Travelling with a dog or cat in India: train, flight and documents
Within India your pet can go by train, in a First AC coupe or the brake-van dog box, or fly with Air India or Akasa Air; IndiGo and Air India Express don't take pets 123568. On both airlines a pet flies in the cabin if pet and carrier weigh 10 kg or less, for ₹7,500 a sector as listed on 4 October 2026 35. The vet certificate is time-bound: 24–48 hours before a train, within 7 days for Air India, and within 72 hours for Akasa Air 145.
Guides in this section
- Flying Air India with a pet: cabin rules, carrier size and chargesAir India pets: cabin up to 10 kg with carrier for ₹7,500 within India, soft carrier 17×10×9 inches, vet certificate within 7 days.
- Flying Akasa Air with a dog or catAkasa Air pets: cabin up to 10 kg for ₹7,500, hold up to 32 kg for ₹15,000, cabin carrier 19 × 12.6 × 10 inches, papers and phone booking.
- Taking your dog on an Indian train: First AC coupe or dog boxHow to take a dog or cat on Indian Railways: First AC coupe or brake-van dog box, online booking, luggage charges and the vet certificate.
Compare your options
| Option | Pets allowed | Where the pet travels | Weight or carrier limit | Vet certificate | Charge (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train, First AC coupe or cabin | Dogs and cats; Southern Railway says one dog per PNR 12 | With you, only if the whole 2-berth coupe or 4-berth cabin is on your PNR 12 | None published | Fitness certificate 24–48 hours before, plus vaccination card 1 | Luggage rate by distance, charged as 60 kg: about ₹302 for 1,000 km (2026 table) 910 |
| Train, brake-van dog box | Dogs 1 | Dog box in the brake van, under the guard 1 | One dog per box 1 | Fitness certificate 24–48 hours before, plus vaccination card 1 | Charged as 30 kg: about ₹151 for 1,000 km (2026 table) 910 |
| Air India | Dogs and cats 3 | Cabin up to 10 kg; hold up to 32 kg 3 | Soft cabin carrier 17 × 10 × 9 inches 34 | Health and rabies certificate not older than 7 days 34 | Within India: ₹7,500 cabin, ₹16,000 hold, plus taxes (2026) 34 |
| Akasa Air | Dogs and cats aged 3 months or more 5 | Cabin up to 10 kg; hold up to 32 kg; cargo up to 100 kg 5 | Cabin container 19 × 12.6 × 10 inches 5 | Fit-to-fly certificate, 'within 72 hours', valid 15 days 5 | ₹7,500 cabin, ₹15,000 hold, including taxes (2026) 5 |
| IndiGo | No; guide dogs for blind customers only 6 | Not carried | Not applicable | Not applicable | IndiGo's cargo service doesn't carry pet dogs either 7 |
Papers for any trip
- The vaccination card or record, with the rabies vaccination current 145.
- A vet certificate dated close to travel: 24–48 hours before a train, within 7 days for Air India, within 72 hours for Akasa Air 145.
- The airline's indemnity form: Air India wants two copies for a direct flight and four for a connecting one; Akasa wants one signed form 35.
- Originals and photocopies, plus your ticket or PNR and photo ID 135.
Other airlines
- IndiGo: 'IndiGo does not permit the carriage of pets or animals on its aircraft'; guide dogs for blind customers are the exception 6. Its cargo service answers 'No' to carrying a pet dog 7.
- Air India Express: its standard policy doesn't allow pets on board, with exceptions for service animals 8.
- SpiceJet: no pets in the cabin. Its FAQ gives two different answers on whether pets can go in the hold on domestic flights, so ask SpiceJet's cargo team 11.
Work back from your travel date
The certificate window is short, especially by train: 24–48 hours before the journey 1. Fix the vet visit after you have your ticket, and book the pet's place early: Air India wants 48 hours' notice and Akasa 24 hours 45.
Not fully clear yet
Official sources disagree or leave gaps on these. Confirm before you rely on them.
- SpiceJet's FAQ says pets 'are permitted to be carried in the cargo hold on domestic flights' in one answer and 'SpiceJet does not permit carriage of pets on its flights' in another 11. Ask SpiceJet before planning.
- Akasa Air's page says to get the certificate 'within 72 hours of travel', while its FAQ only says the certificate is valid for 15 days from issue 5. A certificate dated within 72 hours meets both.
- The train certificate window comes from a 2022 Southern Railway notice 1; IRCTC's online pet booking terms don't mention it 2. Train charges here are our reading of the railway's published luggage table and parcel rules; the parcel office or IRCTC shows the final amount 910.
Last checked 4 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.
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Sources
- Know your Railway: Rules for carrying pet dogs in trains and procedure for booking (notice 426/2022-23, 2 Nov 2022) · Southern Railway, Indian Railways · seen 4 Oct 2026
- Online ticket booking of Dogs/Cats: general terms and conditions and user guide (PDF) · IRCTC · seen 4 Oct 2026
- Pet travel FAQs: guidelines and requirements (read in a browser; the page blocks automated fetches) · Air India · seen 4 Oct 2026
- Travelling with pets: guidelines and policies (Paws on Board) · Air India · seen 4 Oct 2026
- Pets on Akasa: fly with your pets onboard (page and FAQs) · Akasa Air · seen 4 Oct 2026
- How to book: 'Can I carry my pet on board?' · IndiGo · seen 4 Oct 2026
- CarGo product guidelines: FAQ 'Can I transport my pet dog on CarGo?' · IndiGo · seen 4 Oct 2026
- In-flight services FAQ: 'Can I bring my pet / service animal onboard?' · Air India Express · seen 4 Oct 2026
- Unit VIII: Parcels (parcel rules notes, booking of dogs) (PDF) · North Western Railway, Indian Railways · seen 4 Oct 2026
- Booking of parcel in luggage scale: Scale-L luggage parcel service rates · Indian Railways parcel website (CRIS) · seen 4 Oct 2026
- General air travel FAQs: 'Can I bring my pets on board with me?' · SpiceJet · seen 4 Oct 2026