Casual Formalities at a Glance and Concerns

Many pet owners are concerned about the formalities related to their pet’s relocation and if it’s their first pet relocation to India then the regulations related to the process are undoubtedly a reason to mull over. There are certain formalities related to Indian pet transport and their import or export procedure. The important points under the regulations include:
• Health certificate of the pet should be issued by a veterinary officer who has the authorization of issuing a valid certificate at the origin country
• Passport of the shipper or transporter must be available at the time of customs clearance
• Rabies vaccination certificate is needed for the pet that is being transported and the certificate should not be less than a month old and not more than a year of boarding the ship or aircraft
• For the pet custom clearance, a letter is required from the owner who is authorizing the relocation. Apart from this, for verification of the related documents by a veterinary who will be available at the air cargo complex and for the prior permission from the Indian customs, information of the flight along with a clear copy of the airway bill should be faxed before 72 hours of the pet’s arrival excluding the holidays
• Pet food is subjected to custom duty
The above regulations and documentations are only valid for the pets like dogs and cats. Not all the species are permitted to relocate to India under these regulations and procedures. If the pet is a mammal like a rodent or rabbit or species like reptiles, Amphibia or Invertebrates then under DGFT license, they can be transported as Cargo. Also, these species shouldn’t be under the CITIES endangered species. Other species like parrots or turtles also need special permit if they fall under CITIES endangered species.

Concerns

• Aged or ill pets may suffer from skin issues or other diseases due to the Indian climate
• It is important to consult pet’s veterinary before moving it to a country like India, where the climate is hot or tropical
• If you are planning to check-in in an Indian hotel after arrival, make sure they allow pets inside since Indian hotels have different rules and regulations in comparison to western hotels
• Make sure you have enough medicines and flea or pest repellent for your pet as you may not get the same products in India in the first place
• Many airlines allow the pets in the cargo area and not in the airline container in the cabin.
• Make sure the kennel container provided by the airline is properly cleaned or sanitized as you can’t guarantee the health status of the pet that has been transferred previously in the container
• Finding the appropriate size of kennel for your pet can be challenging sometimes
• Attaching a tag to the pet with essential information for identification in emergency circumstances is recommended
• It’s okay to provide water to the pet, but feeding them before the flight is not recommended
• If your pet’s veterinary doesn’t recommend any medicine or tranquilizer then don’t go for it
• If possible, arrange your flight’s arrival to India on weekdays so that you get every facility and service available for your pet