Pet travel route
Taking a dog or cat from India → New Zealand
What the official rules ask for on this route, for a family pet travelling with its owner. Enter your travel date and your pet’s details to turn it into a dated checklist.
Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving India publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. AQCS's export page is one short list of documents. It doesn't say what the export certificate costs, and its wording about the visit '7 days prior to embarkation' can be read two ways: confirm both with your AQCS station when you book.
Limited official guidance. The authority for entering New Zealand publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. This follows the 2026 Import Health Standard (in force from 1 July 2026). It sends many details to MPI's separate list of approved vaccines, tests and treatments, which we don't reproduce: your vet needs it. Pets coming from Australia are not covered yet. Until 1 April 2027 the 2021 standard can still be used instead, which we have not read.
Which rules apply to you
India is in the group “Not on MPI's lists: cats and dogs cannot be imported from this country” in New Zealand’s published list.See every group
Headlines for New Zealand
- Rabies blood test for some origins
- Import permit for some pets
- Quarantine possible
- Extra disease test for some origins
- Some origins not allowed
What your dog needs
Dogs
New Zealand only accepts cats and dogs from countries MPI has approved (Categories 1, 2 and 3), and this country is not on those lists. Your pet would have to live in an approved country first, or the exporting country's veterinary authority would have to ask MPI to approve it.
Paperwork
Book your AQCS appointment
Book an appointment with the AQCS station (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru or Hyderabad) and bring your pet with the documents at least 7 days before departure.
The official wording is ambiguous. Confirm this point with the authority.
Details and the official words
Bring: your pet; a 'fit to fly' certificate from a registered vet; microchip certificate; vaccination record; your passport and ticket copies; airway bill if cargo; two 4×6 inch photos of the pet; and any document the destination requires (import permit, titer report).
The official wording ('7 days prior to embarkation for obtaining the NOC with prior appointment') could also mean booking 7 days ahead — confirm with your AQCS station.
“Quarantine office with Pet animal 7 days prior to embarkation for obtaining the NOC with prior appointment”
Official stamp
AQCS export certificate
AQCS examines your pet and issues the export certificate, which is valid for 10 days from the date of issue/examination.
Details and the official words
“Export certificate is valid for 10 days from the date of issue / Examination in AQCS.”
Good to know
- Banned in New Zealand: Brazilian Fila, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Perro de Presa Canario and American Pit Bull Terrier-type dogs (any dog that belongs wholly or predominantly to them).
- Bengal cats can be imported. Other hybrid cats and dogs are likely to be treated as 'new organisms' and need approval from the Environmental Protection Authority before they come.
- AQCS fees for the pet export certificate are not clearly published — ask your AQCS station when you book.
What your cat needs
Cats
New Zealand only accepts cats and dogs from countries MPI has approved (Categories 1, 2 and 3), and this country is not on those lists. Your pet would have to live in an approved country first, or the exporting country's veterinary authority would have to ask MPI to approve it.
Paperwork
Book your AQCS appointment
Book an appointment with the AQCS station (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru or Hyderabad) and bring your pet with the documents at least 7 days before departure.
The official wording is ambiguous. Confirm this point with the authority.
Details and the official words
Bring: your pet; a 'fit to fly' certificate from a registered vet; microchip certificate; vaccination record; your passport and ticket copies; airway bill if cargo; two 4×6 inch photos of the pet; and any document the destination requires (import permit, titer report).
The official wording ('7 days prior to embarkation for obtaining the NOC with prior appointment') could also mean booking 7 days ahead — confirm with your AQCS station.
“Quarantine office with Pet animal 7 days prior to embarkation for obtaining the NOC with prior appointment”
Official stamp
AQCS export certificate
AQCS examines your pet and issues the export certificate, which is valid for 10 days from the date of issue/examination.
Details and the official words
“Export certificate is valid for 10 days from the date of issue / Examination in AQCS.”
Good to know
- Bengal cats can be imported. Other hybrid cats and dogs are likely to be treated as 'new organisms' and need approval from the Environmental Protection Authority before they come.
- AQCS fees for the pet export certificate are not clearly published — ask your AQCS station when you book.
Common questions
Does my dog need a rabies blood test to go from India to New Zealand?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for a rabies blood test.
Do I need an import permit to bring my dog into New Zealand?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for an import permit.
Will my dog be quarantined in New Zealand?
Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.
Does my dog need a microchip?
The official rules we have verified for this route don't list a microchip requirement.