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Importation of Amphibians and Reptiles

All Amphibians and Reptiles
(Excluding Turtles and Tortoises)

Amphibians such as salamanders, frogs, toads, newts
Reptiles such as snakes, crocodiles, caiman, iguanas, turtles, tortoises, geckos

The information on this page is current as of  .

Please be advised that amphibians and reptiles (excluding turtles and tortoises) are no longer regulated under the Health of Animals Regulations* and as a result, no Canadian Food Inspection Agency import permit is required, nor a health certificate and no inspection will normally be done at the border. Imports are permitted from any country, for any use, to any destination in Canada.

* Other than Part XII of the Health of Animals Regulations that regulates the transport of ALL ANIMALS and inspection activities with respect to humane transport may be conducted.

Turtles and Tortoises

An import permit** is required for turtles and tortoises from all countries.

For personal pets, these animals must have been in the owner’s personal possession in the country of origin and accompany the owner to Canada.

For research and scientific purposes within a laboratory, display in a recognized zoo, they do not need to be accompanied, but still require a permit

Turtle and Tortoise Eggs

An import permit** is required for turtle and tortoise eggs from all countries, BUT WILL ONLY BE ISSUED TO ZOOS AND RESEARCH LABORATORIES.

The reason for restrictions on turtles, tortoises and their eggs is that there is a great danger of transmitting serious diseases, such as salmonella. Until a Risk Assessment demonstrates safety, no permits will be issued for turtle and tortoise eggs for personal use or commercial purposes (i.e. Pet Shops).

**Please complete an Application for Permit to Import and forward it to the CFIA Area Import Office in the province into which you wish to import the animal(s).

Note: Please apply for a permit at least 30 days in advance of the import.

Endangered Species List

The importation of reptiles into Canada may be subject to the control of the Canadian Wildlife Services (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)). Please contact them at 613-997-1840, 819-953-6283.

Environment Canada

Please note that environmental and human health risk analysis may be required under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act if the frog species are new substances not previously introduced to Canada. For further information, please view the web site.

Fees

Fees are applicable when applying for an import permit, approval of a quarantine facility, and inspection of animals. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Area Import Office will advise you on the fees that apply to your particular situation.

Automated Import Reference Systems (AIRS)

The purpose of the AIRS is to provide information on import requirements for all commodities regulated by CFIA. The application uses a question and answer approach to guide the user through a series of questions about the Harmonized System (HS) Codes, origin, destination, end use and miscellaneous qualifiers of the product they wish to import.

If you wish to view the import requirements for turtles or tortoises, please refer to Automated Import Reference Systems. HS Codes for turtles and tortoises: 01 06 20 2085

Comments or requests for additional information.