Moving a cat into, out of or around India
Most borders treat a cat the way they treat a dog. The differences are worth knowing early: the USA, the snub-nosed breeds, and a cat who'd rather not be in a box at all.
The thing to know first
A cat flying to the USA on dog paperwork. It's a different route, and we check it on its own.
01 · Leaving India
The AQCS export check, and a separate route for the USA.
We check A cat's papers for the USA are checked on their own. We check this for your route before anything is booked.
- To leave India, the pet goes to the AQCS quarantine office with the papers, by appointment, 7 days before the flight. AQCS asks for a fit to fly certificate from a local registered vet, the microchip certificate, the vaccination record, the owner's passport and ticket, two photographs, and whatever the new country asks for, like a permit or a titre. The export certificate is valid for 10 days.AQCS, requirements for export of pets out of India, checked 5 Oct 2026
- Canada asks for a cat 3 months or older to have a vet's certificate of current rabies vaccination, or a titre of at least 0.5 IU/ml.CFIA, Import Reference Document, cats and dogs, checked 5 Oct 2026
- Emirates SkyCargo's snub-nosed list includes Persian, Himalayan, Exotic Shorthair, British Shorthair, British Longhair, Burmese, Scottish Fold, Selkirk Rex and Exotic Fold cats. Outside its winter season, November to April, they don't fly with it.Emirates SkyCargo, Emirates Pets leaflet, checked 5 Oct 2026
02 · Coming into India
The same baggage rule as a dog, and the same Advance NOC.
- Up to two pets, dogs or cats, can come in as baggage with an owner who's moving residence to India after at least two years of continuous stay abroad. Anyone else needs a DGFT import licence first, and DGFT says to start about two months ahead because its committee meets once a month.DGFT, FAQ on import of pets, checked 5 Oct 2026
- Cats need a rabies vaccine given more than one month and within 12 months before boarding, recorded on the official health certificate.AQCS, import of pets under the baggage rule, checked 22 Sep 2026
- Since the AQCS SOP of 10 August 2026, the Advance NOC for a dog or cat coming in under the baggage rules is applied for on CBIC's ATITHI 2.0 portal, at least 7 days before boarding. Airlines don't lift a pet without it.AQCS, SOP for import of pet dogs through ATITHI 2.0 (10 Aug 2026), checked 5 Oct 2026
03 · Within India
Cabin or hold on the airlines that take pets.
We check We check this for your route before anything is booked.
- Air India carries dogs and cats on domestic flights: in the cabin up to 10 kg with the soft carrier, as checked baggage up to 32 kg in a hard IATA crate, and as cargo above that.Air India, travelling with pets, checked 5 Oct 2026
- Akasa Air's conditions of carriage define pets as domesticated cats and dogs, and nothing else. Since May 2024 the cabin limit is 10 kg including the container.Akasa Air, conditions of carriage ("Pets" means domesticated cats and dogs), checked 5 Oct 2026
- IndiGo's own pages say it doesn't carry pets, apart from guide dogs.IndiGo, baggage policy, checked 5 Oct 2026
- Inside India, the Transport of Animals Rules want a qualified vet's certificate that a dog or cat is fit to travel by rail, road, sea or air, and the carrier has to refuse the animal without one.AWBI, Transport of Animals Rules, 1978, checked 5 Oct 2026
The longer version.
Leaving India, a cat goes through the same AQCS export check as a dog, then the new country's rules. For the UK and Europe that's the same chip, rabies vaccine, titre and wait. For the USA it isn't the CDC dog route at all, so we check a cat's papers on their own and never copy the dog list across.
Persians, Himalayans, Exotic Shorthairs, British Shorthairs and Scottish Folds are on Emirates' snub-nosed list, the same as Pugs. That changes which airline and which month will work.
Cats come home to India under the same baggage rule as dogs, up to two pets between them, with the Advance NOC on ATITHI 2.0.
Crate training matters more with a cat, if anything. We start early, at home, so the carrier is a place she already sleeps in.
Moving a cat?
Tell us where from, where to and roughly when. The message is written for you.
Hi, I'd like to move my cat.
Where every fact on this page comes from
- AQCS, requirements for export of pets out of IndiaChecked 5 Oct 2026
- CFIA, Import Reference Document, cats and dogsChecked 5 Oct 2026
- Emirates SkyCargo, Emirates Pets leafletChecked 5 Oct 2026
- DGFT, FAQ on import of petsChecked 5 Oct 2026
- AQCS, import of pets under the baggage ruleChecked 22 Sep 2026
- AQCS, SOP for import of pet dogs through ATITHI 2.0 (10 Aug 2026)Checked 5 Oct 2026
- Air India, travelling with petsChecked 5 Oct 2026
- Akasa Air, conditions of carriage ("Pets" means domesticated cats and dogs)Checked 5 Oct 2026
- IndiGo, baggage policyChecked 5 Oct 2026
- AWBI, Transport of Animals Rules, 1978Checked 5 Oct 2026