Bringing a Dog or Cat to India: Pet Entry Requirements

India’s pet-entry rules have four separate authorities

The Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS), under the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), verifies animal health conditions, issues the advance NOC and handles arrival examination or quarantine decisions. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) controls restricted live-animal imports outside the baggage and re-import exemptions. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) manages the passenger declaration and Customs release, including the ATITHI portal. The export country, operating airline and any transit jurisdiction impose their own separate rules. IN-01 IN-06 IN-03 IN-09

These layers explain why an existing vaccination card can be genuine but inadequate: India needs disease statements in an official certificate; an airline can refuse transport without the advance AQCS NOC; and an import approval does not eliminate the export-country obligations. Work through our International Pet Travel and Documents & Health Certificates guides alongside the Indian route. IN-01 IN-02

Choose the correct import pathway

Unlike a country-group system based mainly on rabies risk, India’s first decision is the traveller’s legal relationship to the animal and the purpose of import. The official AQCS page identifies three distinct cases; CBIC’s 2026 traveller guidance explains the updated digital baggage declaration. IN-01 IN-04

Accompanied and unaccompanied are not interchangeable

The AQCS baggage checklist contemplates an owner’s accompanied pet and certain unaccompanied pets arriving within one month after the owner. It specifies that moving the pet before the owner arrives, or more than one month after, calls for advance Customs permission in the baggage case. Customs and AQCS must agree on eligibility; cargo booking or an airway bill alone cannot establish it. For re-imports and DGFT-authorized cases, follow the written conditions on that route rather than applying the baggage timing mechanically. IN-01

Microchip, rabies and veterinary health conditions

Is a microchip mandatory for every imported pet?

Do not claim a universal import-baggage microchip mandate from the AQCS baggage checklist: that page focuses on ownership evidence, official health certification and rabies records, while AQCS publishes general microchipping guidance. A chip can still be required by an individual licence, the exporting country, an onward destination or an airline. If your pet is chipped, have your vet scan it and write the same number in every applicable document; for an Indian pet leaving and returning, an AQCS export microchip certificate is explicitly among the export checklist items. IN-01 IN-02 IN-10

Rabies: a dated record, not a vague “vaccinated” stamp

For the standard baggage route, AQCS states that dogs aged three months and older and cats must have rabies vaccination more than one month but within twelve months before embarkation, with details certified or recorded in the official health certificate. Other vaccination records should also be officially documented. Check whether the timing is compatible with any primary-vaccination age and with the origin country’s export rules. Do not assume a multi-year vaccine label overrides India’s published twelve-month arrival window without prior written AQCS confirmation. IN-01

India’s general published baggage checklist does not prescribe one universal rabies-antibody titre test for every ordinary dog or cat. A titre, additional laboratory tests or pre-import treatment may nevertheless be conditions on a DGFT licence, export-country process, transit route or your eventual return country. The absence of a universal India titre condition is not an exemption from another authority’s requirement. IN-01 IN-06

Dog and cat health certificates differ

For dogs, AQCS requires an official origin certificate attesting freedom from clinical signs of infectious diseases including rabies, canine distemper, parvovirus infection and leptospirosis. For cats, the official certificate has the species-appropriate disease statements, including rabies, feline enteritis and panleukopenia. Both need official vaccination details, ownership and both origin/destination addresses. Use the export country’s competent authority to arrange acceptable official certification; a clinic’s ordinary travel note alone may not satisfy India. IN-01 IN-11

Cats have an additional 2024 DAHD certification: on the day of examination the cat must show no clinical sign of influenza-like illness, including respiratory distress, and that examination must occur no more than seven days before shipment. For arrivals from avian-influenza-affected countries, owners must also undertake to notify AQCS if respiratory illness is observed within fourteen days of import. Confirm which countries are affected and the current certificate wording with your arrival AQCS station. IN-08

The document pack and ATITHI 2.0 process

Before submitting the application

Compile evidence of your applicable route: owner passport, entry/visa or immigration information, proof of at least two years abroad and genuine transfer of residence when claiming baggage, the owner’s itinerary, origin and India addresses, and a declaration that the animal is a bona fide pet without commercial, gifting or breeding purpose. Add the official veterinary health certificate, valid rabies and other vaccine records, pet itinerary/airway bill where appropriate, and authorization letter if an agent applies. Re-imports add past government export certification; DGFT cases add the issued licence and all licence-specific official health conditions. IN-01 IN-06

ATITHI pet declaration and advance AQCS NOC

CBIC’s current ATITHI 2.0 site says passengers bringing pets must apply for the advance AQCS NOC at least seven days before arrival. Its pet-import module accepts the declaration and supporting materials; CBIC’s 2026 traveller guide lists the form, official veterinary health and rabies certificates, passport and flight details among the required attachments, with other documents as AQCS directs. Save the issued advance NOC and coordinate your flight/arrival details with the relevant AQCS station. IN-03 IN-04 IN-12

The AQCS site’s older explanation says an advance NOC is issued within the seven days preceding arrival based on advance copies. That is an issuance window, not permission to wait until the last seven days to start. Submit at least seven days ahead through the current portal, follow station-specific instructions and allow for corrections. Confirm the charge displayed at submission; the AQCS FAQ and CBIC guide currently report a ₹1,000 advance-NOC application charge. IN-01 IN-02 IN-03 IN-04

Keep paper originals and a readable digital backup

Arrive with the originals of the official health certificate, rabies and other vaccination records, NOC, licence if applicable, Customs papers and supporting ownership/itinerary documents. The AQCS site’s older procedure describes retention of the original health certificate at arrival; ask the station whether copies or a scanned export-country original will be retained under your current process. If a flight, owner or pet-detail record changes after approval, contact AQCS and request a revised NOC where required. IN-01 IN-02

Flying to India and clearing AQCS on arrival

AQCS’s published standard pet-entry stations are New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Their list is an authorization filter, not a promise that every flight or airport terminal can accommodate every animal at every hour. The DAHD trade website also lists historical special Kochi/Cochin notifications; treat such exceptions as written case-specific authorization, not an ordinary seventh gateway. Confirm the exact entry point and transit plan with AQCS before booking. IN-02 IN-09

Cabin, checked baggage and cargo are airline categories—not immigration categories

Airline transport acceptance is independent of India’s import classification. A pet may fly as airline-accepted cabin, accompanied checked-baggage or manifested cargo only where the operating airline, itinerary and the chosen AQCS/Customs route allow it. “Unaccompanied cargo” does not make a non-baggage visitor eligible for the transfer-of-residence Customs rule. For route, crate and flight planning, use the Pet Air Travel Hub and our Airline Policy Hub . IN-01

What happens when the flight lands?

Have the pet, advance NOC, passport, official certificate and original vaccination records ready for the designated AQCS officer and Customs process. DAHD’s February 2025 order directed round-the-clock final NOC at the point of entry for baggage-rule dogs/cats whose owners secured an advance NOC and informed the station of their arrival date and time. CBIC’s 2026 traveller material describes an AQCS officer’s final airport examination. You still must follow the officer’s case-specific instructions; illness, missing documents or other risk concerns can trigger observation, quarantine or refusal. IN-07 IN-04 IN-02

Why do some websites still mention 30 days? AQCS’s general import page retains legacy wording about provisional clearance and final clearance after thirty days. The later DAHD memorandum changes the standard final-NOC location and timing for qualifying baggage entries. Both statements cannot be treated as universally applicable to every import category: rely on the latest written AQCS procedure for your case, especially if arriving under DGFT authorization or if inspection identifies disease concerns. IN-01 IN-07

Special situations that change the plan

Commercial dogs, adoption and rescue transfers

DGFT’s published policy does not permit commercial dog imports for breeding, gifting or related commercial purposes. The AQCS baggage route additionally requires a personal, non-commercial ownership declaration. An animal newly acquired abroad and shipped to a new Indian adopter, a rescue placement or a third-party consignment should not be represented as an established travelling family pet without official confirmation; refer the exact facts to DGFT and AQCS before any purchase, collection or transport deposit. IN-01 IN-06

Young puppies and kittens

DGFT’s general import guidance explicitly says newborn puppies are not allowed. AQCS’s baggage text sets a rabies-vaccination condition for dogs at least three months old and cats, but does not itself publish a blanket import authorization for every younger puppy or kitten. Veterinary ability to vaccinate, species-specific health statements and any individual licence can make travel impossible on your preferred date. Obtain AQCS’s written guidance for a young animal rather than applying an adult-pet checklist by analogy. IN-01 IN-06

Other species and assistance animals

India’s ordinary pet baggage category covers dogs and cats, not birds, rabbits, hamsters, fish or wildlife. AQCS directs owners of other species toward DGFT authorization and applicable wildlife controls. A genuine assistance or therapy dog may have an individual DGFT pathway according to its documented purpose; this does not create a general exemption from official veterinary conditions, animal transport rules or written import permission. IN-02 IN-06

Transit, temporary visits and the trip back home

If India is only a transit point, establish whether the pet stays within an approved secure transfer or formally enters Indian territory; the airline, customs/airport and relevant foreign transit authorities need to agree in writing. A temporary visitor who is not transferring residence should not assume an ordinary baggage entitlement. Likewise, the departing country may require a return-health certificate, microchip, rabies-titre test or waiting period before its own authorities will readmit the animal. See our United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore guides for separate destination routes. IN-01 IN-10

Returning to India with a pet that originally departed India

AQCS has a specific re-import procedure: keep proof that the same animal previously left India, preferably its past AQCS export certificate, older Indian health documents, current official origin health/rabies records and the owner’s ticket. Before departing India, obtain the AQCS export health certificate required by the destination where relevant, preserve the chip identity and confirm the rules of both countries. AQCS’s export checklist asks for pet examination, registered-vet fitness certificate, microchip certificate, vaccinations, owner ID and itinerary; it says its pet export certificate is valid for ten days from issue/examination and recommends an appointment about seven days in advance. IN-01 IN-10

Plan backward from the arrival date

India’s route does not lend itself to one universal month-by-month countdown: eligible residence, any DGFT authorization and export-country paperwork can take very different amounts of time. The sequence below preserves the hard dependencies without inventing a guaranteed processing time.

The veterinarian’s country-of-origin endorsement may have a shorter validity than the India-issued advance NOC, and a changed flight can invalidate some records. Treat the final calendar as coordinated milestones—not four independently booked appointments. IN-01 IN-03 IN-08

Print-ready India dog/cat entry checklist

Use this as a planning tool, then cross-check the most recent official application instructions for your actual entry category.

• Confirm baggage, DGFT or re-import route.
• Check dog/cat eligibility, ownership and number of animals.
• Keep proof of overseas residence and genuine relocation when claiming baggage.
• Preserve previous AQCS export papers for a returning Indian pet.
• Check the official rabies vaccination window and all other vaccination records.
• Book the origin-country competent authority for the official species-specific health certificate.
• For cats, add the current ILI certificate statement and affected-country undertaking when applicable.
• Apply through the live ATITHI/AQCS process at least seven days before arrival.
• Receive the actual advance AQCS NOC and reconfirm arrival intimation.
• Have owner travel papers, addresses, declarations and licence/airway bill if applicable.
• Confirm an AQCS-approved arrival airport plus airline and any transit permissions.
• Carry original records; present the animal for examination and complete the final Customs process.

For a broader dependency-based plan, pair this with the Pet Travel Checklist and the Country Entry Guides Hub.

Frequently asked questions