India to the USA 10 min read
Taking a dog or cat from India to the USA
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
India is on the CDC's list of high-risk countries for dog rabies, so a dog from India must be at least 6 months old, microchipped before its rabies vaccine, and land at one of 8 US airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility, where it is examined and revaccinated.
It also needs a CDC Dog Import Form, a rabies blood test at a lab outside India (or 28 days of quarantine) and a screwworm certificate. Cats need no rabies proof (CDC and USDA, checked 21 October 2026).
US rules for a dog from India
| What | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| India's status | A high-risk country for dog rabies. | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Age | At least 6 months on entry; rabies vaccine at 12 weeks (84 days) or older. | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Microchip | Readable by a universal scanner and implanted before the rabies vaccine, or the vaccine does not count. | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| CDC Dog Import Form | Online and free, one per dog; for high-risk countries the receipt covers one entry and needs a photo of the dog. | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Vet certification | The Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip, completed by your vet within 30 days of travel and endorsed by an official government veterinarian. | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Blood (titre) test | Drawn at least 30 days after the first valid rabies vaccine and at least 28 days before entry, at a CDC-approved lab; at least 0.5 IU/mL. | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Labs in India | None on the CDC's approved list. | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Without a titre | 28 days of quarantine at a CDC-registered animal care facility, which the CDC can sometimes shorten for a personal pet. | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Animal care facility | Booked for every dog vaccinated in a high-risk country: a vet exam and revaccination with a US-licensed vaccine, paid by the owner. | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Screwworm certificate | India is listed as affected; a full-time salaried government vet certifies the dog was inspected within 5 days before shipment. APHIS sets no template for it. | USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service |
| Cats | No federal rabies-vaccine requirement; cats must look healthy on arrival. | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
Plan for moving a dog from India to the USA
Microchip first
Before the rabies vaccine, a vaccine given before the chip does not count.
Rabies vaccine
At 12 weeks old or older.
Blood test, 30 or more days later
The sample goes to a CDC-approved lab abroad; the draw must be at least 28 days before the dog enters the US.
Book the animal care facility
At one of the 8 airports below; the dog must land at that airport.
File the CDC Dog Import Form
Online and free, with a photo of the dog. It can be filed on the day of travel, though the CDC suggests a few days before; re-file if the date or airport changes.
Get the endorsed vet certification
Your vet completes it within 30 days of travel and an official government veterinarian endorses it.
Screwworm inspection and the AQCS certificate
The screwworm inspection within 5 days before shipment, and the AQCS export certificate, valid 10 days.
Which 8 US airports can a dog from India land at?
Only airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility, and the dog needs a reservation there before it enters the US.
There are no CDC-registered facilities in Alaska, Hawaii or the US territories.
| What | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta (ATL) | Dandie Scottie Kennel | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Dallas to Fort Worth (DFW) | DFW Pet Lounge & Quarantine | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | Kennel Club LAX; Rue's Kennels @ LAX | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Miami (MIA) | Pet Limo | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| New York (JFK) | The ARK Pet Oasis, JFK only, not Newark or LaGuardia | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | Gateway Animal Care Center | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Seattle (SEA) | Dog Gone Taxi (cargo only) | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| Washington Dulles (IAD) | Pender Pet Retreat | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
What did the CDC's 1 August 2024 dog rule change for dogs from India?
It tied every foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country such as India to an airport with a CDC-registered facility, and set a minimum age of six months.
Word for word
For dogs that have been in a DMRVV high-risk country in the past six months, and were vaccinated in a foreign country, this final rule requires that the dog arrive at a U.S. airport with a CDC quarantine station and a CDC-registered animal care facility (ACF).
The same rule requires every dog arriving in the US to be at least six months old, and does not require imported cats to carry proof of rabies vaccination. The CDC has changed its systems since, not the rule: the Dog Import Form's web system was updated on 5 February 2026 with no change to the requirements, and the high-risk list, updated 15 April 2026, still includes India. Petym's search of the Federal Register found no later CDC rule on dog imports.
Which US entry rules apply to your dog or cat?
It turns on where the rabies vaccine was given, whether there is a titre, and whether your pet is a dog or a cat.
If your dog was vaccinated in India, or anywhere outside the US
The high-risk rules on this page apply: one of the 8 airports, the endorsed certification, and a titre or 28 days of quarantine at the facility. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
If it has no titre but is your personal pet or service dog with records of at least 2 rabies vaccines
The CDC may shorten the 28 days after a prospective serologic monitoring (PSM) assessment, with a US rabies vaccine and a titre from a CDC-approved US lab. A dog that fails PSM serves the full 28 days. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
If the dog is a rescue, or is coming for resale, adoption or transfer of ownership
It cannot get a shortened quarantine. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
If your dog was vaccinated in the US and is returning from India
Use the Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination, endorsed by USDA before the dog leaves the US, with the first vaccine at least 28 days before leaving. A USDA export health certificate issued after 31 July 2025 is not accepted for re-entry. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
If your pet is a cat
The CDC asks for no rabies proof and USDA sets no animal-health rules for pet cats; it must look healthy on arrival, and states such as Hawaii and Guam quarantine cats under their own rules. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
How must the CDC rabies certification be filled in for a dog from India?
Month-first dates, an official government vet's signature and travel within 30 days: the CDC treats slips on this form as grounds to refuse the dog.
Do
- Write every date month first, as mm/dd/yyyy. US CDC
- Have the official government veterinarian sign electronically. US CDC
- Add an official wet seal if the form can only be signed in pen. US CDC
- Travel within 30 days of the issue date in Section F. US CDC
- Ask your AQCS station early who endorses it in India: the CDC wants an official government veterinarian of the country the dog leaves, and Petym found no page naming that office. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Don’t
- Write dates the Indian way (dd/mm/yyyy): the CDC calls the wrong format grounds to deny the dog entry and send it back at your cost. US CDC
- Count a rabies vaccine given before the microchip went in. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Hand in a titre result passed on by a third-party lab: it must come straight from the CDC-approved lab. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
What does USDA ask of a dog from India on top of the CDC rules?
A screwworm certificate before the flight, and a bath and 5 days away from livestock after it.
- A screwworm certificate, India is listed as affected on USDA's region status page, updated 15 October 2026 USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- Signed by a full-time salaried government vet, saying the dog was inspected within 5 days before shipment USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- In any format: APHIS has no required template for it USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- A bath for the dog on arrival, because India is not on USDA's list of regions free of foot-and-mouth disease USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- 5 days away from livestock after arrival; no paperwork is needed for foot-and-mouth disease USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- A check with USDA if in doubt: it says its region list may not include every region it restricts USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Which mistakes get a dog flown back from a US airport within 72 hours?
A dog refused entry goes back on the next available flight, within 72 hours, and you pay for the flight and the holding.
If a dog is refused entry after arriving by air
The airline returns it to the country of departure on the next available flight, no later than 72 hours after arrival, at your expense. US Government Publishing Office (Federal Register; CDC, HHS)
If you refuse the return flight or the fees
You bear all the costs of a refusal, including holding the dog until its flight; refuse them and the dog is treated as abandoned. US Government Publishing Office (Federal Register; CDC, HHS)
If the microchip cannot be scanned on arrival
The dog may be denied entry and returned at your expense. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
If the dog is under 6 months old
It is refused: the rule admits no dog under six months. US Government Publishing Office (Federal Register; CDC, HHS)
If the dog lands at an airport without a CDC-registered facility
It is refused: a dog from India must arrive by air at an airport with a CDC quarantine station and a registered animal care facility. US Government Publishing Office (Federal Register; CDC, HHS)
If the dog arrives sick
It may be denied entry. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
If the titre came from a lab not on the CDC's list
Not a refusal: the result is simply not accepted, and the dog does the 28 days of quarantine at the facility, at your cost. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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
Can my dog from India land at Newark or San Francisco?
- No. A dog from India must land at one of the 8 airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility: Atlanta, Dallas to Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia, Seattle or Washington Dulles.
Does my dog need a titre test to enter the USA from India?
- To avoid quarantine, yes: a blood test at a CDC-approved lab, drawn at least 30 days after the first valid rabies vaccine and at least 28 days before entry. Without one, the dog spends 28 days in quarantine at the animal care facility.
Can a puppy from India go to the USA?
- Not until it is 6 months old. The CDC requires dogs from high-risk countries to be at least 6 months old on entry, with the rabies vaccine given at 12 weeks or older.
Do cats from India need a rabies certificate for the USA?
- Not under federal rules. The CDC does not require proof of rabies vaccination for cats, but they must look healthy on arrival, and some states, such as Hawaii, set their own rules.
What date format must the vet use on the CDC certification for a dog from India?
- Month first, as mm/dd/yyyy. The CDC's instructions say any other format is grounds for refusing the dog entry and sending it back at the owner's cost.
Can I reuse my dog's CDC Dog Import Form receipt for a later trip from India?
- No. For a dog from a high-risk country such as India, the receipt covers one dog for one entry, so file a new form for each trip.
Can the 28-day US quarantine be shortened for a dog from India without a titre?
- Sometimes. The dog must be a personal pet or service dog with records of at least 2 rabies vaccines; the CDC must approve a prospective serologic monitoring (PSM) assessment, and the dog gets a US rabies vaccine and a titre from a CDC-approved US lab. Rescue, resale and adoption dogs do not qualify, and a dog that fails PSM serves the full 28 days.
How long does moving a dog from India to the USA take?
- About 3 to 4 months for a dog with nothing done yet, by Petym's working: the blood draw at least 30 days after the vaccine and entry at least 28 days after the draw, plus lab turnaround, the 30-day certification window, the 5-day screwworm window and booking the facility. Add 28 days at the facility without a titre. About 2 to 4 weeks for a cat.
Keep reading
- Taking a pet abroad from IndiaThe AQCS export certificate every pet needs.
- Taking a dog from India to CanadaA rabies certificate, no quarantine.
- Taking a dog from India to the UKBlood test abroad and a 3-month wait.
- Taking a dog from India to the UAEPermit, titre test and banned breeds.
Keep exploring
Before and after the flight
Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Bringing a dog into the United States (opens in a new tab)
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CDC Dog Import Form and instructions (opens in a new tab)
- US CDC: Instructions for completing the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form (updated 30 Jan 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Frequently asked questions on dog importations (opens in a new tab)
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: High-risk countries for dog rabies (opens in a new tab)
- US Government Publishing Office (Federal Register; CDC, HHS): Control of Communicable Diseases; Foreign Quarantine: Importation of Dogs and Cats, final rule, 89 FR 41726, 13 May 2024, effective 1 Aug 2024 (opens in a new tab)
Show all 14 sourcesShow fewer
- USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: Region health status: screwworm and foot-and-mouth disease (opens in a new tab)
- USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: Bring a pet cat into the United States (opens in a new tab)
- AQCS, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying: Export of pets (dogs and cats) (opens in a new tab)
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Entry requirements for foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (opens in a new tab)
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Approved rabies serology laboratories for testing dogs (opens in a new tab)
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CDC-registered animal care facilities (updated 1 September 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: Bring a pet dog into the United States (opens in a new tab)
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Bringing an animal into the United States (cats) (opens in a new tab)