Your pet's vaccination papers in India: what counts and who asks
The paper that counts is your vet's own vaccination certificate, signed and stamped by a registered vet; city licence offices, trains, airlines and boardings may all ask to see it 13678. Delhi's MCD wants it on the vet's letterhead, with the vet's council registration number 2. Keep the original with your pet's licence, and a photo where the whole family can find it.
- Vets' code
- A vaccination certificate for a pet licence or for crossing a state border is a professional certificate; signing an untrue one can cost a vet their registration9
Guides in this section
- What do boardings and daycares ask for before a stay?What Indian pet boardings and daycares ask for: vaccination proof, kennel cough, tick checks. What the law says, and questions to ask before you book.
- Lost your dog's vaccination card? How to get proof againLost your dog's or cat's vaccination card? Ask the clinic for a duplicate: what it must show, what to do if there's no record, and what to avoid.
- Printable vaccination record for your dog or catA one-page A4 vaccination record to print and fill in from your vet's card. A family copy, not a certificate: what to write and where to keep it.
Who asks for it, and what they want
| Who | What they ask for | How recent |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi: MCD dog registration | A valid anti-rabies certificate from a registered vet, in MCD's sample format 12 | Registration ends when the rabies vaccination lapses 1 |
| Mumbai: BMC dog licence | Recent rabies and leptospirosis certificates, signed and stamped by a registered vet 3 | Uploaded with each application 3 |
| Chennai: GCC pet licence | Your vet enters the rabies vaccination in the licence portal 5 | The licence date follows the latest rabies vaccination 5 |
| Mumbai housing society | Societies may insist on the BMC dog licence; owners should keep the society up to date on the licence and vaccinations 4 | Not stated 4 |
| Train | The vaccination card, with a vet fitness certificate 6 | Fitness certificate from 24–48 hours before 6 |
| Air India | The vaccination record, and a health and rabies certificate signed and stamped by a registered vet 7 | Certificate within 7 days of departure 7 |
| Akasa Air | A rabies vaccination certificate signed and stamped by a registered vet, and a fit-to-fly certificate 8 | Fit-to-fly within 72 hours; valid 15 days 8 |
| Boarding or daycare | Its own list; CGS Hospital in Delhi, for example, asks you to carry the vaccination card 12 | Set by each boarding 12 |
What makes the paper count
Offices look for the vet's signature, stamp and registration, not a neat card. MCD's sample, for example, is printed on the vet's letterhead and carries the vet's council registration number 2.
The Veterinary Council of India's code of conduct lists 'a vaccination certificate for licensing of pets' and one 'for transport across border from one state to another' among the certificates vets sign, and a vet who signs an untrue one can be removed from the register 9. That is why a backdated certificate is never the answer.
Your own notes or a printed family record help you keep track, but they don't replace the vet's certificate.
If you bought your pet
- From a breeder: the breeder must give you, in writing, the dates of vaccinations and deworming, and the name and address of the vet who looked after the pup 10.
- From a pet shop: the receipt must show the pet's vaccination details 11.
- Keep both with the vet's card. They are the start of your pet's record.
Keeping the papers safe
- Keep the originals in one folder with the licence and any travel papers.
- Put a photo of every page where the whole family can open it, not on one person's phone.
- Note the next due date from the certificate. In Delhi and Chennai a missed rabies booster also means a lapsed licence 15; see registration by city.
- Before a trip, check the rabies date first, then get the vet's travel certificate in the carrier's window 678.
- Boarding soon? Each boarding sets its own list; see what boardings ask for.
Which vaccines, and when
Not fully clear yet
Official sources disagree or leave gaps on these. Confirm before you rely on them.
Last checked 5 Oct 2026. Facts checked against the official sources below by Thapki. Written with AI help from the sources below and checked against them line by line; the Thapki team reads and approves each page before it goes live.
Spot something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
Sources
- Terms and conditions for registration of pet dog (PDF, from the portal), items 3 and 5 · Municipal Corporation of Delhi · seen 5 Oct 2026
- Sample of anti-rabies vaccination certificate (scanned PDF, from the portal) · Municipal Corporation of Delhi · seen 5 Oct 2026
- Manual for application for dog license (PDF), step 11 · Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation · seen 5 Oct 2026
- BMC guidelines on pet dogs, street dogs, feeders, RWAs and AOAs (PDF, final sign-off 20 Mar 2025) · Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Veterinary Health Department · seen 5 Oct 2026
- How to apply for a pet licence in Chennai: a step-by-step guide (11 Nov 2025) · Citizen Matters (news) · seen 5 Oct 2026
- Know your Railway: rules for carrying pet dogs in trains (notice 426/2022-23, 2 Nov 2022) · Southern Railway, Indian Railways · seen 5 Oct 2026
- Travelling with pets: documents needed (read in a browser; the page blocks automated fetches) · Air India · seen 5 Oct 2026
- Pets on Akasa: fly with your pets onboard (page and FAQs; content last published 28 Jul 2026) · Akasa Air · seen 5 Oct 2026
- Code of ethics for veterinary practitioners, Regulations 1992 (Gazette of India, 1 Apr 1992; scanned PDF), regulation 42(3) · Veterinary Council of India · seen 5 Oct 2026
- Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017, G.S.R. 496(E), rule 8(2) (PDF) · Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, via Animal Welfare Board of India · seen 5 Oct 2026
- Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018, G.S.R. 844(E), rule 7(13) and Form IV (PDF) · Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, via Animal Welfare Board of India · seen 5 Oct 2026
- Holiday boarding kennels and cattery (the hospital's own rules) · CGS Hospital (CGS Charitable Trust) · seen 5 Oct 2026