Organising transportation of your pet to India does come with quite a few rules and regulations. Due to some of the processes being time-sensitive, it is recommended to allow plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements. This will help you avoid any potential problems and make the process as smooth as possible for you and your pet.

In this guide, you will find all the relevant and most up to date information required to successfully transport your pets to India from the UK.

In order for your cat or dog to be accepted into India, it must be microchipped with an ISO compliant chip.

Flights from the UK to India typically take around 10 hours, which is a long time for your pet to be in a confined space, especially if this is not something they are used to. Therefore, to help significantly reduce their stress levels, it is advisable to also allow enough time to acclimatise your pet to its travel crate.

There are a few airlines that operate direct services to India suitable for both passengers and pets (but please note, the pets will need to travel in the cargo hold as opposed to in the cabin) Airlines that operate this service are:

• British Airways
• Air India

There are also in-direct options that may offer more destinations, such as Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, or Emirates- all of which have great on-site facilities for pets during the layover.

While not all planes are suitable for transporting pets to India, an increasing number are. However, some of the smaller airports may not always have the facilities to receive pets.

We recommend you contact one of our India pet shipping experts before you book your pet’s flight to India so that we can advise on flights that are suitable for live animals.

In order for your cat or dog to travel to and be accepted into India, you will require a DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) Export Health Certificate. This certificate provides confirmation that your pet meets the importing countries entry requirements.

Cats and dogs entering India with their owners require a ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) which is a permit issued in India by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries. This will be one of the processes that requires some pre-planning as it will need to be arranged prior to travelling.

If you have any questions or would like to receive information on available flights, airports, airlines and fees to export your pet, please fill in our online quotation request form and one of our India pet travel experts will be back in touch.

Alternatively, please email us at: pets@pbspettravel.co.uk