Do you have a cat or a dog? Are you planning to relocate to the UAE? If so, you reached the right place – in this article you’ll find a detailed explanation of what’s needed for bringing pets to the United Arab Emirates!
It is important to note that if you would like to import a dog or a cat into the UAE, you’ll need an import permit issued by MOCCAE (UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change & Environment).
Let’s begin!
All dogs and cats must be microchipped before entering the UAE.
We recommend you use a microchip that meets the ISO standards. However, this isn’t mandatory, just a recommendation.
Your pet’s microchip number should be stated on all of your pet’s documents – vaccination booklet, health certificate, etc.
A rabies vaccine should be given at least 21 days before entering the UAE.
If a new rabies vaccine is given before the old vaccine expires, you won’t need to wait 21 days to enter the UAE.
Dogs should also be vaccinated against DHLP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis and Parvovirus). We recommend you get this done at least 21 days before entering the UAE.
Cats should also be vaccinated against FVRCP (Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus and Panleukopenia). We recommend you get this done at least 21 days before entering the UAE.
Both dogs and cats will require parasite treatments (internal and external) within 14 days of departure.
For external parasites we recommend a treatment that has “Fipronil” as an active ingredient, and for internal parasites we recommend a treatment that has “Praziquantel” as an active ingredient.
Dogs and cats traveling to the UAE need to have a valid rabies antibody titer test.
The test should be done at least 21 days after the rabies vaccine was administered and there is no waiting period required after your pet passes the test.
The titer tests results are valid up to 12 months, as long as the rabies vaccine remains valid and no booster rabies vaccine is administered.
This test isn’t required only if your pet is coming from a low-risk rabies country.
Here’s the current list of low-risk countries:
Albania, Australia, Austria, Andorra, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech, Denmark, Estonia, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Finland, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Palau, Portugal, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain (except Melilla), Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Vanuatu.
Dogs and cats must enter the UAE with an original health certificate issued within 5 days of departure. The health certificate should be endorsed by the government vet.
If you’re coming from the US, the health certificate can be issued within 10 days of your pet’s departure, as agreed between MOCCAE and the USDA.
In order to enter the UAE with a pet, you must have a valid import permit issued by MOCCAE.
It usually takes a couple of working days to issue the import permit and once issued, the permit is valid for 30 days.
The import permit costs 200 AED per pet.
Unfortunately, there are a few dog breeds that their import is prohibited.
Please see the following list of dog breeds that can’t be imported in the United Arab Emirates:
There are, however, exceptions for service dogs, emotional support dogs and for dogs that provide medical services.
Please note that Pets2Fly won’t be able to assist you with obtaining such a permission. You’ll need to get in touch with MOCCAE directly.
In order to obtain this permission, you’ll most likely need to provide proof of training, from an approved training organization, stating that your dog was trained for such purposes. Furthermore, you’ll need to provide medical documents supporting your needs.
If you are planning to live in Dubai, please note that Dubai has a list of dog breeds that are “restricted”.
Here are Dubai’s restricted dog breeds:
If you have a “restricted” dog, please note that you’ll need to register your dog with Dubai’s Municipality Veterinary Services. From our knowledge, the Veterinary Service of Dubai won’t allow you to live in an apartment with a “restricted” dog.
All dogs and cats must enter the United Arab Emirates as manifest cargo.
What is “manifest cargo”?
Pets traveling as manifest cargo are traveling as an unaccompanied shipment, or in other words – freight. This means that your pet will be traveling “alone”, even if you will be on the same flight.
Pets traveling as cargo will begin their journey at the origin airport’s cargo facility (not the regular passenger terminal) and they will only be released at the destination once all the customs/import procedures are completed (a process that could take a couple of hours).
Don’t worry, sending pets as cargo is a very safe procedure!
The downside? Sending pets as cargo is a very expensive procedure.
You’ll be happy to hear that quarantine isn’t a mandatory requirement in the UAE.
This is, of course, only true for pets that will arrive with all the necessary documents and veterinary treatments, as required by MOCCAE.
If you won’t meet all the required import requirements, your pet may be placed in quarantine, re-exported back to your origin country or, in rare occasions, put down.
Here are some frequently asked questions about importing a pet into the United Arab Emirates:
Question #1: Can I bring my dog in-cabin into the UAE?
As stated in the article, all dogs must travel to the UAE as manifest cargo.
However, there are some exceptions to this rule. If you would like to know more, feel free to get in touch with us.
Question #2: What is the maximum number of pets that I may import into the UAE?
The maximum number of pets you can import annually is 2 per person (per passport).
There are, however, ways to get a permit for more pets (up to 5 per person).
Question #3: Can I do the process on my own or is it mandatory to hire an approved agent?
You don’t have to use an agent to get your pets into the UAE. However, we highly recommend you use one!
Feel free to get in touch with us and we will be happy to advise about our pet relocation packages.
Question #4: I have a puppy that is 10 weeks old. Can I import the puppy into the UAE?
No, the UAE doesn’t allow the import of dogs/cats that are under 12 weeks old, or under 15 weeks old (depending on where you’re arriving from).
Question #5: I would like to import a rabbit into the UAE. Is an import permit required?
Yes, if you would like to import a rabbit into the UAE, you’ll need an import permit issued by MOCCAE.
Pet travel to the UAE can be complex and therefore, it’s important you hire a specialist to assist you throughout the process.
Feel free to contact us and our pet relocation team will be happy to advise about our relocation packages – such as our consultation service, door-to-door service, etc.
We can ensure a smooth and stress-free relocation for both you and your beloved pets!
We would love to hear from you!
