PetGrit
Verified against official source

Flying to Canada with a pet

Requirements reviewed: April 2026 · Official authority: Canada Border Services Agency — Travelling with pets

Cat beside pet travel documents, microchip scanner, and a carrier

Entry requirements at a glance

Microchip
Not required
Rabies vaccine
Required for dogs. Must be current (not expired) and documented by a licensed veterinarian. Puppies under 3 months may enter without a rabies certificate under certain conditions.
Health certificate
Not required for most pet dogs and cats entering Canada from the U.S. A rabies vaccination certificate is needed for dogs. Cats do not require a rabies certificate to enter Canada.
Rabies titer test
Not required Not required.
Quarantine on arrival
None if all requirements are met None if requirements are met.

Step-by-step process notes

Canada is one of the easiest destinations from the U.S. Dogs need a signed rabies certificate with the vet's name and licence number, the vaccine product name, date given, and expiry date. Cats need no health certificate. If your dog is under 3 months old and unvaccinated, contact the CBSA in advance.

Confirm with the official authority

This page summarizes Canada's pet-import requirements as of April 2026. Pet-import rules change. Always verify with the official government authority before travel.

Canada Border Services Agency — Travelling with pets

Build your travel checklist

Use the Pet Travel Readiness tool to turn Canada's requirements into a sequenced, dated checklist — microchip, vaccines, titer test wait period, and USDA health certificate window — from your travel date.

Build my Canada checklist

Useful guides

USDA health certificate, step by step Microchip and rabies rules

Other destinations

United Kingdom Microchip req. · No quarantine Mexico No microchip · No quarantine Japan Microchip req. · Quarantine Australia Microchip req. · Quarantine New Zealand Microchip req. · Quarantine
All destinations