Travel Tips

Traveling with pets to India: Things to consider

For all animal lovers, it is good news that domestic pets like cats, dogs, and birds are permitted to be imported into India. Up to only two pets per passenger are allowed at one time to fly. Which is subject to the production of health certificates from the country of origin and examination of pets by the concerned quarantine officer.

If you are a citizen of India, wishing to visit the country with your pet then you must have been abroad for two or more years and any short visits in India must not exceed more than 180 days during this time interval.

If you are a foreign national of Indian origin, then you must have a PIO or an OCI card to import your pet to India.

Before booking affordable flights to Delhi from Canada, every other Indian citizen looking to visit India on a short visa needs a DGFT license to import their pet to India. If you are a foreign national without Indian origin then you must be relocating to India to work or live for one year to import your pet.

Unaccompanied cats and dogs cannot be imported to India unless they are associated with their owner who is transferring residency to India. The owner must visit India within 30 days of their cat or dog. Dogs are not permitted to enter India for commercial or breeding purposes.

Things to Consider:

Pet Microchip

To import your pet to India you first need your pet to be microchipped with an ISO 11784/11785 pet microchip which is non-encrypted. If your pet is microchipped with the same then you can bring your own microchip scanner.

Import Permit

For dogs and cats penetrating India for a temporary visit, an import license issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade in India is needed. For pets entering India due to changes in ownership, a minimum of 30 days quarantine in the government-approved facility in the originating country is required. All the pets entering India with their owners need a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Animal Quarantine Station in India.

Rabies Vaccination and Certificate

All the dogs and cats must have an original certificate of rabies vaccination and the certificate must state the microchip number, the date of vaccination, and the validity of particular inoculation. The vaccine must be an inactivated vaccine.

Vet Health Certificate

This is the Standard Health Certificate (Form 7001) to be filled out by your USDA authorized veterinarian. It has to be issued within 10 days of the flight. The health certificate must state that the pet has no clinical signs of Aujeszky disease, rabies, distemper, tuberculosis, leptospirosis, or leishmaniasis.

Endorsements by USDA and AAFC

The following forms are must be sent to your local USDA or AAFC for their stamp of approval. Please contact your relocation specialist to learn more about the best way to manage this.

Rabies Certificate
Microchip Implantation Record
Vet Health certificate

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