Canada U.S. Border Reg. BC 2255 Regs
User Manual: BC 2255
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CANADA – U.S. BORDER REGULATIONS
TEMPORARY EXPORT/IMPORT – CANADA TO U.S. /U.S. TO CANADA
(temporary is less than 30 days)
You will require:
1. A Negative Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) Certificate
Also known as “Coggins.” Have an accredited veterinarian take a blood sample and
send it to a lab for tests. When the tests are negative, a Coggins (or EIA) certificate
will be returned. The document must be completed and signed by your veterinarian
and endorsed by a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) or a United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) veterinarian. Talk to your vet about the time frame
needed for this process. The Coggins certificate is valid for 6 months (180 days)
from the date that the blood sample was taken.
2. Health Certificate
The veterinarian will examine your horse, in conjunction with taking the blood
sample. The Coggins test must be negative before a Health Certificate will be
issued. This certificate must be signed by both your vet and a CFIA or USDA
veterinarian. The Health Certificate is valid for 30 days from the date of issue. You
can take your horse across the border as many times as you like within that 30 days.
3. A Supplementary Declaration or Certification sheet
In order to help control the outbreak and spread of CEM, this new supplementary
declaration will be attached to your Health papers. Part A is for those travelling
across the border for exhibition purpose- training, showing, rodeos, etc. Part B is for
those travelling across the border for breeding purposes. This form is provided by
CFIA when the Federal Vet approves the Health Certificate. A new supplement is
required each time you cross from Canada into the U.S., so ask for as many
supplements as you’re going to need, or make copies. The USDA does not provide
this Supplementary sheet as their Health Certificates include a statement regarding
CEM.
4. Copies of each certificate.
Most ports of entry require a copy of all or some of these documents. The customs
officers at the border may or may not be willing to make photocopies of the
documents, and also a fee could be levied. Better to be prepared and take copies
with you. Always keep the original.
You need to:
1. Stop at both the Canadian Customs Office as well as the U.S. Customs Office.
Have the Customs Officers stamp the “date of exit” on the Supplementary
Declaration. Some U.S. border agencies do not recognize this form and although
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there is a spot for them to stamp (either/or), they may not and will send you back to
the Canadian Customs Office. This protocol is not consistent, so cover all your
bases and stop at both.
2. Show the Customs Officers the Health and Coggins Certificates and provide
copies for those that need them. Requirements can vary from one Customs Office or
port of entry to the next, so be prepared.
3. Upon the horse’s return to Canada or the U.S., stop at both Canadian and U.S.
Customs Offices again. When you return to Canada or the U.S. within 30 days of the
date of entry into either country, no veterinary inspection is required at the border.
Horses may enter/re-enter at any port of entry.
4. Have the Supplementary Declaration stamped again at the Canadian Customs
Office. You will be required to sign the declaration stating that the horse was not
bred (Part A) and travelled only to the “address of destination” as stated on the
Health Certificate. If you bred your horse you will need a USDA accredited
veterinarian’s signature on the form (Part B) and also that of a USDA vet at the
border upon return to Canada.
PERMANENT EXPORT/IMPORT – CANADA TO U.S./U.S. TO CANADA
(more than 30 days)
Canada to U.S.: The main difference between permanent and temporary export is that
when you plan to stay longer than 30 days in the U.S. animals must be inspected at the
U.S. border by a USDA veterinarian. However, horses can return to Canada
accompanied by their Canadian Health papers, provided that they return within 60 days
of the date of entry to the U.S. and no inspection will be required.
U.S. to Canada: When a horse comes from the U.S. for permanent stay, it will be
inspected by a Canadian Customs Officer, not a veterinarian.
Not all ports of entry have veterinarians in attendance. Eight border crossings in
Western Canada and the U.S. provide veterinarian service. Be sure to phone ahead to
confirm as hours may vary and some vets are available by appointment only. People
crossing the border after hours are required to make advance arrangements. There will
be a fee for this.
You will require:
1. A Negative Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) Certificate
2. Health Certificate
For an American horse coming to Canada, the U.S. Health Certificate includes a
statement regarding CEM, therefore a Supplementary Declaration is not required.
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3. A Supplementary Declaration or Certification sheet
For Canadians, depending on the length of stay in the U.S.; you will require this if it
has been less than 60 days, going from Canada to U.S. and back to Canada. If the
horse has been in the U.S. for more than 60 days, or is an American horse to begin
with, this form is not valid as the U.S. Health Certificate covers the CEM issue.
You need to:
1. Go to a port of entry that offers animal inspections, if one is required.
The horse must be inspected by a U.S. veterinarian when entering the U.S., and a
Canadian Customs Officer when entering Canada, unless it is a Canadian horse
returning to Canada within 60 days.
2. Stop at both the Canadian and U.S. customs offices to complete the required
papers.
TIPS:
When planning a trip across the border, get prepared. Be sure to allow enough time for
all the horse’s documents to be approved and in your hands.
Ultimately it is your responsibility to have your horse’s papers in order. Be sure that the
horse matches the paper exactly, and that all signatures and endorsements are in place.
If a Canadian horse was in the U.S. for 60 days or more, it is considered an American
horse. A USDA veterinarian must then issue an American Health Certificate to the horse.
If you purchase a horse in the U.S. and import it to Canada, you will have to pay GST on
the price (in Canadian dollars) that you paid for the horse.
Foals less than 6 months old, at the foot of the mare that was tested EIA negative prior
to foaling, do not need to be tested, as long as the mare’s document has not expired. If the
foal is already at foot when the mare is tested, then the foal also must be tested and will be
require to have his own Health Certificate.
If a veterinarian has to meet you at the border, after normal business hours you will be
charged for this service. Check with the port of entry to see what the hours are, as they
vary.
Find out what the regulations are governing you in your home province/state. Regarding
permits and brands, each province/state has its own rules for horses leaving/entering the
province/state. Alberta, for instance, requires all horses leaving the province to have a
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brand inspection and be accompanied by a horse permit. When unloading or staying in
Montana, you need a Montana Trail Permit #.
Rules and regulations change regularly. When in doubt – ask. Knowledgeable sources
could be an accredited veterinarian, CFIA or USDA official. If you are getting your
information from the website, check the date for most recent updates.
You will never win an argument with a customs official. Many of the rules and
regulations are subject to the interpretation by the officer on duty that day. You might find
that the rules change frequently even at the same port of entry. This can be annoying, but if
you have your documents in order, and cover all your bases, as suggested earlier, it should
only be a small irritation, before you are on your way.
U.S. origin horses traveling into Canada for publicly recognized exhibitions (e.g. Royal
Agricultural Winter Fair at Toronto, racing, rodeo, etc.) and returning to the U.S. in 90 days
or less are subject to different import requirements. For more information regarding this go
to: www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/downloads/import_horses_canada.pdf
Other sources of information:
www.inspection.gc.ca
www.bcsporthorses.com/pdfs/CEMinformation.pdf
www.horsebc.com/kvs/bordercrossing.htm
www.cbsa.gc.ca
www.aphis.usda.gov
Canadian Ports of Entry U.S. Ports of Entry
1. Emerson, MB (204) 534-6288 1. Pembina, ND (701) 825-6262
2. Boissevain, MB (204) 534-6288 2. Dunseith, ND (701) 263-3364
3. North Portal, SK (306) 927-2255 3. Portal, ND (701) 926-4281
4. Coutts, AB (403) 344-3808 4. Sweet Grass, MT (406) 335-2142
5. Kingsgate, BC (250) 424-5311 5. Eastport, ID (208) 267-2396
6. Osoyoos, BC (250) 495-6531 6. Oroville, WA (509) 476-2635
7. Abbotsford, BC (604) 854-8029 7. Sumas, WA (360) 988-5715
8. Pacific Hwy, BC (604) 541-3364
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8. Sumas, WA (360) 988-5715
To be used as a guide only. Always call your port of entry for the latest requirements.
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