Bringing a dog or cat
to the UAE.

1. Start with your pet’s entry pathway

A move to Dubai, Abu Dhabi or another emirate brings several decisions together: your pet’s entry pathway, the documents for the country of departure, and the flight and receiving arrangements. Work through them in that order, keeping the intended travel date flexible until the preparation and transport fit together.

For first-time entry, MOCCAE separates low-risk and high-risk origins. A rabies antibody test is required from high-risk origins. Check the current country list and dog-breed restrictions before making appointments.

For the returning-resident pathway, retain the MOCCAE health certificate issued before departure and evidence of rabies coverage through the return date. An import permit is still required.

Personal imports are generally limited to two dogs or cats in total per person per year, with an exception for returning resident pets.

Sources: MOCCAE: dog and cat import conditions (Arabic).

Write down the country your pet will leave, any recent moves, their date of birth and whether they have lived in the UAE before. For a returning pet, gather the previous exit documents at the start. Tell the travel team about an adoption or change of ownership so the appropriate process can be assessed.

2. Build the veterinary timetable before fixing the flight

MOCCAE requires a permanent microchip matching the records, vaccination documentation and an officially certified health certificate. Its conditions include internal and external parasite treatment within 14 days before shipment.

Sources: MOCCAE: dog and cat import conditions (Arabic).

Ask your veterinarian to scan the chip and compare it with the vaccination and laboratory records. Resolve a mismatched number or missing date before the final certificate is prepared. Have the veterinarian set the vaccination, testing and treatment dates for your pet’s actual pathway.

If your pet is leaving the United States

USDA’s UAE instructions require rabies antibody results of at least 0.5 IU/ml, with sampling no more than 12 months before travel. For a first vaccination or lapsed coverage, sampling must wait at least 21 days after vaccination. A valid booster has a different sampling rule. Returning UAE pets may qualify for an exception when the stated conditions are met.

Use a USDA-accredited veterinarian and arrange the required USDA endorsement. These are U.S. departure instructions; owners departing elsewhere should use their own exporting authority’s procedure.

Sources: USDA APHIS: taking a dog or cat from the United States to the UAE.

Keep one preparation record with the appointment, responsible clinic or authority, document to be issued, and latest usable travel date. Share changes to the flight date with the veterinarian before relying on an existing certificate.

3. Check permit and certificate dates separately

Sources: MOCCAE: dog and cat import conditions (Arabic) · USDA APHIS: taking a dog or cat from the United States to the UAE.

The health certificate has its own timing. USDA’s UAE page states that its certificate is valid for 10 days after issue. Etihad publishes a requirement for the relevant health certificate to be signed and stamped by a government-accredited official within five days before the flight to Abu Dhabi.

Have the veterinarian and operating airline agree a workable appointment and endorsement schedule. Meeting an authority’s document window may still leave an airline-specific requirement to satisfy.

Sources: USDA APHIS: taking a dog or cat from the United States to the UAE · Etihad Airways: traveling with pets.

4. Confirm the airline, airport and travel format

Cabin, hold and cargo arrangements depend on the actual itinerary. Check each operating carrier and connection before buying a passenger ticket or travel container.

• Etihad example: its pet policy permits eligible small dogs and cats in the cabin on accepted routes on Etihad-operated flights. The published limits include a minimum age of 16 weeks and a combined pet-and-carrier weight of 8 kg. Advance approval, carrier dimensions and route restrictions still apply; its policy excludes journeys with a connecting flight operated by another airline.
• Emirates example: its ordinary-pet policy requires cargo transport on itineraries ending in Dubai.

Sources: Etihad Airways: traveling with pets · Emirates: rules for traveling with animals.

USDA’s UAE instructions state that pets departing the United States must travel as manifested cargo. If a proposed U.S. itinerary uses a different format, resolve the applicable export instructions with the relevant authorities and confirm airline acceptance before booking. Airline permission does not override the export instructions.

Sources: USDA APHIS: taking a dog or cat from the United States to the UAE.

These examples help you ask the right questions. They do not establish availability for your pet. Ask for the accepted transport format, arrival airport and receiving arrangements in writing, including who takes responsibility at each handover.

5. Measure the pet before choosing the container

IATA’s guidance calls for room to stand and sit upright, turn normally and lie naturally. Its sizing guidance uses body length, elbow height, shoulder width or the animal’s widest point, whichever is greater, and standing height, including the ears when they are the highest point.

Send measurements alongside weight. Check internal container dimensions, bedding allowance and the operating airline’s rules before purchase. Start familiarization with the accepted container well before departure.

Sources: IATA: preparing your pet and travel container.

If your pet has health, mobility or anxiety concerns, discuss fitness for the proposed journey with your veterinarian. Give the transport coordinator any handling instructions needed for the agreed trip.

6. Plan release and the final handover

UAE permission to import is followed by inspection and release on arrival.

Sources: MOCCAE: dog and cat import conditions (Arabic).

For its Abu Dhabi pet arrivals, Etihad also lists a pet release permit and an Abu Dhabi Customs Bill of Entry. Follow the carrier’s current document-submission instructions for that journey.

Sources: Etihad Airways: traveling with pets.

Before departure, confirm:

• Who presents the documents and receives the pet at the actual arrival airport.
• Where the original papers travel and who keeps the backup copies.
• Which arrival or handling charges are included and which are paid separately.
• The onward handover point in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or another emirate.
• Who to contact if the flight changes or clearance takes longer than planned.

Keep the arrival airport and final city as separate details. A flight into one emirate and delivery in another need an agreed onward transfer.

Questions to settle before booking

Can I use this as my complete import checklist?

Use it to organize the decisions and appointments. Your veterinarian and the relevant authorities need to confirm the full current requirements for your pet, departure country and records. A sale, adoption, commercial import or another species needs a separate assessment.

Can my pet arrive before I do?

Share both travel dates at the start. The proposed transport format, named receiver and document handover need to work while you are elsewhere. Read about pet transport without the owner before choosing the arrangement.

What should I compare in a transport proposal?

Check the flight and container arrangements, document coordination, departure and arrival services, and final handover. Ask which veterinary, authority, airline and local-handling costs are separate. Our pet shipping cost guide explains how to compare the agreed scope.

Turn the preparation into a transport plan

For managed transport, see our pet relocation service to and from the UAE. Pets Delivery Expert brings the route, flight arrangements, document coordination and agreed handovers into one proposal. Veterinarians carry out veterinary work; authorities issue permits and make entry decisions.

Start with your departure city and country, final UAE city and emirate, preferred dates, each pet’s species, breed, age and weight, and whether you will travel together. Add whether this is a first entry or a return, and mention records or bookings already in place.

Request a UAE route and quote

Prepare your journey details, then review and send your message in WhatsApp or email.

Official sources and related reading

• MOCCAE: dog and cat import conditions (Arabic)
• USDA APHIS: taking a dog or cat from the United States to the UAE
• Etihad Airways: traveling with pets
• Emirates: rules for traveling with animals
• IATA: preparing your pet and travel container

Sources checked October 10, 2026. Requirements can change. Use the current MOCCAE conditions, your exporting authority’s instructions and the operating airline’s policy for the actual journey. The MOCCAE source linked here is in Arabic. The different published permit-validity periods are highlighted above rather than treated as interchangeable.

Related reading: UAE pet relocation service · Moving pets abroad from the USA · All country guides.