Squirrel! › Flying with pets › Vancouver to Manila

Flying with a dog or cat from Vancouver to Manila

The Philippines welcomes pets from Canada with an import permit (SPS clearance) from the Bureau of Animal Industry, a microchip and a health certificate issued within 10 days of arrival. Pets without the right documents are sent back at the owner's cost.

Plan, then confirm. This guide sums up the official rules as we found them. Rules change, and your airline has its own. Check every step with the sources below and your airline before you book.

Your trip, step by step

  1. Before you go

    • Microchip your pet with an ISO-compliant chip. The number must match your permit application and health certificate.
    • Register online with the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and apply for the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) import clearance; print the permit once it's approved.
    • Dogs need vaccines for rabies, distemper, leptospirosis, parvovirus and adenovirus type 2. Cats need rabies, herpes, calicivirus, panleukopenia and feline leukemia.
    • Get a health certificate from a CFIA-accredited vet, endorsed by the CFIA, dated within 10 days before arrival.

  2. At Vancouver International

    • YVR was the first major Canadian airport to open relief areas after security. Today they're on the domestic A/B pier, across from gate C29, across from gate D72, near gates E76 and E77, and at the South Terminal by gate G1-2. Outside, there's one at the entrance to Chester Johnson Park by international arrivals.
    • At security, tell the screening officer you have a pet. You'll carry your pet through the walk-through scanner while the empty carrier goes through the X-ray.
    • Full Vancouver International airport guide

  3. The flight

    • Philippine Airlines and Air Canada fly nonstop between Vancouver and Manila (check current schedules). On long-haul flights pets often travel in the hold or as cargo; check your airline's rules, crate size and heat limits.

  4. Arriving in Manila

    • Take your printed SPS permit and health certificate to the quarantine station at the airport.

  5. With your pet in Manila

    • It's hot and humid all year: walk early or late, and keep your pet cool in the car.
    • Many malls in Metro Manila welcome pets on a leash or in a stroller, but rules differ by mall, so check before you go.
    • Book pet-friendly accommodation ahead, and ask about pet-friendly transport, since some taxis won't take animals.

  6. Coming home

    • Coming home matters here. Canada has extra rules for dogs from countries where dog rabies is common. Personal pets travelling with their owner are treated differently from dogs being sold or rehomed, but check the CFIA's online pet import tool before you leave Canada, and keep the rabies vaccination certificate valid for the whole trip.

Questions

Do I need an import permit to bring my dog to the Philippines?

Yes. Apply online for SPS import clearance from the Bureau of Animal Industry before you travel, and bring the printed permit.

How recent does the health certificate need to be for the Philippines?

Dated within 10 days before arrival, and CFIA-endorsed.

Sources