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The CDC Dog Import Form from Canada in 2026: one receipt, six months
Every dog entering the US from Canada needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, a microchip and to be at least 6 months old. The form is free, and one receipt can cover repeat trips from Canada for six months.
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WayFur answer
To bring a dog from Canada into the United States, you need a free CDC Dog Import Form receipt, and your dog must be at least 6 months old, have a microchip that a universal scanner can read, and look healthy when it arrives. You can fill in the form online on the day you travel. Because Canada is not a high-risk country for dog rabies, one receipt covers repeat entries from Canada for six months from the date it is issued, unless your dog visits another country in that time.
What the CDC asks for when your dog comes from Canada
Say you live in Montreal, and in late June you brought home a Labrador puppy. You have two trips pencilled in: a ski weekend in Vermont in mid-December, and a week in Florida in March.
For a dog coming from a dog-rabies-free or low-risk country, CDC lists four requirements. The Dog Import Form receipt is the only form needed. "Dogs must be at least 6 months old at time of entry or return to the U.S." "Dogs must have a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner to identify them." And dogs must appear healthy on arrival. Canada is not on CDC's list of high-risk countries, which CDC says means it is not considered high risk.
Easy to miss
The same rules apply to a US dog coming home from Canada. CDC's wording covers entry or return, so a dog that lives in Vermont and spent a weekend in Montreal needs the receipt too.
What each side of the border asks for on a Canada and US round trip
| Crossing | Dog | Cat |
|---|---|---|
| Canada into the US | CDC Dog Import Form receipt, microchip readable by a universal scanner, at least 6 months old on the day of entry, healthy on arrival | No rabies proof, health certificate or import form from CDC; healthy on arrival; check your destination state and airline |
| US back into Canada | Valid rabies vaccination certificate for a dog 3 months or older | Valid rabies vaccination certificate for a cat 3 months or older |
CDC does not list a rabies vaccination among the requirements on this path.
Practical tip
Keep your dog's rabies certificate with you anyway. Canada asks for a valid one when your dog comes home.
Is my dog old enough to cross?
Back to the Labrador. Born in late June, the puppy is about five and a half months old in mid-December. Six months is the minimum, and the CDC's pages state no exception for any country. The Vermont weekend does not work with the dog on that date. A few weeks later the puppy turns six months, and the same trip works.
Easy to miss
The age rule is measured on the day your dog crosses, not the day you fill in the form or book a hotel. If your dog is close to the line, count from its birth date to the exact day you will reach the border, and leave room in case plans shift.
Practical tip
If your puppy was chipped at the breeder, ask your vet to scan the microchip at the next visit, so you know the number reads and matches your records.
How long the CDC Dog Import Form receipt is valid
In January, you fill in the form online for the rescheduled Vermont trip. Once you verify your email address, CDC says the receipt arrives by email within 15 minutes. You show it, printed or on your phone, to the airline if your dog flies, and to US Customs and Border Protection when you arrive.
Most people get stuck on whether the receipt is good for one crossing or many. The CDC form instructions answer it by risk level. For a dog from a low-risk country: "The receipt is valid for one dog to enter the United States multiple times from the same country within six months from the date of issuance." For a dog from a high-risk country: "The receipt is valid for one dog to enter the United States one time."
How long one CDC Dog Import Form receipt lasts
| Where your dog is coming from | What one receipt covers | When you need a new one |
|---|---|---|
| A low-risk country, such as Canada or Mexico | Multiple entries from that same country within six months from the date of issuance | After six months, or if your dog visits a high-risk country or a different low-risk country |
| A high-risk country | One entry | Every entry |
So the January receipt also covers the March week in Florida, because both trips start in Canada and March is inside six months from when the receipt was issued. If the form asks for an arrival date you are not sure of, CDC says to enter the earliest approximate date.
Two things end the receipt early. CDC says it is valid for six months "unless the dog visits a high-risk country or a different dog rabies-free or low-risk country during that time." If the family flies to France in the summer, they need a new receipt listing France as the country of departure.
Easy to miss
Each dog needs its own form, so two dogs means two receipts.
Where this comes from
Sourced from CDC, Dog Import Form Instructions (updated April 28, 2026), CDC, Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries, and CDC, High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies (updated April 15, 2026). All checked October 6, 2026.
Coming home, and travelling with a cat
On the way back to Montreal, Canada asks for something different. The CFIA wants a valid rabies vaccination certificate for a dog 3 months or older, showing the vaccination date and how long the vaccine is valid. If the certificate does not say, Canada treats it as valid for 1 year from the vaccination date. Check that it will still be valid on your return date, not just today.
If a cat comes too, the US side is simpler. "Cats are not required to have proof of rabies vaccination for importation into the United States," according to CDC, and there is no Dog Import Form equivalent. Cats must look healthy on arrival, and CDC tells travellers to check with the destination state and the airline. Canada asks for a rabies certificate for a cat 3 months or older on the way home.
For the full picture in both directions, see our guide to Canada to US pet entry rules.
Enter your route, your dog and your travel date, and a free readiness check shows the US entry requirements for that crossing, including the age and microchip rules, each with its source and the date it was last checked.
Sources
- CDC: Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries
- CDC: Dog Import Form Instructions
- CDC: High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies
- CDC: Bringing a Dog into the United States
- CDC: Entry Requirements for U.S.-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries (source of core_entry_rules 43)
- CDC: Bringing an Animal into the U.S.
- CFIA: Importing and travelling with pets
Common questions
What is required to bring a dog into the US from Canada?
A CDC Dog Import Form receipt, a microchip that a universal scanner can read, and a dog at least 6 months old on the day it crosses. The dog must also look healthy on arrival. The rules are the same by car or by plane, and they apply to US dogs coming home from Canada too. You show the receipt to US Customs and Border Protection at the crossing.
How long is the CDC Dog Import Form valid for?
For a dog coming from Canada, six months from the date it is issued, for multiple entries from Canada, as long as your dog does not visit a high-risk country or a different low-risk country in that time. After six months, or after a trip from somewhere else, you need a new one. From a high-risk country, a receipt covers one entry. Confirm the current wording on CDC's site before you travel.
How do I get the CDC Dog Import Form?
You fill it in online, for free, one form per dog. CDC says you can complete it on the day of travel, and recommends doing it a few days or up to six months ahead when you travel from a low-risk country like Canada. Once you verify your email address, the receipt arrives by email within 15 minutes.
What do I need when traveling with a cat from Canada to the US?
CDC does not require a rabies vaccination, a health certificate or an import form for cats. Your cat must look healthy on arrival, and your destination state or airline may have its own rules. Coming back, Canada asks for a valid rabies certificate for a cat 3 months or older.