Pet travel route
Taking a dog or cat from Czechia → Canada
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
No fixed wait
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet (the least time the official waiting periods allow)
No fixed wait
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
Czechia is in the group “Not on CFIA's rabies-free list” in Bringing a pet dog or cat into Canada’s published list.See every group
What your dog needs
Dogs
Vaccination
Rabies vaccination certificate
Bring a valid rabies vaccination certificate (in English or French, signed by a licensed vet, showing the vaccine and how long it protects). CFIA doesn't list a waiting period after vaccination.
Details and the official words
If the certificate doesn't state the duration of immunity, Canada treats it as valid for 1 year from the vaccination date.
If this is missed: The owner must have the pet vaccinated against rabies within a set time, at their own expense, and show the record to a CFIA office.
“a valid rabies vaccination certificate”
“a valid rabies vaccination certificate or a valid Rabies Country-Freedom Certificate”
“specify the duration of immunity (otherwise, it will be considered valid for 1 year from the date of vaccination)”
“state that the animal has been in the exporting country since birth or for at least 6 months immediately preceding the date of export to Canada”
On arrival
Healthy and transported humanely
Your dog must appear healthy on arrival and travel in line with Canada's humane transportation requirements.
Details and the official words
“the dog appears healthy and meets humane transportation requirements”
Official stamp
Official vet of your regional veterinary administration (KVS) confirms or issues the certificate
If the destination requires an official confirmation or a veterinary certificate, the official vet of your regional veterinary administration (KVS) confirms the documents you bring, by arrangement and if the conditions in the document are met. Go during office hours or after agreeing a time, with the documents showing that the conditions in the destination's certificate are met.
Details and the official words
The KVS vet may ask for a certified Czech translation of the veterinary certificate.
The page gives no deadline for how recent the certificate must be: the destination's own rule decides.
“chovatelem předložené dokumenty po domluvě a za předpokladu splnění podmínek v dokumentu stanovených potvrdí úřední veterinární lékař místně příslušné Krajské veterinární správy SVS”
“Je v kompetenci úředního veterinárního lékaře příslušné KVS požadovat ověřený překlad veterinárního osvědčení do českého jazyka.”
Only in some cases
Official stamp · only in some cases
Verification by the Central Veterinary Administration (superlegalisation), if the destination asks
A few countries (SVS names Brazil and Panama) ask the central competent authority to verify the issued certificate, passport or other identification document. The Central Veterinary Administration does this: contact its external relations and import-export control department.
Details and the official words
“provede jej Ústřední veterinární správa.”
Good to know
- To travel outside the EU, the import conditions set by the destination country's veterinary authority must be met. The person travelling with the animal should find the current conditions from that authority or from the country's embassy.
- SVS charges an administrative fee under the Czech fees act: 200 CZK for an export veterinary certificate for one animal, 500 CZK for more than one animal, and 100 CZK for the official verification of a passport or other identification document of the animal.
- If the destination requires a veterinary certificate but has no import conditions of its own, SVS offers a general veterinary certificate for dogs and cats. You can use it only if the destination's veterinary authority agrees.
- Planning to bring your pet back to the EU? After a short stay in a non-EU country you can skip the 3-month wait after the rabies blood test, but only if, before you leave the EU, your pet was vaccinated against rabies, passed a successful titer test, and your vet recorded both in its EU pet passport. So do the blood test before you go.
What your cat needs
Cats
Vaccination
Rabies vaccination certificate
Bring a valid rabies vaccination certificate (in English or French, signed by a licensed vet, showing the vaccine and how long it protects). CFIA doesn't list a waiting period after vaccination.
Details and the official words
If the certificate doesn't state the duration of immunity, Canada treats it as valid for 1 year from the vaccination date.
If this is missed: The owner must have the pet vaccinated against rabies within a set time, at their own expense, and show the record to a CFIA office.
“a valid rabies vaccination certificate”
“a valid rabies vaccination certificate or a valid Rabies Country-Freedom Certificate”
“specify the duration of immunity (otherwise, it will be considered valid for 1 year from the date of vaccination)”
“state that the animal has been in the exporting country since birth or for at least 6 months immediately preceding the date of export to Canada”
Official stamp
Official vet of your regional veterinary administration (KVS) confirms or issues the certificate
If the destination requires an official confirmation or a veterinary certificate, the official vet of your regional veterinary administration (KVS) confirms the documents you bring, by arrangement and if the conditions in the document are met. Go during office hours or after agreeing a time, with the documents showing that the conditions in the destination's certificate are met.
Details and the official words
The KVS vet may ask for a certified Czech translation of the veterinary certificate.
The page gives no deadline for how recent the certificate must be: the destination's own rule decides.
“chovatelem předložené dokumenty po domluvě a za předpokladu splnění podmínek v dokumentu stanovených potvrdí úřední veterinární lékař místně příslušné Krajské veterinární správy SVS”
“Je v kompetenci úředního veterinárního lékaře příslušné KVS požadovat ověřený překlad veterinárního osvědčení do českého jazyka.”
Only in some cases
Official stamp · only in some cases
Verification by the Central Veterinary Administration (superlegalisation), if the destination asks
A few countries (SVS names Brazil and Panama) ask the central competent authority to verify the issued certificate, passport or other identification document. The Central Veterinary Administration does this: contact its external relations and import-export control department.
Details and the official words
“provede jej Ústřední veterinární správa.”
Good to know
- To travel outside the EU, the import conditions set by the destination country's veterinary authority must be met. The person travelling with the animal should find the current conditions from that authority or from the country's embassy.
- SVS charges an administrative fee under the Czech fees act: 200 CZK for an export veterinary certificate for one animal, 500 CZK for more than one animal, and 100 CZK for the official verification of a passport or other identification document of the animal.
- If the destination requires a veterinary certificate but has no import conditions of its own, SVS offers a general veterinary certificate for dogs and cats. You can use it only if the destination's veterinary authority agrees.
- Planning to bring your pet back to the EU? After a short stay in a non-EU country you can skip the 3-month wait after the rabies blood test, but only if, before you leave the EU, your pet was vaccinated against rabies, passed a successful titer test, and your vet recorded both in its EU pet passport. So do the blood test before you go.
Common questions
Does my dog need a rabies blood test to go from Czechia to Canada?
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 into Canada?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for an import permit.
Will my dog be quarantined in Canada?
Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.
Does my dog need a microchip?
The official rules we have verified for this route don't list a microchip requirement.