Guides
Everything we'd tell you over coffee.
Sixteen guides, written for pet parents, in the order you'll need them. Each one is checked against the rules it describes.
Before you decide
- 2 minHow long a pet move takes, by destinationFrom 4 to 8 weeks inside India to about a year for Australia. The rules at the other end set the clock, so this is the page to read first.
- 2 minBreed and airline restrictions on pet travelSnub-nosed breeds, breeds many countries won't take, and the heat limits airlines set. If your dog is one of these, read this before you decide anything else.
- 2 minWhat we can't doSeven things we won't be able to arrange, written down on purpose. Better you read them here than meet one at a check-in desk.
- 2 minWhat a pet move costs, and why there's no price hereThere's no price range on this site, because any range wide enough to be honest would be useless. Here's what the number is actually made of, so you can question any quote, ours included.
- 2 minHeat embargoes, and the months a pet can't flyAirlines set their own temperature limits, by carrier, aircraft, airport and route, and snub-nosed breeds often get tighter ones. In India, that can pick your travel month before your notice period does.
The paperwork
- 3 minThe documents to take a pet out of IndiaThe standard export file, the health certificate on top of it, and the extra papers each country adds on top of both.
- 3 minBringing a dog or cat into IndiaMoving home, or moving here? The legal route comes first, then an Advance NOC on ATITHI 2.0 at least seven days before he boards. No NOC, no flight.
- 2 minQuarantine: what it is, and where it appliesSome routes need a quarantine place booked before he flies, and on others a live permit decides. Here's what that means, and why we never print a no-quarantine badge.
Your animal
- 2 minShould a pet be sedated for a flight?No. We don't sedate pets for travel, and IATA advises against it. Here's why, and what actually helps a nervous animal.
- 3 minGetting your pet used to the travel crateFive steps, started as early as you can. It's the one part of the move that's entirely in your hands, and it does more for how he travels than anything we do.
- 2 minMoving a catCats share a lot of the dog's file, but not all of it. The vaccines, the airline rules and sometimes the whole route can differ, so a cat never gets a dog's checklist by default.
- 2 minMoving an older or anxious petWe don't sedate, so for an older or nervous animal the plan does the work instead: the crate, the way he flies, and the route.
The journey
- 3 minCargo, excess baggage or the cabin: how your pet actually fliesThree ways to fly, and the airline, the destination and your pet decide which ones are open. Here's what each means, who's with him, and who books the ticket.
- 2 minThe last week before he fliesBy now the paperwork is either right or it isn't. What's left is a short list of small things, most of them about the hour before collection, and several of them surprise people.
- 2 minMoving a pet between Indian citiesPeople treat it as the easy one. The airline still has to agree to carry him, the crate still has to fit, and if either end is far from a main airport, the road leg is the part to plan.