Checked 22 September 2026
Import rulesUAE pet import requirements
Permit valid 90 days from issuance, species-specific vaccines, and an airline product that will actually carry the animal. Fees below are the government amounts published on the MOCCAE page.
General guidance is free in the guides. Bespoke document review and coordination are paid.
Direct answer
What is required to import a dog or cat?
A MOCCAE import permit valid for 90 days from issuance, a matching microchip, the vaccines for that species, parasite treatment in the 14 days before shipment, and an authorised health certificate. High-risk origins add a rabies antibody test of at least 0.5 IU/ml. Matching animals are inspected at the entry port and released. This is not a veterinary certificate.
This guide is the do-it-yourself checklist. It was read against the MOCCAE import of pets page on 22 September 2026. Where that page is silent or the English wording is unclear, the sentence below says so. WhatsApp +971504782999 and support@dubai-pet-relocation.ae are for a managed move, not a free rewrite of this list.
Checklist
A missing item can mean the animal is rejected at your expense or confiscated. The live page does not publish a fine amount, so this guide does not invent one.
- 1.Check the dog against the ban list below. Bengal and Serval cats need a fifth-generation pedigree.
- 2.Check whether the origin is high-risk on the live MOCCAE page before you skip a rabies antibody test.
- 3.Fit a permanent microchip. The number on the health certificate must match the chip in the animal.
- 4.Give the vaccines named for that species. First rabies vaccine not before 12 weeks of age. Validity follows the manufacturer.
- 5.For a high-risk origin, obtain a rabies antibody result of at least 0.5 IU/ml under the 365-day conditions on the live page.
- 6.Apply for the MOCCAE import permit before travel. It is valid for 90 days from issuance.
- 7.Book an airline product that accepts the animal. Emirates itineraries ending in Dubai are cargo.
- 8.Record internal and external parasite treatment in the 14 days before shipment. Your vet chooses a product safe for that species.
- 9.Carry an authorised health certificate from the competent veterinary authority. Day counts depend on the origin certificate, not a single UAE number.
Permit: 90 days from issuance. Published service time: 1 working day, or 5 working days for a service, emotional support or medical dog. That is an estimate on the page, not a promise.
How many: Individuals may import up to 2 companion animals per person in the year (2 cats, 2 dogs, or 1 of each), except resident animals returning.
Government fees on 22 September 2026: AED 200 import permit per animal, AED 500 release per dog, AED 250 release per cat. Confirm the payment screen.
Age: Vaccination not before 12 weeks. High-risk imports not less than 15 weeks. The English page says the low-risk minimum age "will be 12" without a unit, so that figure is not treated as confirmed. UK exports use the 15-week rule on certificate 3926EHC.
Documents and who is responsible
MOCCAE issues the import permit and the release. The origin government vet issues the health certificate. The airline accepts or refuses the animal. Your own vet gives vaccines and parasite treatment. Dubai Pet Relocation does not issue any of those documents.
| Item | What the checked page says | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Import permit | Valid 90 days from issuance. Apply before travel. | MOCCAE |
| Microchip | Permanent chip. The number on the health certificate must match the animal. ISO 11784/11785 was not restated on the live service page, so it is not stated as a current rule here. | Your vet records it. MOCCAE checks the match. |
| Rabies antibody test | High-risk origins only. At least 0.5 IU/ml. Certificate valid 365 days if the vaccine stays valid and continuous and no booster is given. An older PDF's 90-day sample window is not on the live page. | Lab approved by the export country's competent authority. Result can sit on the health certificate. |
| Health certificate | Authorised certificate from the competent veterinary authority. The live MOCCAE page does not give a 5-day or 10-day validity. For a UK export, 3926EHC is valid for 10 days and the exam is within 24 hours of export. | Origin authority. UK: an Official Veterinarian under APHA or DAERA. |
| Parasite treatment | Internal and external treatment in the 14 days before shipment, stated on the certificate or passport. No dose is given here. A dog product must not be used on a cat. | Your vet |
| Release | Inspection at the entry port, then an electronic release if the animal matches. No routine quarantine is described. | MOCCAE at the listed quarantine centre, including Dubai Airport Cargo Village and Al Maktoum International Airport |
Order of work
Do the origin rules and the airline acceptance before you spend the permit's 90 days. The diagram on this page is an illustration. If it still shows an older titre timing, use the text here instead.
- Breed and origin. Dogs: the ban list below. Cats: Bengal and Serval pedigree. Origin: high-risk or low-risk on the live page.
- Microchip and vaccines. Chip number must match every certificate. Vaccinate at not less than 12 weeks. Dog and cat vaccine lists are different.
- Antibody test, only if the origin is high-risk. At least 0.5 IU/ml. Respect the 21-day wait after a first or lapsed rabies vaccine. Keep the 365-day conditions, or repeat the test.
- Import permit. Online through MOCCAE. Valid 90 days from issuance. The import application itself lists no documents for ordinary dogs and cats. Release later needs the customs paper or bill of lading, the vaccine record, the health certificate, and the antibody certificate if the origin is high-risk.
- Airline. IATA shipping conditions. Direct shipment is cleaner. If the animal transits, it must not mix with other pet animals. Emirates endings in Dubai are cargo.
- Last days. Parasite treatment inside the 14 days before shipment. Health certificate inside the validity of that origin form.
- Arrival. Inspection and release. Then, separately, whatever local registration your emirate asks for. This guide does not state a municipal deadline.
Permit clicks: MOCCAE import permit. A shorter tick list: import checklist. The titre guide now follows the same 365-day certificate condition. A 90-day sample window is not the live rule.
Banned dogs, and the cat exception
Names below are the ban list on the MOCCAE pet import page on 22 September 2026. Crosses are explicit on the UK export certificate 3926EHC. They are not spelled out as "any cross" on the MOCCAE English page, so this guide does not add that phrase to the UAE list. Rottweiler, Doberman and Boxer were not on the service-page list we checked. The banned dog breeds guide uses this same list.
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- American Pit Bull Terrier
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- American Bully
- Brazilian Mastiff (Fila Brasileiro)
- 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)
- Japanese Tosa
- Presa Canario
Service, emotional support and medical dogs
The same page allows an exception for dogs used as service animals, emotional support animals or for medical purposes, with a training-centre document certified by the origin authority, a medical report on the owner certified the same way, and a signed pledge about ownership and breeding. A casual letter is not those documents. Processing for that category is listed as 5 working days.
Cats
The dog ban list is not a cat list. To import Bengal and Serval cats, a pedigree certificate (fifth generation) is required for individuals and companies. Flat-faced cats can still be refused by an airline. See cat relocation for carrier preparation. Dog crate and breed preparation: dog relocation.
Vaccines by species
Dogs
- Rabies, not before 12 weeks, then valid as the manufacturer states
- Canine distemper
- Canine parvovirus
- Infectious canine hepatitis
- Leptospirosis, or a lab test if the exporting country does not vaccinate
Cats
- Rabies, not before 12 weeks, then valid as the manufacturer states
- Feline panleukopenia
- Feline rhinotracheitis
- Feline calicivirus
Feline leukaemia was not on the required list. This page does not call it mandatory.
For a UK export, certificate 3926EHC also requires the first rabies vaccination more than 21 days before export. That 21-day export wait is a UK certificate rule. On the MOCCAE page, a 21-day wait is stated for the antibody test after a first or lapsed rabies vaccine, not as a sentence that every pet must wait 21 days before arrival.
Airline responsibility
Emirates into Dubai
Ordinary pets are not in the cabin. Itineraries ending in Dubai must be cargo. Ask SkyCargo. The pet form asks for at least one week's notice and an age above four months. Excess-baggage prices on the Emirates FAQ apply to eligible trips that start in Dubai. They are not a cargo tariff into Dubai. More: Emirates pet cargo.
Other carriers
British Airways carries pets in the hold and points UK export customers to its pet partner. IAG Cargo says some dangerous dog breeds and snub-nosed cats and dogs may not be accepted. Etihad and flydubai rules were not fully re-read on 22 September 2026 because the Etihad page did not load. Do not use old weights, centimetres or fares from this guide. Check Etihad and flight options against the live airline page.
MOCCAE says cats and dogs are shipped to IATA conditions. A direct consignment must not mix with other pet animals if it crosses another country. No AED range for "choosing an airline" is published here.
If the file does not match
The published outcome is rejection at the owner's expense or confiscation. The page checked on 22 September 2026 does not publish a fine amount, a quarantine length, or a boarding tariff. A matching file is examined and released. We do not promise a release time.
- Microchip number differs across documents.
- Permit expired. It lasts 90 days from issuance.
- High-risk origin with no antibody result, or a result below 0.5 IU/ml, or a certificate outside the 365-day conditions.
- Parasite treatment outside the 14 days before shipment.
- Dog named on the ban list, without the service, emotional support or medical documents the page requires.
Related pages
Pet import service
Cargo, clearance and delivery when you want the file handled.
MOCCAE import permit
How to request the 90-day permit.
Rabies titre guide
Read with this page. The live rule is the 365-day certificate condition, not a 90-day sample window.
UK to Dubai
3926EHC and the low-risk origin note for Britain.
Dog relocation
Crate fit and the breed check.
Cat relocation
Carrier fit and Bengal or Serval papers.
Pet relocation Dubai
Door-to-door coordination.
Cost guide
Drivers only. Government fees are the three amounts above.
Arrival guide
After the aircraft lands.
Questions
Want the import handled?
This guide covers the general process. If you want Dubai Pet Relocation to review your route, pet, dates, and documents and coordinate the move, that is a paid relocation service. Send the details on WhatsApp for eligibility and scope.
This page is the checklist. A managed import covers the permit window (90 days from issuance), the airline booking and the handoff. Government fees are the MOCCAE amounts above, confirmed when you pay.
General guidance is free in the guides. Bespoke document review and coordination are paid.
Not ready to hire? Use the self-serve checklist below — no free human consultation is promised.
WhatsApp +971 50 478 2999 · We confirm government fees on the official portal
Official Sources
We coordinate the paperwork, but the rules are set by government and industry authorities. Always confirm the current requirements directly with the official sources.
Checked 22 September 2026 against the primary pages linked here. This is a document check for the wording on this guide. It is not a veterinary review and not a government certificate.
- UAE MOCCAE — import permits & rules
- IATA Live Animals Regulations — travel crates
- Etihad — travelling with pets
- Emirates — pets and unusual baggage allowances
- USDA APHIS — Pet Travel (US health certificates)
- MOCCAE: import of pets (cats and dogs)
- GOV.UK: 3926EHC cats and dogs to the UAE
- Emirates: rules for travelling with animals
- British Airways: travelling with pets