India to New Zealand
Moving a dog or cat from India to New Zealand
New Zealand doesn't take pets directly from India. The route runs through an approved country, with a new identity check six months out. Allow 10 months or more.
Stop by stop
The timeline for New Zealand.
In the order it happens. Where the authority sets a minimum gap, it's written on the line.
01 · Start
Start planning
10 months or more. Establish the route first.
02 · Travel
Go to an approved country
India isn't approved, so he's prepared in a Category 1, 2 or 3 country.
03 · Check
Identity check
Required for arrivals from 1 April 2027, at least six months before export.
04 · Vet
Rabies vaccine
From a Category 3 country, at least six months before shipment.
05 · Vet
Blood sample
Between three and twelve months before shipment.
- 6+ months after the vaccine
06 · Booking
Permit and quarantine place
Booked before he flies.
07 · Travel
Flight to New Zealand
He has to be at least nine months old.
08 · Arrive
Quarantine
At least 10 days on arrival.
A family who took this route, in their own words.
“We can understand this was a humongous task to bring Brittany from India to Auckland which by no means is an easy process, tons of paperwork, on top of that, it is so complicated a normal person can’t even begin to imagine.”
How it works.
India isn't on New Zealand MPI's list of countries approved to export cats and dogs, so your pet has to be prepared through a Category 1, 2 or 3 country. From a Category 3 country, the first rabies vaccine is at least six months before shipment, the blood sample between three and twelve months before, and the animal at least nine months old. Quarantine on arrival is at least 10 days.
The new import standard adds a pre-export identity check. Every animal arriving from 1 April 2027 needs it at least six months before export, which means the first affected dates start on 1 October 2026.
Ten months is our cautious planning advice, not a legal minimum. Talk to us before the visa, before the schools, and well before the flights.
The file for New Zealand
- The tests, vaccines and residence evidence for the categorised country route.
- A pre-export identity check, at least six months before export, for arrivals from 1 April 2027.
- A quarantine place, booked before travel, for at least 10 days.
- The extra documents and blood tests New Zealand asks for on top of the standard export file.
All of this sits on top of the standard export file.
Quarantine: Booked before you fly
At least 10 days on arrival, booked ahead. The facility and the visiting rules are set by MPI, so we confirm them for your move.
The thing that moves the date
This is the longest band except Australia. If the family and the pet can't travel together, a later pet move is something we design on purpose, not something we patch after the flights are booked.
Checked against the authority's own pages
- New Zealand MPI, cats and dogs import health standard read 1 Sep 2026
- New Zealand MPI, step by step guide 2026 read 31 Aug 2026
Rules change. We check the live rule for your pet and your dates before anything is booked, and nothing here is a promise about a date.
Tell us about him.
The quickest way is a message. Both of these open with it already written, from what you picked above, and a founder answers.
Hi, I'd like to move my pet.
Or fill in his pass, and it goes on WhatsApp or by email with everything in it