I made a spreadsheet of Gulf carriers before booking, and Emirates came out as the one with the clearest cargo rules and the least flexible breed list. Luna disapproves of taxiing, and she would disapprove more of SkyCargo paperwork. Two columns decide everything here: whether your breed is on the snub-nosed list, and whether you booked far enough ahead. Both are checkable before you spend anything.

Emirates's pet policy splits into cabin and cargo. This page summarizes the weight limits, fees, brachycephalic-breed restrictions, and carrier specifications for both modes — sourced from the airline's official pet pages.

How Emirates handles your pet

Each fact comes straight from the operator’s published policy. Tap the to read the exact wording; the opens the source page.

In the cabin Not accepted
In the hold / cargo Accepted
Snub-nosed breedsNot accepted

Cabin policy

Pets accepted Not acceptedverified 2026-10-09

Hold & cargo policy

Hold: Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-10-09
Hold: Advance booking required Yesverified 2026-10-09
Hold: Max pets per carrier2verified 2026-10-26
Hold: Pregnant animals accepted Noverified 2026-10-09
Hold: Crate must have/belive-animal labelverified 2026-10-09
Cargo: Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-10-09
Cargo: Snub-nosed breeds banned Yesverified 2026-10-09
Cargo: Snub-nosed breeds list
  • Affenpincher
  • American Cocker Spaniel
  • Boston Terrier
  • Boxer
  • Brussels Griffon
  • Bulldog (all types)
  • Bullmastiff
  • Cane Corso
  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
  • Chihuahua (apple headed)
  • Chow Chow
  • Dogo Argentino
  • Dogue de Bordeaux
  • Japanese Chin
  • King Charles Spaniel
  • Lhasa Apso
  • Lowchen
  • Neapolitan Mastiff
  • Newfoundland
  • Pekingese
  • Pit Bull Terrier
  • Presa Canario
  • Pug (all types)
  • Shar-Pei
  • Shih Tzu
  • Staffordshire Bull Terrier
  • Tibetan Spaniel
verified 2026-10-09
Cargo: Minimum age15 weeksverified 2026-10-09
Cargo: Pregnant animals accepted Noverified 2026-10-09
Cargo: Crate must have/belive-animal labelverified 2026-10-09

Health & documents

Health certificate required Yesverified 2026-10-09
Bookings must be made at least 72 hours prior to departure. That is a firm floor rather than a recommendation, and it applies to the cargo reservation rather than the passenger ticket. Make the animal's booking three full days out, because a schedule change inside the 72 hours leaves no room to re-confirm the space.
Emirates SkyCargo restricts snub-nosed cat and dog breeds, and the restriction explicitly covers any of their crosses. A cross is therefore not a way around the list. Check the specific breed and its parentage against the carrier's published list before booking, since the restriction attaches to the breed rather than to the individual animal's health.
Columns that matter on Emirates: the snub-nosed list with crosses included, a 72-hour booking floor, and a 32 kg limit including the crate for the hold. The crosses clause is the one I'd check first, because it catches mixed-breed dogs whose owners assume the list does not apply. Build a personalized plan and we'll compare which carriers on your route will take your breed at all.
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Glossary

ISO chip
ISO 11784/11785 — the universal microchip standard.
FAVN
Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization — a rabies serology test required by rabies-free destinations.
Brachycephalic
Snub-nosed breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Persians, Himalayans) with restricted airline acceptance due to heat-stress risk.
AVIH
Animal Vehicle In Hold — IATA's term for cargo pet shipment, with fees that vary by carrier and route.