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Bringing a cat from Taiwan to Canada

Yes — Canada is the simplest destination on this page for a personal pet. Taiwan sits in the middle of CFIA's classifications: it is not one of the nine countries Canada recognises as rabies-free, and it is not on Canada's high-risk-for-dog-rabies list either. So a cat aged 3 months or older from Taiwan needs one core document — a valid rabies vaccination certificate in English or French from a licensed vet — with no titer test, no import permit for a personal pet, and no quarantine.

1 document

Core requirement

Valid rabies vaccination certificate, English or French

3 months

Age threshold

Under 3 months: no rabies certificate needed

None

Quarantine / permit

Personal pets — neither applies

CAD $36.95

Border inspection fee

First animal, since 31 Mar 2026; +$6.16 each extra

Step-by-step checklist

Requirements — Cat · Taiwan → Canada
Step	What to do	When
Domestic cat status	These rules are for a domestic pet cat travelling with its owner. (Non-domestic and hybrid cats follow different CFIA categories — check CFIA's pet tool for those.) Unlike dogs, cats have no personal-versus-commercial split in CFIA's Import Reference Document — the rule turns on age and rabies status of the origin country.	Before anything else
Microchip — not required by Canada	CFIA does not require a microchip for a pet cat. Taiwan's side does: APHIA's export process requires the cat to be microchipped before the rabies vaccination its paperwork relies on, so a cat leaving Taiwan will be chipped anyway.	Before vaccination
Rabies vaccination + vet certificate	Taiwan is not on CFIA's rabies-free list (only nine countries are: Australia, Fiji, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom), so the rabies-free shortcut does not apply. A cat aged 3 months or older from Taiwan needs a veterinarian's certificate, in English or French, that clearly identifies the cat and indicates it is currently vaccinated against rabies. CFIA's Import Reference Document also accepts, as alternatives, proof of living in a rabies-free country for the 6 months before entry (not available from Taiwan) or a rabies neutralising antibody titre test (RNATT) of 0.5 IU/ml or higher, taken at least 30 days after a rabies vaccination, with the lab report accompanying the cat.	Before travel; must be current on arrival
Cats under 3 months	Domestic cats less than 3 months of age are not subject to any CFIA import restrictions — no rabies certificate is required at that age. Taiwan's export process and your airline may still require their own documents.	Kittens only
APHIA export certificate	Bring the cat, the rabies vaccination certificate, your ID or passport and the flight booking to an APHIA branch office or inspection station within 7 days before departure to obtain Taiwan's official veterinary certificate. Canada does not require this certificate for a pet cat — APHIA issues it as part of leaving Taiwan, and airlines may ask for it.	Final 7 days
Arrival inspection	At the border the certificate is checked against the cat. If a cat aged 3 months or older does not meet the rabies requirements, an inspector may order the importer to have the cat vaccinated against rabies within a specified period at the owner's expense and to present the vaccination certificate to an inspector.	Arrival day

Your preparation timeline

1Any time — Microchip and rabies vaccination record put in order for APHIA
2Before travel — Vet certificate in English or French identifying the cat and showing current rabies vaccination
3Final 7 days — APHIA export inspection and official veterinary certificate
4Arrival — Border document check and inspection

The mistake that causes trouble on this route: Misreading Taiwan's position in Canada's lists — in either direction. Owners who assume Taiwan counts as rabies-free (it does not; only nine countries do) arrive without a vaccination certificate and face a vaccination order at their own expense. Owners who assume Taiwan is treated like mainland China (it is not; CFIA's high-risk entry is 'China (mainland only)') wrongly fear the commercial-dog prohibition. The other trap is purpose: the simple rules on this page are for a personal pet living with its owner — a dog being sold, adopted out, fostered or bred is a commercial import with permit rules of its own.

Costs you can plan for

Canada's government charges are published in the CFIA Fees Notice (rates as of 31 March 2026): import inspection of a dog or cat is CAD $36.95 for the first animal in the shipment and CAD $6.16 for each additional animal, plus tax. If an inspector has to issue a vaccination order because the rabies paperwork failed, the inspection fee rises to CAD $67.75 for the first animal (CAD $36.95 each additional), and the vaccination itself is at the owner's expense. Add Taiwan-side vet and APHIA export costs (APHIA's English pages do not publish its export fee) and the air fare or cargo charge. There is no quarantine facility cost to budget for.

✈️ 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

Is Taiwan rabies-free for Canada?

No. CFIA recognises only nine rabies-free countries — Australia, Fiji, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Taiwan is not one of them, so a cat from Taiwan cannot use the rabies-free-origin alternative and needs the certificate showing current rabies vaccination (or a qualifying RNATT report).

Does my cat need a titer test or quarantine for Canada?

No titer test is required if the cat has a valid rabies vaccination certificate — CFIA's Import Reference Document lists the RNATT (0.5 IU/ml or higher, sampled at least 30 days after vaccination) as an alternative document, not an additional one. CFIA sets no post-import quarantine for pet cats that meet the requirements.

My kitten is under 3 months old. What does it need?

For CFIA, nothing: domestic cats under 3 months of age are not subject to any import restrictions. You still need to satisfy APHIA's export process in Taiwan and your airline's rules, which are separate from CFIA's border requirements.

Are any cat breeds banned in Canada?

CFIA's federal import rules for domestic cats list no breed ban. Non-domestic and hybrid cats are handled under different CFIA categories with their own conditions, so a hybrid cat should be checked in CFIA's pet-import tool before travel.

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.

Want a professional to run this route for you?

Licensed pet relocation companies handle permits, vet paperwork and flights daily. We are adding vetted partners for this route — check back soon.