Moving overseas is one of the biggest decisions a family can make, and for most of us, the dog is part of that family. If you are planning a move from New Zealand to Canada, one of the first questions you will ask is how to get your dog there safely, legally and with as little stress as possible.
The good news is that Canada is one of the more straightforward destinations for pet transport from New Zealand. Our country’s rabies-free status works in your favour, and Canada does not put pet dogs into quarantine on arrival, wherever they come from. That said, the process still involves vet checks, official paperwork, airline rules and careful planning, and a missed step can mean delays or even refused boarding.
This guide from Airport Pets walks you through what is involved in flying your dog from New Zealand to Canada, including documentation, health regulations, airline requirements, crate standards and the practical steps to take before and after your flight. Your dog will fly out of Auckland International Airport, and if you live elsewhere in New Zealand, we can generally arrange collection and get your dog to Auckland in time for the flight. Whether you are moving with one dog or several, you will finish this article knowing what to expect and when to start preparing.
Understanding Dog Relocation from NZ to Canada
Canada’s import rules for pets are set by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), while the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) carries out inspections at the border on the CFIA’s behalf. Meanwhile, here in New Zealand, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) governs what is needed to export your dog from this end.
In practice, that means two sets of rules apply to every dog relocation: New Zealand’s export requirements and Canada’s import requirements. MPI has its own export certificate for pet dogs and cats going to Canada. A good pet courier will manage both sets of rules for you, but it helps to understand how the two fit together.
Why New Zealand Dogs Have an Advantage
Canada recognises New Zealand as a rabies-free country. We are one of only nine countries on the CFIA’s rabies-free list, alongside Australia, Fiji, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Sweden and the United Kingdom, although the CFIA notes the list is under review. This is a significant advantage for pet owners, because it generally means:
- No rabies vaccination needed for your dog to enter Canada
- A simpler certification process than for dogs coming from countries where rabies is present
Canada does not quarantine pet dogs or require a rabies antibody titre test from any country, so the benefit of coming from New Zealand shows up in the paperwork, which is lighter than for most of the world.
Our rabies-free status is something New Zealanders often take for granted, but it is the reason pet quarantine rules are so strict when animals come into this country. We touch on that later in this article, because it matters if you ever plan to return home with your dog.
Start Early
The Canadian requirements are relatively light, but the logistics still take planning. Flight availability, crate sizing, vet appointments and seasonal airline restrictions all affect your timeline. A move to Canada can sometimes be arranged at shorter notice, but as a rule of thumb, we recommend contacting a pet transport specialist eight to twelve weeks before your intended travel date. That gives you breathing room to deal with any surprises. If you might bring your dog home one day, allow extra time, because a rabies vaccination and antibody blood test before departure add a few weeks to the preparation.
Read more: How to prepare your pet for international travel
Documentation You Will Need
Paperwork is where most relocations succeed or stumble. The documents below form the core of a typical NZ-to-Canada dog export.
Veterinary Certificate for a Rabies-Free Country
For dogs eight months of age or older, Canada accepts proof that the dog is coming from a rabies-free country in place of a rabies vaccination. In practical terms, this is an official veterinary certificate that identifies your dog and confirms that rabies has not existed in New Zealand during the six months before your dog is shipped. It also confirms that your dog has lived here for those six months, or since birth if it is younger than six months. Canada will also accept a current rabies vaccination certificate or a rabies antibody test result instead, which can help if your dog has been vaccinated for a future return to New Zealand.
Younger dogs have their own rules. Dogs under three months of age do not need any rabies certification, although MPI will not issue an animal welfare export certificate for a dog under 12 weeks old, so in practice this only applies to a puppy of about 12 to 13 weeks. Dogs under eight months that travel with their owner need the same rabies-free certificate as an adult dog. A dog under eight months that flies without its owner also needs a health certificate from a vet who examined it no more than 72 hours before it arrives in Canada. That certificate confirms the dog is at least eight weeks old, free of disease, fit to travel and vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza. With a long-haul flight from Auckland, that 72-hour window is tight, so the timing of a young dog’s trip needs careful planning.
There are separate, stricter requirements for commercial dogs. These include dogs going to Canada for breeding, resale, adoption, fostering or shows, and dogs being given to someone else or changing ownership. MPI’s updated guidance for Canada, effective from 23 September 2026, makes it clear that its export certificate covers pet dogs only, so a dog going to a new owner in Canada falls outside it. If your dog falls into any of these categories, check the current CFIA guidance carefully or ask Airport Pets to confirm what applies.
MPI Export Certification
Before your dog leaves New Zealand, it needs an export certificate signed by an MPI official veterinarian. MPI calls this a zoosanitary certificate, and it sets out the requirements Canada expects to see. Your dog will usually need an Animal Welfare Export Certificate (AWEC) as well. The process typically involves:
- Preparation and any treatments by a New Zealand-registered vet, who can get your dog ready for export but cannot sign the export certificate
- A supporting declaration completed and signed by you and your vet, which is presented to the MPI official vet
- An examination of your dog and its travel crate by the MPI official vet, who checks that your dog’s identification matches the paperwork before signing the export certificate and the AWEC
The exact timing of these steps matters. MPI’s official vets sign both certificates at the time of export, at the international airport your dog departs from, so this step happens in the final days before your flight rather than weeks in advance. Dogs also need to be at least 12 weeks old for an AWEC. Airport Pets arranges the MPI veterinary inspection, export certification and exporter declaration forms for you as part of our service.
Microchip and Identification
Your dog must be microchipped before it can leave New Zealand. MPI requires every cat and dog that needs an export certificate to have a microchip, even though Canada’s import rules for personal pet dogs do not ask for one. An ISO-compliant 15-digit chip is the standard to use. MPI’s guidance for Canada adds that the chip must be scanned and recorded immediately before any vaccinations and treatments, or those treatments will not count. The chip is also how the official vet, the airline and Canadian border officers match your dog to its documents, and it is required if your dog’s route involves clearing customs in the United States.
Ask your vet to scan the chip before every appointment to confirm it is reading correctly. A chip that has migrated or failed is one of the more common last-minute problems.
Vaccination Records
Although Canada does not require a rabies vaccination for dogs from rabies-free countries, keeping your dog’s vaccinations current is still strongly advised. Core vaccinations, parasite treatments and a clean bill of health protect your dog during the journey and make settling into Canadian life easier. Many Canadian boarding kennels, daycares and groomers will also ask for up-to-date vaccination records.
Keep your dog’s original certificates together with its vaccination history and microchip details, and carry your own passport and visa information with them. It is also worth saving digital copies of everything.
Read more: Flying with your pet in New Zealand: what to know
Assistance Dogs
Assistance dogs generally have different rules when they accompany their handler. Canada places no import restrictions on a certified guide, hearing or other service dog travelling with its user, but MPI still requires an Animal Welfare Export Certificate before the dog leaves New Zealand. If you are travelling with a trained assistance dog, confirm the requirements directly with the CFIA, MPI and your airline well in advance.
Health Regulations and Quarantine
No Quarantine on Arrival in Canada
For most owners, this is the headline reassurance: pet dogs entering Canada are not subject to post-import quarantine. If your paperwork is correct and your dog is healthy on arrival, you should be able to collect your dog and begin your new life together after inspection and clearance.
That does not mean arrival is automatic. CBSA and CFIA officers can inspect the animal and documents, and a dog that does not comply with import requirements can be refused entry or referred for further inspection. If the rabies paperwork falls short, an inspector can order your dog to be vaccinated against rabies at your expense, and a dog that cannot meet the requirements can be ordered out of Canada. This is why accurate, current paperwork is non-negotiable.
Fitness to Fly
Before departure, your vet should confirm your dog is fit to travel. Be especially careful if your dog is:
- Very young, elderly or in poor health
- Pregnant or recovering from surgery
- Prone to anxiety or travel stress
- A short-nosed (brachycephalic) breed
Short-nosed breeds such as Bulldogs, Pugs, Boxers and Shih Tzus are at higher risk of breathing difficulties during air travel, particularly in warm conditions. Many airlines restrict or refuse them as cargo, and some impose seasonal embargoes. Air New Zealand’s cargo service, for example, lists brachycephalic breeds among the pets it may not be able to fly. Airport Pets does fly short-nosed breeds, and we check your dog’s breed and size against each airline’s policy before booking. If you own one of these breeds, talk to us early, because it may significantly affect your route and timing.
Sedation
Vets generally advise against sedating dogs for air travel, because sedatives can affect breathing, balance and temperature regulation at altitude. Instead, focus on familiarising your dog with its crate, keeping routines calm, and letting experienced handlers manage the journey.
Local Rules After You Arrive
Canada does not have a single national pet licensing system. Dog licensing, vaccination and bylaw requirements are set by provinces and municipalities. Rabies is present in Canadian wildlife, and Ontario law requires dogs over three months old to be vaccinated against it by a vet in Canada or the United States. In other provinces, the rules can differ from one city to the next, so check locally. Most New Zealand dogs have never had a rabies vaccination, and a dog vaccinated here for a future return trip will still need a new one in Ontario. Book in with a local vet soon after you land, and check with your city or town council about licensing and on-lead rules.
Read more: Checklist for moving with a pet
Returning to New Zealand
Many families move to Canada intending to stay for a few years, so it is worth thinking about the return trip before you leave. MPI places Canada in its Category 3, the group of countries where rabies is absent or well controlled, which comes with stricter import rules than Australia or the rabies-free countries. A dog coming home from Canada needs an MPI import permit, a current rabies vaccination, a rabies antibody blood test with a passing result, and a series of parasite treatments and disease tests. MPI also lists Canada as a canine influenza risk, so your dog will need a canine influenza vaccination or a negative test before it flies home. It must then fly into Auckland or Christchurch and spend at least 10 days in an MPI-approved quarantine facility.
Some of this can be done before your dog leaves. Under MPI’s 2026 import health standard, a New Zealand dog can have its rabies vaccination and antibody blood test done here before export, and that test counts for the trip home as long as the vaccination stays current and your dog returns within 12 months of the blood sample. If you stay longer than that, the blood test will need to be redone in Canada between 3 and 12 months before your dog flies home. MPI still recommends vaccinating before you leave for dogs heading to countries like Canada, because it protects your dog while it is overseas and puts it in the best position to come home. Keep your dog’s New Zealand export certificate or AWEC as well, because a returning dog needs it to be treated as New Zealand-origin.
Planning to bring your dog back to New Zealand one day? Mention it when you contact our team, and check with MPI before your dog leaves.
Airline Requirements for Flying Your Dog
Choosing a Route and Airline
There is no single standard rule across airlines. Policies on how dogs are carried, which breeds are accepted, which aircraft can carry pets, and how much a crate may weigh all vary. Most dogs flying from New Zealand to Canada travel as air cargo in a temperature-controlled, pressurised hold rather than in the cabin, with certified assistance dogs the main exception.
Auckland’s only non-stop link to Canada is the route to Vancouver. Air New Zealand flies it year-round, and Air Canada adds its own non-stop service over the southern summer, so a dog moving to Vancouver can often fly direct. Dogs heading to Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal or elsewhere can connect in Vancouver, or route through a United States hub such as Los Angeles or San Francisco. Each additional stop adds handling time and increases the number of rules to check. Where possible, we aim to choose the shortest, simplest routing for your dog. In many cases, your dog can be on the same flight as you, although the best routing sometimes means travelling on a different day or airline.
A connection in the United States brings its own rules. If your dog travels as cargo or checked baggage, stays with the airline during the layover, does not clear US customs and continues on to Canada, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dog entry rules do not apply. If any one of those conditions is not met, for example, when a change of airline means clearing customs, your dog has to meet CDC entry requirements. For a dog from New Zealand, that means being at least six months old, microchipped and healthy on arrival, with a completed CDC Dog Import Form. A dog that does not meet them cannot board the onward flight and is sent back to its last point of departure at the owner’s expense.
Temperature Restrictions
Airlines may refuse to accept pets when temperatures at departure, transit or arrival airports are too hot or too cold. Because the seasons are reversed, a dog leaving New Zealand in our summer lands in a Canadian winter, where cold-weather limits can apply, while a mid-year departure can run into summer heat embargoes at North American connecting airports. A good pet courier monitors forecasts and has contingency plans.
Booking a Pet Flight
Pet spaces on each flight are limited, and your dog’s booking must be confirmed by the airline before you pay for anything non-refundable. Do not assume that because you have a seat on a flight, your dog can travel with you. Most airlines will only take a pet booking through a registered pet exporter, which is also what MPI recommends. Air New Zealand, for example, does not accept pet bookings directly from the public, so Airport Pets coordinates the airline booking to make sure your dog’s space, route and paperwork all line up.
Read more: Can your pet fly on the same international flight as you?
IATA-Approved Crates and Crate Training
What an IATA-Compliant Crate Looks Like
International pet travel requires a crate that meets International Air Transport Association (IATA) standards. These are designed to keep your dog safe, comfortable and secure throughout the flight. Key features include:
- Enough room for your dog to stand, turn around and lie down naturally
- Rigid, sturdy construction with a leak-proof base
- Ventilation on multiple sides
- Secure metal fastenings rather than plastic clips
- Food and water containers that can be filled from outside the crate
- Clear “Live Animal” labelling and an arrows-up orientation marking
Crates must be sized to your dog’s measurements. IATA uses four measurements. These are the length from nose to base of tail, the height from the floor to the elbow, the width across the shoulders, and the height from the floor to the top of the head or the tips of the ears, whichever is higher. An oversized crate can be as problematic as one that is too small, because a dog can be thrown around during turbulence, and airfreight costs are worked out from the crate’s dimensions as well as its weight. Airport Pets uses individually sized IATA-approved crates for every pet we fly. If you have a large or giant breed, our guide on whether large dogs can fly internationally covers what to expect.
Read more: Choosing airline-approved dog crates in NZ
Getting Your Dog Used to the Crate
Start crate familiarisation as early as possible. Place the crate in a quiet part of the house with the door open, feed meals nearby, add a familiar blanket, and gradually extend the time your dog spends inside. A dog that sees its crate as a safe space will cope with the journey far better than one meeting it for the first time on departure day.
Avoid adding loose toys, bones or anything that could pose a choking hazard. A lightly worn T-shirt or familiar-smelling blanket is usually fine and offers comfort.
The Day of Travel
Preparing Your Dog
On the day of departure, your dog will typically be:
- Given a calm walk and toilet opportunity before being crated
- Fed a light meal several hours before check-in, with water available
- Collected from your home, vet or boarding facility by a pet transporter
- Examined with its crate by an MPI official vet at the airport, who signs the export certificate and AWEC at the time of export
- Checked in at the airport with all paperwork completed
- Handed over to the airline and loaded into the aircraft’s pressurised, temperature-controlled hold
Airport Pets is based in Manurewa in South Auckland, and our pet transporters are available 24/7 to collect your dog from home and get it to Auckland Airport on time.
What Happens in Canada
On arrival, your dog’s documents are presented to CBSA and, where necessary, CFIA officers. If everything is in order, your dog is cleared for release. Pets arriving from countries other than the United States are charged an inspection fee at this point, currently CAD $36.95 for the first animal and CAD $6.16 for each additional animal, plus tax. The CFIA adjusts these fees every year on 31 March. Because most dogs from New Zealand travel as cargo, you will usually collect your dog from the airline’s cargo facility or through a local agent, depending on the airport. Having a clear plan for collection, especially after a long-haul flight, avoids unnecessary stress for you both.
If your dog is arriving without you, make sure someone is there to collect it, with transport arranged and a comfortable place for your dog to rest.
Choosing a Pet Transport Company
Booking the flight is only one part of what a reliable pet transport company should handle. When comparing providers, look for:
- Registration as an exporter with MPI and a listing on MPI’s register of pet exporters
- Membership of recognised industry bodies such as IPATA
- Use of IATA-approved crates in the right sizes
- Clear communication about costs, timelines and what is included
- Pre-flight boarding options and experience handling all breeds and sizes
- Reviews from owners who have used the service for similar routes
Airport Pets handles the entire process, from home collection, vet checks and export certification to crate supply, airline coordination and transport to Auckland Airport. We are listed on MPI’s register of pet exporters; we are IPATA members, and pre-flight boarding is available at a reduced rate at Brookby Lodge, our on-site boarding facility. Our job is to take care of the details so you can focus on the rest of your move.
Read more: What to look for in a pet transport service in NZ
A Practical Timeline for Your Move
Every relocation is different, but this rough outline will help you plan:
- Eight to twelve weeks out: Request a quote from Airport Pets and confirm your dog’s eligibility, including its age and that it is travelling as your own pet. Have your vet scan the microchip before any treatments, and start crate familiarisation. If you might bring your dog home one day, ask about a rabies vaccination and antibody blood test before it leaves.
- Six to eight weeks out: Choose your route and airline, and check whether any connection involves clearing US customs. This is also the time to book a pre-travel vet check and any treatments.
- Two to four weeks out: Finalise bookings and confirm the crate size. Arrange pre-flight boarding if you need it.
- In the final days: You and your vet sign the AWEC supporting declaration, ready for your dog’s MPI official vet examination and export certification at the airport. Pack copies of all documents and confirm who is collecting your dog in Canada.
- After arrival: Register with a Canadian vet and book any rabies vaccination your province requires. Check local licensing rules, and keep your dog’s routine as steady as possible.
Ready to start? Request a pet transport quote
Helping Your Dog Settle in Canada
The first few weeks in a new country can be unsettling for a dog. Keep feeding times and walks consistent, set up a quiet resting space, and introduce your new neighbourhood gradually. If you are moving from a temperate New Zealand climate to a Canadian winter, take it slowly with cold weather, check paw health after walks on salted footpaths, and consider a coat for short-haired breeds.
Canada also has parasites and wildlife your dog may not have met before. Heartworm, for example, is not established in New Zealand, so your dog will not have needed protection against it here. It is found in parts of Canada, including southwestern Ontario, southern Quebec and southern Manitoba. Talk to a local vet about tick prevention, heartworm medication and any area-specific health concerns.
Conclusion
Relocating your dog from New Zealand to Canada is achievable, and the process is considerably smoother than for many other destinations thanks to our rabies-free status and Canada’s no-quarantine policy for pet dogs. Most of the work sits in a handful of steps. Your dog needs to be eligible, microchipped and checked by a vet, and it needs MPI export certification and an AWEC before it leaves. On the travel side, you need the right documents for Canadian border officers, an airline-approved route, a properly sized IATA-approved crate and a clear plan for the arrival.
Start early, keep your paperwork accurate and your dog’s health front of mind, and lean on specialists who do this every day. With the right preparation, your dog can arrive in Canada healthy and settle into its new home with you.
If you are ready to begin, Airport Pets can guide you through every stage of your dog’s journey from Auckland to Canada. Request a quote or contact our team.