COMPLETE INFORMATION OF REGULATIONS, DOCUMENTATION & STEP BY STEP PROCEDURE FOR TRAVEL WITH PETS IN AIRLINES IN INDIA
Dr.Rajesh Kumar Singh, Livestock consultant, Jamshedpur
Dr.Tapan Sahu, Chief Quarantine officer, Bengaluru,Govt.of India
From social Media, several people often call me to know about the know-how of pets travel by airlines in India.
Thausands of people across India who own dogs and cats dream to be able to travel with them. But, unfortunately, there are very limited resources and information about ‘how to travel with your dog?’
If the thought of leaving your pet behind is unbearable, you do have the option of traveling with your pets companion in India, whether taking the car, train or plane. What is important is to be well-informed of the rules and regulations affecting pet travel as there are procedures and restrictions that must be adhered to when transporting pets and animals in India. Careful preparation and planning are also crucial to ensure a hassle-free trip.
Entering India:
A current regulation of the Central Board of Excise and Customs allows the importation of pet animals into the country such as dogs, cats, and birds. Only up to two pets per passenger are allowed at any one time, accompanied by the proper health certificate from the country of origin. Pets will also be examined upon arrival by a quarantine officer.
Pets must be at least 8-10 weeks old to be eligible to travel. Other restrictions include pregnant animals, females with unweaned offspring and aggressive breeds of dog.
If you intend to bring in more than two pets to the country, this will only be allowed with a corresponding Import Sanitary Permit that is issued by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, or an import license from the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Only dogs and cats are considered pets. Hence, if you plan to bring in your favorite parrot or bird, this will be classified as air cargo attached with a DGFT license, and should be certified as non-endangered species under the CITES.
Vaccination:
Your pet must have the correct rabies vaccination which should not be less than a year old. If it is, your pooch will need to be revaccinated upon entering India. Owners of imported pets must be in possession of a vaccination record.
Required Documentation:
Upon arrival on Indian soil, paperwork must be presented to the quarantine office in customs. You will need to produce a No Objection Certificate (NOC) obtained from a quarantine center 15 days before importation. In addition, an Original Veterinary Certificate must be produced, certifying that dogs and cats are free from certain diseases (Aujeszky’s disease for dogs, rabies and distemper). Pets should also be micro-chipped with an ISO 11784/11785 compliant chip which is usually a 15-digit number. If this is not possible, you must get your own microchip scanner. For animals traveling in the cargo hold, a copy of the passport and ticket of owner or caretaker is required as well as the airway bill.
Quarantine:
India does not usually quarantine animals from countries that have low incidences of rabies. Also, if pets are vaccinated from Aujeszky’s disease, distemper, leishmaniasis and leptospirosis, quarantine is not necessary. When needed, quarantine can last anywhere from 30 days to 3 months. Other mammals and rodents that will be imported to India are quarantined for 30 days in the country of origin and another 30 days in India.
Rules Applying to Visitors:
Visitors on tourist visas are not allowed to bring in a pet. Only those who are relocating for at least a year to the country and returning residents (those who have lived outside of India for at least two years) may be allowed pet importations.
Arriving by Air:
Your pet will enter the country as checked baggage or air cargo. Currently, the ports of entry by air are Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, or Bangalore. They must arrive within a month after owners are in the country. For unaccompanied animals, they must be in India within 7-14 days after the owners’ arrival.
Traveling Inside India:
Once you are inside the country, you can go with your pet anywhere, but remember that you are subject to local rules and regulations. If traveling with your pooch & pet by air, there are some airlines that allow pets on board (Air India, Jet Airways, Spice Jet and Vistara) while others only sanction service animals to help handlers with disabilities (IndiGo and Air Costa). Search and rescue animals are usually flown in with their handlers and special equipment in a chartered plane once the request from the affected government is received by the donor country. Apart from guide dogs, other pets such as cats, dogs, rabbits, and birds will travel as cargo or excess baggage. If using the cargo option which is cheaper than excess baggage, it will mean that your pet cannot travel with you on the same flight.
Crating:
Hence, you need to crate your pet to comply with cargo rules of airlines. The good news is the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has pet-friendly guidelines requiring animals to be crated in an IATA-compliant container to ensure that you pooch has enough room to lie, stand and turn around comfortably for the duration of the journey. Some tips to make sure your pets have a good trip include choosing a well-ventilated, non-chewable, tamper & leak-proof crate, testing it in advance with your pet and labelling it properly (pet and owner’s contact info and the like). It is also a good idea to take a recent photo of your dog should the need to identify the animal arise.
Make sure that your pet has the necessary travel documents including health certificates and clearance from the vet to fly, in addition to vaccinations. Most airlines will not accept pets that have been sedated so it is best to try natural pet calmers before flying, avoid giving too much food that will make them sick and feed lots of liquids to keep them well-hydrated.
Policy for Carriage of Pets on Domestic Flights
Small inoffensive domestic pets such as dogs, cats and birds, accompanied by valid Health and Rabies vaccination certificates, will be accepted on Air India domestic flights in the cabin or in cargo hold at owner’s risk and subject to requirements of the carrier.
Such carriage is subject to approval of the commander of the flight.
The pet must be properly carried in soft ventilated bags/kennel in the prescribed size (kennel size not to exceed 18” x 18” x 12”).The weight of the pet including the container should not exceed 5 kgs. for carriage in the cabin. Pets of larger size / weight will be carried in the cargo hold.
Maximum of 2 pets are permitted per flight and passenger accompanying such pet will be seated in the last row of booked cabin class.
A label will be affixed on the container showing the name of the pet.
A moisture absorbent mat must be placed in the container .
The pet dog must be properly muzzled and leashed
The Pets/Guide Dogs will not be allowed to occupy a passenger seat.
Pet animals can be carried as an accompanied baggage or shipped as Cargo. Bookings can be made for pets as Accompanied Baggage / Excess Baggage through Air India Reservations.
Pets will be carried at an additional charge and will not be included in the Free Baggage Allowance, even if the passenger has no other baggage.
Normal Excess Baggage Charges, would be applicable for carriage of accompanied pets on domestic journeys within India. Weight of the pet plus container as also food carried per container will be charged.
However, a Trained Guide Dog when properly muzzled and leashed and with health /vaccination certificate, may be carried free of charge if the dog is trained to lead the a passenger with impaired vision /hearing and the passenger is dependent on such dog.
Policy for Carriage of Pets on International Flights
Animals such as dogs, cats, household birds and other pets when properly crated and accompanied by valid health and vaccination certificates, entry permits, and other documents required by countries of entry and/or transit will provisionally be accepted for carriage, with the advance agreement of carrier, subject to carrier’s regulations.
All Passengers intending to Import/Export pets into/from India from/for all countries as baggage are required to comply with applicable regulations and to have No Objection Certificate / Pre-import Clearance from Animal Quarantine & Certification Service (AQCS) in India, before the commencement of the journey to India. For further details on import/export of pet to/from India, please refer tohttp://aqcsindia.gov.in/
The import/export of pets by passenger’s having the requisite clearance & permission from Animal Quarantine & Certification Service – India (AQCS) canONLY be done via06 Airports in india at present viz. BANGALORE (BLR) / CHENNAI (MAA) / DELHI (DEL) / HYDERABAD (HYD) KOLKATA (CCU) / MUMBAI (BOM) The import / export of the pets has to be done only from the port/s mentioned on the permission obtained by the passenger.
E.G. If the permission to import / export a pet has been granted by the ACQS office in DELHI, then the first port of arrival for this pet will be DELHI ONLY
Pets will be accepted only when properly crated and accompanied by valid documentation e.g. Official health certificate from the country of origin certifying that the cat or dog is free from clinical sign and symptoms of all infectious and contagious diseases including Rabies, Distemper, Leptospirosis etc, entry permits and all other documents required by countries of entry, for transit of Pets. Acceptance and consequential developments are at owner’s risk altogether. The discretion for refusal for acceptance or onward carriage is solely with the carrier, who otherwise will make reasonable efforts to permit and facilitate travel in compliance with rules regarding Pet Carriage.
A maximum of 2 animals – pets as checked baggage or service dog is permitted per aircraft, subject to health documentation, and No Objection Certificate. This rule is valid for all flights, without exception.
The dog and Cat (three months of age and older) must be vaccinated against Rabies more than one month, but within 12 months prior to actual embarkation and all details shall be officially certified or mentioned in the official Health certificate. Also all other vaccination record/detail shall be officially certified or mentioned in the official Health Certificate.
The name of owner in the official health certificate must match with the name as mentioned in the ticket of owner to establish ownership. Passenger’s booking reference must include a remark indicating that he/she will travel with a PET.
Pets will be carried at an additional charge and will not be included in the Free Baggage Allowance, even if the passenger has no other baggage, to the exception for Guide/Service Dogs. Normal excess baggage charges will be applied according to the baggage system applicable i.e.- Piece or weight, for carriage of accompanied pets. Weight of the pet plus container, as also food carried per container, will be charged.
However, a Trained Guide / Service Dog when properly muzzled and leashed, not occupying a passenger seat and compliant with all other Pet Import Regulations and with concurrence of the Commander are the only pets accepted in cabin.
Air India will not be responsible in the event such pets are refused entry into or passage through any country or territory.
Carriage of Pets is not permitted either in the Hold or Cabin, on Ultra Long Haul (ULH) Sectors (Direct Flights) the only exception being service dog required to assist the blind or deaf, which may be carried in the cabin.
There is no provision to carry emotional support animals on Air India services.
Policy for Carriage of Pets on India – USA – India Route
Carriage of pets will not be permitted on nonstop flight operated by Air India on the India – USA – India route. the only exception would be service dogs required to assist the blind or deaf, which may be carried in the cabin.
The existing policy reiterated below will continue to apply to all other International flights operated by Air India subject to the regulations of the country of destination and all en route transiting countries.
The Existing Policy
Domestic pets such as dogs, cats and birds are permitted on Air India flights in the cabin or as checked in baggage depending on the regulations of the country of destination subject to the following conditions:
Properly carried in soft ventilated bags/kennel in the prescribed size. (kennel size not to exceed 18″ x 18″ x 12″)
The pet must be properly muzzled and leashed and the weight of the pet including the container should not exceed 5kgs. Pet will be carried at an additional charge n will not be included in free baggage allowance
Valid health and rabies vaccination certificates
Entry permits and other documents required by countries of entry or transit
Pet accepted at owner’s risk and Air India will not be responsible in the event of such pets being refused entry into or passage through any country or territory
The owner will be responsible for compliance with all governmental customs and health requirements, including quarantine arrangements at destinations
The owner will assume all the risks of injury, sickness or death of the pet accepted for carriage
A declaration indemnifying the airline will be obtained from the passenger
The owner must ensure their pets meet the quarantine requirements. Pets may be subjected to quarantine at destination at the owners expense. the quarantine period may vary and would be at the discretion of the vet authorities at destination
A trained dog or a service dog to assist blind or deaf passengers will be carried free of charge in addition to the normal free baggage allowance.
Maximum 2 animals- pets or service dog are permitted per aircraft, with the concurrence of the commander.
Only one service dog per flight will be permitted.
Exceptions
For flights transiting Middle East – live birds will not be carried as accompanied baggage either in the cabin or in the hold
They may however be permitted as accompanied baggage ex India to the Gulf
Carriage of Pets into UAE
Carriage of Pet Animals into UAE by air shall be in accordance with the terms and conditions of IATA Live Animals Regulations (LARS) by Air Cargo and not under Baggage mode.
Carriage of Pets into UK & GERMANY
Currently AIR INDIA is not authorized to carry LIVE ANIMALS (including Service Animals) in and out of United Kingdom & Germany, in Cabin or as Baggage / Cargo.
Leaving India:
When you leave the country with your pet, you will need a health certificate from the vet and an Animal Health Certificate from the Animal Quarantine and Certification Service which, unfortunately, has a validity of only 7 days. It is best to check airline policies and entry requirements of the destination country well in advance. Each one differs whether you are shipping your pet out to the UK, US, or the EU, or are taking your pet as excess air freight or cargo.
The process for pet carrying from Airline eg.Jet Airways:
- One has to book their ticket and then manually go to the local Jet Airways reservation office to get his PNR endorsed for carrying pets. There is limited space in the hold, so inform Jet Airways that you are carrying pets on that flight immediately after booking your ticket . The call centre is useless. They have no clue about the pet carriage rules, don’t bother calling them.
- Payment for the pet crates is only accepted after examining the pet crates and veterinary certificate. You have to buy IATA APPROVED crates. No improvisation allowed. Go at least three hours before the flight to the airport.
DO NOT SEDATE YOUR PETS for air travel.
- One has to fill a form at the check in counter. Submit photocopies of vaccination, deworming and fit to fly certificate. The fit to fly certificate must be issued no later than 24 hours before the flight. (Tip: even if you go to the vet two to three days before your flight, you could ask him/her to date the certificate 24 hrs before the flight).
- Payment is made in cash at the Jet Airways ticketing office at the airport.
- Airline staff will escort you to a special area for x-ray of oversize baggage. This is the most painful part. You HAVE to remove your pet from the crate and get the crate x-rayed. BE PREPARED. No time for sympathy here. Your pet will be in distress with strangers and men with machine guns around. Just hold on to it tight. If you get bitten or scratched, grin and bear it. Thankfully there is no queue here, the scanner guys are very understanding, they do the x-ray as fast as possible.
- Airline staff will then give you cable ties, which you have to use to secure your crates. Only you have to do this, it is airline policy that they will not assist you. You ensure that your crate is secure.
- Airline staff take over the crates and load them into the aircraft.
- When you board the aircraft ensure you inform the LEAD AIRHOSTESS that you have pets travelling in the hold and she MUST inform the Captain. The airline sends a notification to the pilots, but you ensure you also put in a word.
- After the flight, go to the airline’s baggage reclamation counter. Your crates will arrive there. A dedicated staff member will bring them.
Disclaimer: Airlines rules may change, pet owners are advised to check with airlines.
Neither Pashudhan Praharee nor authors would be held responsible in case of any change in case oe in travel regulations by airlines .
Reference:On request.
Image courtesy-Youtube.
