Country entry guide · South Asia
Traveling to Bangladesh with your dog
Bangladesh welcomes pet dogs, but it runs its own national import scheme through the Department of Livestock Services (DLS), under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock — not the EU framework. Before your dog travels, you must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for a Pet Animal Companion, applied for online on the DLS e-Trade portal. The application records your dog's microchip number and requires a vaccination certificate and vaccination card, an official health certificate issued by the veterinarian of the country you are coming from, a copy of your passport and visa, and a colour photo of the pet. On arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the pet is handled through DLS animal quarantine. Bangladesh is a rabies-endemic country, so a valid rabies vaccination is expected, but several specifics — exact vaccination timing, any quarantine period and minimum age — are not published officially. What you must prepare depends on your dog's country of origin and travel history, so read this guide, then confirm the current conditions with DLS before you book.
📋 At a glance
| Dogs allowed | Yes — with DLS NOC and documents |
| Import NOC / permit (DLS) | Required |
| Microchip | Required (number recorded on NOC) |
| Rabies vaccination | Required (timing not officially published) |
| Rabies antibody test | Not required by DLS |
| Vaccination certificate & card | Required |
| Veterinary health certificate | Required |
| Parasite treatment | Not published officially |
| Quarantine | Handled by DLS (duration not published) |
⏱️ Estimated preparation time
Times are indicative. The rabies antibody test alone adds a fixed 3-month wait.
⚠️ Important
- MyDogCanFly provides general information — not veterinary or legal advice.
- Only a veterinarian and Bangladesh's Department of Livestock Services (DLS) can confirm the exact procedure for your individual dog.
- The DLS import NOC must be obtained before departure — apply online on the DLS e-Trade portal and send the pre-arrival notification.
- Several specifics — exact vaccination timing, quarantine duration and minimum age — are not published officially; confirm them with DLS.
- Requirements depend on: the country of origin, previous travel history, identification, vaccinations, the itinerary and the travel date.
Always consult your veterinarian before booking your trip.
Find a flight to Bangladesh
🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact steps depend on three things — Bangladesh (your destination) is only the first.
- 1 Country of destination — Bangladesh★★★★★
Bangladesh runs its own DLS scheme: a No Objection Certificate for a Pet Animal Companion applied for online, a recorded microchip number, a vaccination certificate and card, an official health certificate, and handling by DLS animal quarantine at Dhaka airport. It does not use the EU pet-passport system.
- 2 Country of departure★★★★★
The health certificate and vaccination records must be issued by the veterinary surgeon or specialist of the country you are travelling from. Bangladesh is rabies-endemic, so a valid rabies vaccination from the origin country is expected, and your dog's origin shapes what the origin vet must certify.
- 3 Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆
Your dog's disease exposure and travel history can affect what DLS asks for and how the animal is handled on arrival. DLS quarantine officers may hold a dog for post-entry quarantine if its health, identity or paperwork raises a concern — regardless of the last airport.
So read the requirements below as Bangladesh's framework, then confirm your dog's exact origin, history and timeline with your vet and DLS before you book.
✅ Entry requirements
| Requirement | Required? | When | Exceptions | Official reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Import NOC (DLS) | Required | A No Objection Certificate for a Pet Animal Companion (Import) must be obtained before travel. Apply online on the DLS e-Trade portal (etrade.dls.gov.bd): register, complete the applicant and pet information (up to three pets), upload the mandatory documents and submit. Up to three pet animals can be listed on one application. | The NOC has an issue date and an expiry date shown on the certificate; a specific validity period is not published in the reviewed DLS documents — confirm current validity with DLS. Applications may be rejected by the reviewing officer if incomplete. | DLS e-Trade portal — NOC for Pet Animal Companion; DLS NOC user manual |
| Microchip | Required | The pet's microchip number is a mandatory field in the DLS NOC application (entered with the dog's name, sex, colour and breed). It must match the animal and its documents on arrival. | The reviewed DLS documents require a microchip number but do not specify a particular microchip standard (e.g. ISO 11784/11785) — bring an ISO-compatible microchip and a scanner, and make sure it is readable on arrival. | DLS NOC user manual (Pet Information — Microchip No) |
| Rabies vaccination | Required | A vaccination certificate and a vaccination card issued by the veterinary surgeon or specialist of the country you are coming from are mandatory documents in the NOC application. Bangladesh is rabies-endemic, so a valid rabies vaccination is expected among these records. | The reviewed DLS documents do not publish a specific rabies-vaccination interval (e.g. a minimum or maximum number of days before travel) — carry complete, dated records showing current validity, and confirm the required timing with DLS. | DLS NOC user manual (Documents — Vaccination Certificate & Card); HSIA — Importation of Pets |
| Rabies antibody test | Not required | — | The reviewed DLS import documents do not call for a rabies antibody test. Only a vaccination certificate, vaccination card and health certificate are listed as mandatory; a lab test report is optional in the DLS pre-arrival notification. | DLS NOC user manual (Documents; Pre-Arrival Notification) |
| Veterinary health certificate | Required | An official health certificate issued by the veterinary surgeon or specialist of the country of departure is a mandatory attachment in the NOC application and is named again in the airport guidance for importing pets. | The reviewed DLS documents do not publish a fixed validity window for the health certificate (e.g. issued within X days of travel) — have it issued as close to departure as your vet advises, and confirm any time limit with DLS. | DLS NOC user manual (Documents — Health Certificate); HSIA — Importation of Pets |
| Passport & visa copies | Required | A copy of the owner's passport and a copy of the visa are mandatory attachments in the NOC application, together with a colour photo of the pet; the passport number is also entered in the applicant information. | A work order and additional attachments can be uploaded optionally. The application is submitted to and reviewed by DLS before the NOC is issued. | DLS NOC user manual (Applicant Information; Documents) |
| Parasite treatment | Not published officially | Unknown — the reviewed DLS documents do not list a specific internal/external parasite-treatment requirement for importing a pet dog. | As good practice for a rabies-endemic, tropical destination, ask your vet about parasite protection and confirm with DLS whether any treatment must be certified. | DLS NOC user manual (Documents) — no parasite-treatment field published |
| Pre-arrival notification | Required | After the NOC is issued, the applicant sends a pre-arrival notification through the DLS portal — selecting the transportation type, entering the booking/rental number and the estimated arrival date and time, and attaching the health/veterinary certificate and any lab test report — so DLS quarantine officers can prepare for the arrival. | The intended use can be marked as 'post-entry quarantine' among the options; the notification supports the airport's monitoring and coordination. | DLS NOC user manual (Pre-Arrival Notification Process) |
| Arrival handling & quarantine (DLS) | Required (handling) | Pets from abroad are handled through DLS animal quarantine on arrival, and the DLS portal issues a quarantine certificate as part of its services. Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport directs importers to apply on the DLS portal and to clear the pet through animal quarantine. | The reviewed official documents do not publish a fixed quarantine duration for pet dogs — confirm whether, and for how long, your dog may be held with DLS before travel. | DLS e-Trade portal (Quarantine Certificate); HSIA — Importation of Pets |
| Minimum age / puppies | Not published officially | Unknown — the reviewed DLS documents do not state a minimum age for importing a pet dog. Date of birth is an optional field on the NOC application. | Because a valid rabies vaccination is expected and rabies vaccines are generally given from about three months of age, plan for a dog old enough to be properly vaccinated, and confirm with DLS. | DLS NOC user manual (Pet Information — Date of Birth optional) |
🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin
Accompanied pet dog — standard NOC path
For a dog travelling with you as accompanied baggage or in the cabin, apply online for the DLS No Objection Certificate for a Pet Animal Companion before departure. You need the recorded microchip number, a vaccination certificate and card, an official health certificate from your origin-country vet, and copies of your passport and visa plus a colour photo of the pet. After the NOC is issued, send the pre-arrival notification. No rabies antibody test is required by DLS, but a valid rabies vaccination is expected and your dog is handled through DLS animal quarantine on arrival at Dhaka.
Unaccompanied / air-cargo import
If the dog travels unaccompanied or as air cargo, the same DLS NOC is required, together with the pre-arrival/shipment notification through the portal and coordination with the carrier and DLS animal quarantine at Dhaka airport. Keep the microchip, health certificate and vaccination records consistent with the NOC, and be ready to present the originals on arrival. Confirm the airport's cargo handling and any fees with the carrier and DLS in advance.
Incomplete documents or non-compliant arrival
A dog that arrives without a valid DLS NOC, without a matching microchip, or without the required health certificate and vaccination records risks being held for post-entry quarantine, delayed clearance or refusal, with any costs falling on the owner. Because DLS does not publish fixed timings, quarantine duration or a minimum age, do not assume a specific outcome — complete every document before departure and confirm the current conditions with DLS.
🛬 Arrival
What happens when your dog reaches Bangladesh depends on whether the DLS NOC and every supporting document were completed before departure.
- Dogs enter through Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka, where importers are directed to apply on the DLS portal and clear the pet through animal quarantine.
- Send the DLS pre-arrival notification before travel so quarantine officers can prepare; carry the issued NOC and the originals of the health certificate, vaccination certificate and vaccination card.
- The microchip must match the animal and its documents; a mismatch or missing paperwork can delay or block clearance.
- DLS animal quarantine handles the pet on arrival and the portal issues a quarantine certificate as part of the process; the reviewed official documents do not publish a fixed quarantine duration for dogs.
- If documents are missing or invalid, the dog may be held for post-entry quarantine, delayed or refused, at the owner's expense — so complete everything before you fly.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 Restricted dogs
Bangladesh's Department of Livestock Services does not publish a breed-specific import ban in its reviewed pet-import documents: the No Objection Certificate process records each dog's breed but does not name breeds prohibited from entering the country.
No national breed-import ban is published. Breeds restricted in some other countries (pit-bull types, Tosa, Rottweiler and similar) are not, in the reviewed DLS documents, named as prohibited from being imported into Bangladesh. This is an absence of a published rule, not a positive confirmation that every breed is accepted.
Practical restrictions come mainly from airline policies: many carriers refuse or restrict snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds in the hold and set their own breed and crate rules. These are airline rules, not Bangladeshi import bans.
Because DLS does not publish a breed list and airline policies can be stricter, confirm your dog's breed both with DLS and with your carrier before booking, and re-check DLS for any future change.
🧾 Preparation checklist
- ☐DLS No Objection Certificate (NOC) for a Pet Animal Companion applied for online before departure
- ☐Microchip readable on arrival; number recorded on the NOC application (ISO-compatible recommended)
- ☐Vaccination certificate and vaccination card from the origin-country vet, including rabies
- ☐Official veterinary health certificate from the country of departure
- ☐Copies of your passport and visa, plus a colour photo of the pet
- ☐Pre-arrival notification sent through the DLS portal before travel
- ☐Flight arriving at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), Dhaka, with DLS animal quarantine handling
- ☐Confirm with DLS the exact vaccination timing, any quarantine duration and minimum age (not published officially)
- ☐IATA-compliant crate if travelling in the hold; confirm your breed with the airline
📚 Official sources
- DLS e-Trade Portal — NOC for Pet Animal Companion, Import Permit & Quarantine Certificate
- DLS — User Manual: No Objection Certificate for Pet Animal Companion (PDF)
- Department of Livestock Services (DLS), Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock
- Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) — Instructions for Transporting Pets and Animals
- USDA APHIS — Export Live Animals to Bangladesh (dog requirements not listed)