Bringing a Pet to United Arab Emirates

Key points

• The rabies titre test depends on where you are coming from
• MOCCAE requires it only for imports from a high-risk country — "In the event of importation from a high-risk country only, a laboratory test certificate should be attached to the Antibody Titration Test for rabies issued by a laboratory approved by the competent authorities of the State of export, with the possibility of including the result of the laboratory test in the health certificate"
• Animals from a country on MOCCAE's published low-risk list need only a valid rabies vaccination
• Transit counts: an animal crossing a third country is classified the same way as an import from it
• The published list is — "List of low-risk countries: Australia, Austria, Andorra, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, French Polynesia, Falkland Islands, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Mauritius, Malta, Caledonia
• New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Palau, Latvia, Albania, Croatia, Maldives, Spain (excluding Melilla and Ceuta), Cyprus, Korea, Montenegro, Seychelles, Suriname, Micronesia, Greece, Marshall Islands, Bahamas, Lithuania, Macedonia." Minimum import age depends on the same classification — "The minimum age of an imported animal from the low risk countries will be 12 while the minimum age for importing from the high risk countries is not less than 15 weeks." Fees
• AED 200 is the federal fee to issue the import permit per head, and release is charged separately — "Fee Type : Federal to request the release of one dog 500 Payment Method: Cards Fee Type : Federal to request the release of one cat 250" Banned dog breeds
• MOCCAE publishes a sixteen-breed ban with one exception — ":Ban on the following dog breeds to be imported into the United Arab Emirates Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier , American Bully, Brazilian Mastiff (Fila Brasiliero), Argentinian Mastiff (Dogo Argentino), Tibetan Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, French Mastiff (Dogue de Bordeaux), Boerboel, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff), Bully Kutta (Alangu Mastiff, Indian Mastiff), Perro De Presa Canario (Canary Mastiff), Japaneese tosa, Presa Canario (Except for those used as service animals, emotional support animals or for medical purposes and in accordance with the regulating requirements)" Bengal and Serval cats need a pedigree. "To import Bengal and Serval cats as pets, a pedigree certificate (fifth generation) must be provided For individuals and commercial companies." Service, emotional support and medical dogs are importable and are excepted from the banned-breed list, but need extra paperwork — "In case of importation of Service, emotional support or medical dogs only, the following documents should be provided: A certified document from a training center stating that the dog has been trained for Emotional support, Service dog or Medical use, certified by the competent authority in the country of origin
• A medical report on the owner’s health status that supports the purpose of using the dog, certified by the competent authority in the country of origin
• A pledge by the dog owner not to transfer his ownership to others, to abandon it or to breed it, and to abide by the requirements stipulated in the relevant legislation." Their permit takes 5 working days rather than 1
• No quarantine for a compliant pet, but the penalty for failing the requirements is severe — "For noncompliance of import requirements there will be: Pet will be rejected (on its owner expenses) or confiscated" Permits. "Issuance of Import permit prior to importation, issued through the MOCCAE web site (validity of permit is 90 days
• It is not allowed to import pets with an expired import permit)." Cats and dogs must be shipped directly from the exporting country under IATA live-animal conditions
• Pets must enter the UAE as manifested cargo — "Your pet must travel to the UAE as manifested cargo." They cannot travel in the cabin or as checked baggage on arrival, and must be booked through an authorised cargo agent
• The banned-breed list extends to crosses — "Tosa (Japanese Tosa) Presa Canario Any mixed breed of above breeds or their hybrid" PERMIT VALIDITY IS DISPUTED between two government sources: MOCCAE, which issues the permit, states 90 days in two places; APHIS states 30 — "Before traveling with your pet, you must obtain an import permit from the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment
• This import permit is valid for 30 days
• Your pet will not be allowed to enter the UAE with an expired import permit." We publish MOCCAE's 90 days because MOCCAE issues the permit, but do not let it lapse past 30 days without checking
• APHIS also states a flat minimum import age for US pets — "The pet must be at least 15 weeks old at the time of import." — consistent with the UAE's high-risk figure, since the United States is not on MOCCAE's low-risk list
• Transiting a third country adds an attestation — "If your pet is transiting through other countries before arrival in UAE, you (or the carrier representative or holder of the animal) must sign an attestation (13.28 KB) that the animal(s) did not have contact with any other animals while in transit." Returning UAE residents are exempt from titre testing — "For pets residing in the UAE that are returning to the UAE, they must comply with the above requirements except rabies titer testing if they were vaccinated against rabies prior to exiting the UAE and the vaccination is still valid upon return to the UAE." For the parasite treatments, APHIS recommends specific actives — "External parasite treatment ( recommend Fipronil or Permethrin ) Internal parasite treatment ( recommend Praziquantel )"