Moving a dog from India to the United States means working through two governments' rules at once, and both are stricter than most owners expect. On the Indian side, every pet leaving the country needs an export certificate from the Animal Quarantine and Certification Service, issued at an in-person appointment. On the US side, India is on the CDC list of high-risk countries for dog rabies and on the USDA list of regions where screwworm is considered to exist, so a dog needs a rabies antibody test, government-signed forms, a screwworm inspection and, in most cases, a reserved spot at a CDC-registered animal care facility at a short list of US airports. Cats skip almost all of the US side. This guide sets out how the pieces fit together, and in what order.
It is part of our inbound-to-the-US series led by the Europe to the US hub. For the federal rules in general terms, see our guide to importing a dog into the US.
The Indian export side: AQCS and the NOC
India's Animal Quarantine and Certification Service, known as AQCS, handles pet exports from offices serving Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Its requirements for exporting a pet dog or cat are specific. You submit documents at least 7 days before embarkation to obtain the no objection certificate, book a prior appointment with the AQCS office by email or telephone, and then attend in person with the pet. The documents AQCS lists are:
- A veterinary health certificate, fit to fly, from a locally registered veterinarian.
- A microchip certificate.
- Complete vaccination details.
- Copies of the owner's passport and air ticket, plus the airway bill if the pet travels as cargo.
- An authority letter if someone other than the owner attends.
- Any destination-specific documents, such as import permits or rabies antibody test results.
- Two passport-style photographs.
AQCS asks for originals plus self-attested photocopies. The export certificate it issues is valid for 10 days from the date of issue or examination, which is the first of several short windows you will need to line up.
The US side: which path is your dog on?
The CDC splits dogs from high-risk countries into two groups. A dog vaccinated against rabies in the US, typically one that left with its owner and is now returning, needs the CDC Dog Import Form receipt and a Certification of U.S.-Issued Rabies Vaccination completed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed before the dog left the US. Older USDA export health certificates are accepted instead only if issued no later than July 31, 2025. These returning dogs can land at any US port that matches the CDC form. Our guide to moving back to the US with a pet covers this path.
A dog vaccinated in India, which includes almost every dog born or adopted there, follows the stricter CDC rules for foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries. It must be at least six months old, microchipped before its rabies vaccination, vaccinated at 12 weeks or older and at least 28 days before arrival, and must have a rabies antibody test drawn at least 30 days after the first valid vaccination and at least 28 days before arrival, processed by a CDC-approved laboratory. A vet completes the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, which must be endorsed by an official government veterinarian, no more than 30 days before travel, and the dog needs a reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility. A dog without a valid titer must instead quarantine for 28 days at the facility at the owner's cost. See our rabies titer test guide for how the test and the lab choice work.
Returning US families: what is different for you
If your dog left the US with you and still carries a current US-issued rabies vaccination, much of the high-risk burden falls away: no titer, no care facility reservation, and any US arrival port that matches the CDC form. What stays is the US-issued rabies certification form, which must have been completed and endorsed by USDA before the dog left the US, the screwworm certificate within 5 days of shipment, and the full AQCS export process in India. If the US vaccination has lapsed and the dog was revaccinated in India, it moves onto the foreign-vaccinated path instead, so check the dates on every booster before planning.
Where a dog vaccinated in India can land
Foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries can only arrive at an airport with a registered facility. The current CDC list is Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington Dulles, with Seattle taking cargo-only reservations, Los Angeles preferring cargo arrivals, and New York meaning JFK only. For travelers from India this rules out several common gateways. Newark, San Francisco and Chicago are frequent Air India destinations but are not on the list, so an India-vaccinated dog cannot enter there. Choose the arrival airport from the facility list first, then build the flights around it.
The screwworm certificate
India is on the USDA list of regions where screwworm is considered to exist. USDA APHIS requires dogs from those regions to travel with a certificate signed by a full-time salaried official government veterinarian, stating the dog was inspected for screwworm within 5 days before shipment and found free, or was treated and held until free. The statements can be a separate certificate or built into the export health certificate. This applies to every dog leaving India for the US, including US-vaccinated dogs coming home. Because both the screwworm statement and the CDC foreign rabies form require a government veterinarian's signature, ask your AQCS office at the appointment-booking stage how it handles each, and whether both can be completed at the same examination.
| Window | Document | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| At least 28 days before arrival | Rabies antibody titer blood draw | Also at least 30 days after the first valid vaccination; CDC-approved lab |
| No more than 30 days before travel | CDC foreign rabies and microchip certification | Endorsed by an official government vet; single use |
| At least 7 days before embarkation | AQCS document submission for the NOC | Prior appointment required |
| Valid 10 days from issue | AQCS export certificate | Issued after in-person examination |
| Within 5 days before shipment | Screwworm inspection certificate | Signed by an official government vet |
| Before arrival | Animal care facility reservation and CDC Dog Import Form | Arrival airport must match |
Lining up the windows
The table shows why India to US moves need a plan on paper. Work backward from the flight date. The titer comes first, three to four months out, because the lab result takes time and the blood draw must sit at least 28 days before arrival. Around a month out, reserve the animal care facility and confirm the flight with the pet booked. In the final week, the AQCS appointment, the export certificate, the CDC foreign rabies form and the screwworm inspection all cluster together, and the screwworm window of 5 days is the tightest of them. Schedule the AQCS examination two or three days before departure so every short window overlaps the flight.
Air India and other carriers
Air India runs the largest network of nonstop flights between India and the US, but it does not carry pets in the cabin on US routes. Dogs and cats fly in the hold or as cargo, mainly from Delhi and Mumbai, and Air India's pet travel FAQ sets out booking and crate rules, including advance booking of the pet. Snub-nosed breeds face hold restrictions. Some other carriers refuse dogs from high-risk countries altogether, and connecting through Europe or the Gulf adds the transit rules of a third country, so a nonstop into JFK is often the simplest option for an India-vaccinated dog if the pet space is available. A shipper can also book the dog as manifest cargo into one of the approved facility airports.
Leaving from a city without an AQCS office
AQCS offices sit in the major metros, so a family in Pune, Ahmedabad, Kochi or Chandigarh has to factor in travel to an AQCS station as well as to the departure airport. In practice, most families either move the dog to Delhi or Mumbai a few days before the flight and complete the appointment there, or use a pet relocation agent who handles the domestic leg and the AQCS visit under an authority letter. Domestic flights within India add their own pet booking and crate check, and train travel with a large dog is impractical, so many families drive. Leave room in the plan for the dog to rest a night after a long domestic journey before facing a long international flight.
Choosing a pet relocation agent in India
Because the windows are short and two different government sign-offs are involved, many owners on this route use an agent. A good one will know the AQCS office's appointment process, book the pet as cargo or excess baggage, supply an IATA-compliant crate, coordinate the titer lab courier and liaise with the US animal care facility. Ask any agent which US gateways it routinely uses for high-risk dogs, how it handles the screwworm statement, and whether it will put a full itemized quote in writing. Be wary of agents who claim the titer or the care facility can be skipped, or who ask for full payment by bank transfer before any documents exist.
Mistakes that stop dogs at the airport
- Microchip implanted after the rabies vaccination being relied on.
- Titer drawn too soon after vaccination, or too close to arrival.
- CDC foreign rabies form older than 30 days, or never endorsed by a government vet.
- Flight booked into a US airport without a registered animal care facility.
- No screwworm certificate, or one signed outside the 5-day window.
- AQCS export certificate expired because the flight was rescheduled.
Heat and the Indian summer
From roughly April to June, temperatures across north and west India regularly exceed what airlines will accept for animals on the tarmac, and US cargo programs apply their own embargoes. Late-night departures from Delhi and Mumbai help, but many shippers simply avoid moving dogs in peak summer, especially older dogs or any breed with a short muzzle. If your relocation date is flexible, the cooler months from November to February are the easiest time to move a dog out of India.
Indie dogs and rescue adoptions
Many Indian families and foreign residents adopt Indian native dogs, often called Indies or desi dogs, and want to bring them to the US. These dogs are almost always India-vaccinated, so they follow the full foreign-vaccinated path, including the titer and the care facility. Make sure the microchip was implanted before the rabies vaccination you are relying on, since many street-rescued dogs were vaccinated before they were chipped, which means that earlier vaccination does not count and the sequence must start again. Dogs moved by a rescue for adoption are commercial imports and fall under extra USDA rules. Our guide to bringing a rescue dog from overseas covers this, including how to avoid adoption and shipping scams.
Cats from India
Cats still need the AQCS export certificate and the airline's requirements, but there is no CDC form, no titer, no care facility reservation and no screwworm certificate for a cat on the US side. A cat can arrive at any US airport. Most US states expect rabies vaccination for cats after arrival, so bring the vaccination record.
The arrival day
For an India-vaccinated dog, the animal care facility takes the dog on arrival, checks its documents, examines it and revaccinates it with a US-licensed rabies vaccine before release. Plan for a release the same day or the next, confirm the facility's hours if you land late, and arrange collection with a crate and vehicle. If your final home is far from the arrival airport, remember that US domestic airlines rarely carry pets in the hold, so the last leg is usually by road. Our sister guide on the Philippines to the US covers the same arrival process from another high-risk origin.
What it typically costs
Budget for the Indian vet visits, the titer test and courier to the lab, AQCS fees, an IATA-compliant crate, the airline or cargo charge, and the animal care facility fee, which varies by facility and rises sharply if a 28-day quarantine is needed. A full-service shipper handling a medium or large dog from Delhi or Mumbai to a US city commonly runs into the low-to-mid thousands of dollars. Our international pet shipping cost guide breaks down the line items.