If you are relocating a pet from Laos to Canada, the process is manageable once you know the sequence. Allow around 8-12 weeks and follow the steps in order to stay on track. Compliant pets are not held in quarantine on arrival.
Use the …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Laos to Canada
typically takes around 8-12 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The Laos to Canada pet import process
Each step must be completed in a precise sequence. Start early. We manage every stage and deadline.
1
Confirm the ISO microchip is implanted and scannable.
Responsible: Vet in Laos
Before the rabies vaccination.
2
Administer or confirm current rabies vaccination, with the certificate recording the vaccine's trade name, serial number and expiry date.
Responsible: DLF-registered vet
6-8 weeks before travel.
3
Submit the export application to DLF.
Responsible: Owner or local agent
At least 15 days before the export date.
4
Book cargo via Seoul Incheon on Korean Air or via Bangkok on Air Canada.
Responsible: Owner or cargo agent
4-6 weeks before travel.
5
Collect the DLF-endorsed export health certificate.
Responsible: DLF-registered vet
Close to travel.
6
Arrival and CBSA border check at a Canadian port of entry.
Responsible: Cargo handler and CBSA
Day of arrival.
Requirements
What your pet needs to enter Canada
Every item below must be in place before your pet can travel. We manage and verify each one.
Microchip
Not a federal requirement for a personal pet dog or cat, but strongly recommended. An ISO 11784/11785 microchip is the standard Canadian vets and border staff can actually scan.
Rabies vaccination
Required for any dog over three months old. The certificate must state the vaccine's trade name, serial number and expiry date, alongside the dog's breed, sex, colour and weight, and stays valid for up to three years. Cats are not required to show a rabies certificate under CFIA rules. Source: Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), inspection.canada.ca.
Rabies titre test
Not mandatory for a personal pet. Laos is on CFIA's list of countries at high risk for dog rabies, last updated 13 March 2025, but that classification bans commercial dog imports, a rule in force since 28 September 2022, and does not apply to a pet travelling with its owner. A dog can enter on a standard vaccination certificate, or, if that isn't available, on a Rabies Neutralising Antibody Titre Test (RNATT) result of at least 0.5 IU/ml, drawn 3 to 4 weeks after vaccination. Source: CFIA, inspection.canada.ca, 2026.
Quarantine
No routine quarantine for pets arriving in Canada with correct documentation, whatever the country of origin.
Import permit
Not required for a personal pet import of one or two animals. CFIA import permits apply to commercial dogs only, and commercial dogs from high-risk countries like Laos have been barred from entry since September 2022.
Health certificate
Not strictly mandated by CFIA for a personal pet dog with a valid rabies certificate, but airlines typically require one for the cargo hold, and it's worth obtaining regardless. Valid for 10 days from examination to Canadian entry.
Export permit (Laos)
Export licence required from the Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DLF). The application must reach DLF at least 15 days before the intended export date. DLF inspects the animal, applies quarantine at its own discretion if it judges this necessary, then issues the Animal Health Certificate and Export Licence together.
Costs
What this route typically costs
DLF export licence, inspection and health certificate: USD 80-180
Optional RNATT titre test, only needed if a valid vaccination certificate isn't available: USD 180-320
IATA-compliant travel crate: CAD 100-350
Cargo fee, Vientiane to Canada via Seoul Incheon or Bangkok: CAD 2,200-4,500 depending on crate size, routing and season
Agent fees, useful given DLF's 15-day notice rule: CAD 300-600
Total typical range: CAD 2,800-5,900
Critical points to read before you book
Laos sits on CFIA's high-risk list for dog rabies, last updated 13 March 2025. That bans commercial dog imports outright, but a personal pet travelling with its owner is unaffected beyond the standard vaccination certificate. CFIA said in its own 2022 notice that it's reviewing whether to tighten personal-pet rules from high-risk countries too, so check the current CFIA guidance close to your travel date.
DLF requires 15 days' notice before it will issue an export licence. This rarely drives the overall timeline on this route, since nothing on the Canadian side imposes a comparable wait, but missing it delays the certificate.
There's no non-stop cargo route between Vientiane and Canada. Korean Air via Seoul Incheon runs daily on the first leg. Air Canada's Bangkok to Vancouver service operates only three times a week.
Airlines
Carriers approved for this route
Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. We know which carriers to use and how to book.
KOREAN AIR
Korean Air Cargo
Lao Airlines' daily Vientiane to Seoul Incheon service feeds directly into Korean Air Cargo, which serves both Toronto and Vancouver. Given the daily frequency on the first leg, this is the most reliable routing for Laos-origin pet cargo heading to Canada.
Cargo Only
AIR CANADA
Air Canada
Runs a nonstop Bangkok to Vancouver service three times a week, the only direct Canadian link into mainland Southeast Asia. Lao Airlines or Bangkok Airways covers the initial Vientiane to Bangkok hop. Air Canada Cargo excludes brachycephalic breeds from its hold year-round, and summer heat can trigger a temperature embargo.
Cargo Only
How Canada handles incoming pets
Canada 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
Get your pet used to the travel crate weeks in advance. A calm, crate-familiar animal travels far better than one meeting the crate for the first time at the airport.
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.
FAQ
Common questions about Laos to Canada pet transport
Yes. Laos appears on CFIA’s list of countries at high risk for dog rabies, last updated 13 March 2025. In practice this bans commercial dog imports, a rule in force since September 2022, but it doesn’t stop a personal pet dog travelling with its owner from entering on a standard vaccination certificate.
Not as a mandatory step. A valid rabies vaccination certificate showing the vaccine’s trade name, serial number and expiry date is enough. A titre test (RNATT, minimum 0.5 IU/ml) is only needed as a fallback if a compliant vaccination certificate can’t be produced.
The Department of Livestock and Fisheries needs at least 15 days’ notice before the export date to inspect the animal and issue the Animal Health Certificate and Export Licence.
No. Korean Air Cargo via Seoul Incheon, fed by Lao Airlines’ daily Vientiane-Seoul service, is the most reliable routing. Air Canada’s nonstop Bangkok to Vancouver flight, three times a week, is the alternative, reached via Lao Airlines or Bangkok Airways into Bangkok.
Airline guides
Korean Air Cargo
Air Canada
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.