USA → India
Export Horses and Cattle from the USA to India
Breeding, polo and sporting horses, plus cattle — a market that's opened up since India's 2025 duty-free polo import policy, concentrated in a handful of major cities.
- Arrives
- BOM
- Departs
- LAX / DFW
- Flight time
- ~20–22 hours via a European or Gulf hub
- Plan ahead
- 60–120 days
Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Intl
Or whichever US gateway suits the animals
India opened up meaningfully in 2025: a new customs notification (33/2025) made polo-horse imports duty-free, and the government's own import rules now restrict Thoroughbreds to breeding, polo or sporting use — racing imports aren't permitted. That's a real, specific policy shift, not general demand — the buyers are polo patrons, breeding operations and sport-horse owners, not racing yards.
This is a narrower market than our established Asia-Pacific lanes: horses and cattle have real, current USDA export certificates, but sheep, goats, swine and exotic species don't yet, and entry is restricted to five designated international airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. Elite Indian breeding operations, Poonawalla Stud among them, have been actively importing international bloodstock, which tells you where the real buying power sits.
Regulatory
What a India export requires
These are the constraints that shape the timeline. The binding requirements are whatever India has in force on your day of export — we confirm the current position as the first step of every quote.
Breeding, polo or sporting use only — not racing
India's current import rules permit Thoroughbred horses for breeding, polo and sporting activities. Racing use is not permitted. We confirm the buyer's intended use before quoting, since it determines whether the shipment is even eligible.
Duty-free for polo horses
Customs Notification 33/2025 established duty-free entry specifically for horses imported for polo. This doesn't change our process, but it materially changes the buyer's total cost, and it's worth knowing when you're pricing the move against a budget.
Five designated airports only
Horses can only enter India through Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai or Kolkata — wherever the destination quarantine facility sits determines which one we route through. There's no flexibility here the way there is with some other destinations.
Import permit and documentation
The importer needs a valid Import Permit and an Advance No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Government of India before the horse can travel, alongside a valid passport or comprehensive history sheet and an identification certificate from a USDA-accredited veterinarian. We start with confirming the importer has these in hand.
Official source
USDA APHIS publishes the International Regulations for Animal Exports (IRegs) — the U.S. government’s understanding of India's current import requirements.
By species
What we handle into India
Horses
Racing, breeding and competition horses moved door to door — barn in the United States to barn in Asia-Pacific or the Gulf.
Cattle
Brahman and other tropical and temperate breeds, bulls and group consignments — priced and protocoled by breed and destination.
Sheep & Goats
Boer and Nubian goats, breeding rams and ewes — regulated together under USDA's scrapie program, and often shipped together.
Swine, Poultry & Camelids
Swine, poultry, camelids and mixed livestock genetics — moved as single consignments or as a recurring program. Cattle and sheep & goats now have their own dedicated pages.
Exotic & Zoo Animals
Zoo collections, wildlife parks and private exotic consignments — including CITES-listed species — moved with the permitting handled.
FAQ
Exporting to India: common questions
Can you export horses to India?
Yes, for breeding, polo or sporting use. Current Indian import rules don't permit Thoroughbred horses for racing, so we confirm the buyer's intended use before quoting — this isn't a formality, it determines eligibility.
What is the duty-free polo horse policy?
Customs Notification 33/2025 made horses imported specifically for polo duty-free on entry to India. It's a real, current policy, not a rumor — worth factoring into the buyer's total cost even though it doesn't change our side of the process.
Which airports can a horse enter India through?
Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai or Kolkata — no others are designated for live horse entry. We route the shipment to whichever of the five sits closest to the destination quarantine facility.
Can you export cattle to India as well?
Yes, India has a current, real USDA certificate for live cattle. Sheep, goats, swine and exotic or zoo species don't have one yet — if that's what you need, ask us and we'll check whether it's changed.
How much does it cost to export a horse to India?
Given the distance and hub routing, expect it to land in the same range as our other long-haul destinations — roughly $20,000 to $30,000 for a single horse — but we'll confirm a firm number once we've priced your specific route and the buyer's import documentation is in hand.
How long does the process take?
Budget 60 to 120 days. Beyond the standard USDA pre-export isolation and testing timeline, the buyer's Import Permit and Advance NOC from the Government of India have to be in place before we can commit to a shipping date.
Other lanes
More destinations we run
Saudi Arabia
Export Horses from the USA to Saudi Arabia
Qatar
Export Horses from the USA to Qatar
Philippines
Export Animals: USA to the Philippines
Moving animals to India?
Send us the species, the number of animals, the origin and your target date. We confirm whether the protocol is currently open and come back with a written quote at no charge. If we can't do the shipment, we'll email you and say why.