Bring a pet dog or cat to the USA from Canada: the full official process
Taking a pet dog or cat from Canada to the United States is one of the simplest international pet moves. The reason is that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not list Canada as high-risk for dog rabies, so your dog follows the CDC's rabies-free / low-risk pathway — there is no rabies blood (titre) test, no mandatory quarantine, and no reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility. Since 1 August 2024 the only federal document a dog needs is a free online CDC Dog Import Form, along with a microchip, a minimum age of 6 months, and appearing healthy on arrival. Cats are even easier: the CDC requires no rabies proof and no health certificate, only that the cat looks healthy. On the Canada side there is no export health certificate mandated for this route — the destination (US) rules govern — but your pet must still be transported humanely under Canada's Health of Animals Regulations, and you should confirm your airline's own rules. Individual US states set their own entry rules, so check the destination state as well.
This page tells you where the official rule is and what it says. It is not the rule and it is not legal advice. The official source decides, and the official source is the one that counts if this page and it ever disagree.
Canada is a rabies-free / low-risk country for US dog imports, so there is NO rabies blood test, NO quarantine and NO arrival-facility reservation. A dog needs only a universal-scanner microchip, to be at least 6 months old, to appear healthy, and a free CDC Dog Import Form (valid 6 months and reusable for multiple entries). Cats need only to appear healthy on arrival.
At a glance
The whole journey in order. Every point below is spelled out in full further down.
- Canada is a rabies-free / low-risk country for the US, so the strict high-risk rules (blood titre, quarantine, arrival facility) do NOT apply.
- Microchip your dog with a chip a universal scanner can read.
- Your dog must be at least 6 months old at entry.
- Complete the free online CDC Dog Import Form — the only federal document required for dogs since 1 August 2024.
- The form receipt is valid 6 months and can be reused for multiple entries as long as the dog stays out of high-risk countries.
- Dogs can enter at any US airport, seaport or land border crossing — handy for the Canada land route.
- Cats need nothing from CDC beyond appearing healthy on arrival.
- On the Canada side, meet humane transport rules (Health of Animals Regulations Part XII) and confirm your airline's rules.
Leaving Canada — destination rules govern, plus humane transport
There is no Canadian government office you visit to "export" a pet dog or cat to the USA, and no CFIA export health certificate is mandated for this route. The entry requirements are set by the United States, so the Canada-side job is to meet the US rules, transport your pet humanely under Canada's Health of Animals Regulations, and confirm your airline's own conditions.
Authority: Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca) / Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
Know that the destination country sets the rules — check what the US requires in advance
The Government of Canada is explicit that health certificates or other documentation may be required when taking your pet to another country, including the United States, and tells travellers to find out what is required in advance. It directs owners to the CFIA for what is needed to take animals to another country, and to the airline for flight rules. Because the US (CDC and USDA) sets the actual entry requirements, the Canada-side work is mostly completing those US requirements before you travel.
- Canada advises that documentation 'may be required' for the USA — check in advance
- US entry rules are set by CDC and USDA, covered in the destination section
- No CFIA export health certificate is mandated for the standard US low-risk pet route
Meet Canada's humane transport rules (Health of Animals Regulations, Part XII)
Any animal being transported into, within, or leaving Canada must meet Canada's Health of Animals Regulations, Part XII – Transport of Animals, which sets the conditions for humanely transporting animals by all modes of transport. This applies to a pet leaving Canada, so use an appropriate crate and follow the humane-transport conditions. CFIA points to its Interpretive Guidance and the IATA Live Animal Regulations for the detailed conditions.
- Health of Animals Regulations Part XII covers animals leaving Canada
- Applies to all modes of transport
- Follow the IATA Live Animal Regulations for crate and shipping standards
Contact your airline well in advanceDon't get this wrong
The Government of Canada advises contacting the airline well in advance, because most carriers set their own rules for transporting animals in the cabin or as cargo. Airline conditions (crate type, breed restrictions, temperature limits, booking cut-offs) are separate from and additional to the US entry rules, so confirm them early to avoid being turned away at check-in.
- Airlines set their own pet-transport rules
- Confirm cabin vs cargo, crate and booking rules early
- These rules are separate from US government entry requirements
Entering the USA — the CDC import side (Canada is low-risk)
The CDC is the primary authority for dog imports. Because Canada is not on the CDC's high-risk list for dog rabies, your dog uses the much simpler rabies-free / low-risk pathway. USDA APHIS adds requirements only for foot-and-mouth-disease or screwworm origins (which Canada is not), and individual US states can set their own rules.
Authority: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); USDA APHIS
Canada is a rabies-free / low-risk country — the fact that makes this simpleDon't get this wrong
Canada does not appear on the CDC's list of countries that are high-risk for dog rabies. Any country not on that list is treated as rabies-free or low-risk. That means a dog that has only been in Canada (or other rabies-free / low-risk countries, including the US) in the 6 months before arrival avoids the strict high-risk rules entirely: no rabies blood (titre) test, no reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility, and no quarantine. This single classification shapes everything else on the US side.
- Canada is NOT on the CDC high-risk-for-dog-rabies list
- Not high-risk = the rabies-free / low-risk pathway
- No titre test, no arrival-facility reservation, no quarantine
- The dog must not have been in a high-risk country in the last 6 months
Microchip your dog (universal-scanner readable)
Your dog must have a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner. This is a standing requirement even on the low-risk pathway, and the microchip identifies the dog on the import form. Have it implanted before you complete the CDC Dog Import Form so the number matches.
- Microchip must be readable by a universal scanner
- Required even on the low-risk pathway
- Number is used to identify the dog on the import form
Your dog must be at least 6 months old at entry
The dog must be at least 6 months old at the time it enters or returns to the United States. This age minimum applies on the low-risk pathway just as it does for high-risk countries, so a young puppy cannot be imported until it reaches 6 months.
- Dog must be at least 6 months old at entry
- Applies to the rabies-free / low-risk pathway too
- Younger puppies cannot be imported yet
Complete the free CDC Dog Import Form — the only required documentDon't get this wrong
As of 1 August 2024, the CDC Dog Import Form receipt is the only documentation a dog from a rabies-free / low-risk country needs. You complete it online (one form per dog), it is free, and you receive an emailed receipt to print or show on your phone. Crucially for the Canada route, the receipt is valid for 6 months from issue and can be reused for multiple entries, as long as the dog has not been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months and the listed country of departure matches where the dog actually departs. It can be filled out on the day of travel, though CDC suggests doing it a few days to six months ahead.
- Only required federal document for low-risk-country dogs since 1 August 2024
- Free; one form per dog; emailed receipt to print or show on a phone
- Receipt valid 6 months and REUSABLE for multiple entries
- Country of departure on the form must match where the dog departs from
- No rabies-titre form and no CDC-registered facility reservation needed
Dog must appear healthy — and can enter at any port
The dog must appear healthy upon arrival; a dog showing signs of illness may be examined further. On the low-risk pathway the dog can enter the US at any airport, seaport, or land border crossing — you are not restricted to airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility. That flexibility matters for Canada, where many pets travel by road across a land border.
- Dog must appear healthy on arrival
- Entry allowed at any airport, seaport OR land border crossing
- No restriction to CDC-facility airports on this pathway
Rabies vaccination is recommended, not federally required — but check the stateDon't get this wrong
For a dog arriving only from rabies-free / low-risk countries, the CDC does not list a rabies vaccination among the federal entry requirements, though the CDC strongly recommends keeping the dog vaccinated against rabies. Your destination US state may have its own rabies-vaccination or health-certificate rules, so confirm the specific state's requirements before you travel.
- No federal CDC rabies-vaccine requirement on the low-risk pathway
- CDC still strongly recommends rabies vaccination
- Destination state may require vaccination or a certificate — check it
Cats: the lightest rules of all
Cats face a far simpler path. The CDC requires that cats appear healthy on arrival, but does not require proof of rabies vaccination and does not require a general health certificate. Cats are inspected at ports of entry and can be refused if they show signs of a zoonotic disease. CDC still recommends rabies vaccination, and note that Hawaii and Guam impose their own quarantine rules even on animals arriving from the US mainland.
- Cat must appear healthy on arrival
- No CDC rabies-vaccine proof required for cats
- No CDC general health certificate required for cats
- CDC still recommends rabies vaccination
- Hawaii and Guam have their own quarantine rules
USDA APHIS: no cat rules, and dog rules only for FMD/screwworm origins
CDC is the primary authority for dog imports. USDA APHIS has no animal-health requirements for pet cats, and for dogs it adds requirements only if the dog comes from a country affected by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) or screwworm — neither of which applies to Canada. Separately, domestic movement requirements are set by the receiving US state or territory, so check your destination state's entry rules.
- APHIS has no animal-health requirements for pet cats
- APHIS dog rules apply only to FMD- or screwworm-affected origins
- Canada is not FMD/screwworm-affected — these extra rules do not apply
- Receiving US state/territory sets its own entry requirements
The kit this move actually needs
Heads up: some links below are affiliate links. Buy through one and Animalsss may earn a small commission — it costs you nothing extra, and it never changes what we list. We put down the kit this particular move actually needs, and nothing we were paid to.
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An IATA-approved travel crate or carrier
Airlines check the container against the IATA live-animal rules before they will load it: hard-sided, well ventilated, and big enough for the animal to stand up and turn around. The wrong crate is the most common reason a booked pet gets bumped at the counter.
See options on Amazon → -
Clip-on food and water cups
The crate has to travel with bowls fixed inside that ground staff can top up without opening the door. Free-standing bowls do not count.
See options on Amazon → -
Absorbent crate lining
A layer that holds an accident through a long leg keeps the animal dry and keeps the crate from being pulled off the ramp for leaking.
See options on Amazon → -
"Live Animal" labels and orientation arrows
Most carriers want the crate marked LIVE ANIMAL with "This Way Up" arrows. A cheap sticker set beats hunting for a marker at check-in.
See options on Amazon → -
An ID tag that reaches you at both ends
A number someone can actually answer on the day — not just your home line — is what reunites a pet with you if the crate and the paperwork get separated in transit.
See options on Amazon →
Official sources
Every step above was read off one of these pages. They are the version that counts — check them before you travel or ship.
- US CDC — bringing a dog into the United States
- US CDC — dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries
- US CDC — high-risk countries for dog rabies
- US CDC — bringing a cat into the United States
- USDA APHIS — importing a pet dog into the US
- USDA APHIS — importing a pet cat into the US
- CFIA — pets (dogs) and animal transport
- Government of Canada — travelling with pets
Common questions
The questions people ask most about this corridor, answered from the same official sources above.
Is Canada a high-risk country for dog rabies according to the CDC?
No. Canada is not on the CDC's high-risk-for-dog-rabies list, and the CDC states that a country not listed is not considered high risk. So a dog from Canada follows the simpler non-high-risk path — no rabies titre test, no quarantine, and no CDC-registered facility.
Does a dog from Canada need the CDC Dog Import Form?
Yes. Since 1 August 2024 every dog entering the USA needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, including dogs from low-risk countries like Canada. It is free and completed online; the receipt is valid for 6 months and can be used for multiple entries. The dog must also be microchipped, at least 6 months old, and healthy on arrival.
Do cats from Canada need rabies proof to enter the USA?
No. The CDC does not require rabies vaccination proof or a general health certificate for a cat — it only has to appear healthy on arrival. USDA APHIS adds no requirements for pet cats either.
Can a dog from Canada cross into the USA at a land border?
Yes. A non-high-risk-country dog can enter at any airport, seaport or land border crossing, as long as it has its CDC Dog Import Form receipt, is microchipped, is at least 6 months old and appears healthy.
Where to go next
Everything Animalsss holds on these animals — care, prices and listings.
This page tells you where the official rule is and what it says. It is not the rule and it is not legal advice. The official source decides, and the official source is the one that counts if this page and it ever disagree.
Reviewed by the Animalsss Movement Desk. Last reviewed 21 Sep 2026. Every rule was read off the official CDC, USDA APHIS and CFIA pages and adversarially fact-checked; Canada's non-high-risk status was confirmed on CDC's high-risk-country list.
This page is free to read and always will be. It is written from the official pages linked above; those pages can change, and if one has, the link is the fastest way to see what it says now.
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