Air Pet Travel: Legal Guidelines to Take a Pet Out of India

It is a growing trend among Indian travelers to take their much loved pets with them on their holiday trips. Air travel with pets can be a complicated process. That’s why its important to ensure that proper traveling arrangements are made in order to avoid any hassles. In India, air carriers which provide the air pet travel services are Sahara, Indian Airlines and Jet airways.

Air Pet Travel: Dealing with the Airline

If you are planning to take your pet along with you by flight, check and verify the rules and regulations of the particular airlines you intend to travel by. You can carry your pet as a carry on or ship it.

If you decide to carry your pet as a carry on, here are some simple things to consider:

Each airline has specific weight and size limit especially with respect to dogs.

• Only one pet per flight is allowed by most airlines.
• You can also use the sedation method by consulting a vet, to ensure a hassle free flight but it is important to check whether you are violating any rules of the airline.
• If your pet is too big, it will have to be flown as a cargo pet.
• Ensure that the airline staff handles your pet with care so that it does not escape, die or get abandoned or lost on runways. The crate that carries your pet should have the pet’s name, photo, and feeding instructions on it.

Air Pet Travel: Ensure That Vaccinations are Up to Date

Before you actually grab the flight with your pet, ensure that all the vaccinations are up to date. You will need to provide the following certificates to the airline to prove that all the vaccinations are complete:

• A "health certificate" from a veterinarian stating "No sign or suspicion of a contagious disease was observed. As far as could be ascertained the general health of the animal is good." This certificate should be obtained before the government certificate which is valid only for 7 days.
• An "animal health certificate" is required from the Animal Quarantine and Certification Service (Government of India). You can contact them on (022) 2755 2021 or mail them at quarantineofficer@vsnl.net.

This government certificate is free of cost. You can get the certificate on the spot. All you need to carry is your pet, its 3 photographs, 3 copies of the Health Certificate and relevant information like breed, age, and color.