Short answer: To bring a dog or cat into India, you need an Advance No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS). You apply for it on the CBIC’s ATITHI 2.0 portal at least 7 days before departure, and AQCS issues a Final NOC after checking your pet when you land, according to its current standard operating procedure. Airlines won’t board your pet without the Advance NOC, and the processing fee is ₹1,000 per application.
If you’re moving to India with a pet, the No Objection Certificate trips up a lot of first-time movers. It isn’t especially hard, but its timing depends on getting several other documents in the right order first.
What Is the NOC, Exactly?
AQCS sits under India’s Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and enforces the Livestock Importation Act, 1898. Its NOC confirms that India’s quarantine authorities have no objection to your pet entering, based on the pet’s health documents and an inspection. Under the AQCS procedure for pet dogs and cats, the NOC now comes in two stages:
- Advance NOC, issued online before you fly, once AQCS has checked your uploaded health certificate and vaccination records. The SOP says airlines may carry pet dogs and cats “only if the passenger possesses a valid Advance NOC.”
- Final NOC, issued at the port of entry after AQCS staff examine your pet and the original documents. Customs then clears the pet on the strength of it.
Only dogs and cats count as pets for this process, according to the AQCS FAQ.
Are You Eligible to Bring a Pet Without a DGFT Licence?
Settle this before anything else. India treats pet imports as “restricted,” according to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade’s pet import guidance, and the route depends on why you’re coming:
| Your situation | Route | Extra proof needed for the Advance NOC |
|---|---|---|
| Moving to India after at least 2 years’ continuous stay abroad, with up to 2 dogs or cats | Customs baggage rules (Circular 15/2013). No DGFT licence needed | Proof of two years abroad and of transferring residence (e.g., visa cancellation or relocation proof) |
| Bringing back a pet originally exported from India | Re-import (Circular 25/2013) | Copy of the earlier AQCS export health certificate |
| Short visit, more than 2 pets, or less than 2 years abroad | DGFT import authorisation (form ANF-2M) | A valid DGFT licence. DGFT advises applying at least 2 months ahead |
The DGFT says short-stay (tourist) pet imports are “generally not permitted.” Rare approvals are made case by case, for example for a documented emotional support dog with proof that it will leave with you. A DGFT application goes to the Department of Animal Husbandry for comment and then to an inter-ministerial committee that meets once a month, which is why it takes so long. Imports for breeding, sale or as gifts aren’t allowed. For the airline side of support animals, see our guide to emotional support animal letters for US and Indian airlines.
On the baggage route, AQCS’s page on importing pets under the baggage rule adds that a pet travelling unaccompanied must arrive within one month of the owner. After that, you need advance permission from customs. If you’re moving more than two animals, our guide to relocating multiple pets internationally covers the extra planning.
What Has to Be Ready Before You Apply?
The Advance NOC application relies on documents that take weeks to assemble:
- Microchip. The SOP lists a “vaccination and microchip certificate” among the supporting documents, and the application form asks for the chip number. Implant the chip first so the same number appears on every document.
- Rabies vaccination. AQCS says pets three months or older need a rabies vaccine given more than one month but within 12 months before embarkation. The health certificate records the vaccine’s name, batch number and date.
- Other vaccinations. India’s dog health certificate (Annexure 1.1.1) confirms vaccination against distemper, parvovirus and leptospirosis. It also certifies no clinical signs of rabies, distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, infectious canine hepatitis, scabies or leishmaniasis. The cat certificate has its own disease list, including feline panleukopenia.
- Official veterinary health certificate in India’s format, signed by the competent authority in the exporting country. For cats, the SOP says the cat should be examined within 7 days of shipment. The dog SOP gives no fixed window, so confirm timing with AQCS and your airline.
- Travel and identity documents: your air ticket or airway bill, a passport copy, and the eligibility proof from the table above.
From the US, a USDA-accredited veterinarian issues the certificate and USDA APHIS endorses it. APHIS’s US-to-India page notes that it can endorse digitally but “is not involved and does not endorse the NOC.” Our guide to pet health certificate requirements for international travel explains how endorsement works.
How Do You Apply for the Advance NOC, Step by Step?
- Register on the ATITHI 2.0 portal with your own passport details. The SOP says no third party is needed and warns against sharing your login. If you can’t apply yourself, an authorisation letter (Annexure 1.6) lets a representative act for you.
- Pick the AQCS station that matches your arrival airport.
- Upload the application and supporting documents at least 7 days before embarkation. The SOP’s flowcharts say 7 working days, so plan around the longer figure.
- Pay the fee: ₹1,000 per import application through the Bharatkosh portal, according to the AQCS FAQ.
- Download the Advance NOC. The SOP says AQCS issues it within 1 working day of examining your documents. If something is missing, the portal lists the reasons point by point and you resubmit. USDA APHIS’s India page is more cautious, saying the NOC “takes about 5 working days to obtain,” so don’t leave it to the final week.
- Carry the originals. Show the Advance NOC at airline check-in and keep the original certificates with you for the arrival inspection.
Which Airports Can Pets Fly Into?
AQCS lists six ports for pet imports: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Book a flight that lands at one of them. Customs circulars can update the list of notified ports, so confirm your arrival airport with the AQCS station before booking.
What Happens When You Land?
AQCS staff examine the pet and check the original documents. If the pet is healthy, AQCS issues the Final NOC at the port and customs releases it to you. If the pet fails the exam or shows clinical signs of disease, the SOP says it goes to the quarantine station for 15 days, with testing charged to the owner. A positive test, or death from disease, leads to deportation or post-mortem and incineration, also at the owner’s cost. A passenger who arrives without a valid Advance NOC, or with a forged one, is issued a deportation or re-export order.
One inconsistency to know about: USDA APHIS’s India page still says pets imported as baggage “shall be quarantined for 15 days,” while the current AQCS SOP quarantines only pets that fail the arrival check. Ask the AQCS station at your arrival airport which applies to you.
How Should You Plan the Timeline?
Work backward from your flight date:
- Two months or more out: confirm which route you qualify for. If you need a DGFT licence, apply now.
- Before booking the vet exam: check that the rabies vaccine will be more than one month old, and under 12 months old, on departure day. Microchip first if your pet isn’t chipped.
- Shortly before travel: health certificate exam and, from the US, APHIS endorsement.
- At least 7 working days before departure: submit the ATITHI 2.0 application.
- Travel day: Advance NOC and all originals in hand.
Moving in the other direction? The US has its own, stricter rules for dogs from India. See the CDC’s dog import rules explained.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace guidance from your veterinarian or from AQCS. Import rules change; confirm current requirements with the AQCS station at your arrival port before you travel.
Sources
- Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (DAHD) — Standard Operating Procedure for Import of Pet Dog(s) into India
- Animal Quarantine and Certification Services — Standard Operating Procedure for Import of Pet Cat(s)
- Animal Quarantine and Certification Services — Import of pets under baggage rule
- Animal Quarantine and Certification Services — Frequently Asked Questions
- Directorate General of Foreign Trade — Import of dog/cats: general information and FAQs
- USDA APHIS — Pet Travel From the United States to India, February 2026
- USDA APHIS — Cost to Endorse Your Pet’s Health Certificate, June 2026
