SpiceJet pet policy: dogs in the hold only
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
SpiceJet does not allow pets in the cabin. It carries pet dogs in the cargo hold on direct domestic flights, up to 35 kg not counting the cage, booked through its call centre team on +91 9999 570 570 or [email protected].
It refuses snub-nosed and short-muzzled breeds, and a list that also names the Rottweiler and the Akita. On flights abroad its own pages disagree (SpiceJet's terms and FAQ, checked 21 October 2026).
SpiceJet's pet rules at a glance
| What | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cabin | No, pets cannot be carried on board. | SpiceJet |
| Which animals | Defined as domesticated dogs; the terms do not mention cats. Rats, guinea pigs, reptiles, and strong-smelling or poisonous animals are refused. | SpiceJet |
| Hold | Direct domestic flights only. | SpiceJet |
| Weight | At most 35 kg, not counting the cage. | SpiceJet |
| Cage | IATA-standard fibre cage, at most 48 × 45 × 30 inches. Two adults up to 14 kg each that live together may share one; so may up to three animals under 6 months from the same litter. | SpiceJet |
| Age | At least 3 months (12 weeks) on domestic flights and 4 months on international ones. The same clause also says puppies and kittens are not accepted, and mothers with suckling young and animals in advanced pregnancy are refused. | SpiceJet |
| Vet certificate | No more than 48 hours old at scheduled departure, saying the dog is fit to fly, with its breed and age and its rabies vaccination date. | SpiceJet |
| Fee and booking deadline | Neither is published in SpiceJet's terms or FAQ. | Not stated |
| Booking | SpiceJet's call centre team: +91 9999 570 570 or [email protected]. | SpiceJet |
| Guide dogs | In the cabin with a visually impaired passenger, booked through SpiceJet Reservations at least 48 hours ahead. Trained, vaccinated, restrained and muzzled, on a moisture-absorbent mat, never on a seat; not on Q400 aircraft. | SpiceJet |
Can your dog fly SpiceJet?
Only a healthy dog of an accepted breed, up to 35 kg without its cage, in the hold of a direct domestic flight.
If you want the dog in the cabin with you
No. SpiceJet carries pets only in the cargo hold, on domestic flights. SpiceJet
If your pet is a cat
SpiceJet's terms define the pets it carries as domesticated dogs. Ask its call centre team before you plan on it. SpiceJet
If your dog's breed is on SpiceJet's list
It is refused. The full list is below. SpiceJet
If your dog weighs more than 35 kg, not counting the cage
It is refused. SpiceJet
If your trip needs a connecting flight
It is refused: SpiceJet accepts live animals only on direct flights. SpiceJet
If your dog is under 3 months old
It is refused on a domestic flight. SpiceJet
If your dog is heavily pregnant or nursing young
It is refused. SpiceJet
If your dog shows any sign of illness
It is refused. SpiceJet
If you want to fly the dog abroad
SpiceJet's international FAQ says it carries no pets at all, but its terms say otherwise, see the rules quoted below. SpiceJet
If none of these applies
Call SpiceJet's call centre team on +91 9999 570 570 or write to [email protected]. SpiceJet
How do you size and build the cage SpiceJet requires?
SpiceJet takes dogs only in an IATA-standard fibre cage of at most 48 × 45 × 30 inches. IATA's Live Animals Regulations set how that cage is sized and built.
- An IATA-standard fibre cage, no larger than 48 × 45 × 30 inches (length × width × height). SpiceJet
- Room for the dog to turn around standing, to stand and sit, and to lie down naturally. SpiceJet
- IATA's sizing: measure A (nose to the root of the tail), B (ground to elbow), C (width across the shoulders) and D (standing height to the top of the head or ear tip). The cage is A + ½ B long, 2 × C wide and D plus bedding high. IATA
- Air holes on all four sides, together at least 16% of their surface. IATA
- Metal nuts and bolts in every hole, not plastic clips alone, and door pins that go at least 1.6 cm into the frame. IATA
- Spacers along both long sides and the back. IATA
- A water bowl fixed inside that can be filled from outside without opening the cage. IATA
- Absorbent bedding. IATA
- A green “Live Animals” label, and “This Way Up” labels on at least two opposite sides. IATA
- No wheels, remove them or make them unusable, and never a cage made entirely of wire mesh. IATA
Will SpiceJet fly a healthy Pug or a calm Rottweiler?
No. SpiceJet's breed list is a flat refusal, and it reaches beyond flat-faced dogs.
You may have read
A fit snub-nosed dog with a vet's fit-to-fly certificate can go in SpiceJet's hold.
Myth
What the sources say
SpiceJet refuses snub-nosed and short-muzzled breeds outright, because they are prone to heat stroke, breathing difficulty and travel stress. Nothing in its terms lets a vet's certificate override the list. SpiceJet
You may have read
Only flat-faced dogs are on SpiceJet's list.
Myth
What the sources say
It also names breeds with ordinary muzzles, the Rottweiler, Akita, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Tosa, “due to safety and regulatory considerations”. SpiceJet
You may have read
If SpiceJet refuses my Pug, no Indian airline will fly it.
Myth
What should you do on handover day at SpiceJet's cargo warehouse?
SpiceJet's own rules, with IATA's guidance for shipping a dog, the lines marked IATA are guidance, not SpiceJet's terms.
Do
- Muzzle and leash the dog. SpiceJet
- Feed and water it before you hand it over. SpiceJet
- IATA: give a light meal at least 2 hours before, then a short drink and some exercise just before it goes into the cage. IATA
- Bring the fit-to-fly certificate and rabies record, and sign the shipper's declaration and the indemnity at the warehouse. SpiceJet
- IATA: write the dog's name on the cage. IATA
Don’t
- IATA: don't let it fly within 2 hours of a meal. IATA
- IATA: don't sedate it, tranquillising dogs and cats is not recommended. IATA
- IATA: don't use a drip bottle in place of an open water bowl. IATA
- IATA: don't leave a collar, harness, clothing or GPS tracker on in the cage. SpiceJet wants a muzzle and leash at handover, so ask the warehouse staff when they come off. IATA
Can SpiceJet fly a dog to or from India?
SpiceJet's pages say three different things. Its terms accept animals provisionally, as cargo only:
Word for word
Animals when properly crated and accompanied by valid health and vaccination certificates, entry permits, and other documents required by countries of entry and/or transit will provisionally be accepted for carriage, with the advance agreement of carrier, subject to carrier's regulations and shall be in accordance with the terms and conditions of IATA Live Animals Regulations (LARS) by Air Cargo mode only.
Two other SpiceJet lines say the opposite. Its international FAQ: “No, SpiceJet does not permit carriage of pets on its flights. However, guide dogs for visually impaired passengers are exempted from this rule.” And the special-assistance text in the same terms: “SpiceJet currently does not accommodate stretchers, guide dogs, or pets on international routes”. Ask SpiceJet's call centre team on +91 9999 570 570 before you plan on it.
Which dog breeds does SpiceJet refuse?
SpiceJet refuses snub-nosed and short-muzzled dogs and names these breeds, but it calls them “examples”, so the list is not complete. Ask before you book any dog with a short muzzle.
- Boxer, Pug (including the Chinese and Dutch Pug), Shih Tzu, Pekingese, Lhasa Apso, Japanese Chin, Brussels Griffon, Chow Chow and Shar Pei
- English and French Bulldog, Bull Mastiff, Boerboel and Rottweiler
- Pit Bull and American Pit Bull Terrier, and the American Staffordshire, Boston, Bull and Staffordshire Bull Terriers
- English Toy Spaniel (King Charles Spaniel) and Tibetan Spaniel
- Akita, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa and Japanese Tosa
What do the words in SpiceJet's pet rules mean?
SpiceJet writes its pet rules in cargo language. These are the words you will meet, as its own pages use them.
- AVI
- Live animals. SpiceJet's terms define the pets carried under this heading as domesticated dogs. SpiceJet
- IATA Live Animals Regulations (LAR)
- The industry rules SpiceJet's terms follow for carrying animals, including the cage standard. SpiceJet
- ULD
- A unit load device. SpiceJet says cages carried in ULDs go only on “aircraft that are compatible with the load”, and names no aircraft types. SpiceJet
- Shipper's Declaration
- The form you sign at the cargo warehouse as the dog's sender, with a declaration that indemnifies the airline. SpiceJet
- Snubbed-nose and short-muzzled breeds
- SpiceJet's words for dogs prone to heat stroke and breathing difficulty, which it refuses. SpiceJet
- AQCS NOC
- The No Objection Certificate from Animal Quarantine and Certification Services that SpiceJet's terms ask for at least 7 days before an animal arrives in India. SpiceJet
- Q400
- The aircraft type on which SpiceJet does not accept guide dogs. SpiceJet
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Questions owners ask
Can I take my cat on SpiceJet?
- SpiceJet's terms define the pets it carries as domesticated dogs and do not mention cats, so ask its call centre team before you plan on it. Air India and Akasa Air both carry cats in the cabin.
How much does SpiceJet charge to fly a dog?
- SpiceJet does not publish a pet fee in its terms or FAQ. Ask its call centre team on +91 9999 570 570, or [email protected], for a quote.
Does SpiceJet fly Pugs, Shih Tzus or Bulldogs?
- No. SpiceJet refuses snub-nosed and short-muzzled breeds, and its list names the Pug, the Shih Tzu and the English and French Bulldog among others.
How recent must the vet certificate be for SpiceJet?
- No more than 48 hours old at the scheduled departure time.
Can my dog take a connecting flight on SpiceJet?
- No. SpiceJet accepts live animals “only on direct flight”, in the cargo hold on domestic routes.
Does SpiceJet accept Rottweilers?
- No. The Rottweiler is on SpiceJet's list of breeds it does not accept “due to safety and regulatory considerations”, with the Akita, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Tosa.
Can I fly my dog abroad on SpiceJet?
- Its pages disagree. The international FAQ says SpiceJet “does not permit carriage of pets on its flights”, while its terms say animals may be “provisionally … accepted” by air cargo only, with an AQCS No Objection Certificate for flights into India. Ask the call centre team (+91 9999 570 570) before you plan on it.
Keep reading
- Flying with a pet in IndiaAll five domestic airlines side by side.
- Air India pet policyCabin and hold, including snub-nosed breeds in the cabin.
- Akasa Air pet policyCabin pets up to 10 kg.
- IndiGo pet policyService dogs only.
- Dog in train rulesWhen a train is the better option.
Keep exploring
Other airlines
Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- SpiceJet: Terms and conditions of carriage: carriage of live animals (AVI) (opens in a new tab)
- SpiceJet: FAQ: general (domestic and international) (opens in a new tab)
- SpiceJet: Special assistance: guide dogs (opens in a new tab)
- IATA: Live Animals Regulations, Container Requirement 1 (Edition 52, January 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Akasa Air: Pets on Akasa: policy and FAQ (opens in a new tab)
- Air India: Travelling with pets (opens in a new tab)