate, the route and airline, vet and document fees, and whether the move is door to door. The fastest way to get a real number is a quote based on your origin city and travel date. Request a quote here.
How long does the process take?
As long as the rabies vaccination is current, most moves come together within a few weeks around your airline’s schedule.
Can any dog or cat qualify?
Most healthy dogs and cats qualify easily. We confirm your pet’s vaccination records and your airline’s crate and microchip rules at the start.
How does Pet Travel Advisors help with a move to Canada?
We confirm the paperwork, sort out the rabies and microchip details, book the route and crate, and stay with the move through arrival.
Ready to start?
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.