Pet travel route
Taking a dog or cat from Canada → Spain
What the official rules ask for on this route, for a family pet travelling with its owner. Enter your travel date and your pet’s details to turn it into a dated checklist.
How early to start
3 weeks
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet (the least time the official waiting periods allow)
1 day
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
Counted only from the officially fixed waiting periods. Vet, lab and paperwork appointment times are on top, so start earlier.
Which rules apply to you
Canada is in the group “Annex II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636 — no titer test” in Bringing a dog, cat or ferret into an EU country’s published list.See every group
Headlines for Spain
- Rabies blood test for some origins
- Tapeworm treatment for some pets
- Designated entry point for some trips
What your dog or cat needs
Identification
Microchip
Your pet must be identified with a microchip, implanted (or read) no later than the day of its rabies vaccination.
Details and the official words
Travelling between EU countries, a clearly readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011 is also accepted instead of a microchip.
“must be identified by the implantation of a microchip”
“The date of administration of the vaccine does not precede the date of identification or reading of the microchip.”
“The pet animal (dog, cat or ferret) must be identified by the implantation of a microchip”
“a clearly readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011.”
Vaccination
Rabies vaccination
Your pet must be at least 12 weeks old when vaccinated. The vaccination becomes valid 21 days after the primary course is completed; boosters must be given before the previous vaccination expires.
Details and the official words
“The pet animal was at least 12 weeks old at the date the vaccine was administered.”
“The period of validity of the vaccination starts not less than 21 days from the completion of the vaccination protocol for the primary vaccination”
“The animal was at least 12 weeks old at the date the vaccine was administered.”
“The period of validity of the vaccination starts not less than 21 days from the completion of the vaccination protocol for the primary vaccination, and any subsequent vaccination was carried out within the period of validity of the preceding vaccination.”
Paperwork
EU animal health certificate
An official (or authorised) veterinarian completes the EU animal health certificate and the competent authority endorses it. It is valid for entry for 10 days from issue (longer by the length of a sea journey), then for onward EU travel for up to 6 months.
Details and the official words
CFIA endorsement of the export certificate: Your licensed veterinarian completes the export certificate, then an official CFIA veterinarian endorses it. This must happen before your pet leaves Canada: CFIA cannot endorse a certificate once the animal has gone.
“valid for 10 days from the date of issue by the official veterinarian until the date of the documentary and identity checks at the travellers' points of entry”
“remain valid for bringing pet dogs, cats or ferrets into the EU if issued before 1 October 2026”
“Most pets travelling from Canada to another country will need an export certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian and endorsed by an official Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) veterinarian.”
“the CFIA cannot endorse or issue a certificate if the animal(s) is/are no longer in Canada”
Paperwork
Non-commercial declaration
You (or the person you authorise) sign a written declaration that the movement is not commercial. If someone else travels with the pet, you must travel within 5 days before or after it.
Details and the official words
“a written declaration completed by the owner or an authorised person”
Route
Enter through a travellers' point of entry
Arrive through a travellers' point of entry designated by the EU country, and contact the authority there for the document and identity check.
Details and the official words
“must pass through a travellers' point of entry designated by each EU country”
Official stamp
Book your CFIA endorsement appointment
An appointment with an official CFIA veterinarian is required to get your pet's export certificate endorsed. Book as early as you can: the endorsement has to happen before your pet leaves Canada.
Details and the official words
“An appointment is required to get your pet export certificate endorsed by an official CFIA veterinarian.”
“Provide as much advance notice as possible when booking an appointment.”
Good to know
- Young pets that are not yet fully protected against rabies cannot enter the EU from a non-EU country — in practice your pet must be at least about 15 weeks old (12 weeks at vaccination + 21 days).
- Some EU countries have their own rules on certain dog breeds. Check the destination country's national pet travel page.
- CFIA warns that countries can change their import requirements without telling it. Get the current requirements from the destination country's veterinary authority or embassy and compare them with the export certificate before you start.
- If the destination has no export certificate of its own and its import requirements can be met, the Canadian International Health Certificate can be used. Otherwise CFIA has to negotiate a certificate, which can take several months — contact your CFIA animal health office before you start.
Common questions
Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from Canada to Spain?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for a rabies blood test.
Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into Spain?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for an import permit.
Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Spain?
Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.
Does my dog or cat need a microchip?
Yes: Your pet must be identified with a microchip, implanted (or read) no later than the day of its rabies vaccination.