Flying a dog from Canada to the United States
Last verified Sources checked 14 primary sourcesSite-wide weekly check due
Scope and research limits
USA: Federal rules for pets entering the US mainland. Each state can add its own entry rules.
This guide covers the journey and pathways stated here. Residence, travel history and connections may change which requirements apply. Confirm these before using the countdown.
Conditional: yes, with 1 hard deadline
A dog can enter the United States from Canada without quarantine when every condition is met.
To meet the entry rules
- an age of at least 6 months on arrival
- a CDC Dog Import Form receipt on or before arrival, within 6 months before arrival
- a microchip a universal scanner can read
- a healthy appearance on arrival
If a requirement is missed: An animal refused entry after a flight is returned by the airline to the country it left, on the next available flight and at the importer's expense.
Full answer
A dog can enter the United States from Canada without quarantine when every condition is met. It needs an age of at least 6 months on arrival; a CDC Dog Import Form receipt on or before arrival, within 6 months before arrival; a microchip a universal scanner can read; and a healthy appearance on arrival. If any is missed: An animal refused entry after a flight is returned by the airline to the country it left, on the next available flight and at the importer's expense. Last verified 24 September 2026.
- Rules allow in cabin
- AllowedA dog may fly to the United States in the cabin, as checked baggage in the hold, or as cargo.
- Quarantine
- NoneIf a rule is missed: An animal refused entry after a flight is returned by the airline to the country it left, on the next available flight and at the importer's expense.
- Rabies titer
- Not required
- Lead time
- 0 days
Your deadlines, counted back from arrival
1 of these steps is a hard deadline. Each step says how long before arrival it falls. Pick an arrival date and your browser works out the calendar dates; it fetches nothing.
Lead time: 0 days
Pick an arrival date to see the calendar date of each step.
Birth
The calendar moves this: the deadline is 181 to 184 days before arrival, depending on the arrival date.
The dog is at least 6 months old on the day it arrives. Timing: at least 6 months before arrival.
Fails if: Done less than 6 months before arrival.
Import form
The calendar moves this: the earliest day is 181 to 184 days before arrival, depending on the arrival date.
The importer submits a complete CDC Dog Import Form before the dog arrives; it can be filled in on the day of travel. Timing: on or before arrival.
Fails if: Done after arrival.
The receipt is valid for 6 months from when it is issued, so the form is submitted no more than 6 months before the dog arrives. A visit to a high-risk country, or to a different low-risk country, in that time needs a new form. Timing: within 6 months before arrival.
Fails if: Done more than 6 months before arrival.
Arrival day
Requirements without a countdown
These conditions still apply. Choosing an arrival date does not check them.
This assumes the dog has been only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries in the past 6 months.
This also assumes the dog does not clear customs during a layover in a high-risk country. If it does, it must meet CDC's high-risk rules, wherever its trip began.
This covers pet dogs. Dogs imported for resale or adoption follow APHIS Animal Care rules.
This assumes the dog will not be used to handle sheep or other livestock. Such a dog is inspected and held at the port of entry until it is shown to be free of tapeworm.
The dog has a microchip that a universal scanner can read.
Fails if: No microchip, or one a universal scanner cannot detect.
The dog must appear healthy on arrival and is inspected at the port of entry.
Fails if: Signs of a communicable disease when the dog is inspected on arrival.
The regulation also tells airlines to refuse boarding unless the importer shows documentation that the dog is over six months old, has a microchip and has been only in low-risk or rabies-free countries for the last six months. CDC's own pages name the Dog Import Form receipt as the only document required.
CDC strongly recommends a rabies vaccination, but the extra rules for dogs from high-risk countries do not apply.
CDC does not require a general health certificate, but some states and airlines do.
Check the dog’s full travel history against CDC requirements before departure. The covered US route assumes the dog has been only in dog-rabies-free or low-risk countries during the preceding 6 months. CFIA says a dog with recent high-risk-country history is not eligible to enter the US directly from Canada under its published guidance.
Before departure, check the US destination requirements and ask the operating airline about any health certificate. Canadian export guidance directs owners to the destination country’s requirements; this is not a blanket exemption from state or carrier paperwork.
This plan assumes one air journey, with every step done before you leave. Unless you give a departure date, it assumes you leave the day before arrival or on arrival day. Times are local to the United States (America/New_York).
Which airlines carry dogs on this route
The only airline in our sources gives no plain Yes for dogs on this route.
This is what airlines offer. An airline can offer less than the rules allow.
Hold means checked baggage. Manifest cargo is a separate booking, even when the animal travels in the same aircraft hold.
| Airline | Cabin | Hold (checked baggage) | Manifest cargo | Fee from | Snub-nosed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada | Not published | 50 USD |
- Air Canada: Register the pet through Air Canada Reservations after booking the owner’s flight. Unregistered pets are not accepted at the airport. Confirm the operating airline for every segment.
- Air Canada: Hold carriage can be unavailable above 29.5°C (85°F). The seasonal destination embargo also covers specified US airports; check the current list before booking.
- Air Canada: From November 1 to March 31, and whenever temperatures are at or below 0°C (32°F), pets under 4.5 kg (10 lb) are not accepted in the baggage compartment. Aircraft restrictions also apply.
- Air Canada: From December 18 to January 4, Air Canada publishes a peak-period embargo on pets as checked baggage or cargo. Confirm your travel dates directly with the carrier.
- Air Canada: Air Canada directs owners bringing dogs into the US to CDC entry requirements. Canadian departure does not waive the US minimum age or import-form requirements.
- Air Canada: Listed short-nosed dog breeds cannot travel in the baggage compartment. This is a hold restriction; cabin eligibility for a small dog still depends on the cabin conditions and carrier confirmation.
- Air Canada: Air Canada publishes a baseline minimum age of 10 weeks with the animal fully weaned. Destination entry rules can require an older animal; confirm both the airline and government requirements for the journey.
- Air Canada: For checked pets, the pet and kennel together may weigh up to 45 kg (100 lb). The maximum kennel linear dimensions are 292 cm (115 in), measured as length plus width plus height. Larger kennels need a separate Cargo inquiry rather than a checked-pet booking.
- Air Canada: Air Canada says pets cannot travel on an itinerary that includes its marketed flights operated by a codeshare partner. Confirm the operating carrier for every segment before booking.
No rule changes recorded since
We have recorded no change to the rules on this page since , when our log began. See every recorded change.
Where every rule above came from
- eCFR (Office of the Federal Register / GPO)ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-09-22/title-42.xmlImport form; Birth; The dog must appear healthy on arrival and is inspected at the port of entry; The regulation also tells airlines to refuse boarding unless the importer shows…; and 3 more
- eCFR (Office of the Federal Register / GPO)ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-09-22/title-9.xmlThis assumes the dog will not be used to handle sheep or other livestock
- USDA APHISaphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/another-country-to-us-import/dogsThis covers pet dogs
- USDA APHISaphis.usda.gov/pet-travel/another-country-to-us-importFederal rules for pets entering the US mainland
- CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)cdc.gov/importation/bringing-an-animal-into-the-us/index.htmlCDC does not require a general health certificate, but some states and airlines do
- CDC (US)cdc.gov/importation/dogs/high-risk-countries.htmlCDC strongly recommends a rabies vaccination, but the extra rules for dogs from…
- CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)cdc.gov/importation/php/dog-importation-airlines/index.htmlImport form
- CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)cdc.gov/importation/dogs/faqs.htmlThe dog has a microchip that a universal scanner can read
- CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)cdc.gov/importation/dogs/dog-import-form-instructions.htmlA dog may fly to the United States in the cabin, as checked baggage in the hold, or as…; Import form
- CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)cdc.gov/importation/dogs/layovers.htmlThis also assumes the dog does not clear customs during a layover in a high-risk country
- CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)cdc.gov/importation/dogs/rabies-free-low-risk-countries.htmlThis assumes the dog has been only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries in the past…; A dog may fly to the United States in the cabin, as checked baggage in the hold, or as…; Import form; The dog has a microchip that a universal scanner can read; and 2 more
- Canadian Food Inspection Agencyinspection.canada.ca/en/travelling-pets-food-plants/travelling-petsBefore departure, check the US destination requirements and ask the operating airline…
- Canadian Food Inspection Agencyinspection.canada.ca/en/animal-health/terrestrial-animals/exports/pets/dogs-usaCheck the dog’s full travel history against CDC requirements before departure
- Air Canadaaircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/plan/special-assistance/pets.htmlAir Canada: route, cabin, hold (checked baggage), manifest cargo, fee from, snub-nosed; Register the pet through Air Canada Reservations after booking the owner’s flight; Hold carriage can be unavailable above 29.5°C (85°F); From November 1 to March 31, and whenever temperatures are at or below 0°C (32°F), pets…; and 6 more
Rules change without notice. Confirm each item against the linked official page before you book: we date every check, but the official page is the authority.
Related pages
See everything that applies in the United States, or what changed across the site.