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Taking a pet out of Canada
There is no single rulebook for leaving Canada — the destination country sets the requirements, so the papers, tests and waiting periods depend on where you are going. Below are the 10 routes from Canada we have verified so far, covering Australia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States. Every route page is checked against two official sources — the destination government's import rules and the export guidance for leaving Canada — and carries its own "last verified" date. How early you need to start depends on the route; see how far in advance to prepare, and how we check every rule.
Dogs leaving Canada
Dog: Canada → the United States
Yes — and this is the easiest international route on this site. Canada is on CDC's low-risk list, so your dog needs exactly one document to enter the US: the free CDC Dog Import Form receipt. No health certificate, no rabies certificate and no titer test are required by the US, by air or by road. The catch is the trip home: Canada requires a valid rabies vaccination certificate for your dog to re-enter Canada, so travel with it even though the US never asks to see it.
Simple rulesDog: Canada → the United Kingdom
Yes — Canada is a 'listed' country for Great Britain, so there is no rabies blood test and no quarantine when the paperwork is right. Your dog needs an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination with a 21-day wait after the first dose, a Great Britain pet health certificate signed by an official vet, and a vet-administered tapeworm treatment 24–120 hours before you arrive. Pets fly as cargo on approved routes.
Simple rulesDog: Canada → France
Yes — Canada is on the EU's listed-country annexes, so a dog from Canada enters France without a rabies antibody (titer) test. The core is an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination with a 21-day wait after the first dose, and the EU animal health certificate — completed by your vet in English and French and endorsed by a CFIA veterinarian shortly before travel. France then adds its own rules on top of the EU scheme: category 1 'attack-type' dogs are banned outright, even in transit, and every dog imported from a third country must have at least one adult tooth.
Strict rulesDog: Canada → Australia
Yes — but Canada is a Group 3 country for Australia, so this is the full protocol: ISO microchip, rabies vaccination, a passing RNATT titer test, a 180-day wait, a DAFF import permit, and quarantine at Mickleham — 10 days if you complete the optional CFIA identity declaration before the blood draw, otherwise 30 days. Canada adds one condition no other origin has: your dog must be vaccinated against H3N2 canine influenza, or meet an isolation-and-testing alternative in the final 10 days. Start 7–8 months ahead.
Cats leaving Canada
Cat: Canada → the United States
Yes — cats have the lightest US entry rules of any route on this site. There is no CDC form for cats, no federal rabies vaccination proof, no microchip or age rule, and no USDA health requirement for a pet cat entering the US. Your cat simply has to appear healthy at the border. As with dogs, the document that matters is for the trip home: Canada requires a rabies vaccination certificate for cats 3 months and older when they re-enter Canada.
Simple rulesCat: Canada → the United Kingdom
Yes — Canada is a 'listed' country for Great Britain, so there is no rabies blood test and no quarantine when the paperwork is right. Your cat needs an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination with a 21-day wait after the first dose, and a Great Britain pet health certificate signed by an official vet. Cats skip the tapeworm treatment that dogs need. Pets fly as cargo on approved routes.
Simple rulesCat: Canada → France
Yes — Canada is on the EU's listed-country annexes, so a cat from Canada enters France without a rabies antibody (titer) test. Your cat needs an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination with a 21-day wait after the first dose, and the EU animal health certificate — completed by your vet in English and French and endorsed by a CFIA veterinarian shortly before travel. The French extra that catches cat owners is about pedigree: Bengal and Savannah cats need a recognised-studbook pedigree, or France treats them as hybrids needing a special import permit.
Strict rulesCat: Canada → Australia
Yes — but Canada is a Group 3 country for Australia, so this is the full protocol: ISO microchip, rabies vaccination, a passing RNATT titer test, a 180-day wait, a DAFF import permit, and quarantine at Mickleham — 10 days if you complete the optional CFIA identity declaration before the blood draw, otherwise 30 days. One snag hits cats from Canada specifically: the external parasite treatments on Australia's approved list are no longer available in Canada, so CFIA directs cat exporters to apply to DAFF for an import permit variation. Start 7–8 months ahead — and raise the variation early, not at the end.