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Cross-border requirements

What your pet needs to cross the border

Moving a pet between Canada and the United States is a regulated, documented process. Here's the short version of what you need, in both directions, based on hundreds of crossings since 2020.

This page is educational, not legal advice. Rules change. Always confirm current requirements with your veterinarian, your customs broker, and the relevant government agencies before travel.
USA → Canada

Entering Canada

  • ✓ Rabies vaccination certificate (required from 3 months of age), on a certificate in English or French that identifies the dog and shows it is currently vaccinated
  • ✓ Health certificate from a licensed veterinarian, with the dog reaching the first Canadian port of entry within 72 hours of the examination (required for a dog under 8 months travelling unaccompanied; a puppy riding with its owner needs rabies proof only)
  • ✓ Microchip is not required by Canada, though it is sensible identification
  • ✓ A licensed Canadian customs broker files the entry whenever the owner is not at the border in person, because a carrier cannot act as the importer's agent unless it is itself a licensed broker (we use RNR International)

Full guide: importing a puppy from the USA to Canada

What your vet must put on the health certificate · Accompanied vs. unaccompanied

Source: CFIA pet import rules (inspection.canada.ca)
Canada → USA

Entering the United States

  • ✓ For a dog that has been only in Canada in the past 6 months, the CDC Dog Import Form receipt is the only documentation the United States requires federally
  • ✓ The receipt is valid six months and allows multiple entries
  • ✓ The dog must be 6 months of age or older, appear healthy on arrival, and have a microchip readable by a universal scanner
  • ✓ A rabies certificate and a veterinary health certificate are not federally required for such a dog, though your airline or your destination state may ask for a health certificate on its own terms
  • ✓ A licensed US customs broker files the entry whenever the owner is not at the border in person (we use OmegaCHB)
A dog that has been in a high-risk rabies country in the past 6 months follows a stricter CDC pathway. Ask us and we will check the country list for your route.
Sources: USDA APHIS pet travel · CDC dog import rules · CDC: dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries
Timelines

Start at least 30 days out

Going into Canada, a dog under 8 months travelling unaccompanied needs a veterinary examination timed so the dog reaches the first Canadian port of entry within 72 hours of it. That clock runs forward from the exam, not backward from the border, and it is the tightest deadline in either direction.

Going into the United States, the CDC Dog Import Form must be filed ahead of travel and its receipt printed. The receipt is valid six months and allows multiple entries. If an airline or a destination state asks for a health certificate of its own, that window is theirs to set, not a US federal rule, so confirm the number with the airline or the state rather than assuming a common one.

We recommend booking transport and starting paperwork at least 30 days before your desired pickup date. Short notice is sometimes possible, but the extra lead time gives room for re-shots, re-issued certificates, and broker communications.

Official sources

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