Moving to Dubai with your dog or cat, or buying a puppy from abroad? Every pet that enters the UAE needs an import permit from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), issued before the pet travels. The rules are clear once you know them, but a missing date on a vaccination card can mean your pet is sent back at your cost. This guide covers the permit, the vaccines, the rabies blood test, flights and what happens at the airport.
Rules last checked on 1 November 2026 against the official MOCCAE service page. Fees and rules can change, so always confirm on moccae.gov.ae before you book.
Quick facts
- Who issues the permit: MOCCAE, service "Import of pets (cats / dogs)", applied for online.
- Import permit fee: AED 200 per animal.
- Release fee on arrival: AED 500 per dog, AED 250 per cat.
- Permit valid for: 90 days from the date it is issued.
- Processing time: about 1 working day (5 working days for service and support dogs).
- Limit: 2 pets per person per year (2 cats, 2 dogs, or one of each). Resident pets coming home are not counted.
- Minimum age: 12 weeks from low-risk countries, 15 weeks from high-risk countries.
- Quarantine: none for pets that meet all the rules. Pets that do not are refused entry or confiscated.
Step 1: check that your pet is allowed
Only pet cats and dogs come in through this service. Some dog breeds, including Pit Bull types, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Bullies, Cane Corsos and Presa Canarios, are banned from import, along with their crosses. Read our guide to banned and restricted dog breeds in the UAE before you plan anything. Bengal and Serval cats need a pedigree certificate going back five generations.
Step 2: microchip and vaccinations
Do these in the right order, because the dates are checked.
- Microchip first. The pet needs a permanent microchip, and the number must match every document. Most vets use the international 15-digit chip, which UAE vets can read.
- Rabies vaccine. The first rabies shot can only be given from 12 weeks of age, and it must still be valid when the pet arrives.
- Other vaccines. Dogs: distemper, parvovirus, infectious hepatitis and leptospirosis. Cats: panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis (cat flu) and calicivirus.
- Parasite treatment against worms, fleas and ticks within 14 days before the flight, written on the health certificate or passport.
The vaccination record must show the vaccine name, maker, batch number and date, with the microchip number and a description of the pet.
Step 3: the rabies blood test (high-risk countries only)
MOCCAE splits countries into low-risk and high-risk for rabies. The low-risk list includes the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Kuwait, Bahrain and many EU countries. Countries not on the list count as high-risk, and that includes popular routes such as the USA, Canada and India. Check the full list on the MOCCAE page, because it is not what most people expect.
Pets from high-risk countries need a rabies antibody test (often called a titer or FAVN test):
- done at a laboratory approved by the exporting country;
- at least 21 days after a first rabies shot, or after a shot given when the old one had lapsed;
- the result must be 0.5 IU/ml or higher;
- it stays valid for a year as long as rabies vaccination continues without a gap.
This is the step that delays most moves, so start it early.
Step 4: apply for the import permit
- Register on the MOCCAE digital services website.
- Apply for "Import of pets (cats / dogs)", upload the documents and pay AED 200 per animal.
- Book the flight so the pet lands within the permit’s 90 days.
Shortly before travel, get the official health certificate from the government vet in the country your pet is leaving. The microchip number on it must match the chip.
Step 5: the flight
Pets must travel under IATA live-animal rules, ideally on a direct flight. If they stop in another country, they must not be mixed with other animals on the way.
Check your airline early. Emirates, for example, does not take cats or dogs in the cabin (guide dogs are the exception), and any journey that ends in Dubai has to carry pets as cargo through Emirates SkyCargo or a cargo agent. Many owners use a pet relocation company, which books the cargo space and handles the paperwork for a fee. If you are flying in the hot months, ask the airline whether it has summer restrictions for pets.
Step 6: arrival in Dubai
In Dubai, pets are checked at the veterinary quarantine points at Dubai Airport Cargo Village or Dubai Airport Free Zone. You (or your agent) submit a release request and pay the release fee: AED 500 per dog or AED 250 per cat. The vet checks the pet and the papers, and if everything matches the permit, the pet is released to you. There is no quarantine period for pets that meet the rules.
After that, book a vet visit and register your pet locally. See how to register and microchip your pet in Dubai and our list of vets in Dubai.
Leaving the UAE with your pet, and coming back
To travel out, apply to MOCCAE for an export health certificate ("Request for a veterinary health certificate for exporting or re-exporting live animals"). It costs AED 100 for up to two personal pets, takes about one working day and is valid for 30 days. The country you are going to may have its own rules on top.
If you plan to come back, get this certificate before you leave and keep the rabies vaccine up to date the whole time. If the rabies vaccine lapses while you are away, your pet is treated as a new import and the full process starts again.
Buying a puppy or kitten from abroad? Read this first
Fake "import fees", "airport permit" charges and "air-conditioned travel crate" payments are some of the most common pet scams in the UAE. A real import permit costs AED 200 and is issued by MOCCAE, not by the seller. Never pay a stranger for a permit, a crate or a quarantine release for a pet you have not seen. Read how to spot a fake pet ad.
It is often easier, and kinder, to choose a pet that is already in the UAE. Browse puppies for sale, kittens for sale or dogs for adoption near you.
Common questions
How long does the UAE pet import permit last?
90 days from the date it is issued. Older articles say 30 days; that rule has changed.
Is there quarantine for pets entering Dubai?
No, not for pets that meet every requirement. They are checked and released at the airport.
Can my dog fly in the cabin to Dubai?
Usually not. Most pets arrive as cargo. Check your airline’s own rules.
How many pets can I bring?
Two per person per year. Resident pets returning home are not counted.
My pet is coming from the USA. Does it need a blood test?
Yes. The USA is not on the UAE low-risk list, so the rabies antibody test is required.
