The CITES Certificate of Ownership: Canada’s Pet Passport for Birds

The CITES Certificate of Ownership is not a moving document. It exists for owners who take a pet bird out of Canada and bring it back — a snowbird wintering in Florida, an exhibitor showing at events abroad, someone splitting the year between two homes — without applying for a fresh CITES permit every single crossing. If you’re emigrating for good, ECCC is explicit that this is the wrong form: their Certificate of Ownership application page states plainly, “If you are moving, complete the application for import, export or re-export of live animals.”

Who this document is actually for

The purpose options on the application are Vacation, Exhibition or show, Living part of the year in another country, and Other. Every one of those describes a bird that leaves Canada and comes back — repeatedly, over an ongoing period. That’s the entire design of the document: prove you own the bird once, then travel with it as many times as your situation requires, instead of re-proving ownership and re-clearing CITES paperwork at every departure.

• A snowbird who keeps a CITES-listed parrot and winters somewhere south of the border
• An exhibitor who shows a bird at competitions or events outside Canada
• Someone who genuinely lives part of the year in a second country and brings the bird along both ways

If none of those describe you — if the bird is making one trip, one direction, and isn’t coming back to Canada — you need a different application. Our guides to moving abroad with a pet bird and bringing a pet bird into Canada cover the one-way process, which is a separate application with separate requirements.

It’s CITES Form A3, filed once

The Certificate of Ownership is applied for on CITES Form A3, and ECCC’s guidance is clear that it’s a single application per pet — you’re not refiling it before every trip, which is the whole point of the document. Completed applications go to the CITES Permitting Office, Canadian Wildlife Service, in Gatineau, Quebec, and can be submitted by email, regular mail, or fax (see the contact details at the bottom of this page for current submission channels — government contact information changes, so verify before you send anything).

Your bird needs to be identifiable before you apply

This is the single most actionable requirement in the whole process, and it’s a hard stop. ECCC states directly: if the pet bears no identification marks such as a leg band, microchip or tattoo, “we will not be able to proceed with the assessment of your application.” An unbanded, unchipped, untattooed bird simply cannot be assessed — the application doesn’t get denied so much as it never starts.

ECCC’s guidance is to have a veterinarian identify the bird by a permanent number first, before applying. If your bird has never been microchipped or banded, budget time for that vet visit before you even open the form. Leave weeks, not days — you don’t want to discover this requirement the week before a trip.

Only Canadians can apply, and only for personal use

Certificates of Ownership are granted only to Canadians, and only for pets travelling for personal, non-commercial use — this is not a route for anyone moving birds as part of a business, breeding operation, or sale. If someone other than the owner is submitting the application on the owner’s behalf, ECCC requires a letter from the owner authorising that person to act.

Captive-bred birds need a family tree

If your bird was captive-bred, the application asks for genealogy going back at least two captive-born generations — parents and grandparents — with names and identification numbers for each. You’ll also need breeder details, including whether the breeding operation is CITES-registered. If you bought the bird from a breeder years ago, this is worth tracking down before you apply rather than during the application itself; breeders don’t always keep records indefinitely, and a gap here can hold up the whole file.

How long ECCC takes to review it

ECCC states that a review period of 40 days may be required — and critically, that clock only starts once all required documents and information have been received. An incomplete application doesn’t sit in a 40-day queue; it sits in limbo until you supply what’s missing, and only then does the countdown begin. Submit a complete, correctly documented file the first time if you want the shortest realistic wait.

What “complete” means before you submit

• Permanent identification already in place (band, microchip or tattoo) — see above
• The purpose selected correctly (vacation, exhibition/show, living part-year abroad, or other) — not “moving”
• Genealogy and breeder information if the bird is captive-bred
• A letter of authorisation if someone other than the owner is filing

The Certificate of Ownership vs. a one-way export or import permit

	Certificate of Ownership	Export/import permit for moving
Who it’s for	Owners who take the bird abroad and bring it home, repeatedly	Owners relocating permanently, one direction
Form	CITES Form A3	Separate application for import, export or re-export of live animals
How often you apply	Once	Per shipment/trip, as applicable
Who can apply	Canadians only, personal non-commercial use	Varies by destination and circumstance
Where to send it	CITES Permitting Office, Canadian Wildlife Service, Gatineau	Unconfirmed: we could not verify this against an official source — specifically, correct ECCC application channel and form for one-way export/import of a pet bird. Please confirm with Environment and Climate Change Canada at 1-855-869-8670 or cites@ec.gc.ca before you rely on it for your own bird.

For the destination-country side of a border crossing, our Canada-US border walkthrough covers what US authorities separately require — a Certificate of Ownership handles the Canadian CITES side, not the receiving country’s rules.

What we couldn’t confirm from ECCC’s page

ECCC’s application page doesn’t state a fee or a validity period for the Certificate of Ownership, so we’re not printing either — a wrong number here is worse than no number. Confirm current fee and validity directly with the CITES Permitting Office before you plan around either figure.

A few other practical questions readers will have aren’t answered on ECCC’s application page either, so we’re flagging them rather than guessing:

• Unconfirmed: we could not verify this against an official source — specifically, whether CBSA officers inspect and validate the Certificate of Ownership at every individual border crossing, or only check it on request — CBSA. Please confirm with the Canada Border Services Agency at 1-800-461-9999 before you rely on it for your own bird.
• Unconfirmed: we could not verify this against an official source — specifically, whether the original Certificate of Ownership must be returned to ECCC’s CITES Permitting Office if the bird dies, is sold, or ownership otherwise changes. Please confirm with Environment and Climate Change Canada at 1-855-869-8670 or cites@ec.gc.ca before you rely on it for your own bird.

Is there a US equivalent for Canadians?

Canadians sometimes ask why they can’t just get the US equivalent certificate instead of dealing with ECCC. Unconfirmed: we could not verify this against an official source — specifically, the current form number, fee, and continuous-US-residence requirement for the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s equivalent personal-pet CITES certificate, and whether it’s available to Canadian residents. Please confirm with Environment and Climate Change Canada at 1-855-869-8670 or cites@ec.gc.ca before you rely on it for your own bird. If it turns out to require US residency, that would mean the ECCC route is the only one open to a Canadian owner, regardless of how much time they spend south of the border.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Certificate of Ownership let me move my bird to another country permanently?

No. ECCC’s own form says that if you’re moving, you need to complete a different application — the one for import, export or re-export of live animals. The Certificate of Ownership is built for repeat, round-trip travel, not one-way relocation.

What species need this document?

It applies to CITES-listed pet animals, including many parrot species, travelling internationally with their owner for personal, non-commercial purposes. Unconfirmed: we could not verify this against an official source — specifically, whether your specific bird’s species is CITES-listed and at which Appendix. Please confirm with Environment and Climate Change Canada at 1-855-869-8670 or cites@ec.gc.ca before you rely on it for your own bird. Appendix I species carry additional requirements on top of CITES paperwork, so confirm your bird’s exact status before assuming this route applies.

Can I apply if my bird isn’t banded or microchipped?

Not yet. ECCC states it cannot proceed with assessing an application if the bird has no identification marks — leg band, microchip or tattoo. Get the bird identified by a veterinarian first, then apply.

How long does approval take?

ECCC states a review period of up to 40 days may be required, and that period only begins once they have every document and piece of information they’ve asked for. A missing item resets your effective start date, not just delays a decision.

Can someone else apply for me?

Yes, but they need a letter from you as the owner authorising them to act on your behalf. The application itself is otherwise restricted to Canadians applying for personal, non-commercial use.

What if my bird is captive-bred and I don’t have its full genealogy?

ECCC’s application asks for genealogy back to at least the second captive-born generation, with names and identification numbers for parents and grandparents, plus breeder details. If you’re missing this, contact the breeder or prior owner before you apply — it’s easier to source now than mid-application.

Is there a fee?

ECCC’s application page doesn’t list one, so we’re not stating a figure. Unconfirmed: we could not verify this against an official source — specifically, current Certificate of Ownership application fee, if any. Please confirm with Environment and Climate Change Canada at 1-855-869-8670 or cites@ec.gc.ca before you rely on it for your own bird.

My bird is mid-application and I need somewhere for them to stay for a few weeks — can Bird Sitting Toronto help?

We can’t touch the CITES paperwork itself — that’s between you and ECCC. But if a review period leaves your bird needing somewhere stable to stay while you wait it out, that’s boarding, and it’s something we do every day in Mississauga. Get a quote on our booking page, or see our note on boarding during a move or relocation for how that usually works.

Who to call before you travel

Confirm every requirement below with the agency itself. These are the people who
can actually authorise your bird’s movement — we cannot.

Check these numbers before you rely on them. They were correct when this
page was last reviewed, but government phone numbers, email addresses and web pages change
without notice and we have not re-verified them today. If a number does not connect, find
the agency through its own official website rather than trusting what is printed here.

• Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) — import/export of live
  birds, health certificates, quarantine: 1-800-442-2342
  · inspection.canada.ca
• Environment and Climate Change Canada — CITES permitting — export and
  import permits for CITES-listed species, and what documents exist for repeat crossings:
  1-855-869-8670
  · cites@ec.gc.ca
• USDA APHIS Veterinary Services — US import permits and port
  inspection: aphis.usda.gov/pet-travel
• US Fish & Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement — CITES
  and Wild Bird Conservation Act: 1-800-358-2104

What we can and cannot help with

We cannot help with paperwork. Bird Sitting Toronto is a bird
boarding and care business. We are not a customs broker, an immigration consultant, a
veterinary practice or a legal adviser. We do not file permits, complete applications or
deal with any agency on your behalf, and we cannot guarantee any outcome at any border.
Everything on this page is information only.

There are two things we can do. If your bird cannot travel with you
— because the paperwork is still in progress, the airline will not carry it, or the
timing simply does not work — we can board
your bird in the GTA for as long as you need, including by the month. And if it
becomes clear the bird genuinely cannot come with you, we can help you
rehome it to a good home rather
than leaving you to sort that out alone.

We publish this guide because our clients ask constantly and nobody else has written
it properly for bird owners.