Pet Transport from Thailand to India

Before the NOC, settle eligibility, because it decides the shape of the whole move. India admits pets as restricted trade with one exemption: if you are relocating to India after two or more continuous years abroad, up to two cats or dogs travel as accompanied passenger baggage with no import licence, under a 2013 customs circular. If that does not describe you, whether because the stay was shorter, there is a third pet, or the pet is being shipped unaccompanied as cargo, you need a DGFT import authorisation on Form ANF 2M. That committee meets monthly, so allow about two months. Note what this means for cargo: sending the pet as freight is itself what pushes you out of the exemption, so if you qualify for transfer of residence, fly with the animal rather than shipping it.

India’s Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) then requires a No Objection Certificate before any pet can arrive in the country. The NOC is not issued at the airport on arrival; it must be in hand before the flight departs Bangkok.

Apply to the AQCS station at your intended Indian arrival airport. There are six: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. A flight into any other Indian airport, however convenient, cannot legally receive your pet. The application takes your pet’s vaccination records, microchip certificate, the DLD health certificate draft, copies of the air ticket and your passport, and proof of transfer of residence where that route applies. One detail trips up more families than any other: the owner’s name on the health certificate must match the name on the air ticket exactly. Book the ticket first, then have the certificate drawn up.

AQCS commits to issuing the NOC within one working day of a complete file and asks for submission at least seven working days ahead. The gap between those two numbers is document chasing, not processing, so apply about two weeks out. AQCS is also inconsistent on the fee: its own operating procedure says nothing is charged for a pet NOC, its published FAQ quotes Rs 1,000. Ask when you apply.

A local agent based in India is the most reliable way to handle the AQCS application, especially if you are unfamiliar with which AQCS station to contact or what format each station requires. The NOC is the single most important document for this move; everything else follows from it.

The Department of Livestock Development (DLD) is responsible for pet exports from Thailand. Your vet must be authorised by DLD to issue the export health certificate. The certificate records the pet’s vaccination history (including the rabies vaccination date and batch number), microchip details and clinical health status.

Thailand is a rabies-endemic country. When the DLD health certificate arrives at AQCS India, officers check the rabies vaccination date and confirm it falls within the required window: more than 1 month before travel, within the past 12 months. Ensure these dates are clearly set out in the certificate and that the document is signed and stamped by the issuing DLD-authorised vet.

There is a departure inspection, and it is the tightest appointment in the whole plan. File form R.1/1 through the DLD e-Movement system about two to three weeks out, then bring the pet to the Animal Quarantine Station at Suvarnabhumi for its mandatory examination no more than two to three days before the flight. The station sits on the 1st floor of the CE-1 Building in the airport Free Zone, the cargo customs area, not the passenger terminal. Budget an extra hour to find it the first time. Pass the examination and DLD issues the R.9 export licence and the endorsed health certificate. The cargo counter runs 08:30 to 16:30 on weekdays, so a Monday flight means a Thursday or Friday appointment.

Thai Airways operates direct services from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) to both Delhi Indira Gandhi (DEL) and Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (BOM). As Thailand’s flag carrier, Thai Airways Cargo is experienced with the Bangkok DLD departure requirements and with AQCS arrivals in India. Direct routing from Bangkok means no transit complications, which matters when your pet is travelling in a cargo hold.

Air India also flies Bangkok to Delhi and Mumbai. As an Indian carrier, Air India’s cargo desks at Delhi and Mumbai are well-acquainted with the AQCS arrival process. Either carrier is a practical choice; compare rates and crate size limits before booking.

For large dogs, book cargo space four to six weeks in advance. Cargo slots for oversized crates are limited on any given flight. All pets travelling as cargo require IATA-compliant rigid crates that allow the animal to stand, turn and lie down without difficulty.