Pet Travel Expert

Petrelocation.com - We've had an influx of clients moving with pets to India over the last few months -- Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and New Delhi have been hot destinations but we've also facilitated several moves to Pune and Hyderabad as well. Relocating pets to India is no small task. While the availability of "pet safe" flights is very good going to India (we typically arrange pet safe flights with Continental when going to New Delhi and Mumbai, and utilize Lufthansa's live animal cargo program for flights to Chennai), the import requirements and customs clearance process can be quite confusing. For example, Hyderabad doesn't allow pets to arrive as manifest cargo so they must be routed through another airport (usually Chennai). Bangalore currently is not allowing pets to arrive at all at the new airport until further notice.

This afternoon I came across this article from Mobility magazine, an industry magazine that covers various relocation topics. Written by Amy Caballero, a director of relocation for VISION Relocation Group, the article discusses the difficulties that corporate transferees can face when moving to India, particularly when relocating to "tier two" cities like Pune, Hydera­bad and Kolkata:

Tier two cities offer employers lower costs than tier one cities, but invariably have a less reliable infrastructure system. Despite this, there are business parks springing up all around the tier two cities listed above, which will need expatriate talent in the near future. While the big three foreign assignee locations do at least have the cultural and networking options befitting a global business hub, assignees in tier two cities have little support outside the workplace. As soon as they step out of their office, an American assignee must contend with the realities of daily life in India, from haggling with rickshaw drivers to confronting scenes of grinding poverty.
In the case of Americans arriving in India with pets, it is important to point out their new quarantine requirements. Unlike US cities, each city in India has its own set of rules when it comes to the import requirements and procedures. As we reported last week, all cities in India have now started requiring the Annexure I form for dogs and Annexure II form for cats, along with a "No Objection Certificate," or "NOC." The NOC is simply a temporary import permit issued by the quarantine officer, which approves your pet to come into India. Pet owners will need to go through a company like PetRelocation.com or a customs broker in order to obtain one as it must be obtained in India.

If you're considering a move to India with your pet, you can take comfort in the fact that there are many more pet owners taking the leap. When done correctly, and arranged by a professional, your experience, along with your pet's, will be quite safe and seamless.