Shipping a dog or cat from Moldova to Canada rewards owners who start planning early. Around 6-10 weeks is typical, with a straightforward sequence to work through. There is no routine quarantine, …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Moldova to Canada
typically takes around 6-10 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
A rabies titre test is not required.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The Moldova to Canada import process
01
Before booking travel.
Microchip implanted, if not already fitted, and rabies vaccination given or booster confirmed.
Responsible: Moldovan vet
02
Close to departure, once flights are booked.
ANSA-endorsed export health certificate obtained, built to CFIA's English or French format.
Responsible: Licensed Moldovan vet / ANSA
03
4-6 weeks before travel.
Cargo or cabin booking confirmed via Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), Vienna (Austrian Airlines) or Warsaw (LOT Polish Airlines).
Responsible: Owner or agent
04
On landing.
Arrival inspection at Toronto or Montreal; certificate and vaccination record checked, no import permit required for a qualifying personal pet.
Responsible: CFIA / CBSA
Requirements
Canada entry requirements
Every item below must be in place before your pet can enter. We verify and track each one.
Microchip
Not legally mandated for a personal pet, though a scannable ISO 11784/11785 chip is expected in practice by airlines and border staff, more so given Moldova's place on CFIA's high-risk list.
Rabies vaccination
Required for dogs, current and documented on a certificate in English or French. Cats face no federal rabies rule at all. Source: CFIA, inspection.canada.ca, 2026.
Rabies titre test
Not required for a personal pet dog, even though Moldova appears on CFIA's list of countries at high-risk for dog rabies, last updated 13 March 2025 and confirmed directly against that published list on 22 July 2026. That's the mirror image of the outbound leg: a Canadian pet entering Moldova skips its own titre test because Canada sits on the EU's Annex II approved list, but a Moldovan pet entering Canada sits on CFIA's high-risk register instead. Neither status adds serology testing for a genuine personal pet in practice.
Quarantine
No routine quarantine for a pet arriving with correct, current documentation as a personal, owner-accompanied animal.
Import permit
Not required for personal pets, defined by CFIA as one or two animals travelling with an owner who isn't transferring them to someone else on arrival. CFIA presumes a dog under 8 months old travelling without its named owner is commercial, and commercial dogs from high-risk countries have been barred outright since 28 September 2022.
Health certificate
Veterinary health certificate confirming vaccination status and general health, issued close to travel and presented in English or French at the port of entry.
Leaving Moldova
Export requirements
Export permit
No standalone export permit for personal pets. ANSA (National Food Safety Agency, ansa.gov.md) oversees the veterinary export process.
Veterinary inspection
Clinical examination by a licensed Moldovan vet close to travel, confirming fitness to fly and recording microchip and vaccination details.
Government endorsement
Build the certificate to CFIA's English or French format from the outset. A Moldovan vet used to the CDC's Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form for the US route is working to a different template; Canada has no equivalent standalone document.
Health certificate
Health certificate issued by an ANSA-endorsed vet, dated close to departure.
Costs
What this route typically costs
ANSA-endorsed export certificate and Moldovan vet visit: EUR 100-250
Microchip and rabies vaccination, if not already current: EUR 40-90
IATA-compliant travel crate: EUR 70-250
Cargo or cabin fee, Chisinau to Toronto or Montreal via Istanbul, Vienna or Warsaw: USD 900-2,600
Pet transport agent fee: USD 400-900
Total typical range: USD 1,600-3,800
Critical points
Moldova's place on CFIA's high-risk list, updated 13 March 2025, mainly changes the picture for commercial dog imports, banned since September 2022. A personal, owner-accompanied pet still avoids the titre test, an asymmetry worth flagging next to Moldova's own light treatment of Canadian pets on the outbound leg.
No airline flies Chisinau directly to Canada. Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, Austrian Airlines via Vienna and LOT Polish Airlines via Warsaw all need one connection.
CFIA presumes a dog under 8 months old, travelling without its named owner, is a commercial import. From a high-risk country that presumption carries real weight; confirm your pet's status with CFIA if age or documentation is in question.
Airlines
Approved carriers on this route
Airline
Notes
Type
Turkish Airlines
Chisinau to Istanbul, then Turkish's own nonstop Istanbul-Toronto service. Cabin pets under 8kg with carrier; brachycephalic breeds excluded from both cabin and hold since October 2021. Cargo hold via Turkish Cargo, using Istanbul's dedicated live animal facility.
Cabin and Cargo
Austrian Airlines
Chisinau to Vienna on Austrian's own network, connecting to Star Alliance transatlantic capacity into Toronto or Montreal. Hold pets up to 14kg per animal, brachycephalic breeds excluded from the hold.
Cabin and Cargo
LOT Polish Airlines
Chisinau to Warsaw, then LOT's own onward services reaching Canadian gateways via a codeshare or connecting partner. Live animal cargo is booked through LOT Cargo and an approved shipping agent rather than the standard passenger flow.
Cabin and Cargo
Meeting Canada's entry requirements
The path into Canada is straightforward to follow once you know the steps. Give the time-sensitive items priority and check the details below.
Advice worth following
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.
Ask about temperature embargoes for your travel window. Summer and winter cargo restrictions can rule out certain routes and dates entirely.
Microchip before you vaccinate. The microchip must be in place before the rabies shot for the vaccination to count, and getting this order wrong is the most common and costly mistake.
Use an official, government-authorised vet for the health certificate, not just your usual clinic. Many destinations only accept certificates signed by an approved vet.
FAQ
Common questions about this route
Yes. Moldova appears on CFIA’s list of countries at high-risk for dog rabies, last updated 13 March 2025. For a personal pet this doesn’t add a titre test; the listing mainly affects commercial dog imports, banned since September 2022.
The two directions use entirely different rules. Moldova exempts Canadian pets from its own titre test because Canada sits independently on the EU’s Annex II approved list. CFIA’s high-risk classification of Moldova works on a different logic, targeting commercial dog imports rather than adding a serology requirement for personal pets.
No. CFIA doesn’t require a rabies antibody titre test for a personal pet dog, even one from a high-risk country like Moldova. A current vaccination, recorded in English or French, is what’s checked on arrival.
No. Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, Austrian Airlines via Vienna and LOT Polish Airlines via Warsaw are the realistic connecting options, each needing one change of aircraft.
Age and accompaniment both matter. A dog under 8 months old, not travelling with its named owner, is presumed commercial, a serious classification from a high-risk country like Moldova since commercial dogs from listed countries are barred outright. Confirm your pet’s status directly with CFIA if this could apply.
Airline guides
Turkish Airlines
Austrian Airlines
LOT Polish Airlines
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.