Everything you need to know about moving your dog or cat from Canada to the US: CDC requirements, Canada’s export process, airline and land-border options, costs, and timeline — all in one place.
Everything you need to navigate international pet relocation: import rules, customs, costs, timelines.
Easy
2–4 weeks
$60–$140
None required (US mainland)
Because Canada is not on the CDC’s high-risk list for dog rabies, dogs need only the CDC Dog Import Form — and the CFIA confirms no separate Canadian export certificate is required either.
Everything you need to know about moving your dog or cat from Canada to the US: CDC requirements, Canada’s export process, airline and land-border options, costs, and timeline — all in one place.
The CFIA explicitly states that no official-vet-endorsed certificate is required for dogs or cats leaving Canada for the US. A Canadian-licensed vet can still issue a vaccination record if you'd like one on hand.
Not Applicable — No Certificate Required
No certificate, and therefore no official signature, is required by the CFIA or the CDC for this route. A Canadian-licensed veterinarian can issue a vaccination record if desired.
Not Required
The US does not require USDA involvement for standard Canadian pet exports. Always confirm your specific destination state’s rules separately.
Not Applicable — No Certificate Required
No certificate is required by the CFIA or CDC for this route, so no validity window applies. The CDC Dog Import Form itself is valid for 6 months from completion.
Not Independently Confirmed
Whether an original vaccination record is required, as opposed to a copy, wasn’t independently confirmed for this route — bring your pet’s vaccination record and confirm with your airline or point of entry if you have questions.
→ Implant the ISO microchip before the rabies vaccination
→ No CFIA-endorsed export certificate is required for dogs or cats
→ All dogs need a completed CDC Dog Import Form
→ Entry is allowed at any US airport, seaport, or land border crossing
→ Dogs also exposed to a high-risk country within 6 months can’t enter the US directly from Canada
→ Assuming this route needs the same certificate process as other countries
→ Not checking your dog’s recent high-risk-country travel history
→ Assuming you have to fly
→ Booking a codeshare flight and expecting Air Canada’s baggage policy to apply
→ Planning a Hawaii route on Air Canada with your pet
Cabin & Cargo
$50–$60 cabin; $105–$120.75 checked
22 lbs (10 kg) cabin; 100 lbs (45 kg) checked
Confirmed published fees
Follow this timeline to make sure you complete everything on time for a smooth, stress-free travel day.
Dogs that have also been in a country high-risk for dog rabies within the last 6 months can't enter the US directly from Canada.
Air Canada's baggage-compartment pet policy only applies to flights it actually operates — not codeshare flights operated by another airline.
Costs vary based on pet size, airline, season, and any additional Services.
Roughly $60–$140 (microchip, vaccine) — no certificate fee. Add a crate and airline fee if flying; nothing extra if driving.
Typical total cost
Price in USD, Estimate only.
→ CDC Dog Import Form receipt — Dogs
→ Microchip implant record
→ Rabies vaccination record
→ No CFIA-endorsed certificate needed
Start with your origin country guide for route-specific requirements, timelines, and common pitfalls.
→ No, for US mainland destinations.
→ Canada’s CDC low-risk status means the high-risk-country quarantine pathway doesn’t apply.
→ No — the CFIA explicitly states no official-vet-endorsed certificate is required, for dogs or cats.
→ The main requirement is the CDC Dog Import Form.
→ A Canadian-licensed vet can still issue a vaccination record if you’d like one on hand.
→ Yes — the CDC allows entry at any US airport, seaport, or land border crossing.
→ The same requirements apply either way: microchip, CDC Dog Import Form, and your pet appearing healthy.
→ Driving means no airline fee or crate requirement at all.
→ Not directly from Canada, if it’s been in both places within the same 6 months.
→ You’d need to wait 6 months in Canada, or enter the US directly from the high-risk country instead.
→ Contact the CDC at (800) 232-4636 to ask about a case-by-case exception.
→ A free online form required for all dogs entering the US.
→ Valid for 6 months from completion.
→ Applies to dogs from low-risk countries like Canada.
Our pet relocation experts are here to guide you every step of the way.
If a regulation changes after this page was published, the official source always takes precedence over this guide — check the links above for the current rules before you travel.
Moving a pet from Canada to the United States is one of the simplest routes covered on this site — Canada is CDC low-risk for dog rabies, so there’s no titer test or quarantine to plan around, and no Canadian export certificate is required either.
The CFIA states explicitly that no official-vet endorsement is required for either dogs or cats leaving Canada for the US. The CFIA defers entirely to CDC and USDA requirements rather than layering its own certification process on top.
This is one of the only routes on this site where flying isn’t the default. The CDC’s low-risk pathway explicitly allows entry at any US airport, seaport, or land border crossing, with the same requirements either way: microchip, a completed CDC Dog Import Form, and your pet appearing healthy.
If your dog has also spent time in a country considered high-risk for dog rabies within the 6 months before travel, it isn’t eligible to enter the US directly from Canada. It must either wait 6 months in Canada or enter the US directly from the high-risk country instead — contact the CDC to ask about a case-by-case exception.
Most owners can manage this route without professional help — it’s one of the most document-light routes on this site, and driving removes the airline step entirely.
If a regulation changes after this page was published, the official source always takes precedence over this guide — check the links above for the current rules before you travel.
If a regulation changes after this page was published, the official source always takes precedence over this guide — check the links above for the current rules before you travel.
