If you are relocating from Canada to Greece and bringing your pet along, the process is manageable with the right preparation. Plan for three to four months of lead time and a total cost that varies, depending on your pet’s size, departure city, and travel method. Canada is on the EU’s approved-country list, so there is no quarantine and no rabies titer test required. The part that requires the most planning is Greece’s bilingual English/Greek health certificate, a requirement unique to Greece among EU destinations. Here’s exactly how it works.
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
No two pet moves follow the same path. Your pet’s breed, size, health history, and departure city all shape the plan. We customize every detail.
Greece requires a bilingual English/Greek health certificate, and the format differs from the standard EU certificate used for most European countries. We confirm the current CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) process and certificate template before anything else, so the paperwork is right the first time. Your plan reflects Greece's specific rules from the start.
There are no direct flights from Canada to Athens. Pets departing from Toronto (YYZ) or Vancouver (YVR) typically connect through a European hub like Frankfurt, Munich, or Amsterdam before reaching Athens (ATH) or Thessaloniki (SKG). We evaluate each connection for transfer time, airline pet handling, and seasonal restrictions to find the route that keeps your pet comfortable.
A single coordinator manages your relocation from the first conversation through your pet's arrival in Greece. They handle scheduling, document reviews, and airline communication so you can focus on the rest of your move.
Relocating a pet from Canada to Greece follows the EU’s standard pet import framework, with one Greece-specific addition. As an EU member, Greece requires an ISO microchip, a current rabies vaccination, and an endorsed health certificate. Canada is listed on the EU’s Annex II (approved-country list), which exempts your pet from the rabies titer test and quarantine requirements that apply to pets from unlisted countries. The added step for Greece is the bilingual English/Greek certificate format, which your vet prepares and the CFIA endorses.
For a broader look at how international pet shipping works, our overview guide explains the general process. If you need information about bringing a pet into Canada from abroad, our Canada import guide covers those requirements.
We manage the entire relocation for you. That includes:
To keep everything clear, we break the process into steps:
We confirm what rules apply based on your pet and travel details.
We map out what happens when, so steps are completed in the right order.
We help keep appointments and timing aligned with what’s required.
We check the details that cause delays (microchip digits, dates, names, signatures).
We help align crate setup and routing with airline handling expectations.
We guide you on travel-day handoff and what to expect on arrival.
For the most current rules, refer to these official sources:
There are no non-stop flights from Canada to Athens, so every pet shipment routes through a European hub. The connection city matters because it determines which airline handles the live-animal transfer and how long your pet spends in transit.
Greece follows EU Regulation 2026/131 for non-commercial pet imports. Canada is listed on Annex II, the EU’s roster of approved countries, so pets from Canada skip the rabies titer test and face no quarantine. Your pet needs an ISO-standard microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination, a current rabies vaccination (at least 21 days after the primary dose), and a completed bilingual health certificate. Greece does not restrict any breeds under Law 4830/2021, which evaluates animals by behavior rather than breed. Up to five pets may travel under non-commercial rules.
Before scheduling any vet visits, we confirm Greece’s current rules and the CFIA process for the bilingual certificate. Request a quote to get a plan built around your travel date.
Greece requires the health certificate to be printed in both English and Greek. This is not the standard English-only EU certificate that works for countries like France or Germany. The certificate must be typed (not handwritten) and endorsed by the CFIA before travel. The bilingual PDF template is available directly from the CFIA website. Unlike the US process, Canadian veterinarians do not need special federal accreditation to complete the form. Any licensed vet can do it. However, the CFIA endorsement itself requires a scheduled appointment at a CFIA office, and the fee is approximately -24 CAD. The 10-day validity window starts from the vet’s signature date, which is a tighter clock than some other countries use, so the timing of your vet visit is critical.
Begin three to four months ahead of your move. The largest variable is the CFIA endorsement appointment, which can have limited availability depending on your region and time of year. Book it early. The vet examination, certificate completion, and CFIA endorsement must all land within the 10-day window before departure, so every earlier step (microchip, vaccination, rabies waiting period) needs to be completed well in advance.
The cost of a move depends on several things: your pet’s size and weight, which set the crate and cargo price, the airline and departure city, veterinary fees for the health certificate and any required tests, government endorsement and permit fees, and how much of the process you would like us to coordinate. Because those pieces change from one pet and route to the next, we quote the full journey up front, including government fees, so there are no surprises later. Tell us your pet and your destination and we will send a clear plan and a price.
The CFIA endorses a bilingual English/Greek health certificate for Greece. Your licensed vet completes the health examination and fills out the bilingual template (available as a PDF from the CFIA website). You then bring the completed certificate to a CFIA office for endorsement. The endorsement confirms that a federal inspector has reviewed the paperwork and verified it meets Greece’s import standards. You will also need your pet’s rabies vaccination certificate and proof of microchip implantation. No electronic submission is available for this process.
No. There are no non-stop flights from any Canadian city to Athens or Thessaloniki that carry live animal cargo. All pet shipments from Canada connect through a European hub. The most common options are Frankfurt, Munich, or Amsterdam, depending on your departure city and airline. We select the connection that minimizes total transit time and uses airlines with reliable live-animal handling procedures at the hub.
Greece is one of the few EU countries that requires the health certificate to be in both English and Greek, rather than accepting the English-only version. Greek border veterinarians use the Greek text for their inspection, and certificates without the Greek translation can be rejected at the point of entry. The bilingual requirement applies regardless of the pet’s origin country. It is a consistent part of Greece’s implementation of the EU pet import regulation.
Late September through April is the most practical window. During summer (May through September), airlines restrict or suspend live animal cargo because tarmac temperatures exceed safe limits. Lufthansa, which handles many European hub connections from Canada, blocks pet cargo entirely from June 1 through August 31. Spring and fall offer the widest range of airline options, mild temperatures, and shorter booking lead times. If you must move in summer, in-cabin travel for smaller pets is still available on most routes.
We manage the full process from planning through arrival. That starts with confirming Greece’s current rules, obtaining the bilingual certificate template, and mapping your timeline. We coordinate your vet visit, schedule the CFIA endorsement appointment, select the best route through a European hub, and prepare you for the border inspection in Greece. One coordinator handles your file from start to finish, so you have a single point of contact throughout. Request a quote to start planning your move.
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