Canada to France
Pet Shipping from Canada to France
We provide international pet transport from Canada to France, planned around the EU’s entry 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 France with delivery to your new address
France at a glance
Full requirementsFrance’s agriculture ministry, in its FAQ read 22 September 2026, says the pet’s documents are not sent ahead of time and no appointment is booked with customs: on arrival you go to the officers and present them.
- Microchip
- ISO 11784, in before the rabies shot; another type needs a reader you supply
- Rabies vaccination
- 21 days after a first shot; a booster given before the last one lapsed counts straight away
- Rabies titre
- Not needed from Canada, listed in Annex II of Implementing Regulation 2026/636
- Health certificate
- Signed by your veterinarian, valid 10 days from that signature, endorsed by the CFIA
- Language
- English and French on the certificate; other papers in French or an approved translation
Pet Shipping from Canada to France
Getting a pet into France means the EU sequence in one fixed order: the microchip first, the rabies vaccination next, a 21-day wait after a first shot, then an EU health certificate your veterinarian signs no more than 10 days ahead of the landing, which the CFIA then endorses. Every date is tied back to your arrival.
Which route does a pet take into France?
Each route ends at a French point of entry, and for France the European Commission’s page points to its list of border crossing points, among them Nice, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Paris’s Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports. The connection, and whether the first EU stop is France or another country, depends on the airline flying your pet out of Canada, and that choice also sets the certificate’s second language.
What are the entry requirements for pets going to France?
The short answer
For a pet from Canada, France applies the EU’s rules for a listed country: microchip, rabies vaccination and an EU animal health certificate endorsed by the CFIA, with the documents in French or bilingual, or in a certified translation. Where a pet falls short, officers can order it returned, quarantined or put down at the owner’s cost, the ministry’s FAQ says.
Which pets can enter France?
France refuses category 1 dogs outright, in transit as well, and admits category 2 dogs under the rules specific to them, the agriculture ministry says; any other pet from Canada qualifies as soon as its rabies vaccination counts. A pet can be stopped at customs by a paperwork slip: a chip number that does not match across forms, a rabies vaccination logged before the chip, or a certificate endorsed too early or too late.
What vet work and documents does a pet need for France?
Start with a microchip, ISO 11784 compliant or with a reader you supply, then the rabies vaccination; a first shot has to be 21 days old by arrival. The EU animal health certificate is signed by your veterinarian, valid 10 days from that signature, and endorsed by the CFIA, in English and French when France is the first EU stop. You travel with the pet, or a person you authorize in writing moves it within five days of you; otherwise the commercial certificate applies. Names, dates and chip numbers are checked against the certificate before the CFIA appointment.
| Requirement | France, from Canada |
|---|---|
| Microchip | ISO 11784, in before the rabies shot; another type needs a reader you supply |
| Rabies vaccination | 21 days after a first shot; a booster given before the last one lapsed counts straight away |
| Rabies titre | Not needed from Canada, listed in Annex II of Implementing Regulation 2026/636 |
| Health certificate | Signed by your veterinarian, valid 10 days from that signature, endorsed by the CFIA |
| Language | English and French on the certificate; other papers in French or an approved translation |
| Pet limit | Up to five pets can travel non commercially with an owner. Larger moves follow the commercial route |
| Quarantine | France can order it, or the pet’s return or euthanasia, when the checks find a pet that falls short |
The export side follows the CFIA’s page on taking a pet to the EU, EU entry follows the European Commission’s guidance on pet movements, and France’s own rules come from the agriculture ministry’s FAQ, read 7 October 2026, on pets arriving from outside the EU.
Planning Timeline for Pet Shipping to France
A straightforward move to France takes about four to six weeks when the rabies vaccination is current, and about seven weeks when it has to be redone, because the 21-day wait starts again. The certificate sets the last stretch: it is valid 10 days from your veterinarian’s signature and has to be CFIA-endorsed inside that time, which is why the last vet visit and the flight are booked as a pair.
For a line by line breakdown of what this route costs, see our cost page for Canada to France.
Every Pet Travels Differently
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Because timelines, airline rules, and the EU’s entry requirements can vary, we build a plan that fits your pet and your move date.
Destination-Focused Planning
We use France’s official EU 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 France
Request a QuoteWhen is the best time to fly a pet from Canada to France?
Spring and autumn ask for the least juggling. From Canada, winter takes the most planning because Air Canada restricts pets in the hold through the cold months and over the holidays, which our Air Canada pet policy guide details; in summer, cooler flight times matter most for snub-nosed breeds.
How much does it cost to move a pet from Canada to France?
That comes down to how big your pet and its crate are, the airline, the time of year and how much of the move you book with us. Our cost page for Canada to France lists the government fees, and a quote gives the full figure.
How does Pet Travel Advisors handle a Canada to France move?
One coordinator owns the file, and you decide what to hand over: flights, the crate, the EU certificate and the CFIA appointment, check-in in Canada, and collection on arrival in France with the drive to your new home.
Ready to start?
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.