Moving your pet from Switzerland to India?

The Switzerland–India route requires quarantine on arrival, so planning well ahead matters. In plain terms, this is a moderate route, meaning the requirements are relatively straightforward compared to many international moves.

Most owners start the process around 4-8 weeks before the flight date. That window is not arbitrary — it accounts for vaccination waiting periods, titre test processing, and document endorsement.

Here is how the preparation unfolds from start to travel day:

Costs vary considerably depending on your pet's size, the airline, and whether you use a pet relocation agent. The main factors to price up are:

• Cargo fee Zurich to India (approximately CHF 600-1,800 depending on pet size and routing)
• FSVO/cantonal endorsement fee
• IATA-compliant crate
• AQCS inspection fee on arrival

Microchip: Required (ISO 11784/11785). Strongly recommended.

Rabies vaccination: Required. Must be valid at time of entry.

Titre test: Not required.

Health certificate: FSVO-endorsed certificate required. Must confirm microchip, vaccination status, and health fitness.

Import permit: No advance permit required but AQCS inspection on arrival is mandatory.

Quarantine: No mandatory quarantine. AQCS inspection on arrival.

Export permit: {'required': False}

Export health certificate: Official health certificate required. Issued by FSVO-authorised veterinarian and endorsed by cantonal veterinary office or FSVO.

Several airlines serve routes between Switzerland and India, each with different policies on pets in cabin versus cargo hold:

India’s Animal Quarantine and Certification Service (AQCS) under the Ministry of Agriculture inspects all imported animals. Requirements are: ISO microchip; valid rabies vaccination; an official health certificate endorsed by Swiss authorities (cantonal or FSVO); and arrival at one of the five approved AQCS airports.

The five approved entry airports are Delhi (Indira Gandhi International), Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International), Chennai (MAA), Kolkata (CCU), and Bengaluru (Kempegowda International). Your pet cannot arrive at Hyderabad, Goa, or any other airport.

There is no titre test requirement from Switzerland to India, and no advance import permit is needed. The AQCS inspection on arrival is the main procedural step.

Source: India DAHD (Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying), dahd.gov.in.

Switzerland’s Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) is the competent authority for animal export documentation. Your Swiss veterinarian prepares a health certificate confirming your pet’s microchip number, rabies vaccination status, and fitness to travel. The cantonal veterinary office endorses the certificate.

The certificate must be issued within 10 days of departure and remain valid on arrival in India. Allow at least one week for the endorsement process at the cantonal office – do not schedule this at the last minute.

AQCS will inspect both your pet and the documentation on arrival. Keep all original documents accessible in your carry-on, not in checked luggage.

There are no direct Zurich to India flights. Lufthansa via Frankfurt is the most convenient routing. The Zurich-Frankfurt leg is short (under an hour), and Lufthansa Cargo’s Frankfurt hub connects to all five approved Indian gateway airports. Small pets may travel in the cabin from Zurich to Frankfurt.

Air India via London or other hubs is an option, particularly if you prefer the national carrier at the India end. Air India Cargo accepts pets and the airline has direct experience with AQCS on arrival at Indian airports.

Emirates via Dubai provides broad India coverage with connections to all major Indian cities.

• Pet Transport India to Switzerland