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How do I take my pet back to the UK?

Dogs and cats can go from Canada to Great Britain without quarantine if the paperwork is right and they fly on an approved route. Canada is a listed country, so there’s no rabies blood test, but the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) must endorse the certificate before your pet leaves. Start at least 2 to 3 months ahead.

Last checked 8 Oct 2026·Information, not advice

In 30 seconds

  • Canada is a listed country for pets entering Great Britain: your pet needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel and a Great Britain pet health certificate, but no blood test
  • A licensed vet in Canada fills in the certificate and a CFIA vet must endorse it before your pet leaves Canada. Book the endorsement appointment: walk-ins aren’t accepted
  • Pets enter Great Britain as cargo on an approved route, within 10 days of the certificate being issued. Dogs also need tapeworm treatment 1 to 5 days before arrival
Rabies vaccine21 daysBefore travel, after the microchip
GB certificate10 daysArrive within this time of issue
Dog tapeworm24 hours–5 daysBefore arrival in Great Britain
Flies asCargoOn an approved route only

Your countdown

WhenWhat to do
3 months beforeCheck the microchip reads. Book the rabies vaccination if it isn’t current: it must be given after the microchip, when your pet is at least 12 weeks old, and at least 21 days before travel
2–3 months beforeGet quotes from pet transport agents and book an approved route. Buy an airline-approved crate and get your pet used to it
3–4 weeks beforeBook your vet for the certificate and your CFIA endorsement appointment for the days after it
In the last 10 daysYour vet completes the Great Britain pet health certificate and a CFIA vet endorses it. Your pet must arrive within 10 days of issue
1–5 days before arrivalDogs only: a vet gives tapeworm treatment between 24 hours and 5 days before you arrive, and records it on the certificate
ArrivalChecks at the animal reception centre, such as the one at Heathrow, then collect your pet

The Canadian side

Most pets leaving Canada need an export certificate filled in by a licensed vet and endorsed by an official CFIA vet. The CFIA can’t endorse a certificate after the animal has left Canada, so this has to happen before the flight. You book the endorsement with your local CFIA office, pay the service fee online, and bring the signed certificate. Walk-in appointments aren’t accepted.

Don’t use the general Canadian International Health Certificate for Great Britain. It’s only for countries that accept it, and Great Britain has its own certificate. Countries can change their rules without telling the CFIA, so check GOV.UK yourself and give your vet the British requirements in writing.

Paperwork errors are the usual problem. Canadian vets can’t fill in sections of European-style documents marked “Authorised veterinarian”, and doing so can make the document invalid for entry. Use the Great Britain pet health certificate and check every date and microchip number before you fly.

The British side

  • Canada is a listed country, so the document is a Great Britain pet health certificate and a rabies blood test isn’t needed
  • You also sign a declaration that you’re not bringing the pet in to sell or transfer it
  • If the rules aren’t met, your pet can be put in quarantine for up to 4 months or sent back, at your cost
  • Pit bull terriers, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentinos, Fila Brasileiros and XL Bullies are banned in Great Britain. You can’t bring one in unless it already has a certificate of exemption

How pets fly

Pets must enter Great Britain as cargo on an approved route, unless they’re assistance dogs. The GOV.UK list of approved air routes, last updated in April 2026, includes Air Canada into London Heathrow (through the animal reception centre), Manchester and Edinburgh. WestJet Cargo also carries pets from Canada to Heathrow year-round, with seasonal routes to Gatwick and Edinburgh. Airline policies change, so check the GOV.UK list on the day you book and confirm with the airline’s cargo team. Most families use a pet transport agent, who books the flight, prepares the crate and handles the British end.

What it costs

The total includes the vet visits, any rabies vaccine, the CFIA endorsement fee, the crate, the flight, the agent and the reception centre fee in the UK. The Heathrow Animal Reception Centre’s charges went up by an average of 6% from 1 April 2026. Prices vary a lot with your pet’s size, the route and the season, and some quotes leave items out, so ask two or three agents for itemised quotes. Pets can come in free of import duty and VAT under transfer of residence relief: see How do we settle back into the UK?

If you might come back

Taking a pet back into Canada later means meeting Canada’s import rules again. Keep the rabies certificate and microchip records together, as you’ll need them for any future move.

What to do next

  1. Check your pet’s microchip and rabies vaccination dates
  2. Book your vet and a CFIA endorsement appointment for the last 10 days
  3. Ask two or three pet transport agents for itemised quotes

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