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Country Guide

Taking your Dog or Cat from the US to Canada

What your dog or cat needs to fly from the United States to Canada: certificates, vaccines, deadlines and the official sources, checked daily. Free.

Monitored DailyOfficial pages last read October 9, 2026 · Watched dailyCanadian Food Inspection Agency
Things to Arrange
4
Tightest Window
None
Coming Home
CDC form only

Watch Out For

The steps people miss most: short windows measured back from the flight, and papers you can only get before you leave the US.

Before you Leave the United States

Microchip before the Rabies Shot

Your VetOnly Before you Leave the US

The US only accepts a rabies vaccination given after the microchip went in. If the shot came first, it has to be given again. Dogs coming home also need a microchip a universal scanner can read.

CDC: bringing a dog into the United States

Rabies Certificate for Canada

Your Vet

Canada asks for a rabies vaccination certificate, in English or French, signed and dated by a licensed vet. It must describe your dog (age, breed, sex, colour, weight and microchip number if there is one), name you as the owner, give the date of the shot, the vaccine's trade name and serial (lot) number, and how long the shot lasts. If it does not say how long, Canada counts it as valid for 1 year. The dog must have been at least 3 months old when vaccinated. Any licensed vet can write it; it does not need a USDA stamp, and no health certificate is needed. Carry the paper original.

CFIA (Canada): bringing a dog or cat to Canada · USDA: pet travel from the US to Canada

Arriving in Canada

Border Check on Arrival in Canada

When you land Border Officials

At the border, officers can ask for your dog's papers and check that your dog looks healthy and travelled humanely. Keep the paper originals in your hand luggage: CFIA strongly recommends hard copies. If something is missing, Canada can order the pet out of the country or fine you.

CFIA (Canada): bringing a dog or cat to Canada

Before you Leave Canada

CDC Dog Import Form

Any time before your flight home; a few days ahead is safest You

Free, online, and filled in by you. Every dog needs its own form. The receipt is good for 6 months of trips into the US from Canada, so one form can cover this flight home and later ones.

How to Do It
  1. Open CDC's Dog Import Form (link below). Answer No to the high-risk question if your dog has only been in low-risk countries like Canada for the last 6 months.
  2. About you: date of birth, passport or driver's licence number, email and phone. You can add one other owner, who can then travel with your dog on the same receipt.
  3. About your dog: name, age, sex, breed (choose Mixed Breed/Other if it is not listed), and colour and markings.
  4. Purpose: Personal Pet, or Service Animal only for a trained service dog travelling with the person it helps. An emotional support dog is a Personal Pet.
  5. Your trip: by air, Canada as the country you fly from, and your arrival date. A rough date is fine.
  6. Type your name as the signature and press Submit. CDC emails you from 1cdpwebsurvey@cdc.gov to confirm your email address (check spam), then emails the receipt.
  7. Show the receipt, on your phone or printed, to the airline before you board and to US Customs when you land.

CDC: how to fill in the Dog Import Form · CDC: bringing a dog into the United States

Canada's Own Exit Paperwork

Border Officials

The official pages we checked do not ask for anything from Canada when a pet leaves. What your next country needs is listed with your next flight.

CFIA (Canada): bringing a dog or cat to Canada

Rabies Certificate and Microchip Papers in your Bag

You

Your dog needs a microchip a universal scanner can read. CDC does not ask for the rabies certificate for a trip home from Canada, but carry it anyway: airlines, vets and border officials may ask to see it.

How to Do It
  1. Pack the rabies certificate (the original and a copy) and a note of the microchip number.
  2. Save photos of both on your phone, or upload them to your dog's documents here.

CDC: bringing a dog into the United States · CDC: how to fill in the Dog Import Form

Arriving Home in the United States

US Customs on Arrival

When you land Border Officials

At the customs counter, hand the officer the CDC Dog Import Form receipt, and have the rabies certificate with you in case they ask. There is no separate office to visit. Your dog must look healthy and be at least 6 months old.

CDC: bringing a dog into the United States

Annual Subscription

What Annual Subscribers Get for Canada

This guide is free for everyone. For $79 a year, the Annual Subscription keeps watching your own trip:

  • Deadline RemindersReminders by email, and by text once texting starts, before each deadline on your trip.
  • Each Pet's Records CheckedEach pet's own records checked against every border, so you see what is on file and what still needs doing.
  • Rule Change AlertsAn email if the Canadian Food Inspection Agency or any of the 4 official pages behind this guide changes a rule on your trip.
  • Vet Visit PacketA page for your vet with exactly what to write on each certificate, the dates it must fall between, and the official forms to bring.
  • Scan a DocumentPhotograph any vet record or certificate: we read it, you check it, and it fills your pet's profile, files the paper and ticks off the trip tasks it covers.

While we launch, every feature is free for everyone with an account, the Annual Subscription included. Nothing is charged, and we will tell you well before that changes.

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Official Sources

We restate the rules in our own words. The official pages are what count.

Compass & Collar explains the rules; your vet issues the certificates and border officials make the decisions. Rules change, so check the official pages and call your airline before you travel.