🇨🇦 Pet Import to Canada

Canada's pet import rules are administered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and enforced at the border by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The requirements vary primarily based on the country of origin's rabies status. Dogs and cats travelling from rabies-free countries — including Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, and a small number of others on the CFIA's approved list — need only a valid health certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian; no rabies vaccination or titer test is required. Pets arriving from rabies-affected countries, which includes the United States, most of Europe, and the majority of the world, must have a current rabies vaccination administered by a licensed veterinarian at least 28 days prior to travel, with documentation available at the border. Importantly, Canada does not require a rabies titer (antibody) test for most adult dogs and cats, even from rabies-affected countries, which distinguishes it from stricter destinations such as Australia or Japan. There is no quarantine period for compliant pets. Puppy import rules tightened significantly in 2022: dogs under 8 months of age from the United States are banned for commercial importation (resale, adoption, or rescue transfers), and dogs under 8 months from the European Union face a similar commercial ban introduced in September 2022 in response to concerns about fraudulent health documentation in the rescue-dog trade. Personal pet imports of young puppies remain possible but must meet vaccination-age thresholds and health certification requirements. Brachycephalic breeds face airline-level restrictions on cargo transport, though no federal ban exists. Breed-specific legislation (BSL) is a provincial and municipal matter: Ontario's province-wide pit bull ban, in force since 2005, was under legislative review as of 2024 but had not been formally repealed at the federal level. Exotic species, wild-caught animals, and species listed under CITES require federal import permits and may face additional provincial wildlife regulations.