Bringing your dog or cat from Australia to Canada: the easy direction, done properly

Getting your pet into Canada is the easy half. Getting it out of Australia takes paperwork, and getting it back home later takes months of planning.

The short version

• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recognises Australia as one of nine rabies-free countries for dogs and cats, which keeps Canada's import paperwork comparatively light [1].
• The heavy lifting is Australian: a registered vet, a Notice of Intention lodged with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) at least 10 working days ahead, and an export permit and health certificate [3].
• Flying via the US? A dog will usually need to meet US entry rules too: at least six months old, microchipped, and a CDC Dog Import Form receipt [4].
• In Toronto every dog and cat needs a yearly City licence, from CA$15 to CA$60 [5].
• Ontario tenancy law makes "no pets" clauses in leases unenforceable, but condo buildings can ban pets outright [6].

Why Australian pets have it easier

Canada has rabies in wildlife. Australia doesn't. CFIA keeps a short list of countries it recognises as rabies-free for domestic dogs and cats: Australia, Fiji, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom [1]. CFIA notes that list is under review and could change, so check it when you start planning [1].

Being on the list matters because Canada's requirements for a personal pet depend on its age, if you're travelling with it, and where it's coming from [2]. Pets from countries where rabies circulates face tougher rules. A pet coming directly from Australia generally doesn't.

CFIA doesn't publish one simple page of rules. Instead it has an interactive tool on its pets page: you answer questions about the animal's species, age band (under three months, three to under eight months, or eight months and older), if you're accompanying it, and the country it's coming from, and the tool tells you exactly what certificate you need [2]. Print that result and give it to your Australian vet in writing.

Two cautions:

• Commercial imports are different. Puppies under eight months going to a new owner, breeder or rescue face strict CFIA commercial rules, including microchips and import permits. This guide is about your own pet travelling with your move [2].
• Vaccinate anyway. Even if Canada doesn't ask for a rabies vaccine at the border, Ontario's public health rules require dogs and cats over three months to be vaccinated against rabies once they live there, and Toronto vets will want it on file. It also starts the clock for the blood test you'll need to bring the pet back to Australia.

The Australian export side, step by step

DAFF treats your pet as a controlled export. Its process looks like this [3]:

1. Check what Canada wants. DAFF points you to its Manual of Importing Country Requirements (MICoR) or the importing country's authority. For Canada, that's the CFIA tool [2][3].
2. Engage a registered vet early. Give them Canada's requirements in writing. They arrange tests, treatments and paperwork [3].
3. Lodge a Notice of Intention to Export with the DAFF regional office in your departure state, at least 10 working days before departure, with supporting documents [3]. Approval of the notice isn't approval of the export.
4. Book the final vet exam within 72 hours of departure, or whatever window the importing country sets, and sign the pre-export declaration with your vet [3].
5. Attend the DAFF appointment. A certifying veterinary officer checks the documents and may need to see the animal [3].
6. Use an IATA-compliant crate that your vet has inspected [3].
7. Collect the export permit and health certificate. The animal must leave Australia within 72 hours of the permit being issued [3].
8. Keep every document for at least two years [3].

DAFF charges an assessment fee for the notice, a time-based fee for preparing the health certificate and a permit fee [3]. It also says that if you plan to bring the pet back within six months, you should contact its imports team before export [3].

Getting there: routes and airlines

Pets leaving Australia almost always fly as manifested cargo, not in the cabin and usually not as checked baggage. Many owners use a pet transport company to handle the crate, the DAFF appointment and the booking; you can also do it yourself if the airline's cargo team will take a private booking.

The US rules for dogs from rabies-free or low-risk countries are short but strict: the dog must be at least six months old on arrival, have a microchip readable by a universal scanner, have a receipt from the CDC Dog Import Form, and look healthy [4]. The CDC page doesn't address connecting flights specifically, so confirm with the airline [4]. A puppy under six months can't use the US route at all.

Heat embargoes matter too. Some airlines restrict animal cargo through hot hubs in the northern summer, and snub-nosed breeds face extra limits. Ask early.

What it costs

Costs depend on the animal's size, the crate, the route and whether you use an agent. Add up vet work, DAFF fees, the crate and the flight and the total easily runs into the thousands of Australian dollars, more for a big dog or a door-to-door service. Get two or three itemised quotes.

Arriving in Canada

When you land, the Canada Border Services Agency handles the first check, and CFIA rules decide what the animal needs [2]. Smartraveller's Canada page reminds Australians that anyone bringing pets may need documentation and to check with CBSA beforehand [7]. Have the original certificates in your hand luggage, not taped to the crate only.

If your pet arrives on a different flight from you (common with cargo), the airline's cargo terminal at Pearson releases it after customs clearance. Allow several hours and bring a lead, water and a towel.

Life with a pet in Toronto

Licensing

The City of Toronto requires a licence for every dog and cat, renewed yearly [5].

Owners aged 65 and over pay half [5]. Skipping the licence can cost a CA$240 ticket, or a fine of up to CA$5,000 [5]. Dogs must be on lead except in the City's designated off-leash areas, which you'll find in many parks.

Renting with a pet

Here Ontario is friendlier than most Australian states used to be. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, a "no pets" clause in a lease can't be enforced, and a landlord can't evict you just for having a pet [6]. They can act if the animal causes real problems, such as damage, aggression or serious disturbance [6]. Landlords also can't charge pet fees or pet deposits, though they can claim for damage when you leave [6].

The big exception is condo buildings. A condo corporation's rules can ban pets, and a tenant can't override them [6]. In practice, landlords may also quietly pick another applicant when they hear about a dog [6]. So ask about building rules before you apply, and have a short pet CV ready: vaccination records, a reference from a past landlord and proof of training.

Want names of Toronto vets, dog walkers and pet-friendly buildings other Australians rate? Ask in Cooee Canada, our Facebook group for Australians in Canada.

Planning the trip home now

The return trip is the hard one. Australia's import rules for cats and dogs involve a rabies vaccination, a rabies antibody blood test sent to an approved lab, a waiting period, an import permit and post-entry quarantine at Mickleham in Melbourne. If you vaccinate in Toronto early and keep records tidy, the move home later is far easier. Our guide to bringing your pet home to Australia walks through it.

Sources

1. Countries recognized as rabies free for domestic cats and dogs – Canadian Food Inspection Agency
2. Bringing animals to Canada: importing and travelling with pets – Canadian Food Inspection Agency
3. Exporting companion animals and other live animals – Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
4. Entry requirements for dogs from dog-rabies free or low-risk countries – US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
5. Pet licensing fees – City of Toronto
6. Can landlords say no to pets in Ontario? Here's what the law says – NOW Toronto, January 2026
7. Canada travel advice – Smartraveller, Australian Government

Keep reading

• Renting in Toronto as an Australian
• Moving to Toronto from Australia: the complete guide
• Your first Toronto winter: heating, gear and keeping sane
• Bringing your pet home to Australia