Canada to Portugal
Pet Shipping from Canada to Portugal
We provide international pet transport from Canada to Portugal, 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 Portugal with delivery to your new address
Portugal at a glance
Full requirementsDGAV, Portugal’s veterinary authority, inspects each pet arriving from a country outside the EU at one of its travellers’ points of entry, and asks for some documents to reach it ahead of the pet.
- Microchip
- ISO 11784, in before the rabies shot; another type needs a reader you supply
- Rabies vaccination
- 21 days after a first shot, which Canada records as valid for one year
- 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
- Pet limit
- Up to five pets can travel non commercially with an owner. Larger moves follow the commercial route
Pet Shipping from Canada to Portugal
For Portugal, the EU sequence has to run in one exact order: microchip, then rabies vaccination, then the 21-day wait, then the EU certificate, signed by your vet no more than 10 days before arrival and endorsed by the CFIA.
Which route does a pet take into Portugal?
Both Lisbon and Porto airports are travellers’ points of entry, and the inspection there keeps hours: Porto’s point is shut from 23:00 until 7:00 and Lisbon’s from midnight until 6:00, DGAV says. The connection out of Canada is planned so your pet lands while the inspection is open, and the airline you fly decides which of the two it is.
What are the entry requirements for pets going to Portugal?
The short answer
From Canada, a listed country, Portugal applies the EU’s rules: a microchip, then the rabies vaccination, then an EU animal health certificate endorsed by the CFIA, which counts its 10 days from the day the licensed veterinarian signs.
Which pets can enter Portugal?
Portugal accepts a pet from Canada when its rabies vaccination has become valid; puppies and kittens too young for it are refused from outside the EU. DGAV lists seven potentially dangerous breeds, with their crosses: Tosa Inu, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Rottweiler, Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro. They are let in, but the point of entry asks for a signed declaration of responsibility when the stay is shorter than four months and a notification of stay when it is longer, unless the dog is in an officially recognized studbook, which needs written evidence.
What vet work and documents does a pet need for Portugal?
Start with the 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. DGAV warns that a first rabies shot given in Canada counts as valid for one year, so a vaccination recorded with a longer validity can stop the certificate being issued here until the pet is vaccinated again and waits 21 days. The EU animal health certificate is signed by your veterinarian, valid 10 days from that signature, endorsed by the CFIA and made out in the owner’s name, and some documents reach the point of entry ahead of the pet.
| Requirement | Portugal, 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, which Canada records as valid for one year |
| 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 |
| Pet limit | Up to five pets can travel non commercially with an owner. Larger moves follow the commercial route |
| Falling short | DGAV sends the pet back first, with euthanasia as the last resort, and the keeper pays |
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 Portugal’s own rules come from DGAV, on potentially dangerous breeds, dogs and cats and arrivals from outside the EU.
Planning Timeline for Pet Shipping to Portugal
Plan for 4 to 6 weeks for a straightforward move when the microchip and rabies vaccination are already current, or about 7 weeks if the vaccination needs to be redone, since the 21 day immunity wait and the 10 day certificate window both have to line up with the flight.
Planning the budget? See what shipping a pet from Canada to Portugal costs, fee by fee.
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 Portugal’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 Portugal
Request a QuoteHow much does it cost to move a pet from Canada to Portugal?
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 Portugal lists the government fees, and a quote gives the full figure.
How does Pet Travel Advisors handle a Canada to Portugal move?
One coordinator owns the file, and you decide what to hand over: flights, the crate, the EU certificate with the CFIA appointment and the documents DGAV wants first, check-in in Canada, and collection on arrival in Portugal with the drive to your new home.
Ready to start?
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.