Bringing a dog from India to the U.S.: CDC high-risk rules

By Aaron Houston · Last checked 2026-10-28 against official CDC/USDA sources

India is a high-risk country for dog rabies

CDC lists India as high risk for dog rabies. If your dog was in India at any point in the 6 months before it reaches the U.S., the high-risk rules apply, even if the dog was born in the U.S. (CDC: High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies; CDC: Bringing a Dog into the U.S.) Source: CDC and USDA APHIS pages below, last checked 2026-10-28.

Which rules you follow depends on where the dog's current rabies vaccine was given:

Your situation	CDC category	Where the dog can land
Dog vaccinated in India (moving to the U.S., or adopting)	Foreign-vaccinated, high-risk	Only a U.S. airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility where you hold a reservation
U.S. dog visiting India with a USDA-endorsed U.S. vaccination form	U.S.-vaccinated, high-risk	Any port of entry, as long as it matches the CDC Dog Import Form receipt
Dog never vaccinated against rabies	Not allowed	The dog will not be allowed to enter

(CDC: Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations)

The big India issue: no CDC-approved titer lab in India

CDC's approved rabies serology lab list (updated July 13, 2026) has no laboratory in India (CDC: Approved Rabies Serology Laboratories). That matters because a passing titer is what lets a foreign-vaccinated dog skip the 28-day U.S. quarantine.

CDC's answer for countries without a lab: "If there is no CDC-approved laboratory in your country, the veterinarian can send it to the closest CDC-approved laboratory." Results from any lab not on CDC's list are not accepted, and the result must come directly from the approved lab, not via a third-party lab that forwarded the sample. (CDC: foreign-vaccinated dogs; CDC: approved labs)

What this means in practice:

Ask your Indian vet early which approved lab they can ship serum to and how long results take. CDC says turnaround varies by lab and recommends drawing the sample 60 or more days before travel.
The draw must be at least 30 days after the first valid rabies vaccine and at least 28 days before arrival in the U.S.
A titer done for another country's rules (for example, a move to the EU or UAE) only counts for the U.S. if it was run by a lab on CDC's list.
A passing result stays valid for the dog's life as long as rabies vaccination never lapses and the lab stays on the list. If the lab is later removed, you need a new test.

If the results won't arrive in time, the dog can still come, but the animal care facility reservation must include a 28-day quarantine (cost paid by you).

Unconfirmed: Which CDC-approved lab is "closest" for India, whether Indian rules allow exporting dog serum samples, and courier times were not stated on any official U.S. source checked for this page. Confirm with your veterinarian and the lab before booking flights.

Step by step for a dog vaccinated in India

This is the usual path for families relocating from India on a work or family visa. CDC's foreign-vaccinated checklist, adapted to the no-local-lab problem (CDC: foreign-vaccinated dogs):

3 months or more out: check the dog is microchipped with a chip a universal scanner can read, and that the chip went in before the rabies vaccine. If not, chip now and revaccinate, since a vaccine given before the chip is invalid. Ask the vet to plan the titer shipment abroad.
60+ days out: blood draw for the titer (at least 30 days after the first valid vaccine). Start the airline booking.
30+ days out: reserve the CDC-registered animal care facility. If you won't have a passing titer, book a 28-day quarantine. Print the confirmation; the airline checks it before boarding.
Within 30 days of the flight: your vet completes the Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, and an official government veterinarian endorses it. The form is valid 30 days after the vet signs it and only for one entry.
Travel week: fill in the free CDC Dog Import Form (one per dog). Carry two copies of the endorsed form.
Arrival: land directly at the facility's airport. The dog is examined and revaccinated with a U.S.-licensed vaccine before any domestic flight.

Other rules that catch Indian imports:

Age: at least 6 months old at entry, and the first rabies vaccine must have been given at 12 weeks (84 days) or older. Vaccines given younger are not accepted for high-risk dogs. See puppy timing.
English: documents must be in English or come with a certified English translation.
No land or Hawaii entry: foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries can't enter at a land border, and there are no CDC-registered facilities in Alaska, Hawaii or U.S. territories, so those airports are out. (CDC FAQ)

Which U.S. airports work

As of its Sept 1, 2026 update, CDC's list had facilities at Atlanta (ATL), Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York JFK (not Newark), Philadelphia (PHL, cargo only), Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) and Washington Dulles (IAD). CDC prefers cargo for LAX. Flights from India that connect through a third country are fine only if the final leg lands at the facility's airport. (CDC: CDC-registered Animal Care Facilities)

Shortening a quarantine

If you have to book quarantine, CDC may allow it to be shortened through prospective serologic monitoring (PSM) when: the dog is a personal pet or service dog (not rescue, resale, adoption or transfer of ownership); you have records of at least 2 rabies vaccines given on U.S.-style schedules; the dog is healthy; the facility gets CDC approval; and a CDC-approved U.S. lab returns a passing titer. You pay all PSM costs, and the dog stays in quarantine until CDC releases it. (CDC FAQ)

Unconfirmed: Which Indian authority acts as the "official government veterinarian" to endorse CDC's foreign-vaccination form, and whether India requires an export certificate for a pet dog leaving the country, were not confirmed on official sources. CDC says each country keeps its own list; ask your vet or an Animal Quarantine and Certification Service (AQCS) station.

U.S. dog visiting India and coming back

If your dog lives in the U.S. and is going to India for a family visit, get the Certification of U.S.-issued Rabies Vaccination form completed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by USDA before the dog leaves the U.S. For a first vaccine, the form can only be done 28 days after the shot. With it, the dog returns as a U.S.-vaccinated dog: no titer, no facility reservation, any port. If the dog leaves without it, it has to come back under the foreign-vaccinated rules above. See returning with a U.S.-vaccinated dog. (CDC: U.S.-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries; CDC FAQ)

If your dog gets a rabies booster in India, CDC says it still needs valid, unexpired documentation of a U.S.-issued vaccination to re-enter; if that lapses, the foreign-vaccinated rules apply.

India's own entry rules for the trip there

USDA APHIS summarizes India's requirements for pets from the U.S. (USDA APHIS: Pet Travel From the U.S. to India, last modified Feb 27, 2026):

a USDA-endorsed health certificate (can be issued and endorsed electronically through VEHCS);
for pets not moving permanently, a DGFT license (form ANF-2M) before the NOC; APHIS says it may take about 1 month;
a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from India's Animal Quarantine and Certification Station, obtained before landing (about 5 working days); a copy goes on the crate and the original is needed for customs release;
on arrival, inspection and 15 days of quarantine, unless the dog is on a temporary visit and you show the dog's health papers, your passport, visa, return ticket and proof of purpose. That exemption covers up to two pets;
no pet feed or bedding may be brought in with the dog.

These are India's requirements, not CDC's, and APHIS warns they can change without notice. Your U.S. rabies form is what matters for the return.

Want it on one page? Dog travel document checklist by scenario (paid PDF; everything in it is also free on this site and cdc.gov).

Sources

CDC: High-Risk Countries for Dog Rabies
CDC: Bringing a Dog into the U.S.
CDC: Entry Requirements for Foreign-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries
CDC: Entry Requirements for U.S.-Vaccinated Dogs from High-Risk Countries
CDC: Frequently Asked Questions on Dog Importations (updated Aug 27, 2026)
CDC: Approved Rabies Serology Laboratories for Testing Dogs (updated July 13, 2026)
CDC: CDC-registered Animal Care Facilities (updated Sept 1, 2026)
USDA APHIS: Pet Travel From the United States to India

Keep going: This page is part of our main guide to bringing a dog into the U.S., which walks through every decision in order. Related questions: Rabies vaccine and titer rules. Ready to act? See CDC Dog Import Form.