Bringing a dog or cat into India

India's rules for importing a pet

What must the vet certify for a dog or a cat coming into India?

How to get the Advance NOC on ATITHI 2.0

1. 1

   Check which route you are on

   Transfer of residence after two years or more abroad, re-import of a pet that left with an AQCS export certificate, or a short stay with a DGFT licence. All three use the same application.

2. 2

   Get the vet papers

   The vaccination and microchip certificates, and an official health certificate from the country you leave, plus the Indian format (Annexure 1.1.1 for dogs, 2.1.1 for cats) signed by its competent authority.

3. 3

   Register on ATITHI 2.0 with your passport

   No agent is needed; you can authorise a representative on the Annexure 1.6 form.

4. 4

   Upload the documents and pay

   Upload everything at least 7 working days before the flight and pay the Rs 1,000 processing charge on Bharatkosh.

5. 5

   Receive the Advance NOC

   AQCS issues it within 1 working day of checking the documents. Show it to the airline at check-in.

6. 6

   Collect the Final NOC on arrival

   AQCS examines your pet and the original documents at the port and issues the Final NOC, so Customs can clear it.

What do you upload to ATITHI 2.0 for a pet coming to India?

Six documents, and the names and addresses on them must agree with your ticket.

When does each step happen before your flight to India?

From the rabies vaccine up to a year out to the Final NOC on landing; AQCS's minimum for the application is 7 working days before you fly.

1. 12 months to 1 month before you fly

   The rabies vaccine must fall in this window, for dogs aged 3 months or more and for cats. 4AQCS, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

2. Before you apply

   Know your route: transfer of residence, re-import or a DGFT licence. For a short stay the DGFT licence must be in hand first; USDA's page for US owners says it may take about one month. 1AQCS, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

3. At least 7 working days before you fly

   Apply on ATITHI 2.0, with the health certificate in the Indian format. 1AQCS, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

4. Within 7 days of shipment (cats)

   The cat's vet examination. 2AQCS, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

5. 1 working day after AQCS checks your upload

   The Advance NOC, or point-by-point reasons on the portal if something is missing, and you apply again. 1AQCS, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

6. Check-in

   The airline boards the pet only if you hold a valid Advance NOC. Arrive without one, or with a fake or altered one, and the pet is given a deportation or re-export order. 1AQCS, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

7. On landing, any hour

   Declare the pet on the Indian Customs Declaration Form; AQCS examines it and issues the Final NOC, without which Customs cannot clear it. 6Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs

8. If the pet follows you

   It must arrive within 1 month after you. Later than that, or before you, needs advance Customs permission. 4AQCS, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

9. Only if the pet fails the examination

   15 days at the AQCS quarantine station. 1AQCS, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

Where can a pet enter India?

At seven ports: the six AQCS cities and, since a notification of 10 October 2024, Cochin International Airport, Kochi.

What does it cost to bring a pet into India?

Rs 1,000 to AQCS for a healthy pet, and no customs duty; quarantine charges apply only if the pet fails the examination.

Which older instructions about bringing a pet into India should you ignore?

Several official pages still online describe the old system; the AQCS procedures of August 2026 replace them.

• You may have read

  You email the application to AQCS, and there is no fee.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Older AQCS notices still say so. The procedures of August 2026 require ATITHI 2.0, and a Rs 1,000 processing charge has applied since 1 May 2025. 1AQCS, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

• You may have read

  Final clearance comes 30 days after arrival.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  AQCS's baggage page still says so, but AQCS now examines the pet and issues the Final NOC at the airport, round the clock. 6Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs

• You may have read

  You first get a provisional quarantine clearance certificate.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  AQCS's FAQ still describes one, but the current procedure issues the Final NOC at the port after the examination. 1AQCS, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

• You may have read

  A healthy pet arriving from the USA is quarantined for 15 days.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  USDA's page for US owners, last modified 27 February 2026, still says so, with a temporary certificate and a permanent one 30 days later. Under AQCS's procedure a pet goes into quarantine for 15 days only if it fails the examination. 1AQCS, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

What is the 2026 relaxation for pets of Indians stranded in the Middle East?

A one-time measure from March 2026 lets a pet travelling with a stranded Indian be vaccinated and cleared at the port; neither official document gives an end date.

Before flying, the owner declares that the pet has lived with them for at least the past month and shows its vaccination certificate, pet book or passport; a pet lifted from a neighbouring country should be checked by that country's veterinary authority if one is available at or near the airport. All quarantine, vaccination and medication costs fall on the owner, and the memo says it is not a precedent. It leaves DGFT and Customs requirements to those agencies, and does not define which countries count. Customs passed it on in Circular No. 11/2026 of 16 March 2026. Petym found no end date in either document, so check with AQCS before relying on it.