In this guide 7 sections
This guide covers a household cat or dog travelling from abroad to live in Dubai. Use it to organise the move and prepare for a conversation with your vet. The rules that apply to your pet depend on its species, breed, age, origin, journey and veterinary record.
Three checks to make before you book
A pet move has three approvals to line up. A vet helps you prepare the animal and confirm the health record. The UAE authority decides whether the animal meets its entry requirements. The operating airline decides whether it can carry the animal on the route you want. Start all three conversations while you can still change the dates.
| Check | Information to gather | When to stop and resolve a gap |
|---|---|---|
| Bringing pets to the UAE | Species, breed or breed mix, birth date, chip and vaccine history, country of departure and transit points | The animal’s eligibility or records are unclear |
| Carrier acceptance | Flight number, operating airline, airport, planned date, pet and crate measurements, and how the pet will travel | The carrier has only confirmed your passenger booking |
| First address | Written permission to keep your pet, relevant building rules and a suitable room or temporary address | The agent says pets are allowed but the building or short-stay provider has not confirmed |
Check the rules for your pet’s species
Taking a dog to Dubai. Check the current UAE breed restrictions and carrier acceptance before paying anything you cannot recover. If you adopted a mixed-breed dog and the paperwork is inconsistent, get advice on what evidence the authority accepts. Ask the airline about its own breed, size and weather rules for each flight segment. Bring your dog’s actual measurements to the conversation so the carrier can advise on the crate and available space. UAE entry conditions are set out in the ministry’s resolution on cat and dog imports.
Taking a cat to Dubai. Ask the vet to read the microchip and compare it with the record before arranging travel. The name you use at home and the exact spelling on a vet record can differ. Check the underlying identifiers, especially the chip number and the written description, so that the vet can resolve any inconsistency before signing the certificate. Have your airline assess the animal and carrier together.
For a rabbit, bird, reptile or other animal, begin with the authority’s route for that species. The cats and dogs permit described here is specific to those two animals. If your pet has health concerns or has struggled to travel before, talk to your vet about the journey and the alternatives before selecting flights.
Documents and the UAE pet import permit
The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, or MOCCAE, describes two service stages. An electronic import permit is issued before travel and is valid for 90 days from issue. After arrival, the port checks the animal and documentation before release. Put the permit expiry into your calendar alongside the flight date so that you can spot a problem if your travel is postponed. MOCCAE pet import and release service.
Build the health and certificate timetable
Ask your vet to draw up the health timetable for the country the animal will leave and its travel history. The UAE rules require a permanent microchip. The health certificate must match the animal’s chip number. Your route may also require evidence of particular vaccinations, a rabies antibody test or other preparation. The dates and order matter, so have the vet review the original records and the current destination instructions before you act on a checklist. UAE cat and dog import resolution.
Check which office in your departure country issues or endorses your certificate. The animal’s departure route and the authorities responsible for certification matter here. Your citizenship is a separate part of the move.
- United Kingdom. Use GOV.UK’s route for export health certificate 3926. England, Scotland and Wales use the online service, and GOV.UK gives a separate process for Northern Ireland. Ask the certifying vet when they can issue the certificate for the booked flight. GOV.UK certificate 3926.
- United States. Start from USDA APHIS’s UAE instructions and ask a USDA-accredited vet about the certificate, evidence and endorsement steps. USDA’s page says an accredited vet can issue the certificate electronically, but USDA must endorse it in ink and emboss it. Allow time to receive the original before travel. USDA APHIS travel to the UAE.
- Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency identifies veterinary health certificate HA2839. A licensed veterinarian completes it and a CFIA official veterinarian endorses it before travel. CFIA export instructions.
- Australia. Use the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s Micor entry for dogs or cats going to the UAE. Ask your vet and the department’s regional office how to arrange certification for your animal and match it to the UAE import permit. Discuss possible future return to Australia early if your job move might be temporary.
Keep the permit and travel records together
Keep a single travel record with the microchip number, vet appointments, permit number, endorsement plan, airline booking reference and arrival contact. Put names and phone numbers on an offline copy. Ask your carrier or agent which originals must accompany the animal and how they want them packed. Keep copies where you can get to them even if your luggage or phone is unavailable.
If you’re using a pet relocation provider, ask who applies for the permit, who checks the certificate before the flight and who files for release. Ask for a copy of each document and an alert when something is outstanding. An early draft of the paperwork gives your vet time to correct a mistyped chip number or missing record before the day of travel.
Booking the flight and handling arrival
Ask the operating airline to confirm in writing how the animal will travel, whether there is space, what container it accepts and how the handover works. The flight you can buy for yourself may have different handling arrangements for a pet. A ticket sold by one airline may include a leg operated by another. Check every leg and ask who looks after the animal between flights.
Emirates’ route-specific baggage FAQs say animals on its itineraries ending in Dubai travel as cargo. Check with the operating airline for a different route or any assistance-animal arrangements. Use the airline’s current instructions and obtain confirmation for your particular service. If a carrier offers several airports, confirm the actual arrival port with the animal handling team before booking the car journey or handing over documents. Emirates animal carriage information.
Find out which desk receives your pet, its opening hours and whether you or an authorised representative can collect. Ask where the port inspection takes place, which documents the person collecting needs and how they learn the animal is cleared. Make a plan for a delayed arrival, including somewhere you can wait and a way to reach the animal handling team while using a different SIM card.
Discuss how to prepare the pet for its crate and travel day with your vet. Build in time to get used to the carrier and for the vet to answer any questions about the animal’s welfare on a long trip. If the airline asks for a different crate, check that the new one also works in the vehicle that will collect you. A carrier that passes the airline’s checks can still be awkward to load into a small car.
Budgeting for the move and your first week
The federal import and release charges are a starting point. The MOCCAE service sheet lists AED 200 to issue the permit per animal, AED 500 for the release of a dog and AED 250 for the release of a cat. That gives an official fee subtotal of AED 700 for one dog or AED 450 for one cat for those two line items, checked 8 November 2026. Confirm the charges on the application and release screens for your journey. MOCCAE service fee schedule.
| Quote item | What to ask for |
|---|---|
| Vet and certification | What the exam, vaccines, tests, paperwork and endorsement cost separately |
| Flight | Whether the price includes the whole journey, handling at both ends and any possible rerouting |
| Crate | Who supplies it, when it must be ready and how charges change if it has to be replaced |
| UAE arrival | Government fees shown separately from agent, handling, collection and delivery charges |
| Changes | What you pay if the flight moves or the documents need to be issued again |
| Temporary care | Written cost per day, opening hours and extra charges if collection is later |
If you compare quotes from the UK, US, Australia or Canada, keep their original currencies until you have all the line items. Convert them on the same day using the same rate and allow for your card or transfer fees. It can be easier to compare the same service scope with two providers than to compare one door-to-door quote with another that ends when the plane lands.
Plan the first week after arrival
Plan the first week of moving to Dubai with pets. Get written permission for your temporary accommodation as well as any long-term home, and ask separately about lifts, common areas and any building restrictions. If you are house hunting remotely, our guide to renting in Dubai covers the tenancy steps. Our moving to Dubai checklist can help you put your own documents and housing tasks on the same calendar.
What to do if the plan changes
Suppose you have an offer in Dubai and your employer brings your start forward. Your dog cannot travel on the earlier flight, or the vet needs more time to complete the records. Decide what care you can arrange at the departure end. If you travel first, write down who will handle veterinary appointments, collect originals and hand the dog to the carrier, and confirm who can sign or receive each document.
If the flight slips back, ask your vet and the agent to check every document against the revised date. A valid import permit does not establish that the export health certificate, lab evidence and carrier booking all remain valid. A change in airport or transit point can trigger a separate route check. Hold off on committing to a replacement until the people responsible have confirmed what can transfer.
Some households choose short-term accommodation before bringing the pet over. The extra stay or boarding can be a real cost, but it can give you time to inspect the home and settle the dates. Include this option when planning your family’s move to Dubai, especially if another household member is travelling later or a landlord is still deciding about pets.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to take my cat or dog to Dubai?
Yes. Obtain the MOCCAE import permit before travel and check that it will still be valid when your pet arrives. The arrival inspection and release are separate stages.
Can my pet travel in the cabin with me?
If you’re flying on Emirates and your itinerary ends in Dubai, its route-specific guidance says a cat or dog travels as cargo. For another carrier or an assistance animal, confirm carriage and entry arrangements before booking.
How much does it cost to take a dog or cat to Dubai?
The published federal permit and release fees total AED 700 for one dog or AED 450 for one cat. Add veterinary checks, certification, transport, handling and the crate to get a figure you can budget against.
Does my pet need a rabies antibody test?
Ask your vet to check the current UAE conditions for the animal’s departure country and travel history. If a test is required, check when the sample can be taken and how long the result and any waiting period will add to your move.
What if my arrival is delayed beyond the permit expiry date?
Check with MOCCAE what you must obtain before travel, and ask the vet to review the export documents against your new itinerary. Make sure the airline and the person collecting the animal both have the revised plan.
