How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Pet from Canada to New Zealand?
New Zealand is not the most expensive destination from Canada. It is the slowest. Canada sits in Category 3, countries where rabies is absent or well controlled, which is the easier of New Zealand’s two pathways. It still means an import permit, a rabies titre test, four parasite treatments and a minimum of ten days in quarantine on arrival. Work backwards from the titre test and the realistic planning window is around seven months. Start the paperwork before you book anything.
What it costs, line by line
| Cost | Amount | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|
| MPI import permit | NZD $268.24 including GST | New Zealand MPI |
| Rabies titre test, FAVN or RFFIT | Set by the laboratory | Approved laboratory |
| Quarantine on arrival, minimum 10 days | Set by the facility | Approved New Zealand quarantine facility |
| Export certificate endorsement | Set by the CFIA at the endorsement appointment | CFIA |
| Microchip, ISO 11784 or Annex A of 11785 | Set by your clinic | Your veterinarian |
| Parasite treatments, four in total | Set by your clinic | Your veterinarian |
| IATA crate | CAD $80 to $340 at retail depending on size | Retail |
| Airline freight | Quoted per booking | Airline |
The order and the clock are what catch people out. The microchip goes in first, to ISO 11784 or Annex A of ISO 11785. The rabies vaccination must be given not less than six months and not more than one year before shipment. The titre blood sample must be drawn not less than three months and not more than 24 months before shipment, using a FAVN or RFFIT test, and must return at least 0.5 IU per millilitre. Parasite treatments come in pairs: internal in the 30 days before and again in the four days before shipment, external in the 30 days before and again in the two days before. Your pet must be more than nine months old on the day it ships.
Five dog types cannot enter New Zealand at all: the Brazilian Fila, the Dogo Argentino, the Japanese Tosa, the Perro de Presa Canario and the American Pit Bull Terrier type. That is a prohibition rather than a permit question, and no amount of paperwork changes it.
How flight pricing works on this route
Live animal freight from Canada is priced per booking rather than from a rate card, and New Zealand is one of the longest routings you can book, usually through Auckland. Chargeable weight is whichever is greater, the actual weight of pet and crate together, or a volume figure taken from the crate’s dimensions, so for most dogs the crate decides the price. Send us the two cities and the crate size and we will quote the real rate.
What is not included here
Your vet sets their own fees. The microchip, the vaccination, the titre blood draw and the four parasite treatments are priced by your clinic and vary by province. The MPI permit fee, the laboratory fee for the titre test and the daily rate at the quarantine facility are all set by those bodies and sit outside these figures.
What moves the price
Quarantine is the line that varies most, because you choose the facility and the stay is a minimum of ten days rather than a fixed ten. After that it is crate size, the season, and how tightly your titre and treatment dates line up with your travel date. A titre sample drawn too late resets the three month clock and moves the whole move.
Figures and sources
Checked September 2026. Requirements come from the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries guidance for bringing cats and dogs to New Zealand. One thing to watch: New Zealand is replacing this standard, and the 2026 Import Health Standard becomes mandatory on 1 April 2027. If you are planning a move for 2027, confirm which standard applies to your travel date before you commit to any of the timings above.
Want this priced for your pet and dates?
Send us the route, the breed and roughly when you want to travel. Request a quote and we will reply with an itemised plan, a timeline and a real number for your pet rather than a range.
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