Moving with a dog or cat between France and Canada

At a glance

Canada → France

Bringing a pet from Canada to France

Canada is listed in Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636, so a dog or cat arriving directly from Canada needs no rabies antibody titre test. CFIA confirms this, and adds that no transit declaration is needed for a direct flight or for a connection in the US, which is also in Annex II.

Canada does not issue EU pet passports, so the pet travels on the EU health certificate for non-commercial movements:

• In English and in the language of the first EU country the pet reaches: French and English for a direct arrival in France. Only the new model is used for certificates issued from 1 October 2026; CFIA says the old one is accepted only if signed on or before 30 September 2026.
• Completed by a veterinarian licensed in Canada, who acts as the "authorised veterinarian" under the EU rules.
• Endorsed by a CFIA veterinarian, by appointment, at the local Animal Health Office, before the pet leaves Canada. Every page carries the CFIA reference number, its official stamp and the signature; nothing may be changed after endorsement.
• Valid for 10 days from the vet's signature, according to CFIA's guidance. The EU text counts the 10 days from the official endorsement; CFIA's reading is stricter, so plan by it.

At the CFIA appointment, bring the original current rabies certificate, every previous rabies certificate since microchipping, proof of the microchip and evidence of travel. The certificate comes with the owner's declaration that the move is not commercial.

CFIA also points out that a pet can no longer travel separately from its owner as a non-commercial movement, except with a person authorised in writing, within 5 days before or after the owner.

Coming back to France after time in Canada

A pet that lives in France can come back on its EU passport, with no certificate, if the rabies vaccination recorded in the passport before departure is still valid on return. Only an authorised EU vet can write in that passport: if the pet stays in Canada beyond the vaccine's validity, it needs a CFIA-endorsed health certificate, with the passport as supporting evidence.

France → Canada

Moving to Canada with a dog or cat

Pet imports into Canada are a matter for CFIA. At the border, CBSA checks the documents and may refer the animal to CFIA for inspection. France is on neither Canada's list of rabies-free countries nor its list of high-risk countries for dog rabies, so the standard rules apply.

Pet dogs: what is required at each age

The veterinary certificate of health required for an unaccompanied young dog is based on an examination within the 72 hours before import. It states that the dog is at least 8 weeks old, fit to travel and vaccinated from 6 weeks of age against distemper, adenovirus type 2, parainfluenza and parvovirus (date, product, manufacturer and lot number), on clinic letterhead, with the date, time and time zone of the exam. The EU pet passport cannot replace this certificate.

The rabies certificate and the EU pet passport

The rabies vaccination certificate is written in English or French and signed by a vet. It identifies the animal (age, breed, sex, colour, weight, microchip or tattoo if any) and gives the vaccination date, the vaccine's trade name and serial number and the duration of immunity (one year if not stated). CFIA accepts the EU pet passport if it contains all of these. Before you leave, we suggest checking that the vaccine name, lot number and expiry date are clearly recorded in it.

Cats

A cat aged 3 months or more coming from France needs a valid rabies vaccination certificate with the same details; a complete EU passport is accepted. For a kitten under 3 months, proof of age is enough.

Microchips, commercial dogs and non-compliance

Canada requires no microchip or tattoo for pet dogs and cats. We still advise keeping the chip and a valid vaccination: both will be essential if your pet ever comes back to France. Dogs imported for resale, adoption, breeding or fostering follow other rules (including a microchip for those under 8 months), and Air France says it no longer accepts such dogs to Canada.

If the pet does not meet the requirements, CFIA can require you to have it vaccinated at your own cost within a set time and show proof, or order it out of Canada.

Identification and vaccination

To enter France, the pet needs an ISO-standard microchip (or a readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011), implanted before the rabies vaccine. The vaccine can be given from 12 weeks of age; the primary vaccination must be at least 21 days old on the day of travel, and a booster given before the previous one expired is valid immediately. CFIA highlights three points:

• in Canada, a primary rabies vaccination is usually valid for one year only;
• the EU accepts only inactivated or recombinant vaccines, and not every vaccine approved in Canada qualifies: ask the vet to check;
• a late booster counts as a new primary vaccination, with a new 21-day wait.

To enter Canada, rabies vaccination is required from 3 months of age, for dogs and cats alike. A pet living in France with its vaccination recorded in the EU passport usually has nothing more to do.

Documents to prepare

• From France: the up-to-date EU passport (vaccine trade name, lot number and validity clearly shown) or a rabies vaccination certificate; for a young dog travelling without you, the veterinary certificate of health issued within 72 hours.
• From Canada: the CFIA-endorsed EU health certificate in French and English, with the owner's declaration; the rabies certificates; your boarding pass.
• Authorised person: if the pet travels with someone other than its owner, the owner's signed written authorisation.
• Category 2 dog: its pedigree registration papers (not needed for Rottweilers).

Rabies antibody titre test

It is not required in either direction. Canada asks for no titre for a pet coming from France, and Canada is in Annex II of the EU list: CFIA states that the titre is not required for pets travelling directly from Canada to the EU. If the routing goes through an unlisted country, the owner signs a declaration that the pet stayed on board or inside the international zone. A titre may become necessary, however, if the pet lived in an unlisted country before coming: see bringing a pet into France.

Typical timeline

France → Canada

1. Check the passport and vaccination as soon as you have a date

   Every detail CFIA asks for must be there; if not, ask your vet for a vaccination certificate.

2. Book the pet's place as early as possible

   Places are limited per flight, and Air Canada has winter and year-end restrictions.

3. Health certificate (unaccompanied young dog) 72 hours before arrival

   Only for dogs under 8 months travelling without you.

Canada → France

1. ISO microchip, then rabies vaccine at least 21 days before departure

   With a vaccine the EU accepts.

2. Book the CFIA appointment first

   Then fix the vet visit so the signature falls within 10 days of arrival.

3. Certificate completed and endorsed no more than 10 days before arrival

   No corrections are possible after endorsement.

4. Arrival and customs check travel day

   At the first EU airport.

5. I-CAD registration within 7 days

   For stays of 3 months or more.

Ways to travel

Pets reach Canada by air, in the cabin, in the hold or as cargo. This is what the main airlines publish on their official pages as of 19 October 2026; these rules change often.

Air Canada restrictions worth knowing: from 1 November to 31 March (or at 0°C or below), no pets under 4.5 kg in the hold; from 18 December to 4 January, no pets as checked baggage or cargo; pets may be refused above 29.5°C; and no pets on flights sold by Air Canada but operated by a partner airline. France is not among the countries covered by its heat embargoes.

Air Transat's list of breeds refused in the hold includes mastiffs, pit bulls, Akita, Rottweiler, Dobermann, wolf hybrids, French Bulldog and American Bulldog; pets must be booked at least 24 hours ahead and checked in at the counter at least 2 hours before departure. To choose between cabin, hold and cargo, see pet air cargo.

Airports and checks

Canada is one of the few long-haul destinations you can reach without going through Paris: according to the airports' official pages, Lyon, Nice, Marseille, Toulouse and Bordeaux all have flights to Montréal (some may be seasonal). Those lists do not say whether the airline accepts pets on each flight: we check this at booking time.

On arrival in France, the pet must enter through a travellers' point of entry; the main airports (Paris-CDG, Paris-Orly, Lyon, Nice, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Basel-Mulhouse) are on the list the European Commission refers to. You declare and present the pet to customs before leaving the international zone, with no appointment. The check happens at the first EU airport: on Montréal → Paris-CDG → Nice, it happens in Paris. If the first European stop is in another country, the certificate must be in that country's language and in English.

A commercial movement (more than five pets, a pet travelling more than 5 days before or after its owner, a pet being sold) goes through a border control post approved for dogs and cats, which rules out several regional airports. See French airports.

On arrival in Canada, CBSA checks the documents and may refer the pet to CFIA, in which case inspection fees apply (see below).

What affects the cost

• Inspection on arrival in Canada: when CBSA refers the pet to CFIA, inspection fees are paid on the spot. CFIA schedule in force as of 31 March 2026: CAD 36.95 for the first dog, cat or ferret in the shipment and CAD 6.16 for each additional animal.
• CFIA endorsement of the EU certificate: CFIA's fee schedule has no line specific to pets; we check the amount charged for your case.
• Transport: see the airlines' published fees above, plus the crate.
• Vet: consultations, vaccination, the health certificate for an unaccompanied young dog, the EU certificate for the return.

On arrival in France, I-CAD registration carries a fee shown by the database operator. Our quote lists each item separately.

Common mistakes

• Sending a puppy with a friend or a carrier without the 72-hour health certificate required for an unaccompanied young dog.
• An incomplete EU passport (vaccine name, lot number or validity missing) presented as the rabies certificate.
• An EU certificate in the wrong language when the first EU airport is not in France.
• Hoping to get CFIA endorsement after departure: it cannot be done.
• A Canadian rabies vaccine the EU does not recognise.
• Booking an Air Canada flight operated by a partner: pets are not accepted on it.
• Forgetting Air Canada's winter limits for small pets in the hold and the 18 December to 4 January period.

Frequently asked questions

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More destinations: North America

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