Importing a dog to the UAE from abroad

For holiday, or for relocating, you may want to bring your pet to the United Arab Emirates from another country.

This guide is up to date as of March 2022 but we suggest always checking up with all governments, including your government, the airline and the Government of the United Arab Emirates.

Fees

200 AED Request permission to import cats and dogs per head
500 AED Request to release dogs per head
250 AED Request to release pet cats per head

Documents Required

You will need certain documents for the import and release of your dog. The guidelines are as follows:

Import:

• No documents required

Release:

• A customs declaration or bill of lading showing the delivery data
• A document of immunizations or a passport with the required data
• A certified health certificate issued by the competent veterinary authorities
• In the event of importation from a high-risk country, a laboratory test certificate should be attached to the Antibody Titration Test for rabies issued by a laboratory approved by the competent authorities of the State of export, with the possibility of including the result of the laboratory test in the health certificate
• In the case of importation of animals who were resident in the State, a copy of the Veterinary Health Certificate issued by the Ministry shall be required when the animal leaves the country

Terms

• Issuance of Import permit prior to importation, issued through the MOCCAE web site (validity of permit is 30 days. It is not allowed to import pets with an expired import permit).
• Cats and dogs will shipped according to IATA conditions for pet animal transport.
• The cats and dogs must be identified with a permanent microchip, and the chip number in the health certificate must conform with the chip No. which is implanted in the animal.
• The imported cats and dogs shall be accompanied with the following: 

1. Authorized health certificate issued from the competent veterinary authorities.
2. Vaccination document or passport which must include the animal microchip number, animal full description (species – color – sex – date of birth) and fully meet all vaccinations in annex number (A) herein ,  and including vaccine name , manufacturing company , batch number , vaccination date .
3. In case of import from a high risk Country, Rabies Testing certificate from a laboratory accredited by the competent authorities in the country of export including data on the date of sampling, the date and method of examination – stating that the animals were subjected to the antibody titration test before shipping , according to For the following:

                i. In case that the pet is vaccinated for the first time or discontinuity of the vaccination: a period  not less than 21 days must pass from vaccination against Rabies.

               ii.In case that the animal has a valid booster vaccination, It does not require an interval of 21 days after vaccination, and the test can be done directly.

The test result should not be less than (0.5 IU / ml). This certificate can be replaced by recording the results of the examination in the health certificate mentioned in Paragraph (a) of this clause

• The minimum age of an imported animal from the low risk countries will be 12 while the minimum age for importing from the high risk countries is not less than 15 weeks.
• The vaccination should be done at age not less than 12 weeks and the validity of the vaccine well be  in accordance to the manufacturing company
• The animal was received preventive doses for internal and external parasites during the 14 days prior to shipment, and this is stated in the health certificate or the passport of the animal.
• Consignments of cats and dogs will be shipped directly from the exporting country and in case that the consignment will cross any other country, it must not mix with other pet animals during transit  
• Personal import is allowed for no more than 2 cats or 2 dogs or a dog and a cat annually, with the exception of the exit and entry of resident animals, provided that they are identified by a fixed microchip and the health requirements for import are fufilled.
• Animal welfare legislation and standards must be taken into consideration. 
• Temporarily: An annex to the health certificate is required in case of importing cats regarding Covid 19 attesting that “the animal has not been in contact with COVID-19 Human or animal positive case within at least 14 days before shipping or was isolated under our supervision for 14 days before shipping without showing symptoms of respiratory illness or it has been tested with negative result a PCR test for COVID19 with 96 hours prior to travelling”

Cats and dogs residing in UAE

• They must comply with the following health and technical requirements:
• A. The animal must have obtained a veterinary health certificate from the ministry before leaving the country.
• b. Identified by microchip.
• c. accompanied with authorized veterinary certificate issued by the competent authorities in the exporting country.
• d. The animal had vaccinated against rabies before its departure from the UAE and this vaccination is valid until its return, and in case that the vaccination becomes not valid, the animal will be dealt with the conditions of first import of dogs and cats

Ban on the following dog breeds to be imported into the United Arab Emirates:

Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier , American Bully, Brazilian Mastiff (Fila Brasiliero), Argentinian Mastiff (Dogo Argentino), Tibetan Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, French Mastiff (Dogue de Bordeaux), Boerboel, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff), Bully Kutta (Alangu Mastiff, Indian Mastiff), Perro De Presa Canario (Canary Mastiff), Japaneese tosa, Presa Canario

(Except for those used as service animals, emotional support animals or for medical purposes and in accordance with the regulating requirements)

List of low risk countries:

Australia, Austria, Andorra, Barbados, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belgium, Czech, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, French Polynesia,Falkland Islands, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Mauritius,Malta, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vanuatu,Qatar, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Palau, Latvia, Albania, Croatia, Maldives, Spain, Cyprus, Slovakia, Korea, Montenegro, Seychelles, Suriname, Micronesia, Greece, Marshall Islands

Vaccinations for Dogs

1. Rabies, a valid vaccination applied according to instruction of vaccine manufacturer, initial dose should not be applied before 12 weeks of animal age.
2. Canine Distemper Virus (CDV)
3. Canine Parvo Virus
4. Infectious Canine Hepatitis.
5. Leptospirosis  (Can be dispensed with and replaced by lab test in case that the exporting country does not apply vaccination)

Vaccinations for Cats

1. Rabies, a valid vaccination applied according to instruction of vaccine manufacturer, initial dose should not be applied before 12 weeks of animal age.
2. Feline Pan Leukcopenia.
3. Feline Rhinotracheitis.
4. Feline Calicivirus

For noncompliance of import requirements there will be:

• Pet will be rejected (on its owner expenses) or confiscated

Form for the import of Dogs