Updated September 2026
Pet Import ServicePet Import Services in Dubai
Commercial import into the UAE: we sequence the 90-day MOCCAE permit, titer sample window, manifested cargo and DXB clearance so your dog or cat is…
Direct answer
What are the requirements for traveling with my pet to the UAE?
A pet entering the UAE needs an ISO microchip, current rabies vaccination, a government health certificate, and a MOCCAE import permit valid 90 days. There is typically no long quarantine when those papers match. Breed bans apply. Full rules live on the UAE import-requirements guide.
This page is the commercial import job — not the rules encyclopaedia
Ruling 5: this URL owns importing a pet as a paid coordination job. The full statutory checklist lives on UAE pet import requirements. Arrival-side settling (first week, municipality registration) lives on pet relocation to Dubai. Permit filing as a standalone product lives on MOCCAE permit assistance.
If you are paying someone to get a dog or cat into the UAE, the work is operational: eligibility, document sequence, a permit that is still valid on landing, a manifested cargo booking, veterinary inspection at the cargo village, and last-mile handover. We coordinate that sequence with vetted veterinary and transport partners. We do not operate the aircraft and we are not a MOCCAE-licensed agency — only the Ministry issues permits.
Pets must enter the UAE as manifested cargo under IATA live-animal conditions — not as cabin or accompanied checked baggage. Etihad in-cabin arrivals into Abu Dhabi are a published exception for eligible small pets. Country-level corridors (UK certificates, India titer logistics, Philippines BAI) belong on the routes hub, not as a second copy of this page.
- Eligibility review — breed against Federal Law 22/2016 Annex 2 before you commit to a flight
- Document pack lined up in the correct order (microchip before rabies, then vaccinations, then titer if required)
- MOCCAE import permit timed to the 90-day validity window
- IATA crate sizing and manifested cargo booking into DXB, DWC or AUH
- Arrival inspection coordination and door delivery in Dubai
The six-stage import sequence we actually run
Order is the product. Booking a ticket before the permit window and titer sample date are understood is the most expensive import mistake we see.
Eligibility and origin check
Send breed, age, weight, origin country and a target month. We check Annex 2 breed restrictions and whether your origin is treated as titer-required. We do not publish an unverified exempt-country list — confirm your origin on the MOCCAE portal, or we will check it with you.
Microchip, then vaccinate
The ISO 11784/11785 15-digit microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination that will be used for UAE import. First rabies vaccination is not given before the pet is 12 weeks old, and at least 21 days must elapse between that vaccination and arrival in the UAE. Dogs also need distemper, parvovirus, infectious canine hepatitis and leptospirosis; cats need panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus.
Titer sample — only if your origin requires it
When a rabies antibody titre test (RNATT) is required, the blood sample must be taken within 90 days before travel and the result must be at least 0.5 IU/ml. This is a sample-timing window, not a 90-day waiting period after the test. MOCCAE maintains a rabies-controlled / exempt-country list that decides whether an RNATT is required. We do not publish an unverified country list — confirm your origin on the official MOCCAE portal. Deep timing lives on rabies titer test for Dubai.
MOCCAE import permit — 90 days
MOCCAE import permits are valid for 90 days from the date of issuance. The pet must enter the UAE within that window. It is not allowed to import pets with an expired import permit. Confirm the current MOCCAE import-permit fee on the official portal when you apply. Fees may change. MOCCAE import-permit processing is typically estimated at 2–5 working days for a complete application. That figure is a secondary-sourced estimate, not a first-party SLA — confirm current timing on the official portal. Walkthrough: how to apply for a MOCCAE import permit. Hands-on filing: MOCCAE permit assistance.
Health certificate, parasites, crate and cargo
An official origin-country health certificate is commonly required within 5–10 days of departure. External parasite treatment (for example Fipronil or Permethrin) and internal deworming are required within 10 days before shipping to the UAE. We size an IATA crate and coordinate a manifested cargo booking — not cabin, not hold baggage (Etihad cabin into Abu Dhabi is the published exception).
Clearance at DXB / AUH and door delivery
An arrival veterinary release/inspection fee is also payable at the cargo terminal. Confirm the current dog and cat amounts on the official MOCCAE portal before travel; fees may change. A MOCCAE inspector scans the chip and reviews the pack. Compliant pets are examined and released — there is no routine quarantine. We arrange last-mile delivery and keep you on WhatsApp during business hours.
Documents we line-check before anything is booked
This is a commercial review list, not a substitute for the statutory table on the requirements guide. Every certificate must show the same 15-digit microchip number.
- ISO 11784/11785 15-digit microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination
- Rabies certificate: pet at least 12 weeks at vaccination; at least 21 days before arrival; inactivated or recombinant only
- Species core vaccines as listed on UAE pet import requirements
- RNATT result ≥0.5 IU/ml when required — sample drawn within 90 days before travel
- Government-endorsed international veterinary health certificate from the origin country
- MOCCAE import permit still inside its 90-day window on the arrival date
- Internal and external parasite treatments within 10 days before shipping
- Owner passport copy and UAE visa / residency details used on the permit
Non-compliant imports can face a fine of AED 5,000 per animal, and the animal may be rejected or confiscated. We triple-check the pack so a typo never becomes a refused landing.
How we time the 90-day MOCCAE permit against the flight
The permit is the legal gate. Airlines will not accept the animal without it, and a cargo village will not release an animal on an expired permit. The commercial job is to issue it late enough to cover landing and early enough to survive processing.
MOCCAE import permits are valid for 90 days from the date of issuance. The pet must enter the UAE within that window. It is not allowed to import pets with an expired import permit. Applying the day you first think about moving is how permits expire on the tarmac. We work backwards from a confirmed cargo date, then open the portal application once the document pack is consistent.
Access requires UAE Pass. Many newcomers ask us to coordinate the form with a vetted local partner rather than learn the portal under a flight deadline. We still do not issue the permit — MOCCAE does.
Personal (non-commercial) import is typically limited to a maximum of 2 pets per person (2 cats, or 2 dogs, or 1 cat and 1 dog) per permit / per year. Confirm the current portal rule for your case. MOCCAE import-permit processing is typically estimated at 2–5 working days for a complete application. That figure is a secondary-sourced estimate, not a first-party SLA — confirm current timing on the official portal.
Import timeline — what actually sets the floor
The honest answer is not a single number. It depends on whether MOCCAE requires an RNATT for your origin, and whether the microchip-then-rabies sequence is already done.
When an RNATT is not required and the pet is already microchipped and rabies-vaccinated, the commercial path is usually a matter of weeks: health-certificate window, 10-day parasite treatments, crate, cargo slot and the 90-day permit. Starting from a new first rabies vaccination adds the 21-day wait before arrival.
When a rabies antibody titre test (RNATT) is required, the blood sample must be taken within 90 days before travel and the result must be at least 0.5 IU/ml. This is a sample-timing window, not a 90-day waiting period after the test. Lab turnaround (often 1–3 weeks) and the 21-day post-vaccination wait before a valid sample can be drawn are what stretch high-risk files — not a mandatory 90-day sit after the result arrives. We map dates backwards from your target landing so the sample is still inside the 90-day window on travel day.
| Starting point | What usually drives the calendar | What we will not claim |
|---|---|---|
| RNATT not required; already vaccinated | Health certificate + 90-day permit + cargo slot | A guaranteed week count — cargo calendars move |
| RNATT not required; new rabies vaccine | 21-day wait after vaccination plus the pack above | That the 21 days can be waived |
| RNATT required | Post-vaccine wait + lab time + sample still ≤90 days before travel | A 90-day waiting period after the test |
What an import quote is made of — without invented government fees
Government charges are a small slice of most imports. Confirm current MOCCAE permit and arrival-release amounts on the official portal; fees may change.
Confirm the current MOCCAE import-permit fee on the official portal when you apply. Fees may change. An arrival veterinary release/inspection fee is also payable at the cargo terminal. Confirm the current dog and cat amounts on the official MOCCAE portal before travel; fees may change. Those portal amounts exclude origin veterinary work, the crate, manifested cargo and our coordination.
| Cost type | How we treat it on this page |
|---|---|
| MOCCAE import permit (per pet) | Confirm the live portal amount when you apply |
| Arrival veterinary release / inspection | Confirm the live portal / cargo-village amount |
| Origin veterinary (vaccines, certificate, titer if required) | Quoted from your origin vet — not a published DPR fee table |
| IATA-compliant crate | Sized to the animal; partner quote, not a guess from a chart |
| Manifested cargo | Airline and route specific — we itemise before you book |
| Coordination and handling | Quoted on WhatsApp for your origin, size and service tier |
Compare how much of the sequence we hold versus how much you hold on compare our service tiers. Then message us for a relocation quote — we do not publish a fake AED total on this page.
Breed eligibility before you spend on cargo
Federal Law No. 22 of 2016 Annex 2 (as amended, including Ministerial Decree 190/2021) prohibits import of listed dangerous-dog types and their hybrids. We check your dog against the current list before you commit.
Annex 2 includes Pit Bull types (Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully and mixes), Mastiff types (including Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino and other Mastiff / hybrids), Japanese Tosa, Rottweiler, Doberman Pinscher, Presa Canario and Boxer. Possession, trade or breeding of Annex-2 dogs is prohibited. Mixed dogs that are morphologically identifiable as a listed type can still be refused.
Narrow exceptions for service, assistance or medical-purpose animals require training-centre documentation and a supporting medical report under the 2021 amendment. We do not treat an “emotional support” letter as a shortcut. Full list and enforcement notes: banned dog breeds in Dubai.
Airport clearance we coordinate — DXB, DWC and AUH
Pets enter as manifested cargo, so they arrive at a cargo terminal, not the passenger hall. A dedicated arrival walkthrough (Cargo Village, municipality registration) is scheduled as a later guide; until that URL is live, this section is the commercial summary.
At Dubai International the typical path is the cargo village: MOCCAE veterinary inspection, microchip scan against the permit, document review, customs release, then handover. An arrival veterinary release/inspection fee is also payable at the cargo terminal. Confirm the current dog and cat amounts on the official MOCCAE portal before travel; fees may change. When the pack is complete, compliant pets are released to the owner or nominated agent — there is no routine quarantine.
Abu Dhabi arrivals follow the same federal permit and inspection logic at the AUH cargo side. Etihad in-cabin pets still need the UAE health paperwork plus an Abu Dhabi Customs Bill of Entry — we flag that path only when the animal actually qualifies. We advise which airport matches the route rather than forcing every file through DXB.
Non-compliant imports can face a fine of AED 5,000 per animal, and the animal may be rejected or confiscated. Incomplete titer or permit files are exactly where coordinated clearance earns its keep. We do not invent 1–2 hour guarantees; we stay on the thread until the animal is in the van.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Last verified: 6 September 2026. Confirm current figures on the official MOCCAE portal before you apply.
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