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Bringing a dog from South Korea to Canada

Yes — Canada is one of the simplest destinations in the world for a pet dog, and Korea is no exception. There is no quarantine, no blood test, no import permit and no federal microchip requirement for a personal pet dog. The one document that matters is a proper rabies vaccination certificate — in English or French, signed by a licensed vet, identifying your dog and showing the vaccine's trade name, serial number and validity. Korea adds its own exit step: an APQA export quarantine inspection (₩10,000) at the airport.
None
Quarantine
Canada does not quarantine pet dogs after import
None
Titer test
Canada never requires one for pet dogs
3 months
Vaccine age floor
Dogs under 3 months are exempt from rabies rules
EN or FR
Certificate language
Or an official translation must accompany it

Step-by-step checklist

Requirements — Dog · South Korea → Canada
StepWhat to doWhen
Rabies vaccination certificateCanada's core requirement. For a dog 3 months or older, carry a valid rabies vaccination certificate issued and signed by a licensed veterinarian, in English or French (or with an official translation), that clearly identifies the dog and shows the vaccination date, the vaccine's trade name and serial number, and its period of validity — if no validity is stated, Canada treats it as 1 year. South Korea is not on Canada's short list of designated rabies-free countries, so this vaccination-certificate path is the one that applies. Dogs under 3 months old are exempt. Before travel
No titer test, no permitCanada does not require a rabies antibody test or an import permit for a personal pet dog, and there is no waiting period after vaccination. Do not let anyone sell you a blood test for this route. Good to know
No federal microchip ruleCanada does not require a microchip or tattoo for dogs imported as personal pets. (Your airline may still require clear identification, and the chip number ties your Korean documents together — keep it recorded.) Good to know
Vet health certificate for exitAsk your Korean veterinarian for a health certificate alongside the vaccination certificate — APQA needs both documents in hand to issue your export paperwork, even though Canada itself does not mandate a separate health certificate for a personal pet dog. Days before departure
APQA export quarantine inspectionVisit the APQA office at the airport or port with your dog and its documents. The inspector reviews the documents, clinically examines the dog and issues the export (veterinary) certificate. The fee is ₩10,000 per case. Incheon airport offices (T1 and T2) operate daily 09:00–18:00 — arrive before 17:30; most other offices are weekday-only. Departure day (or just before)
Arrival inspectionAt the Canadian border, CBSA/CFIA officers inspect the dog and its certificate. Keep the original vaccination certificate with you — not in checked baggage. Arrival

Your preparation timeline

  1. 1Any time ahead — Rabies vaccination; get a complete certificate (trade name, serial number, validity) in English or French
  2. 2Days ahead — Vet health certificate for the Korean exit file
  3. 3Departure day — APQA export quarantine inspection at the airport (₩10,000) — arrive before 17:30 at Incheon
  4. 4Arrival — Border document check — compliant dogs are released immediately, no quarantine
The mistake that causes trouble on this route: An incomplete vaccination certificate. Canada's refusal stories on this route are rarely about the vaccine itself — they are about certificates missing the vaccine's trade name or serial number, missing a stated validity period, or written only in Korean with no English or French translation. If the paperwork fails at the border, an inspector can order the dog vaccinated at your expense on a deadline. Fix the certificate at your Korean vet, where it is cheap, not at the border, where it is not.

Costs you can plan for

There is no Canadian import permit to buy and no quarantine bill on this route. The Korean export quarantine inspection costs ₩10,000 per case (APQA's published fee), and a modest CFIA border inspection fee can apply to pet imports (imports from the US are exempt; Korea is not). Your main costs are the vet visit for a properly completed vaccination certificate and health certificate, plus the air fare.

✈️ Government rules are only half the trip. Airlines set their own pet carriage rules (crate size, breed limits, seasonal embargoes). Re-confirm carriage with your airline after you meet the rules above.

Questions people ask about this route

Will my dog be quarantined in Canada?

No. Canada states in its Import Reference Document that pet dogs imported from any country are not subject to post-import quarantine. Release at the border is same-day when the certificate is in order.

Does my dog need a microchip for Canada?

Not under federal rules for personal pet dogs — Canada does not require a microchip or tattoo. Airlines and the Korean exit process still work best with the chip number recorded on the documents.

My dog's vaccination certificate is only in Korean. Is that a problem?

Yes. Canada requires the certificate in English or French, or accompanied by an official translation — and it must show the vaccine's trade name, serial number and validity period. Have your Korean vet reissue or supplement it before you travel.

Does Canada accept a blood test instead of vaccination?

For cats the rules list an antibody-test alternative; for dogs the standard path from a country like South Korea is simply the valid vaccination certificate. There is no test requirement to satisfy — the certificate is the requirement.

Related guides

✓ Last verified: 2026-11-12

Official sources for this page

We check each rule against the exporting country's official page and the destination country's official page. If the two disagree, we show the disagreement instead of guessing.

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