Pet Imports and Quarantine in India

Details of the paperwork needed to bring an animal into India, and information on quarantine…

The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries oversees the importation of pets into India.

Animal Quarantine and Certification Service Officers are present at Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata airports to deal with the importation and exportation of pets. See the bottom of the page for contact details.

Required Documents

Paperwork should be presented on arrival in India to the quarantine officer in customs. Hiring a pet relocator will help with this process.

  • No Objection Certificate (NOC): These must be obtained from a quarantine centre in India 15 days before importation. The easiest way is to hire a local pet relocator agent to assist with the Animal Quarantine and Certification Service
  • Original veterinary certificate: Dogs must be free from Aujeszky’s Disease, distemper, rabies, leishmaniasis and leptospirosis, while cats must be free from rabies and distemper. Imported pets should also be microchipped
  • Vaccination record: Pets must have a certificate proving that the animal has been vaccinated against rabies. The Indian embassy in Berne, Switzerland, provides the only thorough list of vaccination requirements: Click here

Sample veterinary certificates can be found on the Jet Airways website.

If the pet is travelling in the cargo hold, the following documents will be also be required:

  • A copy of the owner/caretaker's passport
  • A copy of the owner/caretaker's e-ticket
  • A copy of the airway bill

Quarantine

India does not generally quarantine pets from countries with no or low incidences of rabies that have been vaccinated from:

  • Dogs: Aujeszky’s disease, distemper, rabies (no fewer than 30 days prior to travel and no more than one year), leishmaniasis and leptospirosis
  • Cats: rabies (no fewer than 30 days prior to travel and no more than one year) and distemper

It is rare for a pet to be quarantined, but when it does happen, it will last for between 30 days and three months.

Useful Contacts

Contact details of the main locations of Animal Quarantine and Certification Service Stations, part of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, are listed below:

  • New Delhi
    At: Kapashera (Crossing), New Delhi 110 001
    Tel: + 91 11 2506 3272       
    Fax: +91 11 2506 0647
  • Kolkata
    At    : Narayanpur, P.O R-Gopalpur, North 24-Parganas, West Bengal 7435
    Tel    : +91 33 2573 9777
    Fax    : +91 33 2573 9777
  • Mumbai
    At    : Cargo Terminal Building, Phase I, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Sahar, Mumbai 400099
    Tel    : +91 22 2682 8194
  • Chennai
    At    : Velachery Main Road, Pallikaranai, Chennai 601302
    Tel    : +91 44 2246 0659       
    Fax    : +91 44 2246 0659
  • Bangalore
    At    : Alpha 3, Room No. 024, 1st Floor, Bangalore International Airport, Devanahalli, Bangalore 560300