Pet relocation from the Netherlands to Dubai

UAE entry rules for this corridor

• Obtain a MOCCAE import permit before the pet leaves the Netherlands; the permit is valid for 90 days from issuance — the animal must enter the UAE within that window.
• UAE entry for most dogs and cats is as manifest cargo under IATA live-animal conditions (cabin into Dubai is not the default). Etihad cabin into Abu Dhabi is a published exception for eligible small pets — confirm current policy.
• ISO 11784/11785 microchip must match the health certificate; implant the chip before the rabies vaccination used for UAE import.
• When a rabies antibody titer (RNATT) is required, the blood sample must be taken within 90 days before travel and result ≥ 0.5 IU/ml — this is a pre-travel sample window, not a 90-day waiting period after the draw.
• Confirm on the official MOCCAE portal whether this origin is on the current rabies-controlled / exempt list before you skip a titer. We do not publish an unverified exempt-country list.
• Government-endorsed origin health certificate and parasite treatments must meet MOCCAE timing — verify current portal requirements before flight week.
• MOCCAE and on-arrival release fee amounts: confirm on the official portal — we do not publish fee numerals here.

Rules summarised from the regulatory source of truth. Always re-check MOCCAE and your airline before travel. Dubai Pet Relocation is not affiliated with MOCCAE or any airline.

How a Netherlands move actually works

Scenario: a family leaving Utrecht for Dubai Silicon Oasis, one medium dog, one cat, both intending to export from the only Dutch seed airport. Month −4: accept that Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) is the export. Confirm on the MOCCAE portal whether a rabies titer is required for this Dutch origin. If yes, schedule the blood draw so the sample date will still sit within 90 days before the travel date you actually fly, and keep the ≥0.5 IU/ml result. On a Dutch file, confirm the ISO microchip precedes the rabies vaccination that will be cited for UAE import. Month −3 to −2: start the MOCCAE import permit so issuance leaves enough of the 90-day validity for the booked AMS cargo date, and hold a Dutch official-vet appointment that can still be valid on departure. Week −3: lock KLM, Emirates or Etihad live-animal acceptance for Netherlands → UAE. KLM seeds as cabin-or-cargo; Gulf rows seed as cargo; all unverified on this page. If AMS declines the crate, the conversation is a date change or a non-Dutch gateway — not a fictional Dutch alternate. Week −1: parasite treatments per the current portal checklist and crate fit. Arrival is DXB or DWC cargo and veterinary release for most consignments. This is a planning narrative, not a guaranteed SLA.

Deep-dive the documents on UAE import requirements, the MOCCAE 90-day import permit, and the titer sample window. Crate sizing sits on the IATA crate guide.

Frequently asked questions