Most pets travelling from Canada to another country will need an export certificate (Canadian Health Certificate for Dogs and Cats) issued by a licensed veterinarian and endorsed by an official Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) veterinarian.
The requirements for pets travelling to another country are very specific and different for each country. As a pet owner, you must plan ahead to ensure you have enough time to meet any testing, vaccination or treatment requirements and obtain the necessary certifications. Some countries may also require owners to obtain an import permit in addition to an export certificate. All official documents must be completed accurately. Our staff are here to assist you in completing our portion of the necessary paperwork, however, we do not possess expert export knowledge for specific countries. We kindly ask that you do your due diligence regarding the export of your pet.
Please see the CFIA’s website below to look for documentation and general information for the export of your pet.
https://inspection.canada.ca/en/animal-health/terrestrial-animals/exports/pets
Once you have determined the correct documentation that your pet requires for travel, we ask that you bring any documents that you determine we need to issue/endorse, to us, at least 72 hours prior to your scheduled appointment. Please ensure that the documents are printed on the correct size paper, they often require legal size (8 ½ x 14) paper. Having the paperwork ahead of your appointment will expedite the process and ensure we have time to obtain the necessary information for you and your pet. We will return the paperwork to you at your scheduled appointment.
Disclaimer: Pet owners are responsible for determining and providing the necessary and correct documents for travel. Please ensure you contact the CFIA with any questions regarding travel. Burnhamthorpe Animal Hospital is not responsible for incorrect forms supplied by pet owners.
Below are some basic export guidelines:
- Before scheduling travel with your pet, check the timing and requirements for the country you are planning to travel to.
- Check which vaccinations are required for export. Many countries have specific requirements for the timing of vaccinations, and this is the pet owner’s responsibility.
- Check which additional treatments, and their timing, your pet may require; such as internal and external parasite treatment/control.
- Many countries require a microchip to be implanted or scanned prior to Rabies vaccination.
- Many countries require a Rabies Titre blood test to be performed (this may take 4-5 weeks to receive results).
- Most countries require the documents to be filled in BLOCK CAPITAL letters with blue ink.
- If your document does not print out properly on A4 (8 ½ x 11), it likely requires LEGAL (8 ½ x 14) paper
- Most export documents require endorsement by an official Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) veterinarian. You will need to make an appointment with the CFIA veterinarian. Our local office is located at:
1050 Courtneypark Dr E
Mississauga, ON L5T 2R4
(289) 247-4100
