Bringing a dog or cat to India
No titer test is needed, but everything hinges on paperwork: before the airline will carry the pet you need an advance No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the AQCS station at your arrival airport. Owners are limited to 2 dogs/cats, and the 2-pet baggage route is tied to Transfer of Residence or re-import; other cases need a DGFT import licence.
Which rules apply to you
India sorts arriving pets by where they travel from. Find your group, then follow its steps.
| Arriving from | Titer test | Wait after sample | Permit | Quarantine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All countriesSame core rules for every origin. Cats from countries with avian influenza have extra influenza-like-illness conditions. | No | — | Yes | Only if rules not met |
Step by step
Check eligibility route
Under Baggage Rules, passengers transferring residence after 2+ years abroad, or re-importing their own pet, may bring up to 2 dogs/cats with no DGFT licence. Short visits and other cases need a DGFT import licence (form ANF-2M), which can take about a month.
Microchip and vaccinate
Microchip the pet; the NOC application asks for the number. Give rabies vaccine at least 30 days before travel. Dogs should also be covered for distemper, leptospirosis and related diseases, and cats for distemper/panleukopenia.
Get an official health certificate
Use the DAHD format (Annex 1 for dogs, Annex 2 for cats, OM of 15 July 2020), endorsed by the export country's official veterinary authority. Cats need an exam within 7 days before shipment showing no influenza-like illness.
Apply for advance NOC
Email the AQCS station at your arrival airport (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru or Hyderabad) at least 7 working days before travel. Send the health and vaccination certificates, owner passport and flight details. Airlines will not carry the pet without it.
Clear on arrival
AQCS examines the pet at the airport and issues the final NOC. Customs releases the pet only against that final NOC.
Pets with complete documents are cleared at the airport after a clinical exam; the final NOC is issued 24x7 at the port (DAHD OM, Feb 2025). A pet that fails the exam or shows disease signs is quarantined: USDA/AQCS guidance says 15 days, Indian missions say 30 days to 3 months. A pet that tests positive may be deported or destroyed at the owner's cost.
Good to know
- Cats
- Same documents as dogs. In addition, cats need an exam within 7 days before shipment confirming no influenza-like illness. Owners of cats from avian-influenza-affected countries must sign an undertaking to report any respiratory illness within 14 days of arrival.
- How many pets
- 2 dogs/cats per passenger under Baggage Rules (Transfer of Residence or re-import). More than 2 requires a DAHD sanitary import permit or a DGFT licence.
- Parasite treatment
- Not specified in official sources found
- Arrival
- Airports with AQCS stations: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Kochi is sometimes listed too. Pets usually travel as manifest cargo or excess baggage; check with your airline.
- One-time relaxation (DAHD OM, 12 Mar 2026) for Indians returning with pets from war-hit Middle East countries: a self-declaration of at least 1 month's custody is accepted, late or missing rabies vaccinations are given at the port at the owner's cost, and the pet is cleared after a clinical exam. The OM sets no expiry and says it is not a precedent.
- Feed and bedding may not be imported with the pet (USDA).
- In March 2024 a MoFAHD circular banned import of 23 'ferocious' dog breeds (Pit Bull, Rottweiler and others). The Karnataka and Delhi High Courts quashed it, and its current status is unclear (see uncertain).
What we could not confirm
- I could not read the DAHD SOP (OM 15 Jul 2020) and its dog/cat health-certificate annexes. Exact certificate validity, required vaccines and the microchip mandate are therefore taken from Indian missions and USDA.
- Rabies timing: Indian missions say 30 days to 1 year before travel; the older Bern page allows up to 36 months for some vaccines. Confirm with AQCS.
- Quarantine for non-compliant pets: USDA/AQCS guidance says 15 days, Indian missions say 30 days to 3 months.
- Advance NOC lead time: 7 working days per the AQCS application form, while CGI San Francisco says 15 days.
- 23-breed ban (MoFAHD circular, March 2024): reported as quashed by the Karnataka and Delhi High Courts. Whether any import restriction still applies is unconfirmed, so bannedBreeds is left empty.
- It is unclear whether foreigners moving to India (not under Transfer of Residence) always need a DGFT licence; USDA says pets visiting temporarily need one.
Sources
- DAHD OM (Feb 2025) – Quarantine clearance of pet dog/cat at port of entry
- DAHD – Import of pet cat into India (ILI conditions)
- DAHD OM 12 Mar 2026 – Facilitation of import of pets from Middle East countries
- CBIC Circular 35/2020 – Import of pets (copy on referencer.in, secondary host)
- Consulate General of India, San Francisco – Imports of pet animal
- Embassy of India, Bern – Import of domestic pets
- USDA APHIS – India pet travel (origin-side)
- Delhi High Court quashes dangerous dog breeds circular (LiveLaw, secondary)
Checked against official sources on 2026-10-28. Rules change: confirm with Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) – Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS); Customs (CBIC) for baggage clearance before booking.