Bringing your dog or cat from Canada to India? You’ll need three things: a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from India’s Animal Quarantine and Certification Service (AQCS), a CFIA-endorsed Canadian health certificate, and a rabies vaccination given more than one month (but within 12 months) before travel. If your paperwork is complete and your pet is healthy, there’s no routine quarantine — they’re examined and released the same day. Here’s the complete, accurate checklist.
Will My Pet Be Quarantined?
Not routinely. There is no fixed “14-day government-supervised” or “30-day home” quarantine for pets entering India — that’s a myth worth clearing up before you plan around it. Here’s what actually happens at the port of entry, per AQCS’s official guidance:
- Healthy pet, complete paperwork: Examined at the port and released the same day under a Final NOC. No quarantine.
- Pet found unfit at examination: Held at a quarantine station for 15 days, at the owner’s cost.
- Doubtful/under-observation case: Final clearance issued after 30 days.
There’s no “home quarantine” option in AQCS’s actual rules — complete your paperwork correctly and a healthy pet simply isn’t quarantined at all.
When Must Your Pet Arrive?
This trips up a lot of guides, so get it precise: if your pet is traveling with you on your own ticket (accompanied baggage), there’s no time restriction on when it must arrive relative to you. If your pet is shipped unaccompanied (as cargo, separate from your own travel), it must arrive within 1 month after your own arrival in India — proven by the immigration stamp in your passport. Beyond that month, you’ll need advance Customs permission. Separately, the “7 days” figure you’ll see referenced is the NOC application lead time (how far ahead of embarkation you must apply) — it is not a deadline for your pet’s arrival.
Rabies & Other Vaccinations
Per AQCS’s exact wording, dogs three months of age and older (and cats) must be “vaccinated against rabies more than one month, but within 12 months, prior to actual embarkation.” Both edges matter — too recent and it isn’t valid yet; too old and it’s expired for travel purposes.
Dogs should also be current on distemper, parvovirus, and leptospirosis vaccinations, and cats should have the FVRCP vaccine (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia) — AQCS’s own certificate lists these as distemper, feline enteritis, and feline panleukopenia, so don’t be surprised if your vet’s paperwork uses that terminology instead. Your vet can confirm exact timing for these against your pet’s existing vaccination history.
The CFIA-Endorsed Health Certificate
Your pet needs a health certificate issued by a licensed Canadian veterinarian confirming it’s healthy and fit to travel, with no signs of infectious or contagious disease. That certificate then needs to be endorsed (stamped and signed) by an official CFIA veterinarian — this government endorsement is mandatory. There’s no India-specific validity period tied to Canada or the US; the certificate simply needs to reflect an exam close enough to your travel date to be current, alongside your pet’s rabies vaccination timing above.
Breed-Specific Restrictions
There is currently no operative national ban on any dog breed being imported into India. In March 2024, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) circulated a ban covering roughly 23 breeds, but the Karnataka High Court quashed it on 10 April 2024 and the Delhi High Court separately set it aside on 18 April 2024. No replacement national circular has been issued since.
That said, “no national ban” isn’t the whole story: several state and municipal governments — including parts of Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh — maintain their own local restrictions on certain breeds, and the national position remains under active review. If you’re moving a breed that’s ever been flagged as “dangerous” or “ferocious” in Indian media coverage, confirm the current rule for your specific destination city before you book travel, since this is a genuinely fast-moving legal area.
Getting Your No Objection Certificate (NOC)
Every pet entering India needs an NOC, applied for through the ATITHI 2.0 portal — not parivahan.gov.in, which is India’s vehicle-registration portal and has nothing to do with pet imports (a mix-up worth watching for if you’re researching this yourself). Submit your application a minimum of 7 working days before embarkation; if you’re in a genuine last-minute situation, an Advance NOC can be issued within 1 working day once AQCS has reviewed your documents.
Choosing Your Arrival Airport
Pets can enter India as accompanied baggage through any of AQCS’s six designated quarantine stations: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore. This isn’t narrowed down to just two cities for unaccompanied cargo, either — the same station list applies. Confirm your specific routing with AQCS or your relocation provider, since operating hours and procedures can vary by station.
One more update worth knowing: India notified new Baggage Rules, 2026 in February 2026, replacing the 2016 rules. These mainly affect customs declarations and duty treatment — pet import itself is still governed by the AQCS/DAHD framework described above, not changed by the new baggage rules.
More Pet Passport Info
- Cat Passport into Canada Guide
- Canada Pet Passport Guide for Air Travel
- High-Risk Rabies Countries List
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my pet be quarantined when entering India?
Not if your paperwork is complete and your pet is healthy — they’re examined at the port and released the same day under a Final NOC. A pet found unfit is held 15 days; a doubtful case gets final clearance after 30 days. There’s no routine “home quarantine” option.
Does my pet need to arrive within 30 days of me?
Only if it’s traveling unaccompanied (as cargo, separately from you) — then it must arrive within 1 month of your own arrival, proven by your immigration stamp. If your pet travels with you on your own ticket, there’s no time restriction at all.
When does my dog need its rabies vaccination?
More than one month, but within 12 months, prior to actual embarkation — for dogs three months of age and older. Both the lower and upper bounds matter.
Are any dog breeds banned from entering India?
There’s no operative national ban right now — a 2024 circular targeting 23 breeds was quashed by two different High Courts. But state and municipal restrictions still exist in some areas (including parts of Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh), so check your specific destination before booking.
Where do I apply for my pet’s No Objection Certificate?
Through the ATITHI 2.0 portal, at least 7 working days before embarkation. Don’t use parivahan.gov.in — that’s India’s vehicle-registration site and won’t process a pet NOC.
Which airports can my pet arrive through?
Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, or Kochi — AQCS’s seven designated quarantine stations (Kochi was added in October 2024). This applies to both accompanied and unaccompanied pets.
Does my pet’s health certificate need any special endorsement?
Yes. After your vet issues the health certificate, it must be endorsed (stamped and signed) by an official CFIA veterinarian before you travel. This government endorsement is mandatory, not optional.
Let Us Handle the Details
Moving a pet to India involves more moving parts than most cross-border trips — the NOC, the CFIA endorsement, the vaccination timing windows. Our international pet relocation service, based in Toronto, helps you get every document right the first time so nothing holds up your pet at the border. Call 647-477-5858 for a custom consultation on your move.
