What is a Pet Passport?
We refer to a pet passport as a collection of documents that fulfill India pet import requirements for dogs or cats entering the country. This term is not to be confused with an official EU Pet Passport issued in the European Union for resident pets. Your pet’s passport to enter India will include proof of microchip, license(s) to import, rabies vaccination and an international export pet health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian in the origination country.
Animals Eligible for These Pet Import Requirements
These rules apply to the transport of domestic dog and cats including assistance and service animals. Unless 5th generation removed from the pedigree, wolf hybrids, Savannah and Bengal cats cannot be imported under these regulations. Owners of other types of pets (amphibia, reptiles, birds, rabbits, rodents) covered by these regulations should refer to IMPORTING OTHER PET ANIMALS TO INDIA below.
Effective immediately, the following dog breeds and their mixes are banned from entering India at any port: Pitbull Terrier,
Tosa Inu, American Staffordshire Terrier, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, American Bulldog, Boerboel, Kangal, Central Asian Shepherd Dog (Ovcharka), Caucasian Shepherd Dog (Ovcharka), South Russian Shepherd Dog (Ovcharka), Tornjak, Sarplaninac, Japanese Tosa, Akita, Mastiffs (Boerbulls), Rottweiler, Terriers, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Wolf dogs, Presa Canario, Akbash Dog, Moscow Guard Dog, Cane Corso, and Any dog commonly known as a Bandog (or Ban Dog).
Find a Licensed Veterinarian
Before beginning any pet export procedure, make sure your veterinarian is approved by the governing veterinarian authority in your pet’s country of origin. Your veterinarian should work for or be licensed by the agency of the government that handles the movement of live animals.
Quarantine for Pets Entering India
There will be no quarantine imposed on your pet when entering India if pet import regulations detailed here are met. If your pet does not conform to the regulations as stated below, it will be subject to quarantine if facilities are available, returned to the origination country, or euthanized. The importer will be responsible all costs involved.
India Pet Import Requirements
All steps required to conform to regulations to import a dog or cat to India must be completed in the origination country. Steps 1-6 should be followed in the order given.
Step 1: Pet Microchip
To enter India, your pet must first be microchipped with an AVID microchip or a non-encrypted, 15-digit pet microchip that is ISO 11784 or Annex A to ISO 11785 compliant. If your pet’s microchip is not ISO-compliant, a microchip scanner that can read the microchip must be provided.
Your veterinarian, a veterinary hospital, or a trained nurse should implant the microchip. Pet owners should receive documentation on how to register it in the manufacturer’s or the government’s database.
All required documentation must reflect the microchip number.
Step 2: Vaccinations
After being microchipped, pet cats and dogs entering India must have been vaccinated for rabies more than 30 days prior to entry and not more than 12 months of entry. The 30-day rule does not apply if your pet is currently vaccinated and the vaccination occurred after a microchip was implanted.
The administering veterinarian should issue, sign, and stamp:
- a rabies certificate or
- government-issued vaccination booklet or
- an EU Pet Passport
Other Vaccinations
Dogs and cats must be vaccinated against the following diseases at established intervals prior to entering India:
- canine distemper
- canine leishmaniasis
- canine leptospirosis
- canine parvovirus
- canine hepatitis
- feline viral rhinotracheitis
- feline panleukopenia
- feline calicivirus
All vaccinations should be recorded on the international health certificate (step 6).
Step 3: Rabies Titer (Serology) Test
A rabies titer test is not required to enter India from any country. Note that rabies titer test results or veterinary exemption letters are no substitute for proof of rabies vaccination.
Step 4: Licenses to Import
If you are a citizen of India wishing to travel with your pet to the country for the purpose of tourism, you will need a license from the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to import up to two pets, unless you and your pet have been abroad for more than two years. Any short visits in India must not exceed more than 180 days during this time. Foreign nationals of Indian origin must have an OCI or PIO card to import a pet to India.
Other Indian citizens intending to visit India on a short visa can obtain a DGFT license to bring their pet to India if their pet departs India with them.
If you are a foreign national not of Indian origin, you must be relocating to India to work or live for a minimum of one year to import your pet without a DGFT license.
Unaccompanied dogs and cats cannot be imported to India unless associated with their owner, who is transferring residency to India. The owner must enter India within 30 days of their dog or cat.
All dogs and cats entering India for any purpose must have a Notice of No Objection license which will be issued at the port of entry. Advance notification should be provided.
Step 5: Parasite Treatments
The treatment of pets for internal parasites, especially Echinococcus multilocularis, as well as external parasites (fleas and ticks), should be discussed with your veterinarian, who will administer treatments according to the disease status of the origination country. These treatments are strongly recommended but not required.
Pet owners should consider keeping their pets protected when traveling internationally, and export procedures in the origination country may mandate these treatments.
Step 6: Health Certificate
All countries worldwide require an original health certificate, and India is no exception. The certificate must include:
- owner’s information
- origination and destination details
- details of your pet
- vaccinations and treatments
- veterinary attestations regarding symptoms of contagious diseases at the time of export.
Further, a licensed veterinarian in the origination country must certify that your pet is healthy enough to travel and is not from a region that is subject to rabies restrictions. The health certificate must properly identify your pet. Depending on the origination country, additional details and treatments must be listed.
A licensed veterinarian in your country must complete the Pet Health Certificate for India within 10 days of entry.
After issuance, the certificate must be endorsed by the government agency responsible for the import and export of animals.
Other Information
Importing Puppies and Kittens to India
Although puppies and kittens can be imported to India after they reach three months of age, it is not recommended to vaccinate a puppy or kitten under three months of age. Young pets should be vaccinated for rabies no sooner than three months of age and wait for 30 days before entering India. Unvaccinated pets are not permitted to enter India.
Related: More information on transporting a puppy.
Banned Breeds
The following breeds and their crosses are banned from import: Pitbull Terrier, Tosa Inu, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bandog, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, American Bulldog, Boerboel, Kangal, Central Asian Shepherd Dog (Ovcharka), Caucasian Shepherd Dog (Ovcharka), South Russian Shepherd Dog (Ovcharka), Tornjak, Sarplaninac, Japanese Tosa, Akita, Mastiffs (Boerbulls), Rottweiler, Terriers (specific types not specified), Rhodesian Ridgeback, Wolf dogs, Presa Canario, Akbash Dog, Moscow Guard Dog, and Cane Corso.
Entering India by Air
Pets can enter India in the cabin or as:
- checked baggage (accompanied cats or dogs) at New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin or Kolkata
- air cargo (unaccompanied cats and other animals) at New Delhi and Mumbai.
Up to two dogs or cats can enter India per person. The Director General of Foreign Trade must grant a license before more than two pets may be imported per person.
All dogs and cats must arrive within 30 days of their owner’s first immigration stamp as displayed on their passport after issued a proper work or spouse/dependent visa. If traveling unaccompanied, they must enter between 7 and 14 days after their owner. The owner’s original passport will be required and held until your pet clears customs.
Pets should arrive between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and noon on Monday through Friday. It is not advisable to present your pet outside of these hours.
Pets can arrive in the cabin, as checked baggage or air cargo, according to airline pet policies. In all cases, pets must travel in a crate in accordance with the International Air Transport Association.
Related: Is your pet’s crate IATA-compliant?
All domestic dogs and cats must be free of evidence of disease communicable to humans when examined at the entry airport. If your dog or cat is not in apparent good health, further examination by a licensed veterinarian may be required at importer expense.
Importing Other Animals to India
Only dogs and cats are classified as pets for purposes of import to India. Invertebrates, reptiles, amphibia, mammals such as rodents and rabbits may be imported to India as air cargo with a DGFT license as long as they are not classified as endangered under CITES (see step 11).
If your pet is covered by CITES regulations, it will be quarantined for 30 days in its country of origin and an additional 30 days in India.
Currently, birds are not permitted for import due to Avian Influenza.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) prohibits the trade of some species of animals, including pets. This is important if you have a pet that isn’t a dog or cat, and it’s crucial if it’s a turtle or a parrot. If so, you will have to submit additional permit applications.
Over 180 nations participate in and enforce CITES rules and protections.
Related: Search the CITES database or Search the Species+ database
Related: Read more about CITES
Have Questions About Importing a Pet to India?
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Please note that the accuracy of comments made by Facebook users other than Pet Travel has not been verified. We do not endorse any person or company that may offer transport services through posts to this webpage.
Current Information
To the best of our ability, we ensure that recommendations given on PetTravel.com reflect the current regulations. We cannot predict how a given country may enforce these regulations. Noncompliance may result in the need to:
- Make arrangements to put your pet into quarantine at your expense or
- Return your pet to the country of origin, or
- Euthanize your pet.
We suggest that you minimize the disruptions that may occur by following India pet import requirements.
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