Pet Transport from Canada to the Bahamas

Getting a pet from Canada to Bahamas is a step by step process, and each stage has its own timing. Allow around 5-8 weeks and follow the steps in order to stay on track. Compliant …

5-8 wks

Preparation needed

None

Quarantine on arrival

Moderate

Route complexity

Managed

Full door to door

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Lead time needed

5-8 weeks

Quarantine

None

Route complexity

Moderate

Airlines

3 carriers on this route

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In short: Preparing to move a pet from Canada to Bahamas typically takes around 5-8 weeks. There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets. A rabies titre test is not required.

Regulations checked July 2026

Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team

Step by step

The import process, in full

As early as possible; account activation can take a few working days on its own.

Responsible: Owner

Once the travel date is roughly set.

Apply for the BAHFSA ePermit through Click2Clear, budgeting for the USD 50 fee. The permit runs 6 months from the intended date.

Responsible: Owner

Well ahead of travel.

Microchip checked and rabies vaccination confirmed current, within BAHFSA's 30-day-to-10-month window.

Responsible: Canadian vet

As early as possible; CFIA cannot endorse a certificate once the pet has already left Canada.

Book the CFIA endorsement appointment for the export health certificate.

Responsible: Owner, via CFIA district office

Within 48 hours of departure, since BAHFSA's certificate window is tight; CFIA processing itself runs 2-5 business days, so book the appointment to land just inside that window.

Health certificate examination and CFIA endorsement completed.

Responsible: Canadian vet, endorsed by CFIA

Once the ePermit is approved.

Flight booked: Air Canada or WestJet, cabin or cargo, or Porter Airlines for a small pet only.

Responsible: Owner

At the point of entry.

ePermit and health certificate presented on arrival in Nassau.

Responsible: Owner

Checklist

What your pet needs

Every item below must be completed and verified before your pet can travel. Expand each category for the detail.

Microchip

Microchip identification required before the rabies vaccination used for entry.

Rabies vaccination

Primary rabies vaccination given between 30 days and 10 months before entry; boosters must be given before the previous dose expires. Confirm the current window directly with BAHFSA before booking, since published figures vary slightly across sources.

Rabies titre test

Not required. The Bahamas doesn't ask any country of origin, Canada included, for a rabies antibody titre test.

Quarantine

None published for a pet arriving with a valid ePermit, current rabies vaccination and vet health certificate.

Import permit

A BAHFSA ePermit, applied for through the government's Click2Clear online system, is required before travel. Register first by emailing click2clear@bahamas.gov.bs for a username and password, then apply for the pet permit. Since BAHFSA moved its import permitting from the older Mygateway system to Click2Clear on 1 September 2024, the fee is USD 50 and the permit runs for 6 months from the intended travel date rather than covering a single fixed trip. Confirm the current fee directly with BAHFSA before applying. Source: bahfsabahamas.com, ePermitting for Imports; BAHFSA Pet Import Permits Step-by-Step User Guide, 2025.

Health certificate

Veterinary health certificate dated within 48 hours of embarkation, confirming health and active rabies immunity. That window is tight for a Canadian departure, so book the vet appointment against the confirmed flight time, not days ahead for convenience.

Export permit

No general export permit for a personal pet leaving Canada. Most destinations, the Bahamas included, still need the health certificate endorsed by an official CFIA veterinarian rather than a private vet's signature alone.

Health certificate

A licensed Canadian vet completes the certificate to BAHFSA's format, and CFIA's general pet export policy expects it endorsed by an official CFIA veterinarian at a booked appointment before the pet leaves the country. That appointment system runs 2 to 5 business days for processing, depending on the district office. Whether BAHFSA specifically waives this endorsement step for Canadian-origin pets, the way US APHIS has confirmed it does for its own exporters, isn't published on either CFIA's or BAHFSA's public pages, so it's worth a direct call to a CFIA district office before assuming either way.

We handle the regulations for every animal, every country, every airline, so nothing on your Canada to Bahamas move gets missed.

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Airlines

Carriers on this route

Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. Confirm the operating carrier's current policy for every flight segment.

Air Canada

Flies Toronto Pearson direct to Nassau year-round, the busiest of the three carriers on this route. Small pets travel in the cabin under Air Canada's standard limits, with Air Canada Cargo handling a larger dog.

Cabin and Cargo

WestJet

Runs four nonstop Toronto-Nassau flights a week as of May 2026, with cabin space for a small pet and a cargo option for a bigger one on the same direct routing.

Cabin and Cargo

Porter Airlines

A more recent addition to the Pearson-Nassau route. Cabin only across Porter's network, so it suits a small pet rather than a dog needing a cargo booking.

Cabin Only

Costs

What this route typically costs

BAHFSA ePermit processing fee: USD 50, valid 6 months from the intended travel date (confirm current fee directly with BAHFSA)

Canadian vet exam, vaccination if needed, and health certificate preparation: CAD 150-350

CFIA export certificate endorsement fee and appointment

IATA-compliant travel crate: CAD 100-350

Air Canada or WestJet cabin pet fee (small pets): CAD 100-200, or cargo booking for a larger dog: CAD 350-900

Total typical range: CAD 600-1,600

Critical points

CFIA's own general export policy expects an official CFIA veterinarian to endorse the certificate before the pet leaves Canada, booked by appointment rather than a walk-in service. Whether BAHFSA treats Bahamas-bound Canadian pets the same lighter way the US arrangement does, skipping that endorsement, isn't published anywhere for Canadian owners to check. Budget for the appointment and confirm directly, rather than assuming the US precedent carries over.

The 48-hour certificate validity window is genuinely tight. A vet visit three days before the flight produces a certificate that's already expired by boarding, so time it against the confirmed departure, not a convenient date in the diary.

Only Air Canada and WestJet offer a cargo option for a dog too large for the cabin. Porter Airlines carries pets in the cabin only across its whole network.

Hurricane season, June to November, can disrupt Nassau arrivals with little notice. A rebooked flight can mean a lapsed 48-hour health certificate that has to be redone from scratch.

How Bahamas handles incoming pets

Bahamas keeps its requirements reasonable, though a few steps have fixed timing. Map those out first and the rest falls into place.

What experienced owners do

Confirm live animal acceptance on every flight segment before booking. Not all aircraft or connections take pets, and cargo terms can differ leg to leg.

Keep every original document together and take copies. Border officials want originals, and a missing signature or date can hold up clearance.

Work backwards from your travel date and add a buffer. Fixed waiting periods mean a single slipped appointment can push the whole move back by weeks.

Check the airline’s crate size and labelling rules early. An undersized or wrongly labelled crate is a frequent reason pets are refused at check-in.

FAQ

Common questions

It isn’t confirmed either way in public guidance. CFIA’s general export policy for most destinations expects an official CFIA veterinarian to endorse the certificate at a booked appointment. The US has confirmed no equivalent endorsement is needed for its own exporters travelling to the Bahamas, but neither CFIA nor BAHFSA has published the same confirmation for Canada, so budget for the appointment and confirm directly before assuming it can be skipped.

USD 50, the same fee BAHFSA charges regardless of the pet’s country of origin, following its move from the Mygateway system to Click2Clear on 1 September 2024. The permit is valid for 6 months from the intended travel date.

No. The Bahamas doesn’t require a titre test from any country of origin, Canada included. A rabies vaccination given within the 30-day-to-10-month window and the health certificate are what’s checked on arrival.

Genuinely tight. BAHFSA wants the certificate dated within 48 hours of the flight, so a vet visit arranged three or four days ahead for convenience produces a certificate that’s already expired by boarding. Time the appointment against the confirmed departure.

Air Canada and WestJet both offer a cargo option on the Toronto-Nassau route. Porter Airlines, the third carrier serving it, carries pets in the cabin only across its network, so it doesn’t work for a dog too big to fly under the seat.

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Airline guides

Air Canada
WestJet
Porter Airlines

Breed guides

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Pet Transport from Canada to the Bahamas

The import process, in full

What your pet needs

Carriers on this route

What this route typically costs

Critical points

How Bahamas handles incoming pets

What experienced owners do

Common questions

Move your pet

Airline guides

Breed guides

Get a free pet transport quote