The honest answer is that it depends on where your pet is going. A domestic move can be ready in one to two weeks. A move to a rabies-controlled country like Australia or New Zealand can take six months or more, most of it spent waiting on a blood test and a fixed waiting period. Here are realistic timelines by destination type so you can plan backwards from your ideal travel date.
Timeline at a glance
- Within Canada: one to two weeks.
- Countries with no quarantine (most of the EU, the UK, the US): two to eight weeks.
- Countries that require a rabies titer test: three to seven months.
- Australia and New Zealand: six months or more.
Domestic moves: one to two weeks
Moving your pet within Canada is the fastest case. Once you have picked a flight or a ground route and confirmed a recent vet check, you can often travel within one to two weeks. The limiting factor is usually airline pet-space availability in summer, not paperwork. Our full moving across Canada guide covers the domestic process end to end.
No-quarantine countries: two to eight weeks
Many destinations do not require quarantine for a healthy, properly documented pet. The timeline here is driven by the health certificate, which has to be issued and often government-endorsed within a tight window before travel, usually about ten days. Expect two to eight weeks start to finish, most of it vaccination timing and booking. Our guide on the CFIA health certificate explains that step.
Rabies titer countries: three to seven months
Some countries require a rabies antibody titer test, a blood test that proves the vaccine is working. The result takes a few weeks, and some destinations then impose a waiting period of up to three months after a passing test before your pet can enter. This is the single biggest timeline driver, and it cannot be rushed. We explain it fully in our rabies titer test guide.
Australia and New Zealand: six months or more
These strict-island countries combine a titer test, a long waiting period, an import permit, and a mandatory quarantine stay on arrival. Plan on six months or more from your first vet visit to your pet clearing quarantine. Our detailed Canada to Australia guide walks through the quarantine process, and the Australia destination page has the requirements.
A simple rule: plan backwards
Pick your ideal travel date, then count backwards using the ranges above. If the math is tight, that is exactly when a relocation service earns its keep, by sequencing the vet visits, tests, permits, and bookings so nothing slips. A pet travel checklist helps you keep track. Tell us your destination and date and we will build the timeline for you.
What actually consumes the time
Most of a relocation timeline is a chain of fixed waiting periods in the destination country’s import rules, and they run in strict order. The microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination that counts. The EU requires a 21 day wait after that vaccination. Titer countries add a lab round trip: blood drawn, tested for rabies antibodies with a FAVN test, then a waiting period, 180 days in Japan’s case, before the pet can land.
There is a uniquely Canadian wrinkle in that lab step: no Canadian lab runs the rabies titer test. Samples are couriered to an approved lab in the United States, usually Kansas State, which adds shipping days and customs handling to the schedule. Build a buffer around the draw date rather than cutting it close.
The paperwork end is quicker here than for our US neighbours. The CFIA, Canada’s food inspection agency, endorses an export health certificate for a flat $24.64 CAD, one appointment, one fee, regardless of how many tests the certificate carries.
The waits you cannot compress
- EU countries: 21 days after the rabies vaccination.
- Japan: 180 days after a passing titer draw, plus the courier time to the US lab.
- Australia: rabies titer, an import permit, and a minimum 10 day stay at the Mickleham quarantine facility, with space that books out months ahead.
- New Zealand: a minimum 10 day quarantine at an approved facility.
- United Kingdom: no quarantine with correct paperwork, which keeps it in the two to eight week bucket.
The fast lane: Canada to the US
Moving to the States is the quickest international route from Canada. There is no US import fee for a pet arriving from Canada, the CDC dog import form is filed online at no charge, and routing is simple by air or ground. One to three weeks of lead time covers most Canada to US moves, with the vet visit sitting inside the final stretch so the health paperwork stays in date.
Frequently asked questions
What takes the longest in a pet move?
The rabies titer test and any post-test waiting period. Countries that require them add months, not weeks, so those moves need the earliest start.
How soon should I start planning?
For a domestic or no-quarantine move, a few weeks. For Australia, New Zealand, or any titer-test country, start six to seven months ahead.
Can a pet move be done faster in an emergency?
Domestic and no-quarantine moves have some flexibility. Titer-test and quarantine countries have fixed waiting periods that cannot be shortened, so those timelines are firm.
Does my pet’s breed change the timeline?
Not the paperwork timeline, but snub-nosed breeds may need ground or charter arrangements that take extra planning. See our breed restrictions guide.
Why does the titer test take longer from Canada?
Because no Canadian lab runs it. The blood sample travels by courier to an approved US lab, usually Kansas State, so shipping and customs time sits on top of the lab’s own turnaround. Ask your vet to schedule the draw early in the week so the sample does not sit over a weekend.
How long does Canada to the UK take?
Usually two to eight weeks from a standing start: microchip, rabies vaccination, the 21 day wait, then the CFIA-endorsed certificate and cargo booking. No quarantine when the paperwork is right.
When should I start planning a move to Australia?
Six months or more ahead. The titer sequence through a US lab, the import permit, and the Mickleham quarantine reservation each carry their own lead time, and quarantine space is the scarcest piece.
Related guides
Ready to plan your pet’s move?
Tell us your destination and target date. Request a quote and we will reply with a plan, a timeline, and clear next steps, usually within two business hours.