Pet travel route
Dog or cat from the Dominican Republic to Canada: the rules
Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least 1 day ahead for a dog. The main steps: rabies vaccination certificate, health certificate from a vet, with an up-to-date vaccination record and DIGEGA validates the documents; official inspection at the port of exit.
Rules checked up to 12 October 2026From 4 official pages
In short
- Dogs and cats differ on this route: choose Dog or Cat to see just yours.
- Canada puts the Dominican Republic in the group “Country not on Canada’s rabies-free list”, which decides part of the rules.
- No rabies blood test, import permit or quarantine on this route for a pet that meets the rules.
Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving the Dominican Republic publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. DIGEGA's page lists the steps and documents but gives no deadline before departure and doesn't say when the Dominican veterinary college (COLVET) stamp or the VUCE single-window process is needed. Start early and ask DIGEGA (809-535-9689, ext. 307) what applies to your destination.
At a glance
How early to start (dogs)
1 day
whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated
Set by: DIGEGA validates the documents; official inspection at the port of exit (before departure; DIGEGA answers within 1 to 24 hours: one day is our margin, not an official figure)
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route (dogs)
- No rabies blood test
- No import permit
- No quarantine
How early to start (cats)
1 day
whether or not your pet is already microchipped and vaccinated
Set by: DIGEGA validates the documents; official inspection at the port of exit (before departure; DIGEGA answers within 1 to 24 hours: one day is our margin, not an official figure)
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route (cats)
- No rabies blood test
- No import permit
- No quarantine
Which rules apply to you
Canada puts the Dominican Republic in the group “Country not on Canada’s rabies-free list”. See every group
Official name: Not on CFIA's rabies-free list
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Rule change for pets travelling from the Dominican Republic to Canada
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Dominican Republic → Canada
What your pet needs
In the order you do them. Each step says whether the Dominican Republic (leaving) or Canada (entering) asks for it.
Dogs
Get ready
VaccinationEntering Canada
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”
In the days before you travel
Vet examLeaving the Dominican Republic
Health certificate from a vet, with an up-to-date vaccination record
Take your pet to a vet for a health certificate. Bring an up-to-date vaccination record with a current rabies vaccination and a current parasite treatment, a microchip where your destination requires one, and any extra document your destination asks for (such as a rabies blood test). Get the Dominican veterinary college (COLVET) signature and stamp when it is required.
Details and the official words
“Certificado de salud emitido por médico veterinario.”
“Récord o tarjeta de vacunación actualizado.”
“Vacuna antirrábica vigente.”
“Documentación adicional exigida por el país de destino (Serología vacuna de Rabia).”
“Obtener firma/sello del COLVET cuando sea requerido.”
PaperworkLeaving the Dominican Republic
DIGEGA validates the documents; official inspection at the port of exit
Present the documents to DIGEGA (Ciudad Ganadera, Santo Domingo, Monday to Friday 8 am to 4 pm) to be signed and stamped (RD$ 500), and complete the VUCE single-window process where it applies. DIGEGA answers within 1 to 24 hours. Then go to the port of exit, where an official vet inspects your pet and issues the zoosanitary certificate.
Details and the official words
“Presentar la documentación ante DIGEGA para validación (Firma y sellado).”
“Realizar el proceso correspondiente en VUCE cuando aplique.”
“Dirigirse al puerto de salida para la inspección veterinaria oficial y emisión del certificado zoosanitario correspondiente.”
“Lunes a Viernes de 8:00 am – 4:00 pm”
“1-24 Horas”
“RD$ 500.00 pesos según el protocolo específico publicado por DIGEGA; conviene validar si existen costos adicionales asociados al trámite/VUCE o al destino.”
Travel day and arrival
On arrivalEntering Canada
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”
Good to know
- Meeting DIGEGA's requirements doesn't replace your destination's entry requirements: check them before you start, as some countries ask for a microchip, a rabies blood test or other certificates. DIGEGA recommends starting well ahead of your travel date.
Cats
Get ready
VaccinationEntering Canada
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”
In the days before you travel
Vet examLeaving the Dominican Republic
Health certificate from a vet, with an up-to-date vaccination record
Take your pet to a vet for a health certificate. Bring an up-to-date vaccination record with a current rabies vaccination and a current parasite treatment, a microchip where your destination requires one, and any extra document your destination asks for (such as a rabies blood test). Get the Dominican veterinary college (COLVET) signature and stamp when it is required.
Details and the official words
“Certificado de salud emitido por médico veterinario.”
“Récord o tarjeta de vacunación actualizado.”
“Vacuna antirrábica vigente.”
“Documentación adicional exigida por el país de destino (Serología vacuna de Rabia).”
“Obtener firma/sello del COLVET cuando sea requerido.”
PaperworkLeaving the Dominican Republic
DIGEGA validates the documents; official inspection at the port of exit
Present the documents to DIGEGA (Ciudad Ganadera, Santo Domingo, Monday to Friday 8 am to 4 pm) to be signed and stamped (RD$ 500), and complete the VUCE single-window process where it applies. DIGEGA answers within 1 to 24 hours. Then go to the port of exit, where an official vet inspects your pet and issues the zoosanitary certificate.
Details and the official words
“Presentar la documentación ante DIGEGA para validación (Firma y sellado).”
“Realizar el proceso correspondiente en VUCE cuando aplique.”
“Dirigirse al puerto de salida para la inspección veterinaria oficial y emisión del certificado zoosanitario correspondiente.”
“Lunes a Viernes de 8:00 am – 4:00 pm”
“1-24 Horas”
“RD$ 500.00 pesos según el protocolo específico publicado por DIGEGA; conviene validar si existen costos adicionales asociados al trámite/VUCE o al destino.”
Good to know
- Meeting DIGEGA's requirements doesn't replace your destination's entry requirements: check them before you start, as some countries ask for a microchip, a rabies blood test or other certificates. DIGEGA recommends starting well ahead of your travel date.
Money
What it costs
Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in the Dominican Republic publish for the steps above. The two are never added together.
Government fees on this route
DIGEGA validation of the export documentsLeaving Dominican Republic500 DOP
“RD$ 500.00 pesos según el protocolo específico publicado por DIGEGA”
Permisología para la Importación / Exportación de Perros y Gatos (DIGEGA) · as of 2026-10-12
Government fees in total: 500 DOP (each currency separately)
May also apply, depending on your case
CFIA inspection of an imported dog or catEntering Canada · 6.16 CAD for each extra pet36.95 CAD
Per shipment: CAD 36.95 for the first animal and CAD 6.16 for each extra one (rate from 31 March 2026). CFIA’s pet pages don’t say when the inspection is charged, so we don’t count it in a trip.
“(c) subject to paragraph (d), dogs, cats or ferrets - - - (i) imported from the United States for use in research and consigned to a facility approved by the Canadian Council on Animal Care or imported from the United States for transit to another country - $41.99 $43.12 (ii) imported for any other purpose - - - (A) for the first animal in the shipment - $35.98 $36.95 (B) for each additional animal - $6.00 $6.16”
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Fees Notice · as of 2026-09-03
CFIA inspection when the inspector orders a rabies vaccinationEntering Canada · 36.95 CAD for each extra pet67.75 CAD
Instead of the normal inspection fee, if your pet arrives without valid rabies proof: CAD 67.75 for the first animal and CAD 36.95 for each extra one. The vaccination itself is paid to a vet.
“(d) cats or dogs imported under paragraph 12(1)(b) of the Regulations, if an inspector has made a vaccination order under section 1 or 2, respectively, of Part III of the Import Reference Document (amended: Canada Gazette , Part I, May 22, 2010) - - - (i) for the first animal in the shipment - $65.97 $67.75 (ii) for each additional animal - $35.98 $36.95”
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Fees Notice · as of 2026-09-03
What vets and labs charge Not official figures
We have no published vet or lab prices for the Dominican Republic yet.
Prices that businesses publish on their own pages, quoted as we read them; yours can differ. Ranges are the lowest to highest of these examples, never our estimate. How we collect prices
Airline fees aren’t included: check your airline’s pet page.
Round trip
Coming back to the Dominican Republic
Nothing for the trip back has to happen before your pet leaves the Dominican Republic.
The trip back asks for 6 steps: vet examination within 72 hours before departure, internal and external parasite treatment before the vet examination, rabies vaccination (inactivated vaccine) from 90 days old, at least 30 days before departure and rabies vaccination within the 12 months before departure and more.
Nearby routes
Other routes
Where this comes from
Official sources
Questions owners ask
Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from the Dominican Republic 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 or cat into Canada?
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 Canada?
Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.
How early should I start preparing my pet for the Dominican Republic to Canada?
With nothing done yet, start at least 1 day ahead for a dog. The main steps: rabies vaccination certificate, health certificate from a vet, with an up-to-date vaccination record and DIGEGA validates the documents; official inspection at the port of exit.
Every rule here is quoted from the official page and checked word for word; not legal advice. How we verify · Report a mistake
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