Country entry guide · Asia
Traveling to India with your dog
India welcomes pet dogs, but under a strict national scheme run by the Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) of the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD). Every dog needs an advance No Objection Certificate (NOC) from an AQCS station before it can be flown in, and is physically examined on arrival. What you can bring depends mainly on your own situation: a returning resident transferring residence to India may import up to two pets as baggage, while short visits or other purposes require a licence from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). India does not require a rabies antibody test, but it does require a certified rabies vaccination and an official health certificate. This guide explains each case so you know exactly what to prepare before you book your flight.
📋 At a glance
| Dogs allowed | Yes — with NOC and eligibility |
| Import NOC / permit (AQCS) | Required |
| Microchip | Required |
| Rabies vaccination | Required |
| Rabies antibody test | Not required by India |
| Veterinary health certificate | Required |
| Quarantine | Only if unfit on arrival |
⏱️ 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 the AQCS import conditions can confirm the exact procedure for your individual dog.
- Requirements depend on: your import category (transfer of residence, DGFT licence or re-import), previous travel history, identification, vaccinations, the itinerary and the travel date.
Always consult your veterinarian before booking your trip.
Find a flight to India
🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact documents depend on three things — India (your destination) sets the national scheme, but your own situation decides which path applies.
- 1 Country of destination — India★★★★★
India's own scheme applies to every dog: an advance NOC from an AQCS station, a microchip, a certified rabies vaccination, an official health certificate and a physical inspection on arrival — with quarantine only if the dog is found unfit.
- 2 Your import category and purpose★★★★★
Whether you qualify under the baggage rule (transfer of residence), need a DGFT licence (short visits, defence, R&D and other purposes) or re-import a dog previously exported from India decides which documents you must produce.
- 3 Your period of stay abroad★★★★☆
The baggage-rule path for up to two pets requires proof of at least two continuous years abroad and of transferring your residence to India. Without it, you fall under the DGFT-licence route instead.
So read the requirements below as India's framework, then confirm your eligibility and category with AQCS and your vet before you travel.
✅ Entry requirements
| Requirement | Required? | When | Exceptions | Official reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Import NOC (AQCS) | Required | Apply to an AQCS station at least 7 working days before embarkation; an advance NOC is issued (about 1 working day after review) and the airline will not load the dog without it. | The advance NOC is provisional; a final NOC is issued on arrival after physical examination. | AQCS — SOP for import of pet dogs; DAHD |
| Import eligibility (2 pets / permit) | Required | Up to two pets (dogs/cats) per passenger may be imported as baggage on transfer of residence (proof of ≥2 years abroad + transfer of residence to India). | More than two pets, or imports outside the baggage rule, require an import sanitary permit from DAHD or an import licence from DGFT. Commercial import for breeding is not permitted. | Customs Circular 15/2013; CBIC baggage rules |
| ISO microchip | Required | The dog must be microchipped; the number is recorded on the AQCS application and must match the microchip/health certificate presented. | AQCS does not publish a specific chip standard — bring an ISO 11784/11785-compatible microchip and a scanner, and make sure it can be read on arrival. | AQCS — Import of pet under baggage rule |
| Rabies vaccination | Required | Dog three months of age or older, vaccinated against rabies more than one month but within 12 months before embarkation; details officially certified. | A three-year vaccine given more than one year earlier is not accepted — the dog must be re-vaccinated to fall within the 12-month window. | AQCS — Import of pet under baggage rule (pt. 3) |
| Rabies antibody test | Not required | — | India's baggage-rule scheme does not require a rabies antibody test. A DGFT import licence may set additional pre-import test conditions, which must then be met under official certification. | AQCS — Import of pet under baggage rule; DGFT |
| Other vaccinations | Certified on the health certificate | The health certificate must certify the dog is free from clinical signs of infectious/contagious diseases including rabies, canine distemper, parvovirus and leptospirosis; other vaccination records are certified too. | AQCS does not publish a fixed vaccine list beyond rabies — carry a full, officially certified vaccination record. | AQCS — Import of pet under baggage rule (pt. 2–3) |
| Veterinary health certificate | Required | Official health certificate from the country of origin (AQCS Annexure 1.1.1), signed by the competent authority; the owner's name must match the ticket to prove ownership. | The original is retained by AQCS at examination. A declaration that the dog is a bonafide pet with no commercial/gift/breeding purpose is also required. | AQCS — SOP for import of pet dogs (Annexure 1.1.1) |
| Advance customs / transfer-of-residence proof | Conditional | Baggage rule: visa/immigration proof of at least two continuous years abroad plus proof of transferring residence to India. Accompanied: owner's ticket; unaccompanied: within one month of the owner's arrival. | If the pet is sent more than one month after the owner arrives, or before the owner, advance customs permission is needed. | Customs Circular 15/2013; AQCS baggage rule |
| Arrival inspection (AQCS station) | Required | An AQCS officer physically examines the dog at the port of entry (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru or Hyderabad); if fit and healthy, the final NOC is issued at the port. | Import is only cleared at these designated AQCS airport stations, not at other airports. | AQCS — SOP for import of pet dogs (on arrival) |
| Minimum age / puppies | Effectively ≥3 months | The rabies-vaccination rule applies to dogs three months of age and older, and the shot must be more than one month old — so an imported dog is at least about four months old. | AQCS does not publish a separate puppy exemption; a certified rabies vaccination is expected for import. | AQCS — Import of pet under baggage rule (pt. 3) |
| Quarantine | Only if unfit | No routine quarantine for a fit, correctly documented dog. If the dog fails examination or shows clinical signs, it is quarantined 15 days at the AQCS station with testing at the owner's cost. | In doubtful cases the dog may be held under observation and final clearance issued after 30 days; positive test or death means deportation/post-mortem and incineration at the owner's cost. | AQCS — SOP for import of pet dogs (quarantine) |
🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin
Baggage rule — transfer of residence (up to 2 pets)
If you are relocating to India after at least two continuous years abroad, you may import up to two pets (dogs/cats) as baggage. You need the advance AQCS NOC, an ISO microchip, a certified rabies vaccination (dog ≥3 months, shot >1 month and <12 months old), an official health certificate, and proof of your two-year stay and transfer of residence. No rabies antibody test is required.
DGFT licence — short visits & other purposes
If you do not qualify under the baggage rule (for example short visits, defence, police or R&D), you must obtain an import licence from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) before applying for the AQCS NOC. Any pre-import health conditions and tests set on the licence must be met under official certification. Commercial import of dogs for breeding is not permitted.
Re-import — dog previously exported from India
If the dog was taken out of India in the past, it can return under the re-import category (Customs Circular 25/2013). You must show proof of the earlier movement — preferably the AQCS export health certificate — to establish the dog's identity, plus a current official health certificate with vaccination details and the owner's ticket, then obtain the advance AQCS NOC.
🛬 Arrival
Your dog is cleared only at a designated AQCS airport station, after a physical examination on arrival.
- Fly into an airport with an AQCS station: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru or Hyderabad — clearance is not available elsewhere.
- Present the advance NOC, the original health certificate, vaccination/microchip records and your ownership/eligibility documents to the AQCS quarantine officer.
- The officer physically examines the dog; if it is found fit and healthy, the final NOC is issued at the port of entry.
- If the dog fails the examination or shows clinical signs of disease, it is quarantined at the AQCS station for 15 days, with testing at the owner's cost.
- The airline will not load your dog without an advance NOC, so obtain it before departure — it is issued free of charge by AQCS.
- In doubtful cases the dog may be held under observation, with final clearance after 30 days; a positive test or death leads to deportation or post-mortem and incineration at the owner's cost.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 Restricted dogs
In March 2024 India's Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying issued a circular advising states not to allow the import, sale, breeding or keeping of about 23 dog breeds considered 'ferocious' and dangerous to human life (including pit bull terrier, Rottweiler, Tosa Inu, dogo Argentino, fila Brasileiro, American bulldog, Boerboel, presa Canario, wolf-dog hybrids and others).
Legal status: the 2024 circular was challenged and stayed or set aside by several High Courts (the Delhi High Court set it aside for lack of procedural fairness; the Karnataka and Calcutta High Courts stayed it), and the central government told the Bombay High Court it would not enforce the circular while it reconsiders after a public notice inviting objections. It is therefore not currently in force as a nationwide import ban.
Practical effect: because the circular has been stayed/set aside and is not being enforced, breed status is uncertain and may change once the government finalises its decision. No settled national breed-import ban currently applies, but some states may act independently.
Because this area is unsettled, confirm the current breed rules with AQCS/DAHD and your destination state before you travel — do not rely on the 2024 list being either in force or fully withdrawn.
✈️ National airlines
Carriers registered in this country that accept dogs — see each airline's MyDogCanFly fiche.
🛂 Airports in India
Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.
🧾 Preparation checklist
- ☐Confirm your import category: transfer of residence (baggage), DGFT licence, or re-import
- ☐Advance NOC applied for at an AQCS station at least 7 working days before departure
- ☐Microchip readable on arrival (ISO 11784/11785 recommended)
- ☐Rabies vaccination certified: dog ≥3 months, shot >1 month and <12 months before embarkation
- ☐Official health certificate from the country of origin, signed by the competent authority, owner name matching the ticket
- ☐Transfer-of-residence proof (≥2 years abroad + relocation) or a valid DGFT licence
- ☐Flight arriving at an AQCS airport (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad)
- ☐Suitable IATA crate if travelling in the hold, plus airway bill / passport / e-ticket copies
- ☐Check the current status of the 2024 'ferocious breeds' guidance for your breed and destination state