Bringing a Pet from New Zealand to Canada: CFIA Requirements and Costs

Moving your pet to Canada is one part of the move you can actually feel good about. New Zealand's rabies-free status puts you on the easiest pathway the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) offers, and most owners handle it themselves without a pet relocation company.

New Zealand's rabies-free status works in your favour

CFIA recognises a short list of countries, New Zealand among them, as rabies-free. That changes the paperwork significantly. Instead of proving your pet has a current rabies vaccination, you need a veterinary certificate confirming your pet has lived in a recognised rabies-free country for the six months before travel, or since birth if younger. This has to be issued by a registered New Zealand veterinarian, in English or French, and it needs to identify your pet precisely: breed, colour, weight and microchip number, as at 26 Aug 2026, per CFIA's current published guidance.

What you'll need

For a personal dog or cat travelling with you from New Zealand:

• A veterinary certificate confirming rabies-free origin, in English or French, matching your pet's identifying details exactly.
• An ISO-compliant microchip. It's not always a strict requirement on this pathway, but it's how border officers match your pet to its paperwork, so get one before you apply for the certificate.
• No CFIA import permit. Personal, non-commercial pets don't need one on this pathway, unlike the extensive permit process required for higher-risk countries.

What it costs

This is genuinely one of the cheaper legs of the move. Budget for a vet visit and certificate in New Zealand, the airline's pet fee, and a CBSA inspection fee on arrival.

At the border

When you land, you present your pet and its paperwork to a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer. They do a visual check, confirm the certificate matches the animal, and charge the inspection fee. There's no mandatory quarantine for personal pets that meet the requirements, and most owners are through within 15 to 30 minutes.

A few practical tips

• Book your vet appointment for the certificate close to your travel date. It needs to reflect an animal that's currently, verifiably rabies-free-country resident.
• Keep paper copies of everything. Border officials want original signatures and stamps, not a photo on your phone.
• Check CFIA's Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) for your specific pet and circumstances before booking flights. Rules get updated, and AIRS reflects the current version.
• Book your pet's travel with the airline early. Not every carrier accepts pets in cargo on every route, and space is limited.

The bottom line

Moving a pet from New Zealand to Canada is a manageable, do-it-yourself process for most owners. Get the veterinary certificate right, keep your documents in order, and budget a few hundred dollars rather than a few thousand. The hard part of this move is almost everywhere else.

Move Between helps New Zealanders and Canadians navigate international relocation. Browse our guides, checklists, and visa resources to plan your move with confidence.

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