Moving Your Pet to India
What the Process Actually Looks Like
India is a common destination for expats, returning diaspora, and professionals relocating from the US. Pet relocation here is manageable — no titer test, no lengthy pre-travel waiting period — but the process has two unique requirements that catch nearly every first-timer off guard: a government clearance that must be in hand before your pet can board the plane, and documentation rules tied to India’s customs baggage law that are unlike anything in other destinations.
Understanding both of those early makes everything else straightforward.
Moderate. The requirements are fewer than Japan or Australia — no titer test, no extended wait — but the advance NOC (No Objection Certificate) from India’s Animal Quarantine & Certification Service (AQCS) is non-negotiable. Airlines will not accept your pet at check-in without it. That one item, and getting the health certificate right on the first try, is what the process is really about.
Complexity level: Moderate
Recommended start time: 4–6 weeks before travel
Titer test required: No
Post-arrival quarantine: At AQCS discretion — not automatic, but possible
Is India Difficult for Pet Relocation?
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How Will Your Pet Travel?
In-cabin is available for small pets on some airlines, but in practice it’s not a reliable option on US-India routing — most carriers serving this route do not permit pets in the cabin. Confirm with your airline before booking, and plan on excess baggage or manifest cargo as the realistic path.
In-cabin
Excess baggage means your pet travels in the cargo hold on the same flight as you. This is common for medium-sized pets. Confirm weight and crate dimensions with your carrier before booking. Airlines generally do not accept brachycephalic (snub-nosed) breeds — such as Bulldogs, Pugs, Boxers, Shih Tzus, or Persian cats — as excess baggage due to breathing risk, and many restrict breeds classified as strong or aggressive. For those pets, manifest cargo is the right path.
Excess baggage
Manifest cargo means your pet travels as freight, on a flight that may or may not be yours. This is the standard option for larger pets, restricted breeds, or when the owner isn’t on the same flight. Global Tails handles the cargo booking and coordinates with a receiving agent at the Indian port of entry.
Manifest Cargo
Understanding India’s Baggage Rule
Before walking through the steps, it helps to understand the framework India uses for pet imports, because it shapes every other requirement.
India’s Animal Quarantine system is organized around customs categories. For most US-based pet owners moving to India, the applicable path is Category A: the Baggage Rule — India’s customs framework for people who have lived abroad for at least two years and are transferring their residence back to India.
This path allows you to bring up to two dogs or cats as part of your personal effects, without a commercial import license. All of the requirements below apply to this path.
If you haven’t been abroad for at least two years, or if you’re importing more than two pets, a DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) license is required before anything else. That’s a different and more complex process — contact us early if that describes your situation.
Entry Points
India has six AQCS quarantine stations, each at a major international airport. Your pet can enter through any of them:
DEL — New Delhi (Indira Gandhi International)
BOM — Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International)
MAA — Chennai (Chennai International)
CCU — Kolkata (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International)
BLR — Bangalore (Kempegowda International)
HYD — Hyderabad (Rajiv Gandhi International)
We’ll identify the best routing based on your airline options and final destination in India.
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Step-by-Step: How Pet Relocation to India Works
Step 1 — Confirm Owner Eligibility
India’s requirements on the owner are specific — and they vary depending on citizenship. Get these clear before anything else, because they determine what documentation you’ll need.
Indian passport holders and OCI card holders: To import a pet under the baggage rule, you must: 1. Have stayed abroad for at least two full years from the date of import (full passport scan required as proof) 2. During those two years, short visits back to India must not have exceeded 180 days in total (passport scan will confirm this) 3. Be returning to India on a permanent transfer of residency — not a temporary visit. Acceptable proof includes a job offer letter, job transfer letter, house sale deed, or cancelled visa
Foreign passport holders (non-Indian citizens): If this is your first time coming to India, the two-year abroad requirement and the 180-day visit cap do not apply to you. However, if you have stayed in India for more than 30 days immediately before importing your pet, or spent more than 180 days in India over the past two years on any type of visa, contact us in advance — your situation will need to be assessed separately.
Pet travel timing: Your pet can enter India either: - On the same flight as you (accompanied excess baggage), or - Within one month of your arrival if traveling as manifest cargo
Your original passport will be required for customs clearance of the pet after landing. If you’re arriving through Bangalore (BLR), be aware that customs there reviews the passport extensively — it may be retained by customs for one to two days before being returned. Plan accordingly.
Getting this documentation in order before anything else prevents delays at every subsequent step.
Step 2 — Microchip
Your pet must have an ISO 15-digit microchip, documented in the vaccination record or on a separate microchip certificate. If your pet isn’t chipped yet, this is the first appointment to schedule.
Step 3 — Vaccinations
All vaccinations must fall within a strict window: not less than 30 days before import and not more than 12 months before import. Vaccines given in the last 30 days don’t count — plan accordingly.
Dogs — DHPPiL vaccination (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, Leptospirosis) and Rabies. Vaccination details must be recorded in the vaccination record.
Cats — Tri-Feline vaccination (Feline viral rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia) and Rabies. Vaccination details must be recorded in the vaccination record.
A note on 3-year vaccines: Many US pets receive 3-year rabies or core vaccines. At most Indian ports, a 3-year vaccine is accepted as a booster but not as a primary — its validity is treated as one year from administration. If your pet’s most recent vaccine was a 3-year product given as an initial dose, let us know before scheduling anything. We’ll confirm what’s accepted at your entry port.
Step 4 — Health Certificate and USDA Endorsement
A USDA-accredited veterinarian issues the official health certificate, which is then endorsed by USDA-APHIS. This is the core document that AQCS reviews when issuing the NOC, and that travels physically with your pet.
India has specific requirements for what the health certificate must contain beyond the standard fields:
• Dogs: Must certify the pet is free from clinical signs of Rabies, Canine Distemper, Parvovirus infection, and Leptospirosis
• Cats: Must certify the pet is free from clinical signs of Rabies, Distemper, Feline enteritis, Feline panleukopenia, and Leptospirosis
• Owner name on the health certificate must exactly match the name on the owner’s travel ticket — even a middle name discrepancy can cause problems at AQCS
• Both the US origin address and the India destination address must be stated on the certificate
• All vaccination details must be included or certified within the certificate
Allow 3–5 business days for USDA-APHIS endorsement. APHIS processes Monday–Friday, 7am– 4:30pm CT, excluding federal holidays.
Step 5 — Apply for the AQCS Advance NOC
This step is what most first-timers don’t expect, and it’s the one that can ground your pet if missed.
Before your pet can board the flight, you must obtain an Advance NOC from India’s Animal Quarantine & Certification Service (AQCS). Airlines require it — a pet without an advance NOC will not be accepted at check-in.
The NOC is applied for through AQCS, along with self-certified advance copies of all documentation (health certificate, vaccinations, residency proof, travel ticket). Global Tails will connect you with an import agent who can assist with the application.
AQCS operates under a Single Day Decision Policy, so processing is typically fast once the application is complete. The advance NOC can be issued up to seven days before your pet’s arrival. In practice, submit your application package as soon as your health certificate is endorsed and travel dates are confirmed — allow yourself a few days of buffer.
Step 6 — Travel Day and Arrival Procedure
Your pet’s advance NOC, endorsed health certificate, vaccination records, and airway bill (cargo shipments) must all be present at check-in. The airline will confirm the NOC before accepting your pet.
On arrival in India, the pet and original health documents must be presented to the AQCS Quarantine Station at the port of entry for clinical examination. For accompanied shipments, the owner does this directly. For manifest cargo, the import agent handles it. AQCS will:
1. Conduct a clinical examination
2. Retain the original health certificate
3. Issue a Provisional Quarantine Clearance Certificate
Final clearance is issued after 30 days. For most compliant arrivals, this means your pet can go home with you under provisional clearance while AQCS completes the process — but AQCS may place a pet under formal quarantine observation at their discretion if there are any doubts about health status or documentation. The 30-day period and any quarantine costs depend on AQCS’s assessment at the time of arrival.
What Documents Travel With Your Pet
AQCS Advance NOC
USDA-endorsed health certificate
Vaccination record (DHPPiL + Rabies for dogs; Tri-Feline + Rabies for cats — all within the valid window)
Microchip certificate or documentation of ISO 15-digit chip in vaccination record
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Owner’s original passport (required for customs clearance)
Owner’s travel ticket (name must match health certificate exactly)
Proof of 2+ years abroad and transfer of residency (Indian/OCI passport holders)
Airway Bill (AWB) — manifest cargo only
Common Questions
4–6 weeks is workable if your pet’s vaccinations are already current and within the valid window. If any vaccinations are needed, add at least 5 weeks before travel — all vaccines must be given at least 30 days before import. We’ll check your pet’s records and entry port at the start and tell you exactly where you stand.
Not automatically. For compliant arrivals under the baggage rule, AQCS typically issues a provisional clearance after the arrival examination, allowing the pet to go home with the owner. AQCS can place a pet in quarantine observation at their discretion — this is most likely to happen if documentation is incomplete or if the pet shows any signs of illness on arrival. Final clearance is issued after 30 days regardless.
Up to two dogs or cats are permitted under the baggage rule. If you have more than two, or if the pets belong to different owners, you’ll need to explore the DGFT license path, which is a different process. Let us know your situation early so we can map out the right approach.
Yes — an ISO 15-digit microchip is required and must be documented in the vaccination record or on a microchip certificate. If your pet isn’t chipped yet, this is the first appointment to schedule before anything else.
India does not publish a standard federal breed ban list for personal pet imports under the baggage rule. However, import of certain breeds may be restricted or require additional clearance. If your dog is a large, strong, or fighting-type breed, contact us before making travel plans — we’ll confirm what applies to your pet’s route and entry port.
We guide you through the full process — health certificate timing, vet scheduling, USDA endorsement, and cargo booking where applicable. The vaccination appointments happen at your local vet; we’ll tell you exactly what to ask for. For the NOC, we’ll connect you with an import agent who handles the application through AQCS.
A Note on Timing
The piece that most people miss is the vaccination window. All vaccines must be given at least 30 days before import — not in the final month before travel. If your pet is due for a booster and your travel date is close, that window may require adjusting your timeline. We check this at the start of every case.The other item is the health certificate–to–NOC sequence: the health certificate needs to be endorsed before you can submit the full NOC application, and the NOC is what the airline checks at drop-off. Build in enough time between your vet appointment and your flight that both the USDA endorsement and NOC processing can complete comfortably — typically 1–2 weeks of buffer before your departure date.
Ready to Get Started?
India is one of the more approachable destinations for pet relocation when the sequencing is right. The best first step is a conversation.
Requirements sourced from India’s Animal Quarantine & Certification Service (AQCS), aqcsindia.gov.in. Last verified: July 2026. Requirements can change without notice — we verify current conditions for every case before proceeding.