🇦🇪 Pet travel to UAE: entry requirements (2026)
Bringing a pet to UAE 🇦🇪 is a controlled but manageable destination. No quarantine if all paperwork is in order. The essentials: ISO microchip, rabies vaccination, import permit and an official health certificate.
Microchip
Required — ISO 11784/11785
Rabies
Required
Titer test (RNATT)
From non-controlled countries
Quarantine
None
Import permit
Required
Cabin / cargo
Cargo only
Breed bans
American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, Neapolitan Mastiff, Japanese Tosa, Cane Corso, Rottweiler, Boerboel, Wolf hybrids
Authority
MOCCAE — Pet Import UAE
Verified entry requirements (2026)
- Import permit FIRST (MOCCAE portal; valid 30 days — some sources say 90, verify).
- ISO microchip — the rabies vaccination must come strictly AFTER the chip.
- Age ≥15 weeks at import; vaccinate at ≥12 weeks; ≥21 days after the vaccine before travel.
- Titer (RSNT) — from non-controlled countries; ≥0.5 IU/ml. Exempt: UK, Germany, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Sweden, NZ, Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal (verify the full list).
- Other vaccines: dogs — distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis, leptospirosis; cats — panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, calicivirus. Parasite treatment within 14 days.
- Limit: 2 cats / 2 dogs / 1+1 per person per year.
- Breed ban: Pit Bulls, mastiffs (Fila, Dogo Argentino), Tosa, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Presa Canario, Boxers and crosses.
- Cargo only (not cabin). No quarantine if requirements are met.
By species
Official sources
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Frequently asked questions
Does the microchip have to come before the rabies shot?
Yes. For UAE the rabies vaccination only counts if the ISO 11784/11785 microchip was implanted first. Always chip, then vaccinate.
Is there quarantine in UAE?
No mandatory quarantine if your paperwork is complete and correct.
Can my pet fly in the cabin?
No — this route requires cargo transport.
How long does preparation take?
Start about 1–2 months ahead.
Are any dog breeds restricted?
Yes: American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, Neapolitan Mastiff, Japanese Tosa, Cane Corso, Rottweiler, Boerboel, Wolf hybrids.