One of the great concerns of American citizens who have a pet and wish to travel or establish residence in Canada is how to transport their pets.
Another of their main concerns is the documents and requirements that you must have on hand to travel from the United States to Canada by plane with a pet.
The rules and conditions of carriage depend, essentially, on the following:
- Place of entry and exit in Canada: regulations on the importation of domestic animals vary from province to province
- Type of animal: is it a dog, a cat, a bird, a reptile …?
- Form of transport: do you travel in the cabin, or not?
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Below you will find all the current regulations, required documents, and specifications for importing animals to Canada.
It will also be useful to know the requirements that every U.S citizen who wishes to visit Canada must meet.
Importation of animals from the U.S to Canada
Canadian regulations regarding the importation of companion animals, or animal products vary according to the type of animal. Below we show you which are allowed, which are prohibited, and which require special procedures to enter the country.
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Animals allowed in Canada
In general, the following pets are welcome in Canada:
- Dogs
- Cats
- Amphibians (salamanders, frogs, toads, newts)
- Reptiles (snakes, crocodiles, alligators, iguanas, turtles, tortoises, lizards)
- Some types of rodents (hamsters, rats, mice)
Regulated animals in Canada
Other animals are admitted to Canada under special import conditions:
- Fishes
- Foxes and skunks
- Raccoons
- Galapagos
- Birds
- Rabbits
- Ferrets
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Animals prohibited in Canada
Canada prohibits the importation of the following species from the U.S:
- Prairie dogs
- Squirrels
- Primates (monkeys, baboons, chimpanzees, gorillas, baboons, orangutans, marmosets)
Traveling to Canada with dogs or cats
The companion animals most transported by plane between the U.S and Canada are undoubtedly dogs and cats. Know the requirements and documents necessary for it.
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Documents required to travel from the U.S to Canada with pets
To transport your dog or cat from the U.S to Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) requires you to meet the following requirements:
- Vaccination certificate (including rabies certificate for dogs of any age, and cats older than 3 months).
- Veterinary health certificate .
- Sanitary export permit .
The vaccination certificates must be issued from the U.S before traveling to Canada, and have the following characteristics:
- Be written in English or French , or translated into one of those two official languages.
- Issued and signed by a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Accredited Veterinarian.
- Identify the animal by breed, color and weight .
- Guarantee that the animal is vaccinated against rabies .
- Indicate the date of vaccination , the company name and the serial number of the authorized vaccine.
- Specify the duration of immunity (if not indicated, it will be considered valid for one year from the date of vaccination).
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The veterinary health certificates must be issued from the U.S before traveling to Canada, and have the following characteristics:
- Be written in English or French , or translated into one of those 2 languages.
- Issued and signed by a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Accredited Veterinarian.
- Have the name and signature of the authorized veterinarian who performed the examination.
- Identify the animal by breed, color and weight .
- Specify the date and time of the exam.
- Contain a statement specifying that the animal is free from any clinical evidence of disease .
- Guarantee that the animal has been vaccinated against :
- distemper
- hepatitis
- parvovirus
- parainfluenza
Although Canadian authorities do not usually quarantine animals imported from the U.S, your pet may require some treatment before allowing it to enter the country.
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If this is your case, you will be responsible for covering the costs derived from the treatment, quarantine, or other pertinent expenses to the particular situation.
You may import a small quantity of commercially packaged cat or dog food made in the United States to feed your pet while traveling to Canada.
Travel to Canada with exotic birds or animals
The importation of birds from the U.S to Canada is subject to the control of the Canadian Wildlife Service (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species – (CITES) as well as the CFIA and the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council of Canada.
The import and export of species designated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) are controlled through an authorization or permit known as CITES.
This mandatory document certifies that you are the owner of the exotic animal. It is also known as the CITES Certificate of Ownership, or pet passport. It is valid for 3 years and authorizes multiple international trips.
It is advisable to find out about the regulations well in advance in order to prepare all the necessary documents for the trip with your pet to Canada.
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How to take my pet from the U.S to Canada by plane?
Some airlines that fly from the U.S to Canada, such as Air Canada, allow their passengers to travel with a dog or cat in the cabin, as long as:
- The animal weighs 10 kg or less .
- It is in a cage with the following maximum measurements : 23 cm high, 40 cm wide and 55 cm long.
- Alternatively, it can travel in a bag with the following dimensions : 27 cm in height, 40 cm in width and 55 cm in length.
- Be at least 3 months old .
- The pet must remain in its closed carrier cage under its seat.
- The traveler must arrive at the airport an additional 30 minutes before their flight check-in time, and they cannot check-in online or at the airport self-service terminals.
The cost of flying your pet from the U.S to Canada in the cabin is between $100 and $125 Canadian dollars (CAD) depending on the itinerary.
In other situations, it is mandatory for the pet to travel in the trunk, such as:
- The traveler is a minor traveling without an adult.
- Your seat is in the exit or window row.
- The traveler needs to use a medical device that must be stored under the seat during the flight.
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If your pet has to be transported in the trunk, it will go within the same flight, with the following conditions:
- Maximum weight up to 32 kg.
- Appropriate cage with 292 linear cm (calculated by adding the length, height and width).
The cost of traveling with a pet in the trunk of the plane usually exceeds $200 Canadian dollars (CAD).
Just as pets need to meet certain requirements and carry documents when traveling to Canada, humans do too. Once you have your pet’s travel requirements in order, remember that you will need to use the ArriveCAN app before your arrival at the border.
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