Taking your dog to Canada: the rules

Taking your dog to Canada comes down to one document: the rabies vaccination certificate. Canada places no pet dog in quarantine, but a dog that is undeclared or poorly documented can be refused at the border. Here is what the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Canada Border Services Agency and the City of Toronto publish, as of 28 September 2026.

What documents does Canada require for a dog?

A valid rabies vaccination certificate covers most cases. For a dog eight months or older arriving from a country that is not designated as free from rabies, the CFIA Import Reference Document requires that the dog be accompanied by a valid rabies vaccination certificate, issued in either English or French by a licensed veterinarian from the country of origin, clearly identifying the dog and showing that it is currently vaccinated against rabies.

The language matters. The certificate has to be written in English or in French, so a document in any other language does not meet the rule as written.

There is a second route in the same case. The CFIA also accepts a Rabies Neutralising Antibody Titre Test, or RNATT, with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml, taken at least three to four weeks after any prior rabies vaccination. The animal must be properly identified on the laboratory report, and that report must travel with the dog. Our article on the rabies antibody test explains how the test works.

The border agency strongly recommends travelling with the physical original copy of every required document. A photograph on a phone is not what the rule asks for.

Will my dog be quarantined in Canada?

No. The CFIA states that pet dogs imported from any country are not subject to post-import quarantine in Canada. That sets Canada apart from several long-haul destinations.

It does not make the paperwork optional. A dog that fails to meet the vaccination requirements can be the subject of an inspector’s order, requiring the dog to be vaccinated against rabies within a specified period of time, at the owner’s expense.

Can a puppy enter Canada?

Yes, and the rules follow the puppy’s age. A dog less than three months of age at the time of import needs neither rabies vaccination nor certification that it comes from a country designated as free from rabies.

Between three and eight months, a pet dog accompanied by its owner has to meet the same rabies vaccination requirements as an adult. Plan the vaccination calendar accordingly: the CFIA notes that dogs cannot be effectively vaccinated against rabies before 12 weeks of age, and that a vaccination given earlier leaves the animal unprotected.

Watch the commercial category. The CFIA treats a dog as commercial when it is intended to be transferred or given to another person, resold, adopted, fostered, or used for breeding, shows, exhibitions or research. As of 28 September 2022, the entry of commercial dogs from countries at high risk for dog rabies is prohibited, and import permits are no longer issued for them.

What happens at the Canadian border?

You declare your dog, without exception. The Canada Border Services Agency states that its officers inspect the animal and can refuse entry, confiscate or detain it in four cases: if it is undeclared, family pets included; if you do not have the necessary permits or certificates; if it is suspected of being sick or infected with a pest or disease; or if it is transported in a non-humane way and not kept safe from harm and injury.

The definition of a personal dog is precise. For the border agency, a personal dog is a pet that lives or will live with the owner and will not be transferred or given to another person on arrival. You must be the importer of the dog and hold proper documentation proving ownership. Otherwise the arrival is treated as a commercial import, with different requirements.

Assistance dogs follow their own regime. The CFIA states that an assistance dog imported as a guide, hearing or other service dog is not subject to any import restrictions where the person importing it is the user of the dog and accompanies it to Canada. The border agency adds that an assistance dog must have been certified and trained by an organisation accredited by the International Guide Dog Federation or Assistance Dogs International, and that therapy animals, companionship animals, emotional support animals and comfort animals do not count.

What are the leash rules in Toronto?

Leashes are required everywhere in public. The City of Toronto states that you must leash your dog in public unless you are in a designated dogs off-leash area, and that this includes parks, school yards, beaches, sidewalks and roadways. In a park or on a beach, the City requires dogs to be on leash at all times.

Three practical points, as the City publishes them:

• The leash should be no more than two metres long and securely attached to a collar or harness.
• Tying your dog to a pole or bike rack is not allowed.
• The fine can reach 615 Canadian dollars for letting a dog run off-leash outside a designated area: a 500 dollar charge, plus a 110 dollar victim’s surcharge and a 5 dollar administration fee.

Waste must be picked up immediately in parks and public spaces, and failing to pick up dog waste carries a 400 dollar fine. On your own property, the City allows up to 24 hours.

The City also notes that Ontario’s Dog Owners’ Liability Act makes owners liable for damages resulting from a bite or attack by their dog on another person or domestic animal. Where coyotes are around, its advice is to pick up small dogs and keep larger dogs leashed and at your side.

Off-leash areas and licences: which dogs qualify?

Off-leash areas are open only to dogs that are vaccinated and licensed. The City of Toronto puts it plainly: to use dogs off-leash areas, dogs must be vaccinated and licensed. Dog training and electronic devices are not allowed there.

Four groups of dogs are not admitted: dogs that are aggressive with a history of biting, pitbulls as defined by the Dog Owners’ Liability Act, female dogs in heat, and any dog issued a Dangerous Dog Order by the City.

This point deserves a traveller’s attention. The City of Toronto states that pit bulls are banned in Ontario under provincial law, and that the City enforces that legislation locally. If your dog belongs to a type that might fall under it, check with the Ontario authorities before booking anything.

Licences apply to dogs living in the city: the City states that all dogs and cats owned in Toronto must be licensed and wear a tag, and that the licence must be renewed every year. Failing to license a pet carries a 240 dollar fine. For a short visit the practical consequence is simple: keep your dog leashed, since off-leash areas are not open to an unlicensed dog.

What about coming back to the EU?

The return trip is the stricter half. For a pet entering the European Union from a non-EU country, the European Commission requires that the animal be identified by a microchip and vaccinated against rabies by an official or authorised veterinarian, the animal being at least 12 weeks old and the vaccination given at least 21 days before travel. An animal health certificate completed and issued by an official or authorised veterinarian is required, and the animal must pass through a travellers’ point of entry designated by each EU country. The maximum number of pets moved for non-commercial purposes is five.

Good news for Canada: no antibody titration test is needed on the way back. Canada is listed in Annex II to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636, the list of third countries whose pets are exempt from the titration test. The other conditions still apply: microchip, up-to-date rabies vaccination and animal health certificate. Our article on the EU pet passport covers the document your vet fills in before departure, and country-by-country detail is on our travel requirements pages.

What if your dog travelled in the cabin with you?

That is what a shared private jet flight allows, and it is the principle behind Loulou Air, a brand of AEROAFFAIRES, a private aviation broker since 1991: Pay-per-Seat private jets, where your dog travels in the cabin with you, never in the hold, and stays at your feet for the whole flight. You pay for your seat, not the jet, and every ticket covers one seat for a human and their dog. None of the weight limit imposed by scheduled airlines applies, because the hold is never part of the journey; capacity depends on the aircraft and the number of animals on board, and a broker confirms each dog case by case. Entry requirements remain due on every flight, private ones included, and our brokers check every dog’s file before departure.

Our flights currently serve New York, Dubai and Los Angeles: see the open flights. We open new flights every month, so tell us where you want to go and talk to a broker; for a whole aircraft, our sister company AEROAFFAIRES arranges full charters.

Frequently asked questions

Does my dog need a microchip to enter Canada?

The CFIA Import Reference Document does not require a microchip: it requires a rabies vaccination certificate that clearly identifies the dog. The microchip remains essential for the return trip, because the European Commission requires it for any pet entering the EU from a non-EU country.

How long is the quarantine for dogs arriving in Canada?

There is none. The CFIA states that pet dogs imported from any country are not subject to post-import quarantine in Canada.

Can I let my dog off the leash in a Toronto park?

Only in a designated off-leash area, and only if your dog is vaccinated and licensed. Outside those areas the fine can reach 615 Canadian dollars. The details are on the City of Toronto’s Dogs Off-Leash page.