Canada to South Africa
Pet Shipping from Canada to South Africa
We provide international pet transport from Canada to South Africa, 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 South Africa with delivery to your new address
South Africa at a glance
Full requirementsThe CFIA notes that the surra test South Africa asks of a dog is not available in Canada, so the sample goes to an international laboratory, and South Africa’s veterinary import permit has to be in hand before the pet is shipped.
- Microchip
- Readable by an ISO 11784 or ISO 11785 scanner, with its location on the certificate
- Rabies vaccination
- Less than 12 months before export, and at least 30 days before it if it is the first. A kitten or puppy under 3 months is covered by its mother’s shot, if given 30 days to a year before the birth
- Parasite treatments
- Dogs only. Heartworm prevention from the negative test to export and on after arrival, plus an acaricide and insect repellent in the last 30 days before departure
- Blood tests
- Dogs only. Five diseases, all negative, sampled within 30 days of import
- Import permit
- Applied for at least four weeks before arrival, and good for one consignment
Pet Shipping from Canada to South Africa
Moving a pet to South Africa is a permit-based process, and the steps depend on your pet and on the conditions set by the national veterinary authority. The import permit and the dog disease testing drive the calendar, so we start early. If you would like a simple overview of international moves first, start with our guide to international pet shipping destinations. Bringing a pet the other way, into Canada? See our guide to bringing a pet to Canada.
Which route does a pet take into South Africa?
Through the entry point named when the permit is applied for: South Africa’s application form asks for the port, airport or place of arrival, and the originals are shown to the import control officer on landing. On HA2123 and HA2124 your vet certifies, and you declare, that the crate conforms to IATA regulations, is new or disinfected, and keeps the animal apart from others of a lesser health status en route.
What are the entry requirements for pets going to South Africa?
The short answer
From Canada, the permit’s conditions apply together with the health certificates the CFIA issues for South Africa, form HA2123 for a dog and HA2124 for a cat, used instead of the certificate that comes with the permit.
Which pets can enter South Africa?
Dogs and cats, which are the two species the CFIA’s South Africa page covers. Both certificates carry a residence statement: resident in Canada since birth, or for the last six months in Canada or South Africa. A dog must also test negative for five diseases, and our cost page for this route lists them with the methods HA2123 allows.
Read the permit beside the certificate. The CFIA says its own page leaves conditions out, that South Africa can alter what it asks for without notice to the CFIA, and that an exporter should compare the certificate against the permit before travelling.
Quarantine is a question for the permit. South Africa’s Department of Agriculture posts two application forms for a dog, one where quarantine applies and one where it does not, plus one for domestic cats, all downloaded 25 September 2026. HA2123 adds that a dog placed in quarantine after import may be retested at the importer’s expense, at the discretion of South Africa’s Director of Animal Health.
For a bird, a rabbit or any other pet, the CFIA page read on 23 September 2026 names no certificate, so the starting point is South Africa’s permit office, reached at VetPermits@daff.gov.za. Ready to start? Request a quote.
What vet work and documents does a pet need for South Africa?
A readable microchip, a rabies vaccination under 12 months old when the pet leaves, and your vet’s examination in the last 10 days before export, recorded on HA2123 or HA2124 and endorsed by a CFIA official veterinarian at a local office. For a dog, add the five tests, heartworm prevention and a treatment against ticks and insects. Read on 25 September 2026, neither certificate asks for a rabies antibody titre test.
| Requirement | South Africa, from Canada |
|---|---|
| Microchip | Readable by an ISO 11784 or ISO 11785 scanner, with its location on the certificate |
| Rabies vaccination | Less than 12 months before export, and at least 30 days before it if it is the first. A kitten or puppy under 3 months is covered by its mother’s shot, if given 30 days to a year before the birth |
| Parasite treatments | Dogs only. Heartworm prevention from the negative test to export and on after arrival, plus an acaricide and insect repellent in the last 30 days before departure |
| Blood tests | Dogs only. Five diseases, all negative, sampled within 30 days of import |
| Import permit | Applied for at least four weeks before arrival, and good for one consignment |
| Health certificate | HA2123 or HA2124 on legal paper, after an examination within 10 days of export, then endorsed by the CFIA; bring the permit, lab reports and vaccination and treatment records to the appointment |
| Quarantine | Whatever the permit states; a quarantined dog may be retested at the importer’s cost |
For what those steps add up to, work through our Canada to South Africa pet shipping cost breakdown.
Read on 23 September 2026: the CFIA’s export requirements for this route, dated 10 December 2024, and the South African government’s permit instructions. Certificates HA2123 and HA2124, both amended 14 November 2024, and the Department of Agriculture’s forms were downloaded two days later.
Planning Timeline for Pet Shipping to South Africa
The permit comes first; South Africa’s government says it is issued three to five working days after the national office approves. Next, a dog’s blood draw, which must fall within 30 days of import, with the surra sample sent to a laboratory outside Canada. The acaricide and repellent are applied within 30 days of departure; the examination, the certificate and the CFIA appointment fit into the last 10.
Every Pet Travels Differently
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Because timelines, airline rules, and South Africa’s entry requirements all affect each other, we build a plan that fits your pet and your move date.
Destination-Focused Planning
We use South Africa's official import protocol 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 South Africa
Request a QuoteWhich Canadian airports will my pet fly from to South Africa?
The one the airline carrying the pet leaves from. South Africa’s application form asks where the animal will be loaded and where it will land, so both airports are settled before the permit is issued. Getting the pet to that airport by road is a separate service.
When is the best time to fly a pet from Canada to South Africa?
Read on 15 September 2026, Air Canada Cargo’s restrictions list no seasonal limit for South Africa. They do rebook a warm-blooded animal whenever it is 29.5°C or hotter on the ground at the origin, the destination or a connecting point, and from 1 November to 31 March they turn animals away from narrowbody aircraft whose holds are unheated. The holiday limits appear in our guide to the colder months. A different carrier on the route has its own rules.
How much does it cost to move a pet from Canada to South Africa?
Every move is priced individually, because the route from Canada, airline fees, your pet’s size and crate, the season, and South Africa’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-South Africa move?
Any of these can be arranged by itself: the South African permit application, airline tickets, a travel crate, HA2123 or HA2124 with its CFIA endorsement, check-in at the departure airport, and pickup on landing and the drive to your new home. All of them together make door-to-door relocation.
Ready to start?
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.