Pet Relocation FAQ

International pet shipping from Canada typically costs $3,000 to $6,000 CAD for a medium-sized dog to most destinations. The total depends on your pet’s size, destination requirements, airline cargo fees, and whether the destination requires quarantine or a rabies titre test. In-cabin travel on Air Canada or WestJet runs $50 to $60 CAD per direction within Canada and to the United States, and $100 to $120 CAD on other international routes. For a full breakdown by destination, see our pet shipping cost guide.

Full-service pet relocation typically includes route planning, airline cargo booking, CFIA health certificate coordination, IATA-compliant crate provision, import permit applications, airport delivery and check-in, and destination-side customs clearance coordination. Learn more in our step-by-step guide to how pet relocation works from Canada.

A CFIA health certificate is a veterinary health certificate endorsed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. It confirms your pet is healthy and meets the import requirements of the destination country. It is required for virtually all international pet moves from Canada. The certificate must be issued within 10 days of travel, and the CFIA endorsement fee is set at the appointment, on top of your vet exam fee ($75 to $200 CAD). Full details in our CFIA export certificate guide.

A rabies titre test is a blood test measuring your pet’s rabies antibody levels. Countries including Japan, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the UAE require it. The test must be done at least 30 days after rabies vaccination, costs $230 to $450 CAD, and some countries require a 180-day waiting period after a successful result. See our rabies titre test guide for Canadian pet owners.

Air Canada is the primary Canadian carrier offering cargo pet transport. It does not publish a route rate for dogs and cats and quotes each shipment through a sales representative. It does publish 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. On WestJet, an animal too large for the cabin travels as checked baggage, and an animal travelling without its owner goes through WestJet Cargo, which quotes separately. Some international airlines publish a cargo route of their own: KLM says a pet whose transfer is 3 hours or longer can travel through its Cargo service, Lufthansa says snub-nosed dogs and cats it bars from the hold can travel as air freight, for example with Lufthansa Cargo, and British Airways says its sister company IAG Cargo can help bring a pet to the UK. See our Canadian airline pet policies guide for a full comparison.

Air Canada will not take a snub-nosed dog in its baggage compartment. Air Canada Cargo names snub-nosed breeds as restricted and says they must be tendered through a listed company approved by the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association. Small flat-faced pets may fly in-cabin if they meet size requirements. Options for larger brachycephalic breeds include ground transport, charter flights, or an airline that will carry such a pet on your route. Which airlines take one, on which routes, and whether in the cabin, as checked baggage or as cargo, differs from one carrier to the next. Full details in our breed restrictions guide for Canadian pet owners.

Air Canada Cargo says that from 1 November to 31 March it does not accept warm-blooded animals as cargo on some of its narrowbody fleet, because their cargo holds are not heated. WestJet publishes holiday, heat and entrance restrictions for pets, and lists heat as not applicable for travel within Canada. Planning strategies are in our winter pet shipping guide.

Shipping a pet from Canada to the UK requires a microchip, rabies vaccination, tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before arrival, a CFIA-endorsed health certificate, and airline cargo booking. There is no quarantine for pets from Canada with proper documentation. Budget $3,500 to $5,500 CAD for full-service relocation of a medium-sized dog. See our UK destination guide.

Australia requires a rabies titre test with a 180-day waiting period, multiple treatments, an import permit, and mandatory quarantine (minimum 10 days) at the Mickleham facility. There are no direct flights from Canada to Australia, so pets route through a hub city. The full process takes 6 to 8 months and costs $5,000 to $10,000+ CAD. See our Australia destination guide.

The CDC’s 2024 rule change added new requirements for dogs entering the U.S. from Canada. For a dog that has only been in Canada or another rabies-free or low-risk country in the past six months, the CDC Dog Import Form receipt is the only required documentation. Cats have fewer requirements. Total cost for a small dog flying in-cabin: roughly $300 to $600 CAD. See our U.S. destination guide.

Pet transportation during a CAF posting is typically handled through the Personalized Envelope under the CF IRP (administered by BGRS). Coverage varies by posting type. OUTCAN postings require the same health certificates and country-specific paperwork as civilian moves. For postings to titre-test countries like Japan, start preparation as soon as a posting is possible. See our CAF military pet relocation guide.

DIY works well for domestic in-cabin travel and straightforward U.S. border crossings. Professional help is worth considering for first-time international moves, complex destinations (Australia, Japan, Singapore), large pets in cargo, brachycephalic breeds, and winter moves with embargo risk. The cost difference is roughly $2,000 to $3,500 CAD for a typical international route. See our detailed comparison.

A complete preparation checklist includes: confirming microchip registration, ensuring current rabies vaccination, scheduling any required titre tests months ahead, obtaining the correct CFIA health certificate form for your destination, booking airline cargo space, purchasing and acclimating your pet to an IATA-compliant crate, and organizing all documents. See our pet travel checklist for Canadians with timeline milestones.