Canada is a Group 3 country for Australia (the same group as the US and UK), so the full process applies: verified microchip, rabies vaccination, an RNATT titer test with a mandatory 180-day wait measured from when the sample reaches the lab, an import permit, a stack of dog disease tests in the final 45 days, and post-entry quarantine at Mickleham near Melbourne.
The Canada-specific detail is canine influenza. Where US dogs must be vaccinated, Canadian dogs get a choice: vaccinate against the H3N2 strain (primary course finished at least 14 days before export), or take the isolation route — 10 days isolated from other dogs, a negative CIV PCR within 7 days of export, and an exam within 48 hours. Both are in the planner's notes; the certificate is endorsed by a CFIA official vet.
Minimum lead time: about 6.9 months (208 days). DAFF advises at least 6 months. A Canadian dog can't board until 180 days after the RNATT sample reaches the lab. Canada's one distinctive rule: canine influenza can be handled by vaccine OR by isolation-and-test.
Going on vacation, not moving? The same timeline still applies. Australia makes no exception for tourists or short stays — these rules apply to every dog and cat entering the country, so a two-week holiday needs the same months of preparation as a permanent move. There is no short-stay shortcut.
The requirements, in order
Order matters — several steps are only valid if the earlier ones were done first. This is the same sequence the planner above turns into dated deadlines.
- ISO microchip implanted & verifiedAn ISO-compliant (10 or 15 digit) microchip, implanted before anything else and at least 180 days before export. An approved vet scans it at every visit; chips starting with 999 are not accepted.
- Official identity verification (cuts quarantine 30 → 10 days)Optional but strongly recommended: have an official government (CFIA) veterinarian verify your pet's identity BEFORE the RNATT blood draw, at a separate visit, at least 180 days before export. Without it, Mickleham quarantine is a minimum of 30 days instead of 10.Cannot be done at the same visit as the RNATT blood draw.
- Rabies vaccination (valid through export day)An approved rabies vaccine, given at 84 days of age or older, and kept continuously valid from the RNATT blood draw through the day of export.First-time vaccination: wait 3–4 weeks before the RNATT blood draw. Pets with an unbroken vaccination history may be sampled sooner.
- RNATT blood draw (rabies titer test) — starts the 180-day clockBlood sample for the rabies neutralising antibody titre test (FAVN or RFFIT, result ≥ 0.5 IU/ml) at an approved lab. Australia's mandatory 180-day wait runs from the day the sample ARRIVES at the laboratory to the day of export — no exceptions. The sample must be taken no more than 12 months before export.We plan the draw 187+ days out: the official 180-day clock starts at lab ARRIVAL, so we add a one-week shipping buffer.
- RNATT declaration endorsed by CFIAOnce the lab report arrives, an official CFIA veterinarian completes, signs and stamps the RNATT declaration. You need it for the import permit application and it travels with your pet.
- Apply for the import permit (BICON)Apply as soon as the RNATT declaration is endorsed. Most permits are issued in 20–40 business days; some take much longer. The permit stays valid until your RNATT expires (12 months from blood sampling) and must be valid on arrival.
- Book quarantine at MicklehamOnce the permit is issued, book your pet's post-entry quarantine stay at Mickleham (Melbourne). Spaces are limited — book immediately.
- Canine influenza: vaccinate (H3N2) or isolate-and-testDogs from Canada must either be fully vaccinated against canine influenza (H3N2) — an unvaccinated dog completing its primary course at least 14 days before export, boosters between 12 months and 14 days before — OR do the isolation-and-test route: 10 days isolated from other dogs, a negative CIV PCR within 7 days of export, and an exam within 48 hours of export. Canada gets this either/or choice; the US and South Korea must vaccinate.
- Leptospira Canicola: vaccinate or testEither vaccinate against Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola (final/booster dose between 12 months and 14 days before export) or test negative by MAT on a sample taken within 45 days of export.
- Start external parasite (tick & flea) treatmentA product that kills ticks and fleas on contact, started at least 30 days before export (treatment day counts as day 0) and maintained continuously until export.
- Leishmania infantum testNegative test by quantitative IFAT or ELISA (rapid/snap tests not accepted), sample taken within 45 days of export.
- Brucella canis test (entire dogs only)Only if your dog is not desexed: negative Brucella canis test (RSAT, TAT/SAT or IFAT), sample within 45 days of export; no mating/insemination in the 21 days before sampling.
- Internal parasite treatment #1First of two treatments against nematodes and cestodes, given within the 45 days before export and at least 14 days before the second treatment.
- Internal parasite treatment #2Second treatment, at least 14 days after the first and within the 5 days before export. Can be combined with the final clinical exam.
- Final clinical examinationA government-approved vet examines your pet for external parasites and signs of infectious disease within the 5 days before export.
- Health certificate endorsed by CFIAThe veterinary health certificate plus all lab reports, endorsed (signed and stamped on every page) by an official CFIA veterinarian within the 5 days before export, after the final exam and second worming treatment.
Quarantine: 10 days or 30, decided months ahead
Every pet does post-entry quarantine at Mickleham (pets fly into Melbourne as manifested cargo). The minimum is 30 days — unless an official CFIA vet verified your pet's identity before the RNATT blood draw, which drops it to a minimum of 10. That visit can't be combined with the blood draw, so it has its own line in the planner.
The dense final 45 days
A Canadian dog still needs, inside the last 45 days: a Leishmania test, a Brucella canis test (entire dogs), Leptospira cover, two internal parasite treatments 14+ days apart with the second within 5 days of export, a final exam, and the CFIA-endorsed health certificate — while external parasite treatment runs continuously for 30+ days. The planner sequences every window.
Official sources
These are the only authorities on this route. If anything here disagrees with them, they win — and please tell us.
- DAFF — Step-by-step guide: bringing a dog from a Group 3 country (Canada is Group 3)
- DAFF — Step-by-step guide: bringing a cat from a Group 3 country
- CFIA — Exporting dogs and cats to Australia
Rather have a professional handle the whole move? Pet relocation companies manage the vet visits, paperwork, and bookings end-to-end. (Referral placement — link to relocation partner here.)
Traveling internationally with a pet? Vet visits abroad are out-of-network by definition. (Pet insurance affiliate placement here.)
FAQ
- Is Canada a rabies-free (Group 2) country for Australia?
- No — DAFF lists Canada as Group 3, the same as the US and UK. The RNATT titer test and the mandatory 180-day post-test wait both apply, and quarantine is a minimum of 10 or 30 days.
- How long does it take to bring a dog from Canada to Australia?
- Roughly 7 months minimum: rabies vaccination, a 3–4 week wait, the RNATT blood draw, then a mandatory 180-day wait before export, plus 10–30 days at Mickleham. DAFF says allow at least 6 months.
- How does the canine influenza rule work for Canada?
- Canadian dogs choose: vaccinate against H3N2 (primary course completed at least 14 days before export), or isolate and test — 10 days isolated, a negative CIV PCR within 7 days of export, and an exam within 48 hours. The US and South Korea must vaccinate; Canada gets the either/or.
- Is it different for cats?
- Cats skip all the dog-only tests (Leishmania, Brucella, Leptospira) and canine influenza entirely, and start external parasite treatment 21 days out instead of 30. The rabies/RNAT chain, permit and quarantine are the same. Use the cat toggle.
Other dog routes
- USA → Japan~7 months lead · 12-hour clearance if done right
- USA → Australia~7 months lead · 10–30 days quarantine
- USA → Spain (EU)3–4 weeks lead · no quarantine
- USA → France (EU)3–4 weeks lead · category-1 breed ban
- USA → Portugal (EU)3–4 weeks lead · 48h arrival notice
- USA → Germany (EU)3–4 weeks lead · breed import ban
- USA → Italy (EU)3–4 weeks lead · no breed bans
- USA → New Zealand~6 months lead · 10-day quarantine
- USA → United Kingdom~3 weeks lead · no quarantine if compliant
- UK → Japan~7 months lead · 12-hour clearance if done right
- UK → Australia~7 months lead · 10–30 days quarantine
- UK → Spain (EU)3–4 weeks lead · AHC, not a passport
- Canada → USANo waiting period · just the CDC form + 6-month age
- Canada → Japan~7 months lead · 12-hour clearance if done right
- Canada → Spain (EU)3–4 weeks lead · AHC, not a passport
- USA → MexicoNo waiting period · screwworm cert for dogs (Aug 2026)
- USA → Dominican Republic~1 month lead · easy in, harder home for dogs
- USA → Brazil~3 weeks lead · easy in, harder home for dogs
- USA → Colombia~3 weeks lead · easy in, harder home for dogs
- USA → Argentina~3 weeks lead · no permit, no quarantine
- USA → Cayman Islands~3 months lead · titer test, no quarantine option