India Imposes Veterinary Health Certifications for Equine and Bovine Products

India has introduced mandatory veterinary health certification requirements for equid semen and bovine serum imports to ensure disease-free and traceable animal-derived products.

INDIA – EQUINE AND BOVINE PRODUCTS

India Requires Health Certificates for Animal Product Imports

Importers must provide veterinary certificates for equid semen and bovine serum.

1 year Minimum residence for donor stallions

30 days Disease-free period required

2 years African Horse Sickness-free country

3 months Minimum facility isolation period

What changed

Veterinary health certificates required for all equid semen and bovine serum imports.

Donor animals must be disease-free with specific exclusion criteria for African Horse Sickness and Equine Infectious Anemia.

Detailed packaging and temperature controls required during transport with full traceability.

Approved collection centers only for semen and serum collection under sanitary conditions.

Who it affects

Importers of equid semen must obtain veterinary health certificates for each consignment.

Importers of bovine serum must ensure compliance with World Organisation for Animal Health standards.

Collection facilities must be approved and maintain sanitary conditions for donor animals.

Transport companies must maintain temperature controls and detailed product records.

India — veterinary health certifications for equine and bovine products

Compliance Requirements for Import of Equid Semen and Bovine Serum into India

India has established stringent veterinary health certification and post-import clearance requirements for the import of bovine serum (and by extension, equid semen, as similar sanitary principles apply under the Livestock Importation Act, 1898 and associated regulations). Below is a structured breakdown of the compliance obligations based on the provided regulatory sources.

1. Pre-Import Certification Requirements

The Veterinary Health Certificate must accompany every consignment of bovine serum (and equid semen, where applicable) and certify the following:

A. General Information (Certificate Format)

The certificate must include:

Certificate number, date, and issuing authority (Ministry/Department of the exporting country)¹.
Consignor/Exporter and Consignee/Importer details (name, address, contact)¹.
Product identification:
- Description, HS code, intended purpose (e.g., research/manufacturing)¹.
- Manufacturer/establishment name, approval number, and accreditation authority¹.
- Lot/Batch number, date of manufacture/packaging, expiry date¹.
Transport details:
- Country of origin (ISO code), port of entry in India, mode of transport, temperature, container identification, and seal number¹.
SIP/DGFT License: Import permit number, date, and validity (issued by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD))¹.

B. Sanitary and Disease Control Requirements

The Official Veterinarian of the exporting country must certify compliance with the following:

Regulation	Key Requirement	Authority/Citation
BSE Risk	Country of origin must be classified as negligible BSE risk per WOAH Terrestrial Code (Chapter 11.4). Serum must not be derived from animals subjected to air/gas stunning, pithing, or procedures contaminating blood with nervous tissue¹.	WOAH; DAHD¹
BVD and FMD Status	Country of origin must be free from Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) and Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) per WOAH listing. If the country is BVD/FMD-positive, the consignment must be tested negative and accompanied by a quality analysis certificate^{1, 2}.	WOAH; ICAR-NIHSAD (BVD), ICAR-NIFMD (FMD)^{1, 2}

| Source Animal Health | Serum must originate from animals that:

Underwent ante- and post-mortem inspections at an WOAH-approved abattoir with no clinical signs of Anthrax, FMD, or Lumpy Skin Disease².
Were not slaughtered as part of a disease eradication/control program².
Were individually identified (e.g., alphanumeric tattoo) and tracked for ≥6 months prior to serum collection². | National Veterinary Authority (exporting country); DAHD² |

| Processing Standards | – Collected by a trained team approved by the exporting country’s competent authority².

Processed in biosafety-compliant facilities (WOAH Chapter 5.8) with triple-layered packaging (IATA guidelines) to prevent contamination/spillage².
Sterile and fit for intended purpose only (e.g., research/manufacturing)². | WOAH; IATA; DAHD² |

| Contamination Prevention | – No exposure to infectious agents or pathogenic organisms².

Packed in clean, unused materials to avoid cross-contamination². | DAHD² |

2. Post-Import Clearance Requirements

Upon arrival in India, the consignment undergoes mandatory inspection by the Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS), DAHD. Key steps include:

Document Verification:
- AQCS reviews the Veterinary Health Certificate, SIP/DGFT license, and test reports (if applicable)².
- Non-conforming documents or products may lead to rejection, destruction, or corrective action by DAHD².

Disease Testing (If Applicable):
- For imports from BVD/FMD-positive countries:
- BVD testing by ICAR-NIHSAD (National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases).
- FMD testing by ICAR-NIFMD (National Institute of Foot-and-Mouth Disease)².

Biosafety Compliance:
- The destination laboratory must have:
- Regulatory approvals for handling animal-derived products.
- Appropriate biosafety levels (e.g., BSL-2/3) per Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity Guidelines².
- Disposal of waste must comply with the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules².

Handling and Storage:
- Consignments must be stored and transported under conditions that prevent leakage, spillage, or environmental contamination².

3. Key Authorities and Legal Framework

Primary Legislation: Livestock Importation Act, 1898 and rules notified thereunder¹.
Regulatory Bodies:
- Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (Government of India).
- Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) (enforcement arm of DAHD).
- ICAR-NIHSAD (BVD testing) and ICAR-NIFMD (FMD testing)².
International Standards: WOAH Terrestrial Code (Chapters 5.8, 6.3, 11.4) and IATA guidelines for packaging^{1, 2}.

Summary Answer

India mandates pre-import veterinary health certification and post-import quarantine testing for bovine serum (and equid semen) to ensure disease-free, traceable, and biosafe imports. Key requirements include:

Certification of negligible BSE risk, BVD/FMD-free status (or negative test reports for positive countries), and source animal health^{1, 2}.
Compliance with biosafety standards (WOAH/IATA) for collection, processing, and transport².
Post-arrival inspection by AQCS, including disease testing (if applicable) and biosafety compliance checks².
Disposal of waste per Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules².

All imports are governed by the Livestock Importation Act, 1898, enforced by DAHD, with testing conducted by ICAR-NIHSAD/NIFMD for high-risk consignments^{1, 2}. Non-compliance may result in rejection, destruction, or legal action by DAHD².

Sources

↩ WTO SPS notification 26-00573 — India https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/SPS/IND/26_00573_00_e.pdf
↩ WTO SPS notification 26-00318 — India https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/SPS/IND/26_00318_00_e.pdf