Bringing a dog or cat into the United Arab Emirates

The short version

• Rabies blood test for some origins
• Import permit needed

How early to start

The least time the officially fixed waiting periods allow, by where your dog is coming from. Vet, lab and paperwork appointment times come on top.

Where your pet is coming from matters

The United Arab Emirates sorts countries into groups. These are the groups exactly as the authority publishes them (UAE: low-risk countries for cat and dog imports, checked 2026-10-08).

• MOCCAE publishes only the low-risk list; every other country is high-risk — including the USA, Canada, Germany, France and Italy.
• 'Caledonia. New Zealand' on the page = New Caledonia + New Zealand. 'Korea' assumed to be the Republic of Korea. 'Macedonia' = North Macedonia.
• Spain excludes Ceuta (ES-CE) and Melilla (ES-ML).

Every requirement

For every pet

1. Permit

   UAE import permit

   Apply online on the MOCCAE website before your pet travels (AED 200 per animal). It's issued in 1 working day and is valid for 90 days — your pet can't enter on an expired permit.

   Details and the official words

   “validity of permit is 90 days. It is not allowed to import pets with an expired import permit”

2. Identification

   Permanent microchip

   Your pet needs a permanent microchip, and the number on the health certificate must match it.

   Details and the official words

   “The cats and dogs must be identified with a permanent microchip”

3. Age rule

   Minimum age

   From a low-risk country your pet must be at least 12 weeks old; from a high-risk country at least 15 weeks old.

   Details and the official words

   “the minimum age for importing from the high risk countries is not less than 15 weeks”

4. Vaccination

   Rabies vaccination

   A valid rabies vaccination (per the vaccine maker's instructions), with the first dose given at 12 weeks old or older, recorded with vaccine name, maker, batch number and date.

   Details and the official words

   “initial dose should not be applied before 12 weeks of animal age”

5. Vaccination

   Core vaccinations

   Dogs: distemper, parvovirus, infectious hepatitis and leptospirosis (or a lab test if your country doesn't vaccinate for it). Cats: panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus.

   Details and the official words

   “Leptospirosis (Can be dispensed with and replaced by lab test in case that the exporting country does not apply vaccination)”

6. Treatment

   Internal and external parasite treatment

   Treat your pet for internal and external parasites within the 14 days before it's shipped, and have it recorded on the health certificate or passport.

   Details and the official words

   “The animal was received preventive doses for internal and external parasites during the 14 days prior to shipment”

7. Paperwork

   Health certificate from your country's veterinary authority

   An authorised health certificate issued by the competent veterinary authority of the country you're travelling from, with the microchip number.

   Details and the official words

   “Authorized health certificate issued from the competent veterinary authorities.”

Depends on your pet or your route

1. Blood test

   Rabies blood test (titer)

   Applies when: the country you travel from is in the group: Not on the low-risk list — rabies titer test needed

   Because your pet comes from a country the UAE treats as high-risk, it needs a rabies antibody test (at least 0.5 IU/ml) at a lab approved in the exporting country, done before shipping. After a first vaccination (or a lapse) wait at least 21 days before the test; after a valid booster it can be done straight away. The result is valid for 365 days — but a new booster means repeating the test. There's no waiting period after the test.

   Details and the official words

   Allow time for the lab result before you fly — the certificate (or the result on the health certificate) must travel with your pet.

   “a period not less than 21 days must pass from vaccination against Rabies”

   “The test result should not be less than (0.5 IU / ml)”

   “The validity of the Rabies Testing certificate is 365 days, in a condition that the rabies vaccine is valid and continue and no booster dose was given”

2. On arrival

   Release on arrival (dog)

   Applies when: your pet is a dog

   On arrival, apply for release with the customs declaration or bill of lading, vaccination record, health certificate (and titer certificate if needed). Your dog is inspected; the release fee is AED 500 per dog.

   Details and the official words

   If this is missed: Pets that don't meet the requirements are rejected at the owner's expense or confiscated.

   “A customs declaration or bill of lading showing the delivery data”

3. On arrival

   Release on arrival (cat)

   Applies when: your pet is a cat

   On arrival, apply for release with the customs declaration or bill of lading, vaccination record, health certificate (and titer certificate if needed). Your cat is inspected; the release fee is AED 250 per cat.

   Details and the official words

   If this is missed: Pets that don't meet the requirements are rejected at the owner's expense or confiscated.

   “A customs declaration or bill of lading showing the delivery data”

When this route doesn’t work

• Not covered by us yet · The pet is being sold, adopted or rehomed

  Importing pets to sell or rehome needs a licensed establishment in the UAE. We don't cover commercial imports yet.

Restricted breeds

Banned in the UAE: Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, Tibetan Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Dogue de Bordeaux, Boerboel, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, Bully Kutta, Presa Canario and Japanese Tosa (service, support and medical dogs excepted under the rules).

Good to know

• Individuals can import at most 2 pets per person per year (2 cats, 2 dogs, or one of each).When: You bring 3 or more pets
• If your pet's route passes through another country, it must not be mixed with other pets during the transit.When: Your route passes through another country
• The UAE only lists low-risk countries; everywhere else — including the USA, Canada, Germany, France and Italy — counts as high-risk, so a rabies blood test is needed.When: The country you travel from is in the group: Not on the low-risk list — rabies titer test needed