by- DR TAPAN KUMAR SAHU, Chief Animal Quarentine & Certification officer, Govt. of India, Bengaluru.
Pet Passport – what is it? Why does your pet need one?
The term “pet passport” was originally popularized in the European Union (EU) where dog, cat or ferret owners could get a blue pet passport from their veterinarian and travel freely through the EU member countries. This is still true today for people living in the EU. It will last for the lifetime of the pet as long as the rabies vaccination is kept up to date.
However, for pet owners residing in countries outside of the EU, a “pet passport” is simply a term we use to represent all of the pertinent documentation needed to take your pet to other countries. Customs officials will need to see these documents in order to clear your pet, and the inconvenience caused by losing them can be significant.
Your veterinarian can help you create a pet passport for your pet to enter almost any country in the world. For example, if you are from the United States and are visiting most European Union countries, then the pet passport will consist of the following:
• The Annex IV and APHIS 7001 forms for the country you will be visiting (they are all different) completed by your veterinarian and endorsed by the State USDA veterinarian.
• Your pet’s inoculation record which must be attached to the certified Annex IV form. (Sometimes the inoculation record is referred to as the Rabies Certificate.)
If you are visiting one of the United Kingdom countries (England, Ireland or Scotland) or Finland or Malta, your pet will need proof of a tapeworm test to complete your pet passport.
Every country in the world will require a minimum of proof of good health and a rabies certificate, although the rules for additional testing vary widely from country to country. You should have a Health Certificate completed by your veterinarian. This certificate is also referred to as a Veterinary or Sanitary Certificate. Sometimes, Import Permits and other testing is required.
Traveling internationally with your pet? Planning in advance of traveling with a pet is key in avoiding problems when entering a country. Regulations are specific to each country worldwide, and pet owners need to be familiar with these rules. Pet owners should create a pet passport for their dog, cat or other animal which is a collection of all identifying and required documents for entering their destination country. Knowing pet import rules will help make traveling with your pet safer and more enjoyable.
India will permit up to two dogs and cats per person to enter the country with their owners without a license if their owners are traveling with a transfer of residency to India for a minimum of one year OR they have lived out of India for two continuous years. Any short visits in the past 2 years should not have exceeded 180 days. Other Indian citizens looking to visit India on a short visa can obtain a DGFT license to bring their pet to India as long as their pet departs with them. Tourists can enter the country with their pet as long as requirements here are met and they have a Notice of Objection certificate. (see step #2)
If residents of India are importing a cat or dog (such as a puppy or kitten from a breeder in another country), then a license to import from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and quarantine is required. Dogs are not permitted to enter India for breeding or commercial purposes.
Unless otherwise stated, the regulations below apply to domestic dogs and cats. Owners of other pets should refer to item 9.
1.Pet Microchip
To enter India, your pet must first be microchipped with an ISO 11784/11785 pet microchip that is 15 digit and non-encrypted. If your pet’s microchip is not ISO 11784/11785 compliant, you can bring your own microchip scanner.
2. Import Permit
For cats or dogs entering India imported due to a change in ownership or for various other animals, a license to Import issued by DGFT in India is required. For cats or dogs entering India due to a change in ownership, 30 days of quarantine in an approved quarantine facility in the originating country is required.
All pets entering into India with their owners must be issued a NO OBJECTION CERTIFICATE (NOC) from the Animal Quarantine Station in India whether accompanied or unaccompanied, prior to entering India. The NOC must be applied for in person by the owner, a spouse or an agent.
3. Vaccinations
Your pet cat or dog must be vaccinated for rabies between 30 days and 12 months prior to entry. The 3 year rabies vaccination is not recognized. Dogs must be vaccinated against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Leptospirosis and Parainfluenza for dogs and FVRCP including Feline Enteritis and Feline Pan Leukopenia for cats.
Dogs must show no signs of any clinical sign of any disease including rabies, canine distemper, parvo virus infection, leptospirosis, Infectious Canine Hepatitis, Scabies and Leishmaniasis.
4. Blood Titer Test
Blood titer tests are not required to enter India from any country.
5. Health Certificate & Other Forms
No more than 10 days prior to travel, a USDA (or CFIA) accredited veterinarian must then complete the Veterinary Certificate for India for endorsement by the USDA or CFIA if traveling from the United States or Canada. If you are not traveling from either of these countries, the Governing Authority of your country responsible for the import and export of animals should endorse the forms. All documents should be in English.
A declaration endorsed by a Notary Public attesting to transfer of residence is required as is a contract of employment, appointment letter.or company identification.
6. Commercial Shipments
All pets arriving in India unaccompanied for the purpose of transfer of ownership or sale (not for owners entering India for the purpose of transfer of residence), must serve 30 days of quarantine in an approved facility after import. A DGFT license will be required for these transports. Dogs are not permitted to enter India for breeding or commercial purposes.
7. Entering India by Air
Your pet must enter India either as checked baggage (accompanied cats or dogs) or air cargo (unaccompanied cats and other animals). They must arrive at the international airports in the following cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad or Kolkata. Pets must arrive within 30 days of their owners.
All dogs and cats must arrive within 30 days of their owner’s first immigration stamp as displayed on their passport after issued a proper work or spouse/dependent visa. If traveling unaccompanied, they must enter between 7 and 14 days after their owner. The owner’s original passport will be required and held until your pet clears customs.
Pets should arrive between the hours of 5:00AM and noon on Monday through Friday. It is not advisable to present your pet outside of these hours.
All domestic dogs and cats must be free of evidence of disease communicable to humans when examined at the port of entry to India. If your dog or cat is not in apparent good health, further examination by a licensed veterinarian may be required at your expense.
8. Banned Breeds
India does not publish a list of banned breeds.
9. Exporting Pets
Within 7 days of export, dogs and cats will need a health certificate from their vet as well as an Animal Health Certificate from the Animal Quarantine and Certification Service as well as all documentation required for their destination country.
10. Other Animals
Only dogs and cats are considered as pets for purposes of import to India. Invertebrates, reptiles, amphibia, mammals such as rodents and rabbits may be imported to India as air cargo with a DGFT license as long as they are not classified as endangered under CITES.If your pet is covered by CITES regulations, then it is subject to 30 days of quarantine in the originating country and will be subject to 30 days of quarantine in India. Currently, birds are not permitted for import due to Avian Influenza.
11. CITES
If your pet is not a dog, cat or ferret, and especially if it is a turtle or parrot, you should verify that it is not protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). You will need to apply for additional permits if this is the case. Over 180 countries participate and enforce CITES regulations.
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12. Airline Pet Policies
Whether you are flying with your pet or it is flying without you, it is important to choose an airline that serves the entire route from beginning to end. After finding your airline, you will need to know their pet policies. Will the airline allow your dog or cat to fly in the cabin with you? What are the restrictions? Will your pet need to travel in the cargo hold ,Another option for airline pet travel is by private charter. Although this is more expensive than commercial airlines, pets will fly in the cabin with their owners in luxury, regardless of their size.
Airline Pet Travel:
Pets can travel on a commercial airline in one of 3 ways: in-cabin, checked baggage and manifest cargo.
Checked Baggage Cabin
Pets traveling in the cabin must fly with an adult passenger and travel in an airline compliant carrier stowed under the seat.
Checked Baggage Cargo
Pets traveling with a passenger that are not permitted in the cabin can be transported as checked baggage in the cargo hold.
Manifest Cargo
Unaccompanied or very large pets will travel as manifest cargo in the hold.
Service/Comfort Animals
Service and Emotional Animals can travel in the cabin with a disabled passenger on many airlines.
Procedural Formalities:
1. No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Quarantine Officer at the Animal Quarantine Station in India.
2. A duplicate copy of the NOC has to be fixed on the crate of the pet dog during the air travel.
3. Original copy of the NOC has to be produced in India to get the pet dog released from the customs at the Airport in India.
4. On arrival in India, an appointment to be fixed with the Quarantine Officer for issue of a temporary Health Certificate on examination of the dog.
5. 30 days thereafter a certificate of health to be obtained from a local veterinarian to be produced at the Animal Quarantine Station. Then, the dog will be issued a permanent certificate of health for his/her stay in India.
