Canada to the United States is the cheapest and simplest international move a Canadian pet owner can make. The government side costs almost nothing: CAD $24.64 for the CFIA certificate, and the US CDC dog import form is free.
Most of your bill will be the flight and the crate. American Airlines Cargo publishes a Canada to US minimum of CAD $455, which is the only published Canadian freight figure we have found anywhere.
| Cost | Amount | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|
| CFIA export certification | CAD $24.64 per certificate, plus GST/HST | CFIA |
| CDC dog import form (into the US) | Free | US CDC |
| Airline freight, minimum | CAD $455 on the one published tariff | Airline |
| IATA crate | USD $65 to $378 at retail depending on size. We size the crate at your pet’s fitting and confirm the cost before anything is booked | Retailer |
| Vet exam, health certificate, blood draw | Set by your clinic | Your vet |
| Import permit | None | Not applicable |
| Quarantine | None | Not applicable |
| Rabies titer test | Not required for the US | Not applicable |
The CFIA fee is charged per certificate rather than per animal, so two pets on one certificate costs the same CAD $24.64 as one. Compare that to the United States, where the equivalent endorsement runs from USD $101 to $275 depending on how many lab tests are involved. Exporting a pet from Canada is dramatically cheaper on the government side.
The CDC form is free and CDC says so plainly. If you see a figure quoted as a CDC fee, it belongs to somebody else, usually a private animal care facility.
CFIA endorsement appointments have to be booked and paid at least three days ahead, they are non-refundable once booked, and debit cards are not accepted. Appointment availability is the tightest constraint in most Canadian export timelines, more than any single fee.
Live animal freight from Canada is priced per booking, not from a rate card. Air Canada Cargo, WestJet, Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, Emirates and Qatar all quote each shipment individually, based on crate size, route, and dates.
For scale, transborder freight starts at a CAD $455 minimum on American Airlines Cargo, and long-haul lanes price well above that. The exact figure for this route is set once the crate size and dates are known, which is why we price it per booking instead of printing a number that will not match your itinerary.
What we can tell you is what drives it. Airlines charge on chargeable weight, which is whichever is greater: actual weight, or a volume figure from the crate dimensions. For pets the volume figure almost always wins. Air Canada publishes the divisor at 166 cubic inches per pound. A size 400 crate works out to roughly 66 kg of chargeable weight no matter what is inside it, which is why crate size moves the price more than the dog does.
Your vet sets their own fees. The examination, the certificate paperwork and any blood draw are priced by your clinic and vary between practices. Ask for a quote when you book the visit; we handle the timing so every piece lands inside its validity window. The lab fee covers the test itself, and the draw is always the clinic’s charge.
Ground transport at either end is quoted per route. Our coordination fee is included in the total we quote you and itemised on your invoice.
Crate size drives the flight cost, as on every route.
Ground transport is a genuine alternative here, particularly for destinations near the border. For some moves it is cheaper and easier on the animal than flying.
Breed restrictions still apply on the airline side. See our breed restrictions guide.
Heat and cold embargoes apply across the whole route.
Figures verified July 2026. CFIA fees are re-indexed for inflation every 31 March, so check the source if you are reading this later.
Terms used here are defined in our pet relocation glossary.
Send us the route, the breed and roughly when you want to travel. Request a quote and we will reply with an itemised plan, a timeline and clear next steps, usually within two business hours.
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