Travelling with a cat in the cabin yourself? Our guide to flying with a cat from Canada covers the carrier rules and the security checkpoint.
What goes into the cost of shipping a pet from Canada
If you are moving abroad or sending your pet to a new home, the price tag is probably one of your first questions. Pet shipping costs from Canada vary widely depending on where your pet is going, how big they are, and what paperwork their destination requires.
Here is a realistic look at what you can expect to spend, what drives the price up or down, and where people commonly underestimate costs. Figures checked September 2026 against published fees and carrier pricing.
Domestic pet transport within Canada
In-cabin flights
If your pet is small enough to fly in the cabin (most airlines cap combined carrier-plus-pet weight around 10 kg), domestic pet transport is relatively affordable. Air Canada charges $50 to $60 CAD each way for a pet in the cabin within Canada and on Canada to US flights, and $100 to $120 CAD on other international routes. WestJet charges $50 to $59 CAD within Canada and the United States, and $100 to $118 CAD outside that. As checked baggage WestJet is $100 to $118 CAD within Canada and the United States, and $200 to $236 CAD outside. Air Canada also carries pets in the baggage compartment on domestic routes at its own published rate, which our Air Canada pet policy guide sets out in full alongside the seasonal temperature bans that close that option for part of the year. You will also need a soft-sided carrier that fits under the seat.
A domestic move needs no CFIA export certificate, because nothing is leaving the country. What applies instead is provincial, and it is the part people miss: Ontario, for example, requires a dog or cat to be vaccinated against rabies from three months old and says plainly that indoor pets are included, which our guide to moving a cat across the country works through. Check the destination province before booking the vet, not after. For a cabin-sized pet the whole trip usually lands under $200 CAD each way.
Cargo flights within Canada
Larger dogs that cannot fly in-cabin travel as checked baggage or manifested cargo. Air Canada Cargo does not publish a route rate for dogs and cats. It quotes each shipment through a sales representative, priced on the origin and destination, the animal, and the greater of the actual or dimensional weight of animal plus kennel. What it does publish are the add-ons: a terminal fee of $80 CAD per shipment within Canada, and a security screening fee of $0.17 CAD per kg with a $20 minimum. You will also need an IATA-compliant crate, which runs about $150 to $400 CAD at Canadian retail depending on the size of your dog, and more for a custom giant build.
For the full decision, drive versus cabin versus cargo, plus a four week preparation countdown, see our guide on how to move your pet across Canada. If a cat is making the trip, our cat moving guide covers carrier training and the first calm week at the new place.
International pet shipping from Canada
Shipping to the United States
Moving a pet from Canada to the U.S. is one of the simpler international routes, but the paperwork requirements changed significantly in 2024. The CDC now requires a CDC Dog Import Form for all dogs entering the United States, regardless of origin. You will need a veterinary health certificate, current rabies vaccination, and the completed CDC form. Total cost for a small dog flying in-cabin: roughly $300 to $600 CAD. For a larger dog in cargo with professional coordination: $2,000 to $3,500 CAD.
We publish an itemised breakdown for each Canadian route, with every government fee linked to the schedule that sets it. See the Canada to United States breakdown for this lane, or pick another route from our pet shipping cost calculator. Canada to Australia is the most expensive route we handle, and the breakdown shows why.
Shipping to the United Kingdom
The UK requires a rabies vaccination, microchip, and a tapeworm treatment administered 24 to 120 hours before arrival. There is no quarantine for pets arriving from Canada with proper documentation, but the timing of that tapeworm treatment is strict. Miss the window and your pet cannot enter. Budget $3,500 to $5,500 CAD for full-service relocation of a medium-sized dog to the UK. Norway asks dogs for the same 24 to 120 hour tapeworm window, on its own CFIA certificate.
Shipping to Australia or New Zealand
These are among the most expensive destinations because of mandatory quarantine. Australia requires a minimum 10-day quarantine at the Mickleham Post Entry Quarantine Facility, plus a rabies titre test taken at least 180 days before travel. The process takes 6 to 8 months of preparation. Total cost: $5,000 to $10,000 CAD or more, depending on your pet’s size and the length of quarantine.
Shipping to Europe (EU countries)
EU countries follow a standardized pet passport system. Pets from Canada need a microchip, rabies vaccination, and a veterinary health certificate endorsed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Some countries, like Germany and France, may require a rabies titre test if your pet’s vaccination history does not meet their standards. Budget $3,000 to $6,000 CAD for a medium-sized dog.
Shipping to Asia
Costs vary significantly across Asian destinations. Japan has a rigorous 180-day pre-travel process involving multiple rabies vaccinations and titre tests. Singapore requires an import permit and has strict breed restrictions. Budget $4,000 to $8,000 CAD for most Asian destinations.
What it costs to ship a dog from Canada
The figures above are the same for any pet, but a dog move and a cat move sit at opposite ends of them, and the reason is size. A dog under the roughly 10 kg combined carrier-and-pet limit travels in the cabin for the same $50 to $60 CAD an airline charges for a cat. A dog above it travels as checked baggage or manifested cargo, and that single line moves the total from under $200 CAD to the $2,000 to $3,500 CAD range for a larger dog with full coordination. There is no gradual slope between the two.
The crate is the second cost, and it is also a constraint. A dog in the hold needs an IATA-compliant container sized so the dog can stand, turn and lie down naturally, and that container decides which aircraft can carry it. A large crate does not fit the hold of a regional jet, which is why a dog leaving Regina, Saskatoon or Halifax sometimes cannot fly out on the obvious first leg at all. Driving to Toronto Pearson or Vancouver and flying from there is often the cheaper answer rather than the slower one, because it removes a connection and opens the wide-body aircraft that take larger containers.
Breed changes the price when it changes the route. Several carriers restrict or refuse snub-nosed dogs in the hold, so a Bulldog, Pug or Boxer can end up on a longer routing with a different airline, or waiting for a season when a hold booking is possible at all. Our guide to breed restrictions on Canadian routes covers which policies apply where, and the Canadian airline pet policies guide sets out what each carrier accepts.
Winter is a Canadian cost the international guides tend to skip. Cold-weather embargoes out of Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina and Saskatoon can close a route for days at a time, and a dog rebooked twice has picked up two sets of boarding nights and possibly a second health certificate if the first one expired waiting. Flying midday in winter and early or late in summer avoids most of it. Our guide to winter pet shipping in Canada goes through the temperature rules in detail, and the full dog transport service page covers how a move is put together.
What it costs to ship a cat from Canada
Most cats stay under the cabin limit for their whole adult life, which makes a cat move the cheapest version of this in almost every case. Within Canada, that is the airline cabin fee of $50 to $60 CAD each way plus a soft carrier, and a total that usually stays under $200 CAD once a health certificate is included. On a Canada to United States flight the cabin fee is unchanged and the paperwork is light for cats, since the CDC dog import form does not apply to them.
Moving two cats is not simply double, and it is not the same as one cat either. Airlines generally sell one animal per carrier per passenger in the cabin, so a second cat needs a second passenger travelling with it or a separate booking on the same flight. Whether two cats can share a container in the hold depends on the airline, the destination and the cats themselves, and we confirm it for the specific route rather than assuming it.
The expensive cat moves are not expensive because of the cat. They are expensive because of where the cat is going. Australia and New Zealand require a rabies titre test with a waiting period measured in months, and that calendar governs the whole move: the flight can be booked late but the blood draw cannot. A cat leaving Canada for one of those destinations needs its testing sequence started long before anyone looks at fares, and the route breakdowns in the cost calculator show which lanes carry that constraint.
One practical point that costs owners money more often than any fee. Airlines cap how many animals travel in the cabin on each flight, usually at a low single-digit number, and the slot cannot normally be booked online. You book your own seat, then call the airline the same day to add the cat. Leave it and the flight fills, and the alternatives are a different date or the hold, which is a different price bracket entirely. The cat transport service page covers the rest of the process.
What is included in full-service pet relocation
When you hire a pet relocation service, the fee typically covers:
- Route planning and airline booking (cargo or excess baggage)
- CFIA health certificate coordination and endorsement
- IATA-compliant crate (sized, assembled, labelled)
- Import permit applications where required
- Airport delivery, airline check-in, and monitoring
- Destination-side customs clearance coordination
- Door-to-door tracking and updates
The service fee covers the coordination and expertise. Airline fees, government charges, vet costs, and the crate are typically itemised separately so you can see exactly where your money goes.
Factors that increase cost
Several factors can push your pet’s shipping cost higher than the ranges above:
Pet size is the biggest variable. A 5 kg cat in-cabin is a fraction of the cost of a 40 kg dog flying cargo. Larger crates mean higher airline fees and more complex logistics.
Destination requirements matter. Countries with quarantine (Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii) add facility fees and extended boarding. Countries requiring titre tests add about USD $79 to $90 in lab fees, plus your vet’s charge for the blood draw and courier to a US laboratory, since there is no rabies titre lab in Canada plus the months of advance planning.
Seasonal restrictions can force route changes. Winter cold embargoes in Canada and summer heat embargoes at destination airports can limit which days and routes are available, sometimes requiring ground transport segments that add cost.
Brachycephalic breeds (bulldogs, pugs, Persian cats) face airline restrictions that limit route options. The viable routes that remain may be more expensive.
How to get an accurate quote
Ready to start planning your pet’s move?
Request a quote and we will put together a detailed plan and price for your specific route.
Prefer to talk? Give us a call at 1-877-707-1739.
Want this as a printable list? Our free two page checklist covers every step in order, from the first vet visit to travel day, with space for your own notes.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to ship a pet from Canada than from the United States?
It depends on the destination. Airline cargo rates from Canadian airports (Toronto Pearson, Vancouver International, Montreal Trudeau) are comparable to major U.S. hubs. The CFIA endorsement fee is often lower than the USDA fee. However, fewer direct cargo routes from Canada to some destinations can mean a connection, which adds cost.
Can I claim pet shipping costs on my taxes?
If you are relocating for work and your employer is not covering the cost, pet shipping may be deductible as a moving expense in some provinces. Consult a tax professional for your specific situation, as CRA rules on eligible moving expenses are detailed.
Do I pay in Canadian or U.S. dollars?
This varies by provider. Airline cargo fees are typically charged in the currency of the departure country. Our quotes are in Canadian dollars for Canadian departures, so there are no exchange-rate surprises.
What is the cheapest way to ship a pet internationally?
Flying in-cabin with your pet is the least expensive option if your pet qualifies by size. For larger pets, booking as excess baggage on your own flight is typically cheaper than manifested cargo. The trade-off is that you handle all the logistics, paperwork timing, and airport coordination yourself.
Sources
Checked September 2026.
- CFIA, pets (dogs, cats and ferrets): export certificates. Most pets need an export certificate from a licensed vet, endorsed by an official CFIA veterinarian before the animal leaves Canada. Requirements are listed country by country.
- Air Canada, travelling with your pet. Cabin and baggage compartment rules, advance registration, the brachycephalic restriction, and the soft-sided carrier rule introduced on 1 June 2025.
- WestJet, pets. WestJet own rules for pets in the cabin and in the hold, and the entrance requirements it expects guests to meet.
Airline charges are one of the few figures you can pin down before anything else. Air Canada charges CA or US $50.00 to $60.00 one way for a cabin pet within Canada and to the United States, and CA or US $105.00 to $126.00 in the baggage compartment. Our Air Canada pet policy guide has the full fee table.
Last updated 8 September 2026