India to the UK 11 min read
Taking a dog or cat from India to the UK
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
India is not on Great Britain's list of approved (listed) countries, so a dog or cat from India needs a microchip, a rabies vaccine, a rabies blood test at an EU-approved lab outside India and a 3-month wait after the blood sample, then a Great Britain pet health certificate.
Dogs also need tapeworm treatment 1 to 5 days before arrival, and pets fly as cargo. Plan for at least 4 months (GOV.UK, checked 21 October 2026).
Great Britain's rules for a pet from India
| What | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| India's status | Not a listed country. | GOV.UK |
| Microchip | ISO 11784 or 11785 chip, implanted before, or at the same time as, the rabies vaccine. | GOV.UK |
| Rabies vaccine | At 12 weeks old or older. Keep boosters on time or the process restarts. | GOV.UK |
| Blood test | Sample at least 30 days after the vaccine, tested at an EU-approved lab; result at least 0.5 IU/ml. | GOV.UK |
| Labs in India | None on the EU list, so the sample is sent abroad. | European Commission |
| Wait | 3 months from the date the blood sample was taken. | GOV.UK |
| Tapeworm (dogs) | Praziquantel treatment 24 to 120 hours (1 to 5 days) before arrival, recorded by a vet. | GOV.UK |
| Health certificate | A Great Britain pet health certificate signed by an official veterinarian; the pet must enter within 10 days of issue. | GOV.UK |
| How the pet flies | As cargo on an approved route. Assistance dogs and chartered private planes are the exceptions. | GOV.UK |
| Number of pets | Up to 5, travelling within 5 days of the owner. | GOV.UK |
| If the rules are not met | Up to 4 months of rabies quarantine at approved premises, at the owner's cost. | Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK) |
Plan for moving a pet from India to the UK
Microchip
An ISO-standard chip, before or at the same time as the rabies vaccine.
Rabies vaccine
At 12 weeks old or older, with every booster on time from here on.
Blood sample, 30 or more days later
Your vet draws it and it is couriered to an EU-approved lab abroad; India has none.
Wait 3 months from the blood draw
The earliest date your pet can enter Great Britain is 3 months after the sample was taken.
Book an approved cargo route
Pets enter as cargo on a route on GOV.UK's approved list.
Get the export and health certificates
The AQCS export certificate (valid 10 days) and the Great Britain pet health certificate; the pet must arrive within 10 days of the health certificate.
Tapeworm treatment for dogs
A vet gives and records it 1 to 5 days before arrival.
Which mistakes restart the UK's 3-month wait?
The order of chip and vaccine, the booster dates and the lab you use: a slip in any of them can cost the 3-month wait, or the whole preparation.
If the microchip went in after the rabies vaccine
The vaccine has to be given again. GOV.UK's main guide says chip before the vaccine and its microchip page says before or at the same visit, so chipping first is the order both accept. GOV.UK
If the chip cannot be read when your pet lands
It is refused entry or put into quarantine. If your vet cannot read the chip either, every step is done again: a new chip, vaccine, blood test and certificate, then the waiting periods. GOV.UK
If a rabies booster is missed
The vaccinations restart, and a pet from an unlisted country such as India also needs a new blood test and a longer wait. GOV.UK
If the blood test shows less than 0.5 IU/ml
The result does not count. GOV.UK does not say what to do next; Petym's reading is that only a passing sample starts the 3 months, so a repeat test means a new 3-month wait from the new sample date. GOV.UK
If the sample went to a lab that is not EU-approved
It does not count. Check the EU list before the sample is sent: Biobest in Scotland lost its approval on 9 February 2026. European Commission
If a delayed flight lands your dog more than 5 days (120 hours) after its tapeworm treatment
It may need treating again before it enters Great Britain. GOV.UK
If a check fails on arrival
You choose between quarantine, sending the pet back and having it put down. You pay the fees and charges, and you could be taken to court. Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK)
Is the UK's six-month pet quarantine still in force?
No. A pet that meets the pet travel rules goes into no quarantine at all, and one that fails them faces up to 4 months, not six.
You may have read
A dog or cat entering the UK spends six months in quarantine.
Myth
What the sources say
There is no quarantine for a pet that meets the pet travel rules. One that fails them can be held for up to 4 months, and is released earlier once it meets the rules or is sent back. Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK)
You may have read
The 3-month wait after the blood test is quarantine.
Myth
What the sources say
It is a wait before travel, counted from the day the blood sample was taken, so your pet spends it at home in India. GOV.UK
You may have read
A council page says six months, so it must be right.
Myth
What the sources say
Some council pages still carry the old figure, such as North Yorkshire Council's. APHA's quarantine guidance, last updated 8 September 2025, gives up to 4 months. North Yorkshire Council
You may have read
If quarantine does happen, I can take my pet there myself.
Myth
What the sources say
No. You book a Defra-authorised carrier and premises, you may not transport the pet yourself, and you pay all the costs; GOV.UK publishes no price. Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK)
Which airlines fly pets from India into the UK, and where do they land?
Pets land as cargo at six approved airports, Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle, on the airlines on APHA's list, updated 9 October 2026.
Being on the list means the route is approved; check with the airline that it carries pets as cargo from your city. Air India's own page says it carries UK pets as cargo only, to or from Heathrow or Gatwick and not Birmingham, while APHA's list names Air India at Heathrow only.
| What | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Air India | Heathrow (Animal Air Care) | Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK) |
| IndiGo | Heathrow (Heathrow Animal Reception Centre), Manchester | Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK) |
| British Airways | Heathrow and Gatwick (Animal Air Care) | Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK) |
| Qatar Airways | Edinburgh, Heathrow (Heathrow Animal Reception Centre), Manchester (Pets on Jets) | Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK) |
| Etihad Airways | Edinburgh, Heathrow (Heathrow Animal Reception Centre), Manchester (Pets on Jets) | Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK) |
| Lufthansa | Edinburgh, Heathrow (Animal Air Care), Manchester (Pets on Jets) | Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK) |
| Emirates (passenger airline) | Newcastle only | Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK) |
| Emirates SkyCargo | Edinburgh, Glasgow, Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester (Pets on Jets) and Newcastle | Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK) |
What happens between take-off in India and collecting your pet in the UK?
Your pet flies in the hold as manifest cargo and is released at the airport only after customs; on average it is ready 2 to 4 hours after landing.
Leaving India
Your vet completes the GB health certificate and India's competent authority endorses it. Petym found no page naming that office: ask AQCS. City of London Corporation
In the hold
Booked as manifest cargo, even if you are on the same flight. Assistance dogs and chartered planes are the exceptions. City of London Corporation (runs the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre)
The handler
At Heathrow, HARC for IndiGo, Qatar Airways and Etihad; Animal Air Care for Air India, British Airways and Lufthansa. Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK)
At HARC
A climate-controlled van to the centre and a kennel of its own. HARC staff check a non-commercial pet's papers; APHA checks commercial ones. City of London Corporation (runs the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre)
Customs
Released only after customs clearance. You need a UK customs agent even if you arrange everything else yourself. GOV.UK
Collection
Usually 2 to 4 hours after landing. Bring photo ID, the air waybill, and a lead and collar; only sealed, commercially packed food comes in. City of London Corporation (runs the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre)
What must happen in the last 10 days before your pet lands in the UK?
Three windows close in on the flight: the health certificate's 10 days, the dog's tapeworm treatment and the 5 days either side of your own arrival.
Up to 10 days before landing
The Great Britain pet health certificate. GOV.UK counts the 10 days from issue; the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre counts them from the endorsement in India. The AQCS export certificate is also valid for 10 days. GOV.UK
120 to 24 hours before landing
A vet treats your dog for tapeworm and records the product, the date and the time. Treated at 1pm on Monday, it must land after 1pm on Tuesday and before 1pm on Saturday. GOV.UK
Within 5 days of you
Your pet lands no more than 5 days before or after you, or the commercial “Balai” rules apply. Someone you authorise in writing may travel with it. GOV.UK
Travel day
Whoever travels with the pet carries a signed non-commercial declaration. APHA (GOV.UK)
What does the UK end of a move from India cost?
Petym found no UK government pet import fee: you pay the lab, a customs agent and the animal handler at the airport, and only the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre publishes its prices.
As published
- APHA Weybridge rabies blood test (TC0712)£72.30 + VATUp to 20 working days. Only a practising vet can send the sample. APHA Scientific
- HARC: collecting your pet from the aircraft£104 City of London Corporation (runs the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre)
- HARC: boarding, with a paperwork pre-check£213 City of London Corporation (runs the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre)
- HARC: boarding, without the pre-check£293 City of London Corporation (runs the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre)
- HARC: each extra pet£55 City of London Corporation (runs the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre)
- Animal Air Care, for Air India, British Airways and LufthansaNot publishedAsk the airline or your agent. Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK)
- UK customs agentNot publishedNeeded even if you arrange the rest. With none, GOV.UK points you to customs at the arrival airport or to HMRC's National Clearance Hub, [email protected]. GOV.UK
- Rabies quarantine, if the rules are not metNot publishedYou pay all of it, at the Defra-authorised carrier and premises you choose. Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK)
HARC's charges apply when your airline hands pets to HARC, for example IndiGo, Qatar Airways or Etihad (HARC's page, updated 5 October 2026). HARC also says you may need to apply for Transfer of Residency relief (ToR1).
Can a banned breed come to the UK from India?
Only with a Certificate of Exemption, and for XL Bully types new exemptions can now come only from a court.
If your dog is a Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino or Fila Brasileiro type
It cannot be brought into Great Britain without a Certificate of Exemption. GOV.UK
If your dog is an XL Bully type
Applications for a Certificate of Exemption have closed; new exemptions can only be authorised by a court order. Defra (GOV.UK)
If a banned dog will live in a home with children
From 1 November 2026 you must not leave a child under 12 in close contact with a banned dog in a private place, such as a home or garden, without adult supervision. GOV.UK
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
Is there a lab in India for the UK rabies blood test?
- No. India has no lab on the EU's list of approved rabies antibody labs, so the blood sample has to go to a listed lab abroad, for example in the UK, the UAE or the USA.
Which labs can test my pet's blood for the UK, since India has none?
- Any lab on the EU's list for countries outside the EU, for example APHA at Weybridge in England, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai, or Kansas State University's rabies lab in the USA. Biobest in Scotland is no longer on it: its approval expired on 9 February 2026.
How much does APHA Weybridge charge for a UK rabies blood test, and how long does it take?
- The standard pet travel test, TC0712, costs £72.30 before VAT and takes at most 20 working days. Only a practising vet can send the sample, and from India the package must carry APHA's import licence ITIMP23.0945 and a declared value of no more than $1.
Can my dog fly in the cabin from India to the UK?
- No, unless it is an assistance dog. Pets enter Great Britain as cargo on an approved route; chartered private planes are the other exception.
How long is the wait after the blood test for the UK?
- 3 months from the date the blood sample was taken. The test stays valid as long as rabies boosters are kept up to date.
Can my dog land in the UK a few days after I do?
- Yes, within 5 days before or after you; outside that window the commercial “Balai” import rules apply. A relative or friend can travel with the pet instead if you authorise it in writing.
What happens if my pet does not meet the UK rules on arrival?
- You choose between rabies quarantine at approved premises for up to 4 months, sending the pet back to the country it came from, or having it put down, and you pay the fees and charges.
How long does moving a dog from India to the UK take?
- At least 4 months, realistically 5 to 6, by Petym's working from GOV.UK's rules: the blood sample at least 30 days after the vaccine, entry no sooner than 3 months after the sample, plus the lab's turnaround (up to 20 working days at APHA), booking a cargo route, and fitting the 10-day health certificate and the 1-to-5-day tapeworm windows.
Keep reading
- Taking a pet abroad from IndiaThe AQCS export certificate every pet needs.
- Taking a dog from India to the USACDC rules and the 8 entry airports.
- Taking a dog from India to CanadaA rabies certificate, no quarantine.
- Taking a dog from India to the UAEPermit, titre test and banned breeds.
- Bringing a pet into IndiaIf you are moving back.
Keep exploring
Before and after the flight
Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- GOV.UK: Bring your pet to Great Britain (opens in a new tab)
- Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK): Approved air routes for pet travel (updated 9 October 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Arriving in Great Britain with your pet (opens in a new tab)
- Animal and Plant Health Agency (GOV.UK): Put your pet in rabies quarantine (opens in a new tab)
- City of London Corporation (runs the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre): Importing your dog, cat or ferret (opens in a new tab)
- City of London Corporation: Pet Travel Scheme (Date updated: 7/04/2024) (opens in a new tab)
Show all 23 sourcesShow fewer
- Air India: Travelling with pets (opens in a new tab)
- APHA (GOV.UK): Rabies antibody tests: pet travel schemes (VLARAB1) (updated 28 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- APHA Scientific: Laboratory services & prices: TC0712 rabies antibodies for PETS (FAVN) (opens in a new tab)
- European Commission: Designated laboratories performing rabies antibody titration tests: non-EU countries (opens in a new tab)
- AQCS, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying: Export of pets (dogs and cats) (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Which pet travel document you need (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Bring your pet to Great Britain: microchip (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Rabies vaccination and boosters (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Rabies blood tests (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Tapeworm treatment for dogs (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Great Britain pet health certificate (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Travel routes for pets (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Bringing more than 5 pets (opens in a new tab)
- North Yorkshire Council: Pet travel scheme (undated) (opens in a new tab)
- APHA (GOV.UK): Pet travel: non-commercial declaration (updated 1 Sep 2016) (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Controlling your dog in public: banned dogs (opens in a new tab)
- Defra (GOV.UK): Ban on XL Bully dogs (England and Wales) (opens in a new tab)