The Complete Cross-Border Dog Transport Checklist
Moving a dog between Canada and the USA is a paperwork job as much as a driving job. This is the checklist I actually use before every cross-border run since 2020. Bookmark it, print it, send it to your veterinarian.
The 30-day window
Cross-border pet transport works on timelines that don't flex. Most documents have expiration windows or requirements about when they were issued. Start at least 30 days before your desired pickup date.
Canada → USA: Full checklist
- Age and condition. The dog must be at least 6 months old at crossing (CDC rule as of 2024) and must appear healthy on arrival. The age minimum is a hard wall with no paperwork around it.
- Microchip. Required. It has to be readable by a universal scanner, and the number goes on the CDC Dog Import Form.
- CDC Dog Import Form. Filed online at the CDC website before travel. For a dog that has been only in Canada in the past 6 months, this receipt is the only documentation the United States requires federally. It is valid six months and allows multiple entries. Walkthrough here.
- Rabies certificate and health certificate. Not federally required for a dog that has been only in Canada in the past 6 months. Your airline may still ask for a health certificate to accept the dog for boarding, and a destination state may ask for a certificate of veterinary inspection on its own terms. Those are separate from the federal import rule, so confirm the window with whoever is asking rather than assuming a common number. A dog that has been in a high-risk rabies country in that period follows a stricter CDC pathway instead.
- US customs broker.An importer may prepare and submit their own documentation, so an owner standing at the border can self-clear. A carrier cannot file on the owner's behalf unless it is itself a licensed customs broker, so when the dog travels without its owner a broker files the entry. OmegaCHB is our standard broker; clearance is $428 CAD ($300 USD), in addition to the transport quote.
- Your contact info at the destination. Address, phone, email. Broker and border agents may need to reach you.
USA → Canada: Full checklist
- Rabies vaccination certificate. Required from 3 months of age. The certificate has to be in English or French, identify the dog clearly, and show that it is currently vaccinated. For an accompanied dog, that is the whole veterinary list.
- Health certificate.Required for a dog under 8 months travelling unaccompanied, which is the case any time a transporter or an airline carries it without its owner. The dog must reach the first Canadian port of entry within 72 hours of the examination. The clock runs forward from the exam, not backward from the border. There is no 10-day window anywhere in Canada's rules, and a dog riding with its owner does not need this certificate at all.
- Microchip. Not required by Canada. Sensible identification, and it matches your other documents.
- CFIA import documentation. Handled by the Canadian customs broker before arrival at the border.
- Canadian customs broker.A pet the Canadian owner already owns is casual goods, not a commercial entry, but a broker still files whenever the owner is not at the border in person, because the carrier cannot act as the importer's agent unless it is itself licensed. RNR International at $150 CAD + HST on animal value is our standard broker.
30 days before: start here
- Confirm your dog's rabies vaccine is current. If not, schedule a booster now.
- Book the transport. Pay the deposit to secure the date.
- Confirm which border crossing we'll use and which broker fits.
- Make sure your dog is microchipped. If not, schedule it at the vet.
14 days before
- Schedule the health certificate appointment with your veterinarian. For a puppy under 8 months coming into Canada without its owner, the crossing has to fall within 72 hours of that appointment, and the certificate has specific fields: what your vet must put on it.
- Confirm the destination address and contact info with the buyer or recipient.
- Let us know of any medications, food, or special instructions.
7 days before
- Get the health certificate issued.
- File the CDC Dog Import Form (if US-bound). Print the receipt.
- Confirm the pickup time window with us.
- Start packing the pet's travel kit (food, leash, collar with ID).
Day of pickup
- Feed the dog a light meal 2-3 hours before pickup.
- Walk the dog right before we arrive.
- Hand us the physical folder: rabies certificate, health certificate, CDC receipt, microchip documentation, and a written note with any special instructions.
- Share the broker's contact info if you've chosen your own broker. If you're using RNR International or OmegaCHB, we've already coordinated.
The paperwork folder
We ask every client to provide a physical folder with the pet's papers at pickup. Paper copies, not just digital. Border agents sometimes ask to see originals, and a broken phone at the wrong moment is not how you want the trip to go.
Official sources
Rules change. These are the authoritative sources to verify current requirements:
FAQs
How far ahead should I start the paperwork?
30 days is the safe window. Going into Canada, a dog under 8 months travelling unaccompanied needs a veterinary examination timed so it reaches the border within 72 hours of the exam. Going into the United States, the CDC Dog Import Form takes minutes to file but you need the receipt before crossing.
What happens if a document is wrong at the border?
Border agents can refuse entry. For US-bound trips, CDC will send the dog back if the Dog Import Form receipt is missing. For Canada-bound trips, CBSA can hold the animal until CFIA clears it. Correct paperwork is not optional.
Do small dogs or cats need all the same documents?
Cats have genuinely fewer requirements, and no health certificate in either direction. Entering Canada, a cat under 3 months faces no restrictions at all, and a cat 3 months or older needs a veterinarian's certificate in English or French that identifies the animal and shows it is currently vaccinated against rabies, with a rabies titre test of at least 0.5 IU/ml as the alternative. Canada does not treat cats differently for travelling unaccompanied, which is the opposite of the rule for puppies. Entering the United States, CDC does not require proof of rabies vaccination for cats at all; the cat must appear healthy and is subject to inspection, and individual states, airlines, Hawaii and Guam set their own rules. Small dogs follow the same rules as big dogs.
Ready for a quote?
Tell us the route, the pet, and the date. We'll come back with a price within 24 hours.