Pet Import Documents Checklist for Dubai

The animal needs a permanent microchip. The number on the health certificate must match the chip in the animal. The live MOCCAE page checked on 22 September 2026 does not restate ISO 11784/11785, and it does not say the chip must be implanted before the rabies vaccine. Do not treat either line as a current rejection rule.

Rabies vaccination is not given before 12 weeks of age. Validity follows the manufacturer. The certificate must show the microchip number, vaccine name, manufacturer, batch number and date. A 21-day wait before arrival is not the sentence on the MOCCAE page. That 21-day wait applies to the antibody test after a first or lapsed vaccine.

Dogs: distemper, parvovirus, infectious canine hepatitis, and leptospirosis. Leptospirosis can be replaced by a lab test if the exporting country does not vaccinate against it. Cats: panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus. Feline leukaemia was not on the required list. Do not copy the dog list onto a cat.

High-risk origins need a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from a laboratory approved by the export authority. The certificate is valid for 365 days if the rabies vaccine stays valid and continuous and no booster is given. Otherwise repeat the test. A first vaccine, or a gap in vaccination, needs at least 21 days before the test. A valid booster does not. This page does not reprint the low-risk country list. On 22 September 2026 the United Kingdom was on it. The United States was not named on it.

Apply before travel. The permit is valid for 90 days from issuance. An expired permit cannot be used. That clock is not a 30-day stamp and it is not the antibody certificate. On 22 September 2026 the page listed AED 200 to issue a permit for one animal, AED 500 to release one dog, and AED 250 to release one cat. Published service time: 1 working day, or 5 working days for a service, emotional support or medical dog. The import application itself lists no documents for ordinary dogs and cats.

The live MOCCAE page asks for an authorised health certificate from the competent veterinary authority. It does not state a universal 5-day or 10-day validity. For a UK export, certificate 3926EHC is valid for 10 days after an exam within 24 hours of export. Parasite treatment is internal and external, in the 14 days before shipment, recorded on the certificate or passport. Your vet chooses a product that is safe for that species. No dose is given here.

Cats and dogs are shipped to IATA live-animal conditions. The crate has to let the animal stand, turn and lie down. This checklist does not publish a crate price.

Emirates says ordinary pets are not in the cabin, and itineraries ending in Dubai must travel as cargo. Other airlines are separate products. This page does not publish a cargo tariff.

A matching animal is examined at the entry port and released. The page does not describe a routine quarantine length and it does not give a clearance time. Release needs the customs paper or bill of lading, the vaccine record, the health certificate, and the antibody certificate if the origin is high-risk. If the file does not match, the pet may be rejected at your expense or confiscated. No fine amount is published.

Municipality registration is a different step. No municipal deadline or fee was re-checked on an official municipality page on 22 September 2026, so this checklist does not state one. The only 90-day figure here is the MOCCAE import permit, counted from issuance.