Yes, a dog can come into Nepal or leave it if the papers are ready. Coming in, carry an official health certificate issued within 10 days of arrival and a rabies certificate, and apply to the Animal Quarantine Office in Kathmandu at least 7 days ahead. Going out, the office issues a health certificate valid for 10 days, but the destination sets the timeline: for the UK, at least 4 months from the rabies shot.
Everything below is what official pages said as of October 2026. Rules change, so check the current rules with the Animal Quarantine Office and your airline before you book.
Can I bring my dog into Nepal?
Yes. The Animal Quarantine Office, Kathmandu, handles animals that arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport. The office is in Budhanilkantha and has a checkpost at the airport. Its phone is 01-4377153 and its email is ktmquarantine@gmail.com.
Nepal’s quarantine rules, the office’s own notice and the Nepal Embassy in London ask for this:
| What you need | When |
|---|---|
| Health certificate from the official vet authority of the country you fly from, in Nepal’s dog-and-cat format (Form-1) | Issued within 10 days of arrival; valid 30 days |
| Rabies vaccination certificate | Carry it with the dog |
| Written application to the office (ktmquarantine@gmail.com): flight details, passport copy, the dog’s species and breed, the health certificate and the rabies card | At least 7 days before arrival (2071 procedure); the office’s 2024 notice and the embassy say at least 72 hours |
| The office’s approval of your application | Before you fly |
| Air waybill or other transport document (the charter lists these for any quarantine certificate) | At the airport |
Form-1 asks for the owner, the dog’s description, a permanent ID number (a tattoo or another permanent method, such as a microchip), the countries it visited in the past 2 years, the rabies vaccine’s name, batch and expiry, and a clinical exam. The embassy in London also offers a recommendation letter for £40, and says it is not mandatory.
Is there quarantine? Under the 2056 Rules, if the vaccination certificate is valid, the dog matches its papers and it looks healthy, the officer can release it. Without a valid certificate, or if the dog is unwell, it can be held in quarantine at the owner’s cost. The office’s charter gives 1–3 hours for an inspection, and 1 hour to issue the quarantine certificate once the animal and papers are in front of the officer. It lists the fee only as “per customs rules”.
Is there an import permit or NOC? The 2071 procedure says you may bring the animal in only after the checkpost approves your application. Some Kathmandu vets and relocation firms say each pet needs a “No Objection Certificate” (NOC). None of the official pages we opened uses that name, or sets a pet limit or a minimum age for the rabies shot. Ask the office in writing what it will issue.
From India by road? Nepal’s Animal Health Act lets animals in only through a quarantine check post. Nepal has quarantine offices on the southern border; Biratnagar’s covers Morang, Sunsari and Siraha. Some pet-travel sites say pets may enter only by air at Tribhuvan. Call the office for your crossing before you set off.
Taking a dog out of Nepal
Nepal’s side is short:
- Tell the quarantine officer in advance: the species, the breed, how many animals, the exit point and the likely date (Rule 14). The office’s charter says 48 hours.
- The quarantine officer, or a vet named by the office or the Department, examines the dog and issues an export health certificate in Form-1. Each dog gets its own certificate.
- The certificate is valid for 10 days from issue, so time it to your flight.
The UK and US also want their own forms signed or endorsed by an official government vet. Ask the quarantine office who signs them in Nepal.
What the UK, the US and Australia ask
The destination sets the timeline. As of October 2026:
| Destination | How it rates Nepal | Rabies blood test | Also needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK (Great Britain) | Not listed | At least 30 days after the rabies shot, at an EU-approved lab, 0.5 IU/ml or more; then wait 3 months from the sample date | Microchip before or with the shot; Great Britain pet health certificate, enter within 10 days of issue; tapeworm treatment 24 hours–5 days before arrival; flies as cargo |
| USA | High-risk for dog rabies | At least 30 days after the first shot, at a CDC-approved lab (the nearest one if your country has none) | Dog 6 months or older; first shot at 12 weeks or older; CDC vaccination form signed within 30 days of travel; CDC Dog Import Form; booked place at a CDC-registered animal care facility, and arrival at that airport |
| Australia | Not approved | Must be done in an approved country | Live in an approved country for at least 180 days first; import permit; quarantine on arrival, a minimum of 10 or 30 days |
In the US, the animal care facility examines and revaccinates the dog. Without a valid titre, it holds the dog for 28 days. Australia’s agriculture department says to allow at least 6 months, and that rabies vaccines given in a non-approved country do not count.
A checklist for leaving Nepal, with lead times
| Step | Lead time (from the sources above) |
|---|---|
| Microchip | Before or with the rabies shot |
| Rabies vaccine | UK: at least 21 days before travel; US: first shot at 12 weeks or older |
| Rabies blood test | At least 30 days after the shot; UK travel 3 months after the sample |
| Book the hold or cargo space | Qatar Airways: tell it at least 48 hours before; Air India (cabin): book by 48 hours before |
| Notify the Animal Quarantine Office | In advance; its charter says 48 hours |
| Nepal export health certificate | Valid 10 days from issue |
| Destination papers | UK certificate: enter within 10 days; UK tapeworm: 24 hours–5 days before; US form: signed within 30 days |
For the UK, that is at least 4 months from the rabies shot to the flight.
Airlines and buses
Inside Nepal
| Airline | Pets, as of October 2026 | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Buddha Air | Cargo only; guide dogs in the cabin. Book with the cargo office (01-4113190). Vet fit-to-fly certificate with vaccinations; leak-proof, ventilated cage; 2 pets per flight; none on transit routes | Rs 390–990 a kg by route; Kathmandu–Pokhara Rs 450 |
| Yeti Airlines | Cats and dogs; vaccination card, vet fit-to-fly certificate, a proper cage | Rs 300 a kg (April 2024 post) |
| Shree Airlines | Live animals need prior approval; cargo 01-4113156 | Not published |
| Nepal Airlines | Say so when you book; not on Airbus A320 flights | Excess-baggage rates |
| Tara Air | No published policy as of October 2026; ask the airline | Not published |
Buses: we found no published pet policy from a long-distance bus operator as of October 2026. Ask the operator before you book.
Flying out of Kathmandu
- Qatar Airways: no pets in the cabin except falcons and service dogs. Dogs fly in the hold as checked baggage on most routes: USD 350 up to 32 kg with the carrier, and USD 450 for 32–75 kg, on routes not to or from Qatar. Cargo for Australia, for dogs travelling alone and for connections to other airlines. Tell it at least 48 hours ahead; some breeds prone to heat stroke are restricted.
- Emirates: no pets in the cabin except guide dogs (and falcons on some Pakistan routes). Hold baggage depends on the route; otherwise pets go through Emirates SkyCargo.
- Turkish Airlines: cabin up to 8 kg with the carrier (23 × 30 × 40 cm); hold cages up to 75 × 75 × 125 cm and 50 kg in total.
- flydubai: no animals in the cabin; pets go through flydubai Cargo.
- Air India: up to 10 kg in the cabin (Economy) on some routes; 10–32 kg as checked baggage or cargo; over 32 kg as cargo. Dogs must be 8 weeks or older.
Whatever an airline allows, the UK takes pets arriving by plane only as cargo (guide dogs and private charters aside).
Where your dog stays while you sort it out
Papers for the UK take 4 months or more. If you move before your dog can fly, it needs somewhere to stay. Supreme Pet Home boards dogs in Kapan, Budhanilkantha-11: 1 dog to a kennel, 2 meals and 3 walks a day, play and agility time once a day, and a daily photo on WhatsApp. Stays need rabies and DHPPi vaccines dated within 12 months and tick and flea treatment within 30 days, for dogs from 4 months. See Stay, and how to choose a dog hostel.
Ride picks up and drops off across the Kathmandu Valley: to the vet for the blood test, to the Animal Quarantine Office (also in Budhanilkantha) or to Tribhuvan airport. It is priced by distance; ask on WhatsApp, +977 971-4624151, for the current price. See Ride.
- Animal Quarantine Office, Kathmandu: notice to importers, 72 hours before arrival (published 2 Apr 2024; checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Animal Quarantine Office, Kathmandu: citizen charter, in Nepali (published 1 Nov 2022; checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Embassy of Nepal, London: Taking pets to Nepal (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Animal Health and Livestock Services Rules, 2056, English text, rules 6, 10 and 14 and Form-1 (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Animal Health and Livestock Services Act, 2055, English text, sections 6 and 9 (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Central Animal Quarantine Office: compilation of quarantine laws, incl. Animal Quarantine (First Amendment) Procedure 2071, in Nepali (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Animal Quarantine Office, Biratnagar: introduction, in Nepali (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK: Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- CDC: Entry requirements for foreign-vaccinated dogs from high-risk countries (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- CDC: High-risk countries for dog rabies, Nepal listed (updated 15 Apr 2026; checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Australian Department of Agriculture: Cats and dogs frequently asked questions (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Australian Department of Agriculture: Step-by-step guides and approved countries (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Buddha Air: Traveling with pets, with cargo rates (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Yeti Airlines: Live animal transportation service (18 Apr 2024; checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Shree Airlines: Baggage and cargo fare (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Nepal Airlines: FAQ, travelling with a pet (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Qatar Airways: Travelling with pets (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Emirates: Rules and charges for travelling with animals (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Turkish Airlines: Traveling with pets (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- flydubai: Special baggage, animals (checked 5 Oct 2026)
- Air India: Travelling with pets (checked 5 Oct 2026)
