Bringing your dog from Canada into the United States? As of 2026, you’ll need to complete the free CDC Dog Import Form online before you travel. Your dog must be at least 6 months old, have a microchip readable by a universal scanner, and appear healthy. That’s it for most Canada-only dogs — no USDA paperwork, no CDC “rabies-free” certificate required.
What You Need: The CDC Dog Import Form
For dogs that have been only in Canada, Mexico, or the US in the 6 months before entry (in other words, no recent trips to a high-risk rabies country), the CDC Dog Import Form is the only document you need. It’s free, completed online before you travel, and generates a receipt you show at the border.
CDC’s own tool for figuring out exactly what your dog needs is the Dog Importation Navigator — this replaced the older “DogBot” tool, which no longer exists (its old link now returns a 404).
Age and Microchip Requirements
- Age: Your dog must be at least 6 months old. This applies to dogs from low-risk countries like Canada, not just high-risk-country dogs.
- Microchip: Any brand is fine, as long as it’s detectable with a universal scanner. CDC does not require an ISO-11784/11785-specific chip.
- Health: Your dog must appear healthy at the port of entry.
One sequencing rule worth flagging so it doesn’t cause confusion: the “microchip before rabies vaccination” rule some guides mention only applies to dogs that have been in a high-risk rabies country in the previous 6 months. It’s not relevant for a dog that’s only ever been in Canada.
Source: CDC — Rabies-Free or Low-Risk Countries
How Long Is the Dog Import Form Valid?
This is where a lot of guides get it backwards. If your dog is coming from a low-risk country and that doesn’t change — say, you cross the Canada-US border regularly — the same Dog Import Form receipt is valid for multiple entries over 6 months, as long as your country of departure stays the same. Frequent cross-border travelers don’t need a new form for every trip within that window.
That’s different from a dog arriving from a high-risk country, where the receipt is valid for one dog, one entry, one time. One form covers one dog — you can’t share a single receipt across multiple pets even from the same household.
Source: CDC — Dog Import Form Instructions
Is Canada “Rabies-Free” According to the CDC?
Not officially, and it’s worth being precise here. CDC doesn’t publish a list of “rabies-free” countries it certifies — it publishes a list of high-risk countries instead. Any country not on that list, including Canada, is treated as low-risk by default. So the accurate way to put it is: Canada is not on CDC’s list of high-risk countries for dog rabies — not “Canada is CDC-certified rabies-free,” which CDC doesn’t actually say anywhere.
Source: CDC — High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies
New Receipt Look as of February 2026
On 5 February 2026, CDC updated the Dog Import Form web system. If your receipt looks different from what you remember or what a friend showed you, don’t panic — it’s just a new look and formatting. There are no changes to the underlying requirements.
If Your Dog Recently Visited a High-Risk Country
This section doesn’t apply to most Canada-based clients, but it’s worth knowing about if your dog has traveled somewhere on CDC’s high-risk list in the past 6 months. As of 1 August 2025, USDA export health certificates issued after 31 July 2025 are no longer accepted as an alternative document for these dogs. Instead, you need a Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination, USDA-endorsed through VEHCS before the dog leaves the US — it can’t be issued retroactively after the fact. Again: this only matters for dogs coming from a high-risk country, not for an ordinary Canada-to-US trip.
A Brief History: How the US Eliminated Canine Rabies
In 2007, the United States successfully eliminated the canine rabies virus variant — the strain of rabies that spreads dog-to-dog — which is part of why these import rules exist: to keep it from being reintroduced from countries where it still circulates.
Source: CDC MMWR
Frequently Asked Questions
What documents do I need to bring my dog to the US from Canada?
For a dog that’s only been in Canada, Mexico, or the US in the past 6 months, just the free CDC Dog Import Form completed online before travel.
Does my dog’s microchip need to be ISO-compliant?
No. CDC accepts any brand of microchip as long as it’s detectable with a universal scanner.
How old does my dog need to be to enter the US?
At least 6 months old — this applies even to dogs coming from a low-risk country like Canada. For more detail, see our full age-requirement guide.
Can I reuse the same Dog Import Form for multiple trips?
Yes, if your dog is coming from a low-risk country and that doesn’t change — the receipt is valid for multiple entries over 6 months. That’s different from a high-risk-country receipt, which is valid for one dog, one entry.
Is Canada considered rabies-free by the CDC?
Not officially — CDC only publishes a high-risk list, and Canada simply isn’t on it. That’s different from an affirmative “rabies-free” certification, which CDC doesn’t issue.
What happened to CDC’s DogBot tool?
It’s been replaced by the Dog Importation Navigator. The old DogBot link no longer works.
My dog recently visited a country on CDC’s high-risk list — does this guide apply to me?
Not fully. You’ll need the USDA-endorsed Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination (via VEHCS, arranged before leaving the US) rather than just the Dog Import Form. Call us for guidance specific to your dog’s travel history.
Let Us Handle Your Border Crossing
Cross-border pet travel comes with real paperwork and real deadlines. As your international pet relocation partner, we help GTA families get the CDC Dog Import Form right the first time. For the reverse direction, see our US to Canada import guide, and for a sense of what a move like this costs, see our pet relocation cost guide. Call us at 647-477-5858 or reserve your ride to get started.
