Bringing a pet to India: the complete import rules
Everything you need to move a dog or cat into India — who can bring a pet in, the documents and vaccinations, the AQCS NOC, what happens on arrival, and the seven airports your pet can land at. Accurate, primary-sourced, and current for 2026.
Seven AQCS entry airports — every route home leads here
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Takes ~60 seconds · no obligation · we reply fastImporting a pet to India is the easier direction
Compared with most outbound routes, bringing a healthy, compliant dog or cat into India is refreshingly straightforward. Three things put pet parents at ease:
No rabies titer to enter
The rabies antibody blood test is an export requirement for some rabies-free countries — India does not ask for it. Your pet needs a valid rabies shot, a microchip and a health certificate.
No long kennel quarantine
Returning residents are not handed to a quarantine facility for weeks. A healthy, compliant pet is examined and released to you, with a short observation period at home.
Cleared 24/7 at the airport
Since February 2025, the final clearance (NOC) is issued round the clock at the airport itself — so your pet clears on arrival and goes home with you, instead of a separate trip to a quarantine station.
Returning to India yourself? Here's how we handle the whole move for you → Returning to India
Who can bring a pet in — the three routes
Live pets are a “restricted” import in India, which simply means there's a defined process. Almost everyone enters through one of three routes — and the one that applies to you decides your paperwork and your timeline.
Baggage rule
Transfer of residence — moving back to India for good
- For residents who've lived abroad two or more years, continuously
- Up to two pets — dogs and cats only
- No DGFT licence needed — your pet travels as accompanied baggage
- Still needs the AQCS NOC and full health documents
DGFT import authorization
For everyone the baggage rule doesn't cover
- Needed if you've been abroad under two years
- Or the pet isn't travelling as your accompanied baggage
- Apply on the DGFT portal using Form ANF-2M, reviewed by the animal-husbandry department
- Start at least two months ahead — the committee meets monthly
Re-import
For a pet that originally left India
- Your pet was exported from India earlier and is coming home
- Needs proof of the earlier movement and the old Indian health papers
- Plus an origin-country health certificate and your travel ticket
- Treated as a re-import once identity is confirmed
Which route applies to you?
Lived abroad two-plus years & moving home?
→ Baggage rule
Less than two years, short stay, or not as baggage?
→ DGFT authorization
Your pet left India in the first place?
→ Re-import
What you can — and can't — bring
- Dogs and cats are the only pets allowed under the baggage rule.
- A maximum of two pets per passenger.
- New-born puppies are not allowed — pets must be old enough to be vaccinated for rabies (in practice, around 15 weeks).
- Wolf hybrids, Savannah and Bengal cats can't be imported unless they're five generations removed from the wild parent.
- Other species — birds, rabbits, reptiles — need a DGFT licence and travel as cargo; birds are effectively restricted under avian-flu controls.
About “banned breeds”
You'll see many pages list dog breeds as “banned in India.” As of June 2026, there is no nationwide breed import ban. A 2024 central advisory naming 23 breeds was an advisory, not a law — and the High Courts struck it down within weeks.
The list it named included Pit Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, Rottweiler, Mastiffs, Dogo Argentino, Cane Corso, Boerboel, Tosa Inu and others — none of which are barred from import nationally today.
What your pet needs — documents & vaccinations
Done in the country you're flying from, in this order. Get the sequence wrong — especially the microchip — and a document can be rejected.
ISO microchip
A 15-digit ISO 11784/11785 microchip that every other document references. If it isn't ISO-standard, send a compatible scanner with the pet.
Must come before the rabies shotRabies vaccination
Given more than 30 days before travel and within the last 12 months. The pet should be over three months old.
Core vaccinations
Dogs: distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza and leptospirosis. Cats: the FVRCP core. All recorded on the certificate.
Government-endorsed health certificate
An export health certificate completed by a licensed vet and endorsed by the origin country's authority. The original is presented on arrival.
You do not need a rabies titer to enter India
A rabies antibody (RNATT/FAVN) blood test is required to export to some rabies-free countries — and it's the long pole on routes like the UK and Australia. India simply doesn't ask for it. Don't lose months preparing a test you don't need.
Parasite treatment: India doesn't mandate it to enter, though some origin-country protocols ask for tick-and-tapeworm treatment a few days before the flight. Your vet — or our team — confirms what your specific route requires.
The NOC — the document everything hinges on
What it is
The No Objection Certificate is issued by the Animal Quarantine & Certification Service (AQCS) at your arrival airport. It confirms India has no objection to your pet entering — and it's required whether your pet flies with you or as cargo.
A duplicate copy travels fixed to the crate; the original is presented to officers on arrival.
How to get the advance NOC
- Email the port AQCS your documents and the exact arrival date and time.
- Apply ahead of travel — the advance NOC can be issued up to seven days before arrival on self-certified copies.
- Allow about five working days to process.
- The owner — or an authorised agent like FidoJet — can apply on your behalf.
At the airport: what actually happens
This is the part pet parents worry about most — and it's far gentler than the internet suggests. Since February 2025, India clears imported pets round the clock at the port of entry.
Advance NOC in hand
Documents submitted and approved before the flight — not on the day.
Land at an AQCS airport
Your pet arrives at one of the seven designated airports.
Examined on arrival
The quarantine officer checks your pet's health and verifies the papers.
Final NOC issued — 24/7
Since Feb 2025, final clearance is granted at the airport itself, round the clock.
Home with you
A healthy, compliant pet leaves with you the same day.
A short observation period applies after arrival — served at your home, where an officer may visit, not in a kennel. Pets brought for temporary visits (shows, therapy or assistance work) are exempt from the observation period with the right documents. Rules can change — we confirm the current procedure for your airport before you fly.
Where pets can enter — seven AQCS airports
Pets can only be imported through airports with an AQCS station. Kochi joined the list in October 2024 — the newest of the seven.
How long it takes, and when to start
There's no fixed wait to enter India, so the clock is really about preparing documents in the right order. The route you fall under sets the pace.
Returning residents
- Microchip, then rabies vaccine (allow the 30-day window before travel)
- Core vaccines and the endorsed health certificate close to departure
- Advance NOC — apply about a week before arrival
Licence required
- Apply for the DGFT authorization (Form ANF-2M) early
- The review committee meets monthly — build in the wait
- Then the same microchip, vaccine, certificate and NOC steps
When to start: for the baggage route, the rabies shot's 30-day window is the main thing to plan around — begin six to eight weeks out. If you need a DGFT licence, start at least two months ahead so the monthly committee doesn't become your bottleneck.
What shapes the cost
There's no single flat price for importing a pet — it depends on a handful of real factors. Here's what moves the number.
Your route in
Baggage rule or a DGFT licence — the licence route adds fees and time.
Accompanied vs cargo
Flying with your pet as baggage usually costs less than manifest cargo.
Arrival city
Which of the seven airports you land at, and onward door-to-door distance.
Airline & season
Carrier pet policy and summer-heat embargoes affect routing and price.
Crate & handling
An IATA-compliant crate sized to your pet, plus airport handling.
Pet size & number
Weight, breed and whether you're bringing one pet or two.
Want a real number for your move?
Tell us the country, city and your pet — we'll send a clear, itemised quote.
Mistakes that delay — or block — a pet
Vaccinating before microchipping
If the rabies shot predates the chip, it can be treated as invalid — and you may have to revaccinate.
Rabies shot too close to travel
It must be more than 30 days old at entry. A last-minute booster won't qualify.
No advance NOC
The NOC must be approved before the flight — it can't be sorted out on arrival.
Landing at the wrong airport
Pets can only enter through the seven AQCS airports — route the booking accordingly.
Preparing a titer you don't need
India doesn't require a rabies titer to enter — don't lose months on a test meant for export.
Using the baggage rule under two years
The baggage route needs two years abroad. Less than that, and you'll need a DGFT licence first.
How we keep this current. Every fact here is checked against the primary authorities — AQCS, the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, DGFT and CBIC. Pet import rules change and vary by route, so we re-verify before each move. Last verified June 2026.
FidoJet handles the whole import for you
You shouldn't have to learn customs law to bring your pet home. We run the process end to end — one team, door to door.
Bringing a pet to India — your questions
Do I need a rabies titer (blood test) to bring my pet to India?
How many pets can I bring?
Will my pet be quarantined in a kennel?
Which dog breeds are banned for import?
Can I bring my pet if I have lived abroad less than two years?
Which airports can my pet arrive at?
How long does the AQCS NOC take?
Can I bring a bird, rabbit or other pet?
Do I need a DGFT licence?
When should I start?
Let's bring your pet home
Tell us where you're coming from and a little about your pet. We'll map the route, handle the rules, and keep you updated the whole way.
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