Short answer: Almost everything in an international pet move is per animal: crates, bookings, health certificates and import forms. Several rules also cap numbers. India lets you bring up to 2 dogs or cats as baggage when transferring residence (DGFT). The EU allows up to 5 pets per non-commercial trip (European Commission). The US requires a separate CDC Dog Import Form receipt for each dog. Plan the whole move around the pet with the longest lead time.
Relocating a household with multiple pets internationally multiplies nearly every part of the process. Different breeds or ages in the same household often need genuinely different planning, not one identical approach for everyone.
What Limits Apply to the Number of Pets?
| Where | Limit | What happens above it |
|---|---|---|
| Moving to India | Up to 2 dogs or cats under the baggage rules, if you’re transferring residence after 2+ years abroad | A DGFT import authorisation is required; the DGFT advises applying at least 2 months ahead |
| Entering the EU | Up to 5 pets per non-commercial movement | Different rules apply; check with the destination country’s authority before booking |
| Entering the US | No household cap, but one CDC Dog Import Form receipt per dog | Each foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country needs its own animal care facility reservation |
| Airlines | Lufthansa: 2 animals per passenger; Air France and Air India: 1 in the cabin; Air France: up to 3 in the hold; KLM: up to 3 in the hold; United: 2 in the cabin with 2 seats | Split pets across travellers or flights, or use cargo |
India also has a timing rule for households whose pets travel separately. Under the AQCS baggage rules, a pet travelling unaccompanied must arrive within one month of the owner, or advance customs permission is needed. Our guide to getting an NOC to import your pet to India covers the full process.
Why Does Each Pet Need Its Own Paperwork?
Import rules identify animals individually, usually by microchip. The CDC says a Dog Import Form receipt from a high-risk country is valid for “one dog to enter the United States one time,” and each dog’s rabies certification lists its own microchip number. India’s AQCS application form describes each animal separately. Some documents can combine animals: a USDA APHIS health certificate can list several pets, and APHIS’s endorsement fees are $101 per certificate with no lab tests. On certificates with tests, it charges $160–275 for the first pet plus $10–21 for each additional pet.
How Should You Plan the Timeline?
Start with the pet whose requirements take longest, and build everything else around it. For a move to the US from India, that’s usually a dog vaccinated in India. It needs a microchip before its rabies shot, a titer test drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, and results at least 28 days before arrival, as our guide to the CDC’s dog import rules explains. Cats need none of that for the US; see importing a cat to the US from India.
- Keep a separate checklist per pet, including microchip number, vaccine dates and certificate windows.
- Schedule vet visits together where the timing genuinely lines up, but don’t force identical dates.
- Put the pet with the most complex needs (a flat-faced breed, a senior, a dog needing a titer) at the centre of the plan.
- Book every animal’s airline space at the same time you book your own seats.
Should All the Pets Fly Together?
Often, but not always. Travelling on one flight keeps the household together and means a single arrival inspection. Splitting can be the better choice when:
- A flat-faced breed can only travel in the cabin, and cabin spaces per flight are limited. See our brachycephalic relocation guide.
- A senior or ill pet needs a direct flight that doesn’t suit the others.
- Per-passenger limits mean another family member has to carry one pet on a different flight.
- A dog from a high-risk country must land at an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility, and the others don’t.
If you split flights to India, remember the one-month unaccompanied-arrival rule above.
Can Two Pets Share One Crate?
Rarely, and usually it’s a bad idea. IATA’s pet guidance allows “a maximum of two adult animals of comparable size up to 14 kg each, that are compatible in size and used to cohabiting” in one container. Weaned littermates under 6 months can share, up to three per container. But IATA also warns that animals “may become stressed and aggressive when traveling by air” and shouldn’t share unless they’re young puppies or kittens. Your airline may be stricter still. For adult pets, plan on one crate each.
What Helps Once You Arrive?
Settling several pets at once is busy. Set up a quiet room for each species, keep feeding routines familiar, and book a first vet visit for everyone within the first few weeks. Our guide to finding breed-specific vets abroad covers how to find the right clinic. And budget realistically for per-animal costs. There’s rarely a “family discount” on crates, airline fees or facility reservations.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace guidance from your veterinarian. Import rules change; confirm current requirements with each destination’s official authority and your airline.
Sources
- Directorate General of Foreign Trade, India — Import of dog/cats: general information and FAQs
- Animal Quarantine and Certification Services, India — Import of pets under baggage rule
- European Commission — Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country
- CDC — CDC Dog Import Form and Instructions, April 2026
- CDC — Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries
- USDA APHIS — Cost to Endorse Your Pet’s Health Certificate, June 2026
- International Air Transport Association — Traveler’s Pet Corner
- Lufthansa — Travelling with animals; Air France — Traveling with your dog or cat; KLM — Pets: reservation and conditions
