Taking pets to Canada: origin, age and documents

Updated: 2026-10-30

Start with a personal pet and the actual origin

This guide concerns own pet dogs and domestic cats. Adoption, sale, fostering, breeding or ownership transfer can change the dog procedure even when no profit is made. Cargo is a transport mode, not proof of commercial purpose or owner absence. Check CFIA AIRS, the destination province, transit countries and the operating airline before booking. The site filters origin, species and mode; age, owner accompaniment and medical conditions still need to be checked in each item.

Recognised residence and vaccination are options

CFIA currently recognises Australia, Fiji, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and the UK including Northern Ireland. Do not add overseas territories automatically. A qualifying residence/country-freedom certificate is an alternative to vaccination paperwork under its own conditions, not an additional task for every vaccinated pet. Dog certificates require government veterinary issue/endorsement. Cats require the veterinary certificate plus endorsed government disease-status evidence. A connection through a listed airport does not supply residence. For cats aged three to under six months, confirm the differing since-birth wording before relying on residence alone.

Check certificate fields and translations

Vaccination documents need clear animal identity, licensed veterinarian signature, vaccine date, trade name/serial and validity. With no immunity duration, CFIA uses one year from vaccination. A complete EU passport can replace the rabies certificate, but cannot replace the extra health certificate for an unaccompanied young dog. Dogs must have been at least three months when vaccinated. The dog certificate permits the official English/French translation process: a non-certified translator needs a sworn affidavit and neither importer nor family can translate their own records. Do not apply this permission blindly to every other certificate.

Young dogs: owner accompaniment changes the preparation

Under three months, carry age proof and check welfare/airline acceptance; the federal rabies-document exception does not remove all other conditions. From three to under eight months with the owner, follow the applicable rabies document branch. Without the owner, the dog must be at least eight weeks at examination and have the four stated vaccines from at least six weeks. Obtain the detailed veterinary health certificate and enter within 72 hours of the recorded examination, accounting for time zone, connections and delays. Owner travel and cargo booking are different facts. Kittens under three months also need age proof.

Antibody reports and medical exemptions need care

The statutory reference lists RNATT alternatives, while the current selector mainly describes a medical-exemption permit with vet explanation, FAVN at least 0.5 IU/ml, sample within six months and at least 30 days after earlier vaccination, approval and prearranged arrival inspection. Never-vaccinated animals do not qualify for that medical path; old age alone is not a reason. Keep these statements separate and ask CFIA before relying on a test alone. The selector also has a US/Mexico cat link discrepancy; neither country is on the recognised-free list. Unresolved notes are not checklist approvals.