Canada to the United Kingdom
Pet Shipping from Canada to the United Kingdom
We provide international pet transport from Canada to the United Kingdom, planned around its import rules, the Canadian winter and your move date.
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.
- Airline booking
- The travel crate
- The CFIA export paperwork
- Check-in at your Canadian airport
- Pickup in the United Kingdom with delivery to your new address
The United Kingdom at a glance
Full requirementsThe CFIA lists its own certificate for dogs, cats and ferrets going to Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, and gov.uk lets a pet enter at least 21 full days after its first rabies vaccination.
- Microchip
- In place by the day of the rabies vaccination at the latest. Arrival staff read ISO 11784 and 11785 chips, and with another type you may need your own reader
- Rabies vaccination
- From 12 weeks of age, and 21 full days or more before arrival, longer if the vaccine needs it. A booster given with no gap needs no wait
- Rabies titre
- Not needed: gov.uk lists Canada, and asks for a titre test only of pets from countries outside the EU that it leaves off its list
- Health certificate
- Endorsed by the CFIA, and the pet has to enter Great Britain within 10 days of its issue
- Tapeworm treatment
- Dogs only: praziquantel or an equivalent against Echinococcus multilocularis, between 24 and 120 hours ahead of arrival, logged with the product, date and time
Pet Shipping from Canada to the United Kingdom
Great Britain’s entry rules for pets are published by the UK government on gov.uk, and the CFIA supplies the certificates a Canadian veterinarian fills in to meet them. Settle the timing between pet and person first: the CFIA treats a pet travelling more than 5 days earlier or later than its owner as a commercial movement, which takes a certificate of its own. If you would like a simple overview of international moves first, start with our guide to international pet shipping destinations. In practice, we confirm what applies to your pet and route, map out a realistic timeline, coordinate the vet steps and paperwork, and get the crate and an approved route ready for travel day. Bringing a pet the other way, into Canada? See our guide to moving to Canada with a pet.
Which route does a pet take into the United Kingdom?
A pet reaches Great Britain by air in the hold, since gov.uk reserves the cabin for an assistance dog or a private charter, and it has to fly with an airline and land at an airport that gov.uk’s approved list names. On that list, updated 23 October 2026, Air Canada can bring a pet into London Heathrow, Manchester or Edinburgh, WestJet into Heathrow, Gatwick or Edinburgh, and Air Transat into Gatwick or Manchester. Airline booking and handing your pet over at the Canadian airport can be arranged on their own.
Route details: Canada to the United Kingdom
- Route
- Canada to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)
- Arrival airports
- Approved list: Air Canada to Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh; WestJet to Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh; Air Transat to Gatwick, Manchester
- How the pet flies
- As cargo in the hold with an approved airline; the cabin only for an assistance dog or on a chartered private plane, gov.uk says
- Advance notice
- Commercial moves only (sale, over 5 pets, or more than 5 days from the owner): notify APHA on IPAFFS at least one working day before arrival
- Health certificate
- Great Britain pet health certificate, completed by your vet and endorsed by the CFIA; the pet must enter within 10 days of its issue
- Tapeworm treatment
- Dogs only: praziquantel or equivalent from a vet, 24 to 120 hours before arriving in Great Britain, with product, date and time recorded
- Quarantine on arrival
- Microchip and papers checked on arrival. A pet not properly prepared can be quarantined up to 4 months or sent back; owner pays, gov.uk says
- Time to get ready
- At least 21 full days: microchip by the rabies shot, then 21 full days to arrival; Canada is listed, so gov.uk asks no rabies blood test
Work out your pet’s dates for this route
From official sources, read 29 October 2026: gov.uk, Pet travel: airlines and airports you can use; gov.uk, Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain: Travel routes for pets; City of London, Heathrow Animal Reception Centre: Importing your dog, cat or ferret; gov.uk, Import live animals and germinal products to Great Britain under Balai rules; gov.uk, Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain: What you need to do; CFIA, Dogs, cats, and ferrets to Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man: Commercial movements and non-commercial movements of more than 5 animals; gov.uk, Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain: Great Britain pet health certificate; CFIA, Dogs, cats, and ferrets to Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man: Non-commercial movements of 5 or less animals; CFIA, Veterinary health certificate for the non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets to Great Britain, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, PDF; gov.uk, Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain: Tapeworm treatment for dogs; gov.uk, Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain: Arriving in Great Britain; gov.uk, Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain: Rabies vaccination and boosters; gov.uk, Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain: Microchip; gov.uk, Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain: Which pet travel document you need; gov.uk, Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain: Blood tests for rabies.
What are the entry requirements for pets going to the United Kingdom?
The short answer
From Canada the list on gov.uk runs: a route it has approved, a microchip implanted by the time the rabies vaccine is given, the vaccination itself, a Great Britain pet health certificate, treatment against tapeworm if the pet is a dog, and a declaration from the owner that the pet is not being sold or handed to someone else.
Which pets can enter the United Kingdom?
Dogs, cats and ferrets are the pets gov.uk’s rules cover, and five types of dog are against the law to own in the UK: the Pit Bull Terrier, the Japanese Tosa, the Dogo Argentino, the Fila Brasileiro and the XL Bully. A dog of a banned type gets into Great Britain only with a valid Certificate of Exemption it already holds. The type is judged on appearance rather than breed or name, and the reception centre at Heathrow says it will not give a view beforehand, pointing owners instead to the police in the area they are moving to.
At the airport the chip is scanned and the paperwork read. A pet that was not properly prepared could be quarantined for as long as 4 months or be sent back, with the fees on the owner, gov.uk says. Its guide ties refusal or quarantine to two of those: a chip no scanner can read, and a dog’s tapeworm dose given outside its hours. Details in the wrong place on the certificate can keep the pet from travelling at all, and a microchip implanted after the rabies vaccine means the shot has to be repeated.
Before scheduling vet steps or flights, we confirm what rules apply to your pet and whether airline policies affect travel. Eligibility can come down to your pet’s type and health, airline rules for certain breeds or conditions, the documentation and timing, and which approved routes are available. Ready to start? Request a quote.
What vet work and documents does a pet need for the United Kingdom?
A pet from Canada needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination given at the same visit or later, the Great Britain pet health certificate a veterinarian in Canada fills in and the CFIA endorses, plus a tapeworm dose if the pet is a dog, with the owner completing the declaration. Gov.uk says a pet that missed a dose of its first course, or a booster at the right time, may need to begin the vaccinations again, which is why the record is read as closely as the vaccine itself. Every entry it lists, the birth date, the batch number and the validity among them, has to sit in the right place on the certificate.
| Requirement | Great Britain, from Canada |
|---|---|
| Microchip | In place by the day of the rabies vaccination at the latest. Arrival staff read ISO 11784 and 11785 chips, and with another type you may need your own reader |
| Rabies vaccination | From 12 weeks of age, and 21 full days or more before arrival, longer if the vaccine needs it. A booster given with no gap needs no wait |
| Rabies titre | Not needed: gov.uk lists Canada, and asks for a titre test only of pets from countries outside the EU that it leaves off its list |
| Health certificate | Endorsed by the CFIA, and the pet has to enter Great Britain within 10 days of its issue |
| Tapeworm treatment | Dogs only: praziquantel or an equivalent against Echinococcus multilocularis, between 24 and 120 hours ahead of arrival, logged with the product, date and time |
| Quarantine | Applied, at the owner’s cost, to a pet that arrives without the rules met |
Sources, read on 29 October 2026. On gov.uk: its guide for pets coming to Great Britain, the banned types list and the approved airlines and airports. From the CFIA: the page for five pets or fewer with their owner, date modified 2025-11-03, and the one for commercial movements, 2024-01-05. From the City of London: the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre’s importing page, updated 5 October 2026.
Planning Timeline for Pet Shipping to the United Kingdom
Start with the microchip and the rabies vaccination, because a vaccine given before the chip does not count, and the waiting period only begins once both are done. What follows sits close to the flight: the certificate your veterinarian completes and the CFIA endorses at an appointment, the declaration, and a dog’s tapeworm dose, counted back from when the plane lands.
Planning the budget? See what shipping a pet from Canada to the United Kingdom costs, fee by fee.
Every Pet Travels Differently
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Because timelines, airline rules, and the UK’s entry requirements can vary, we build a plan that fits your pet and your move date.
Destination-Focused Planning
We use the UK’s official import guidance as the baseline, then turn it into a simple checklist and timeline you can follow.
Smart Routing and Logistics
We help choose practical routes, travel windows, and handoff procedures so your pet’s trip is safer and more predictable.
Personalized Support
Pet Travel Advisors assigns a move coordinator who keeps you updated and checks details before travel so nothing important is missed.
Questions about moving a pet to the United Kingdom
Request a QuoteWhich Canadian airports will my pet fly from to the United Kingdom?
Whichever one the airline you book will accept your pet from on your dates, since only the carriers on gov.uk’s approved list can fly a pet into Great Britain. The drive from home to that airport can be booked by itself.
When is the best time to fly a pet from Canada to the United Kingdom?
Each airline publishes its own limits. The restrictions page Air Canada Cargo publishes, read 15 September 2026, does not name the United Kingdom: a cat or dog is rebooked for a later flight if the ground temperature hits 29.5°C anywhere on its route, and between 15 December and 12 January it carries neither on an international itinerary with a Canadian connection, while direct flights are allowed.
How much does it cost to move a pet from Canada to the United Kingdom?
Every move is priced individually, because the route from Canada, airline fees, your pet’s size and crate, the season, and the United Kingdom’s requirements all change the total. Tell us your city and timing and we’ll put together an estimate: request a quote.
How does Pet Travel Advisors handle a Canada-to-the United Kingdom move?
Take all of it or only a piece: the airline booking, a travel crate, the CFIA certificate prepared and checked before the endorsement appointment, check-in of your pet at the Canadian airport, and collection after UK customs clearance with delivery to your new address. All of them together make a door-to-door move.
Ready to start?
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.