Pet travel route
Taking a dog or cat from the United Arab Emirates → Hawaii (US)
What the official rules ask for on this route, for a family pet travelling with its owner. Enter your travel date and your pet’s details to turn it into a dated checklist.
Limited official guidance. The authority for entering Hawaii (US) publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. Hawaii's own checklists (PDF) could not be read: they hold details this page does not, such as the microchip rule and the result needed on the rabies antibody test. Pets arriving from the British Isles, Australia, Guam and New Zealand follow a different checklist that we have not read. The pages were read from stored copies of Hawaii's official pages because the site blocks automated readers; the pre-arrival waits below come from those pages. Contact the Animal Quarantine Station (rabiesfree@hawaii.gov) to confirm the current checklist for your pet.
How early to start
9 weeks
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet (the least time the official waiting periods allow)
4 weeks
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
Counted only from the officially fixed waiting periods. Vet, lab and paperwork appointment times are on top, so start earlier.
Headlines for Hawaii (US)
- Rabies blood test required
What your dog or cat needs
Vaccination
Rabies vaccination #1
Your pet needs certification of at least two rabies vaccinations. This is the first one; documents for the earlier vaccination are required, because with only the most recent vaccination the pet does not qualify.
Details and the official words
“Certification of at least two rabies vaccinations is required.”
Vaccination
Rabies vaccination #2 (a booster, more than 30 days before arrival)
The second rabies vaccination (a booster) must be given no less than 30 days after the previous one, and more than 30 days before your pet arrives in Hawaii.
Details and the official words
“To qualify, your pet will need to receive a booster no less than 30 days after the previous vaccination. In addition, this second vaccination must be given more than 30 days before arrival in Hawai‘i.”
Blood test
Rabies antibody blood test (OIE-FAVN) and a 30-day wait
Your pet needs a passing OIE-FAVN rabies antibody test, and a 30-day wait from the day the laboratory received the blood sample before it arrives. A passing result is valid for 36 months from the day the blood reached the laboratory.
Details and the official words
Hawaii's checklists (not readable here) give the pass mark and other details of the test: confirm them with the Animal Quarantine Station.
“To avoid your animal being placed into quarantine, proof of two rabies vaccinations within the required timeframe and a passing FAVN test are required for all dogs and cats entering the State of Hawai‘i.”
“The OIE-FAVN test result is valid for 36 months from the day the blood was received at the laboratory.”
Treatment
Tick treatment within 14 days before arrival
Your vet treats your dog or cat with a long-acting oral or topical product labelled to kill ticks (equivalent or better than fipronil) within 14 days before arrival, and the treatment is written on the health certificate. K-9 Advantix is acceptable for dogs only, never for cats; Revolution is not acceptable.
Details and the official words
“Dogs and cats must be treated by your veterinarian with a long-acting oral or topical product labeled to kill ticks that is equivalent or better than Fipronil within 14 days prior to arrival and the treatment must be documented on the health certificate.”
Paperwork
Health certificate
A veterinary health certificate (with the tick treatment on it) goes with your pet. If it can't reach the Animal Quarantine Station with the other documents 10 days before arrival, the original must be handed to the inspector on arrival. Hawaii's pages give no validity period for it: ask the Animal Quarantine Station.
Details and the official words
MOCCAE veterinary health certificate: Register in MOCCAE's digital services system, fill in the electronic form, pay (AED 100 for up to 2 pets for personal use), then your pet has a physical examination (and lab tests if the destination needs them). The certificate is issued electronically, usually in 1 working day, and is valid for 30 days from the date of issue.
“If the health certificate cannot be sent 10 days before arriving with the rest of the documents, the original must be given to the inspector upon arrival in Hawai‘i.”
“valid for 30 days from the date of issuance”
“The time to obtain the service : 1 working days”
Paperwork
Dog and Cat Import Form (AQS-279) and documents, at least 10 days before arrival
Send one completed Dog and Cat Import Form (AQS-279) per pet, with two rabies vaccination certificates, the health certificate and pre-payment, so the Animal Quarantine Station has them at least 10 days before arrival. This qualifies your pet for the 5 Day Or Less program and for direct release at Honolulu airport ($185; $244 if the documents are late). You can apply online through the Hawaii Pet Owner Portal. Arrivals at Kona, Kahului or Līhu'e need a Neighbor Island Inspection Permit.
Details and the official words
“NO LESS THAN 10 DAYS BEFORE PET ARRIVES IN HAWAI‘I TO QUALIFY FOR 5 DAY OR LESS or AIRPORT RELEASE”
“If you seek direct release of the pet at the airport, you must submit the required original documents so that the office receives the paperwork at least 10 days prior to your pet’s arrival.”
“the higher fee of $244 is assessed instead of $185.”
Good to know
- Hawaii is rabies-free, so every dog and cat, whatever its age or purpose, must meet its import rules. A pet that doesn't meet every requirement of the '5 Day Or Less' program is quarantined for up to 120 days on arrival.
- Non-domestic dogs and cats and hybrids such as wolf crosses, Dingo, Bengal and Savannah are prohibited under Hawaii's Plant Quarantine law.
- A newborn puppy or kitten will be about 6 months old by the time the preparations are finished; pets that can't meet every requirement are quarantined for 120 days.
- A pet that arrives before its 30-day waiting period is complete does not qualify for direct airport release and is quarantined (with a daily charge) until the waiting period ends.
- The UAE certificate only covers the UAE side. The importing country sets its own rules (tests, permits, timing): get them from its veterinary authority. MOCCAE asks for a copy of the importing country's import permit, except for companion animals, and for any extra test reports the importing country wants.
- This service is governed by Federal Law No. 6 of 2025 on Veterinary Quarantine. For questions, MOCCAE's call centre is 8003050.
Government fees we know of
- MOCCAE veterinary health certificate (export, personal pets)100 AED
Vet, lab and courier costs are not included. The final amount can depend on how many tests or pets are on the certificate.
Common questions
Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from the United Arab Emirates to Hawaii (US)?
Yes: Your pet needs a passing OIE-FAVN rabies antibody test, and a 30-day wait from the day the laboratory received the blood sample before it arrives.
Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into Hawaii (US)?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for an import permit.
Will my dog or cat be quarantined in Hawaii (US)?
Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.
Does my dog or cat need a microchip?
The official rules we have verified for this route don't list a microchip requirement.