Moving your pet from India to the UK, handled end to end.
The UK’s rules look daunting — the rabies blood test, the three-month wait, your dog or cat flying as cargo. We’ve handled this exact route for years: vaccinations and the blood test timed right, every certificate in order, the crate, the flights, and a safe arrival through Heathrow.
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What makes the India-to-UK route a route you plan around
Good news first: the UK doesn’t quarantine pets that arrive correctly, and the rules are clear and well-trodden. The one thing you can’t rush is the rabies blood test — and that sets your timeline.
The blood test sets the clock
India is an unlisted country, so your pet needs a rabies antibody blood test, then a fixed three-month wait before it can enter. There’s no way to shorten it.
No long quarantine
Arrive with the paperwork in order and your pet clears the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre — usually home the same day.
Clear, well-trodden rules
Precise requirements, no surprise arrival-airport restriction, no permit lottery. We run this route regularly and know exactly what each step needs.
Plan around four months
The lead time is driven by the blood test and its wait, not by red tape. Start early and everything else falls into place.
This is where planning earns its keep
The moment we start, we sequence the vaccination and blood test so your three-month clock begins as early as possible — and your pet travels on the first date the rules allow.
For dogs
The dog pathway, step by step
Eight steps, in this order. Step three is the one everything else waits on.
ISO microchip
A 15-digit ISO chip goes in first. Every document from here is matched to this number.
Rabies vaccination
Given after the microchip, once your dog is at least 12 weeks old. Done in the wrong order, it won’t count and has to be repeated.
Rabies antibody blood test long pole
A blood sample at least 30 days after the vaccine, sent to an approved lab, must show immunity of 0.5 IU/ml or higher.
The three-month wait long pole
Counted from the date the blood sample was taken. This is your earliest possible UK arrival date — there’s no shortcut.
India AQCS export clearance
India’s Animal Quarantine office issues the export health certificate and No Objection Certificate.
Great Britain pet health certificate
Completed by your vet and government-endorsed close to departure, confirming the chip, vaccine and successful blood test.
Tapeworm treatment dogs only · tight window
A praziquantel treatment 24 to 120 hours before arrival. Miss the window and it has to be redone.
Fly and arrive
Fit-to-fly check, IATA crate, manifest cargo into Heathrow, and clearance at the Animal Reception Centre.
For cats
Bringing a cat to the UK
Here’s where the UK surprises people: a cat from India follows almost the same path as a dog. Microchip, rabies vaccination, the rabies blood test, and the same three-month wait all apply — the UK gives cats no lighter rabies route.
What’s different for cats: no tapeworm treatment. Everything else mirrors the dog pathway.
- ISO microchip
- Rabies vaccination
- Rabies blood test + 3-month wait
- India AQCS export certificate
- GB pet health certificate
- IATA crate + manifest cargo
Getting there
How your pet actually flies to the UK
The honest picture
Every pet enters the UK as manifest cargo — by law. It travels in a climate-controlled, pressurised hold and clears the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre. The cabin isn’t an option from India, so cargo here is simply the standard route, not a downgrade.
Manifest cargo into Heathrow
Your pet flies on its own air waybill in a temperature-controlled hold, tracked the whole way, in a properly sized IATA crate. This is how virtually every pet reaches the UK.
Choosing the route and carrier
Direct where it works, or via a European or Gulf hub into Heathrow. We match the carrier to your pet’s size, breed and the season — British Airways/IAG Cargo, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, KLM, Qatar or Air India cargo — and confirm acceptance at booking, since summer-heat embargoes can move hold dates.
Plan ahead
How early to start: the realistic India-to-UK timeline
Plan for roughly four months. Not because of paperwork — because the blood test sets your earliest travel date.
Month 0
Microchip + rabies vaccination — the sequence that starts everything.
~Day 30+
Rabies blood test — the clock starts the day the sample is drawn.
3 months
The mandatory wait, counted from the blood draw.
Final 2–3 wks
AQCS export, GB health certificate, flights booked.
Final days
Tapeworm treatment, fit-to-fly, fly and clear Heathrow — home.
End to end
What FidoJet handles for you
One team, the whole chain — from the first vaccination through to your pet walking into its new UK home.
Vaccination & blood-test scheduling
Sequenced so your three-month clock starts as early as possible.
Approved-lab titer coordination
Sample sent to an approved lab, result tracked and filed.
India AQCS export NOC + certificate
Export health certificate and No Objection Certificate handled.
Great Britain pet health certificate
Vet-completed and government-endorsed, on time for departure.
Tapeworm treatment, timed right
Administered inside the strict 24–120-hour window for dogs.
IATA crate, sized & acclimatised
The right crate, introduced early so travel day is calm.
Cargo booking & routing into Heathrow
The right carrier and route, direct or via a hub, confirmed at booking.
Heathrow clearance + arrival handover
We see your pet through the Animal Reception Centre to your door.
One person who knows your pet’s case from the first call to the doorstep in the UK — no handoffs, no repeating yourself.
Pricing
What shapes your quote
There’s no flat price for India to the UK, because no two moves are the same. An honest quote comes down to a handful of real factors — and we’ll walk you through yours.
Pet size & breed
Decides crate size and, for snub-nosed breeds, which carriers and routings are safe.
Routing
A direct cargo service or a connection via a European or Gulf hub into Heathrow.
IATA crate
A correctly sized, compliant crate — bought new where your pet doesn’t already have one.
Vet & lab work
Vaccination, the approved-lab blood test, certificates and the tapeworm treatment.
Season
Summer-heat embargoes can narrow flight options and shift dates.
Departure city & UK delivery
Your Indian city, Heathrow handling, and ground transport to the final UK address.
Get a clear, itemised quote
Tell us your cities, your pet and your timeline. We’ll come back with a transparent breakdown — no hidden extras.
Get a free quoteWhere we fly
Routes and cities we fly to the UK
Relocation stories
Families who’ve made the move to the UK
“Loki reached London and I’m so relieved I could cry. I went into this a nervous wreck, my expectations low after a friend’s bad experience with another agent. But you changed my mind completely — everything on time, papers in order, and Manjeet kept me posted at every stage.”
“Bailey is settled in London now. What I want to thank you for is how you explained everything — I knew nothing about titre tests or the UK import rules at first, and other agents just threw jargon at me. You broke it into plain steps, and the Heathrow clearance went exactly as Akash said.”
“Mishti reached London safely. A friend recommended FidoJet after you moved her cat last year, and now I completely get why — smooth from start to finish, and Sahil was so reassuring every single time I panicked. She’s already found her favourite windowsill and refuses to move.”
A few of the pets we’ve flown
Questions
India-to-UK pet relocation: your questions answered
The questions families ask most before moving a pet from India to the UK.
Why does the UK need a rabies blood test when India already vaccinates?
Because India is an unlisted country for UK pet travel, the UK requires proof the rabies vaccine has worked. A blood sample is taken at least 30 days after vaccination and sent to an approved laboratory, and it must show a rabies antibody level of at least 0.5 IU/ml. This is the single step that sets your travel timeline.
How long does it take to move a pet from India to the UK?
Plan for roughly four months. The blood sample has to be taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccine, and there is then a fixed three-month wait from the date of that sample before your pet can enter the UK. The paperwork and flight booking happen in the final few weeks, so the blood test is where you begin.
Will my pet have to go into quarantine in the UK?
No. As long as the microchip, rabies vaccination, blood test and three-month wait are all completed correctly and the paperwork is in order, your pet is not quarantined. It is checked on arrival at the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre and, in the normal case, released to travel home the same day.
Can my pet fly in the cabin to the UK?
No. Pets cannot enter the UK in the aircraft cabin or as checked baggage from India — by law they arrive as manifest cargo in a climate-controlled, pressurised hold. This is the standard legal route into the UK, not a downgrade, and the hold is temperature-controlled throughout the flight.
Do cats need the blood test too, or only dogs?
Cats need it too. The UK applies the same rabies vaccination, blood test and three-month wait to cats coming from India as it does to dogs. The one part of the dog pathway that cats skip is the tapeworm treatment, which is required for dogs only.
What is the tapeworm treatment and which pets need it?
Dogs entering the UK must be treated for tapeworm with a vet-administered praziquantel product between 24 and 120 hours before arrival, and the treatment must be recorded. It applies to dogs only — cats do not need it. If the window is missed, the treatment has to be repeated before travel.
Which airlines carry pets from India to the UK?
Pets travel as manifest cargo, and the carriers that handle live-animal cargo into Heathrow include British Airways and IAG Cargo, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, KLM, Qatar Airways and Air India cargo. We confirm acceptance with the carrier at the time of booking, because summer heat embargoes can change which flights are available.
Are any dog breeds banned from entering the UK?
Yes. The UK prohibits the import of the XL Bully and four types under the Dangerous Dogs Act — the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro. If you are unsure whether your dog is affected, send us a photo and details and we will check before you commit to anything.
Do I need an import permit, and who completes the UK paperwork?
There is no import licence to apply for. Your pet travels on a Great Britain pet health certificate, which your vet completes and a government official endorses close to departure, confirming the microchip, rabies vaccination and successful blood test. We prepare and check every document so nothing is missed.
Which Indian cities can my pet fly out from?
Pets clear for export through seven AQCS-equipped airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Kochi. We arrange the India-side export health certificate and No Objection Certificate and route your pet out through the one that fits your city.
Ready to bring your pet to the UK?
Tell us your cities, your pet and your timeline. We’ll map out the whole journey — and start the one clock that decides your travel date.