The website of the Central Board of Excise and Customs, Government of India (www.cbec.gov.in/cae1-english.htm) states the following for importing pets into India:
IMPORT OF PET ANIMALS
“Domestic pets like dogs, cats, birds etc. are permitted to be imported. Import of pets (dog and cat only) upto two numbers per passenger are allowed at one time subject to production of required health certificate from country of origin and examination of the said pets by the concerned quarantine officer.
Imports of pets over and above this quantity shall be allowed only against an Import sanitary permit issued by the Department of Animal Husbandry and dairying or against an import license issued by the DGFT (Director General of Foreign Trade).”
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In the USA, the Rabies vaccine, administered to dogs, carries a validity of three years. The Indian quarantine rules require that the Rabies vaccine administered to the pet is not earlier than one year. Hence, if the vaccine administered in the USA is more than a year old the pet will have to revaccinated for import into India.
The “quarantine officer” mentioned above means a “Government Quarantine Officer/Vet’ concerned who issues certificates for import and export of pets.
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Pet Imports and Quarantine in India
Details of the paperwork needed to bring an animal into India, and information on quarantine…
The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries oversees the importation of pets into India.
Animal Quarantine and Certification Service Officers are present at Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata airports to deal with the importation and exportation of pets. See the bottom of the page for contact details.
Required Documents
Paperwork should be presented on arrival in India to the quarantine officer in customs. Hiring a pet relocator will help with this process.
- No Objection Certificate (NOC): These must be obtained from a quarantine centre in India 15 days before importation. The easiest way is to hire a local pet relocator agent to assist with the Animal Quarantine and Certification Service
- Original veterinary certificate: Dogs must be free from Aujeszky’s Disease, distemper, rabies, leishmaniasis and leptospirosis, while cats must be free from rabies and distemper. Imported pets should also be microchipped
- Vaccination record: Pets must have a certificate proving that the animal has been vaccinated against rabies. The Indian embassy in Berne, Switzerland, provides the only thorough list of vaccination requirements: Click here
Sample veterinary certificates can be found on the Jet Airways website.
If the pet is travelling in the cargo hold, the following documents will be also be required:
- A copy of the owner/caretaker's passport
- A copy of the owner/caretaker's e-ticket
- A copy of the airway bill
Quarantine
India does not generally quarantine pets from countries with no or low incidences of rabies that have been vaccinated from:
- Dogs: Aujeszky’s disease, distemper, rabies (no fewer than 30 days prior to travel and no more than one year), leishmaniasis and leptospirosis
- Cats: rabies (no fewer than 30 days prior to travel and no more than one year) and distemper
It is rare for a pet to be quarantined, but when it does happen, it will last for between 30 days and three months.
Useful Contacts
Contact details of the main locations of Animal Quarantine and Certification Service Stations, part of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, are listed below:
- New Delhi
At: Kapashera (Crossing), New Delhi 110 001
Tel: + 91 11 2506 3272
Fax: +91 11 2506 0647
- Kolkata
At: Narayanpur, P.O R-Gopalpur, North 24-Parganas, West Bengal 7435
Tel: +91 33 2573 9777
Fax: +91 33 2573 9777
- Mumbai
At: Cargo Terminal Building, Phase I, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Sahar, Mumbai 400099
Tel: +91 22 2682 8194
- Chennai
At: Velachery Main Road, Pallikaranai, Chennai 601302
Tel: +91 44 2246 0659
Fax: +91 44 2246 0659
- Bangalore
At: Alpha 3, Room No. 024, 1st Floor, Bangalore International Airport, Devanahalli, Bangalore 560300
Leaving India with a Pet
Find out how to export a pet when you leave India…
To export a pet from India, the following documents are required:
- A health certificate from a vet
- An Animal Health Certificate from the Animal Quarantine and Certification Service (a list of contacts is available on the Pet Imports & Quarantine page). Hiring a pet relocator is the easiest way to obtain this certificate.
These documents are valid for seven days.
Check with the airline on its policy for exporting pets from India. Countries have different entry requirements, documentation and quarantine rules, so check the regulations for a destination before travelling.
The following links provide more information on selected countries’ requirements for importing pets:
- United Kingdom: the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) provides information on bringing pets in. For details: Click here
- US: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide information on the requirements for bringing animals into the country. For details: Click here
- European countries: the European Pet Passport allows qualifying domestic animals to freely cross borders within Europe. The Europa website provides information on the requirements for bringing animals into the EU. For details: Click here
- Australia: the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service has information on bringing cats, dogs and other pets to the country. For details: Click here
- New Zealand: Biosecurity New Zealand provides information on the requirements for bringing animals into New Zealand. For details: Click here
