Moving south for the winter with your dog, or heading home to Canada with the cat you adopted in Antigua: two governments set the rules, and the step that catches people out is on the Canadian side. Canada’s food inspection agency (CFIA) lists Guatemala as a country at high risk for dog rabies. That one listing decides which dogs can fly north at all. This page sets out both directions, using CFIA’s own pet-import pages and the pet-import sheet of Guatemala’s agriculture ministry (MAGA).
Quick summary: Into Canada: a personal pet dog or cat 3 months or older from Guatemala needs a valid rabies vaccination certificate in English or French. Dogs younger than 8 months that fly without their owner also need a vet health certificate from the last 72 hours. Dogs brought in to be adopted out, rehomed, sold or fostered are banned from Guatemala since September 28, 2022. Into Guatemala: a vet health certificate, a rabies shot at least 1 month old, a US$14.00 inspection per pet on arrival, and Spanish translations. Leaving Guatemala more than 30 days after arrival: an export certificate, US$6.25.
The two directions at a glance
| Step | Canada to Guatemala | Guatemala to Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets the rule | MAGA (Guatemala’s agriculture ministry), checked by SEPA/OIRSA inspectors | CFIA, checked at the border by CBSA |
| Rabies vaccination | Given at least 1 month before travel; animals under 3 months excepted | Valid rabies certificate for dogs and cats 3 months or older |
| Health certificate | Signed and sealed by a practising vet | Only for dogs under 8 months travelling without their owner (exam within 72 hours) |
| Language | Foreign-language documents translated into Spanish | Certificates written in English or French |
| Government fee | US$14.00 per pet for the arrival inspection | No set fee: CBSA checks the papers, and CFIA inspection fees apply if the animal is referred to CFIA (CFIA Fees Notice) |
| Export paperwork | — | MAGA export certificate, US$6.25, if the pet leaves Guatemala more than 30 days after entering |
Into Canada from Guatemala
Why Guatemala’s rabies listing matters
CFIA keeps two lists. The rabies-free list (Australia, Fiji, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom) gets lighter rules. The high-risk list, which CFIA defines as countries at high risk for rabies caused by canine-variant viruses, includes Guatemala alongside Belize, El Salvador and Honduras (list dated 2025-03-13).
For high-risk countries, CFIA closed the door to commercial dogs from September 28, 2022, “until further notice”, and stopped issuing import permits for them. CFIA’s definition of commercial is about purpose, not money: a dog brought to Canada to be given or transferred to another person, resold, adopted out, fostered, bred, shown, used in research, or destined for an animal welfare organization. So a Guatemalan street dog flown north for a Canadian adopter, or a rescue flight run by a charity, falls on the banned side. Your own dog travelling with you as your pet is a personal import.
What a personal pet needs
CFIA’s pet-import tool gives these results for a personal pet coming from a country that is not rabies-free:
| Animal | Age on arrival | Travelling | What CFIA asks for at the border |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dog | Under 3 months | With owner | Proof of age from a vet; dog appears healthy and meets humane transport requirements |
| Dog | Under 3 months | Without owner | Proof of age plus a Veterinary Certificate of Health |
| Dog | 3 to 8 months | With owner | Valid rabies vaccination certificate; healthy; humane transport |
| Dog | 3 to 8 months | Without owner | Rabies certificate plus a Veterinary Certificate of Health |
| Dog | 8 months or older | With or without owner | Valid rabies vaccination certificate; healthy; humane transport |
| Cat (domestic) | Under 3 months | — | Proof of the cat’s age |
| Cat (domestic) | 3 months or older | — | Valid rabies vaccination certificate |
The rabies certificate must be written in English or French, issued and signed by a licensed vet, and identify the animal (age, breed, sex, colour and markings, weight, and microchip or tattoo number if there is one). It must state that the animal is vaccinated against rabies, give the vaccination date and the vaccine’s trade name and serial number, and specify the duration of immunity. CFIA treats a certificate that gives no duration as valid for 1 year from the vaccination date. For dogs, CFIA’s pet import tool also accepts a certificate accompanied by an official translation, done by a certified translator or by a non-certified translator with an affidavit sworn before a commissioner, notary public or equivalent; CFIA says the importer or a member of their family cannot do the translation.
The Veterinary Certificate of Health (only for young dogs travelling without the owner) must come from an exam in the country of origin during the 72 hours before import, state the date and time of the exam with the time zone, confirm the dog was at least 8 weeks old at the exam, and list vaccination against distemper, adenovirus type 2, parainfluenza and parvovirus. CFIA says the European Union pet passport is not accepted in its place.
If the rabies paperwork falls short, CFIA’s rule is that the owner, at their own expense, has the animal vaccinated within a set period and presents the record to a CFIA Animal Health Office. CFIA’s pet page warns that without the right paperwork you risk delays at the border and your animal may not be allowed into Canada.
Into Guatemala from Canada
MAGA’s pet-import sheet (the same document read on 23 September 2026 and again on 8 October 2026, unchanged) sets three requirements for dogs and cats:
- Health certificate, signed and sealed by a practising veterinarian, giving the pet’s name, age, sex, breed, colour and other features, stating it was examined and found healthy and free of clinical signs of infectious or parasitic disease, and listing vaccines (with validity dates) and deworming.
- Vaccination card, signed and sealed by the vet, showing a rabies vaccination given at least 1 month before travel, with its validity; animals under 3 months are excepted. Other age-appropriate vaccines are listed too.
- Inspection by SEPA/OIRSA staff at any point of entry (air, sea or land). You hand over a copy of the certificate and the card and pay US$14.00 per pet (the sheet says by weight).
The sheet also says that documents in a foreign language must be translated into Spanish. MAGA’s US-specific route (a bilateral two-page certificate) applies to pets coming from the United States; a pet coming from Canada uses the general health certificate above. MAGA’s sheet (read 8 October 2026) does not mention an endorsement by a Canadian government vet for pets entering Guatemala.
MAGA recommends checking the carrier’s pet rules in advance and travelling with one or two sets of photocopies of every document. For the airline side of a move from the US, which shares the Guatemalan steps, see pet relocation from the USA to Guatemala.
Flying back: leaving Guatemala with your pet
MAGA’s sheet has a separate table for pets leaving Guatemala:
- the same health certificate and vaccination card (rabies at least 1 month before travel), and
- an export certificate: the Certificado Sanitario de Exportación for Central America, or the Certificado Zoosanitario Internacional de Exportación for the rest of the world, which covers Canada.
The certificate is issued at MAGA’s export window in the AGEXPORT building, 15 avenida 14-72 zona 13, for US$6.25, on presentation of the health certificate and the vaccination card for each pet, and is shown at the exit point (air, sea or land). MAGA’s sheet points to the Asisehace portal for the full procedure: asisehace.gt/es-GT/tramites/397.
MAGA’s sheet ties this to the length of stay: pets that leave Guatemala more than 30 days after the day they entered must obtain the export certificate. A snowbird stay of a few months with a dog falls on that side of the line.
Then the Canadian rules above apply on arrival. CFIA’s rules call for a rabies certificate in English or French (for dogs, or with an official translation) that carries every item CFIA lists.
A snowbird round trip, step by step
- In Canada, before leaving: rabies vaccination at least 1 month before the flight; a vet health certificate and vaccination card; Spanish translations of both.
- On arrival in Guatemala: SEPA/OIRSA inspection, copies of both documents, US$14.00 per pet.
- During the stay: keep the rabies vaccination valid for the return date; a lapsed one fails both MAGA’s exit rule and CFIA’s entry rule.
- Before flying home (stay over 30 days): health certificate and vaccination card, then the Certificado Zoosanitario Internacional de Exportación at MAGA (US$6.25).
- On arrival in Canada: the rabies certificate in English or French, and a dog that appears healthy and meets humane transport rules.
Related
- Canada to Guatemala hub: taxes, health cover, money transfers
- Snowbird stays in Guatemala for Canadians: the 90-day entry and the IGM extension
- Pet relocation from the USA to Guatemala: airline pet policies and the US route
Sources, read on 8 October 2026: CFIA’s list of countries at high risk for dog rabies (dated 2025-03-13), its rabies-free list, its dog-importation page with the commercial-dog prohibition, and the answers of its pet-import tool for dogs and cats. MAGA-VISAR’s pet entry and exit requirements sheet (PDF, same file as the copy read 23 September 2026). Rules change; check CFIA’s tool and MAGA’s sheet before you travel. General information, not veterinary or legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring a rescue dog from Guatemala to Canada?
Not as a rescue for someone else. CFIA lists Guatemala among the countries at high risk for dog rabies, and since September 28, 2022 commercial dogs from those countries cannot enter Canada. CFIA counts as commercial any dog brought in to be given or transferred to another person, resold, adopted out, fostered, bred, shown or used in research. A dog that is your own personal pet travels under the personal-pet rules instead, which ask for a valid rabies vaccination certificate for a dog 3 months or older.
What does my dog need to enter Canada from Guatemala?
For a personal pet dog 8 months or older from a country that is not rabies-free (Guatemala is not on CFIA’s rabies-free list), CFIA asks for a valid rabies vaccination certificate, and the dog must appear healthy and meet humane transport requirements. A dog between 3 and 8 months that flies without its owner also needs a Veterinary Certificate of Health from an exam within 72 hours before import.
What does Guatemala require for a dog or cat arriving from Canada?
MAGA’s sheet asks for a health certificate signed and sealed by a practising veterinarian, a vaccination card showing a rabies shot given at least 1 month before travel (animals under 3 months excepted), and an inspection by SEPA/OIRSA staff at the point of entry, which costs US$14.00 per pet (by weight). Documents in a foreign language must be translated into Spanish.
Do I need a permit to fly my dog back to Canada from Guatemala?
On the Guatemalan side, MAGA’s sheet says pets leaving Guatemala more than 30 days after they entered need an export certificate: for a destination outside Central America, the Certificado Zoosanitario Internacional de Exportación, issued at MAGA’s export window for US$6.25, on presentation of the health certificate and vaccination card. On the Canadian side, the personal-pet rules above apply.
Is there quarantine for pets entering Canada or Guatemala?
Neither the CFIA personal-pet requirements for dogs and cats nor MAGA’s pet sheet lists a quarantine for a compliant personal pet (both read 8 October 2026). CFIA says a dog that does not meet the rabies rules must be vaccinated within a set period at the owner’s expense and the record presented to a CFIA Animal Health Office.
