Moving abroad with your pet from the UAE: a step-by-step plan

A move to a new country is a large task. A move with a pet adds more steps. With a clear plan and enough time, most cats and dogs travel safely.

This guide gives the usual steps for a pet that leaves the UAE. Each country has its own rules. The rules change. Use this guide as a checklist. Then read the official rules of the country that you go to.

Start early

Start as soon as you know the date of your move. Some countries need a blood test months before the pet arrives. If you start late, your pet can possibly travel only after you. Or your pet can possibly need to stay in quarantine.

A good first step is a message to us. Tell us the country and the date of travel. We look at what your pet has now: the microchip, the vaccines and the documents. Then we tell you what is missing.

Step 1: Read the rules of the destination

The country that your pet goes to decides most of the rules. Find the official government page about pet imports. Look for these items:

• the microchip standard
• the rabies vaccine rules: the age, the time and the booster
• a rabies antibody blood test (a titre test), and when to do it
• the health certificate that the country asks for
• an import permit, if necessary
• treatments for parasites before arrival
• quarantine, if necessary
• banned breeds

Dubai Municipality also tells owners to check the rules of the importing country, for example tests or quarantine. It also tells owners to speak to the airline early.

Two examples

• The European Union (EU). The European Commission keeps a list of non-EU countries and territories for the movement of pets. At the date of this article, the UAE is on this list. For a pet from a listed country, the EU does not ask for a rabies titre test. The list can change. Read the Commission page before you travel.
• Great Britain. The UK Government says that a pet from the UAE needs a "Great Britain pet health certificate". The UK rabies rules say that the pet must be at least 12 weeks old for the rabies vaccine. The microchip must come before the vaccine or on the same day. Pets from some non-EU countries also need a blood test. Read the gov.uk pages for the UAE rules on your date of travel.

Step 2: Check the microchip

Most countries ask for a microchip that agrees with the ISO standard. The microchip must go in before the rabies vaccine that you use for travel.

Does your pet have no chip? Or does it have a chip that the destination does not accept? Speak to us first. The sequence of the steps is important.

Step 3: Get the rabies vaccine

Your pet needs a valid rabies vaccine. Many countries have a waiting time after the first vaccine. Your pet can travel only after this time.

Keep the vaccine record or the pet passport. It must show the microchip number, the vaccine name, the batch number and the dates.

Do not let the rabies vaccine expire before or during the move. If there is a gap, you possibly must start the steps again.

Step 4: Do the rabies titre test (if necessary)

Some countries ask for a rabies antibody blood test. Other names for this test are "titre test" and "FAVN test". The vet takes a blood sample after the rabies vaccine. An approved laboratory tests the sample.

• The result can take some weeks.
• Some countries also have a waiting time after the blood sample. Your pet can travel only after this time.
• The UAE import permit rules use a result of 0.5 IU/ml or more. Other countries can have different rules.

We can take the blood sample for the rabies titre (FAVN) test. See our pet travel page.

Step 5: Get the clinic health certificate

Near the date of travel, the vet examines your pet. This is the "fit to travel" check. Then the vet completes the health certificate that your destination asks for.

Some countries have their own official form, for example the EU health certificate. The time for this check is often short. Plan the visit with us early.

Bring these items to the visit:

• the passport of your pet
• the vaccine record
• the titre test result, if you have one

Step 6: Get the MOCCAE export health certificate

To export a pet from the UAE, you need a health certificate from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE). The MOCCAE page for this service gives these facts:

• The certificate is valid for 30 days from the date of issue.
• You apply through the MOCCAE digital services.
• The steps are: register, apply, pay the fee, a review, and then MOCCAE issues the certificate.
• During the review, MOCCAE can do a visual inspection or lab tests, if necessary.
• Dogs and cats do not need a certificate of origin. This is not true if the importing country asks for one.
• Companion animals do not need a copy of the import permit from the importing country.

The fees and the full list of documents are on the MOCCAE page. They can change. Read them there.

We do the health check and the clinic documents. We also tell you the next steps for your destination.

Step 7: Speak to the airline

Speak to your airline early. Ask these questions:

• Can my pet fly in the cabin, as checked baggage, or as cargo?
• What size and type of travel crate is necessary?
• Are there limits for breeds with a short nose (a flat face)?
• Are there limits in the hot months?
• What documents does the airline want to see?

Many pets fly with a pet relocation company. A good company knows the airline rules and the destination rules.

Step 8: Get your pet ready

• Let your pet learn to like the travel crate, weeks before the trip. Put the bed and treats inside the crate.
• Do not give sedatives, unless the vet gives them for the trip. Many airlines do not accept sedated pets.
• Make two copies of each document. Keep one set with your pet. Keep one set with you.

If you plan to come back to the UAE

MOCCAE has rules for resident pets that leave the UAE and then come back. The MOCCAE import permit page says that a pet that comes back must have:

• a MOCCAE health certificate from before it left the UAE
• a microchip
• a certificate from an authorised vet in the country that it comes from
• a rabies vaccine that stays valid until it comes back

If a pet does not agree with these conditions, the rules for a first import apply.

Before you leave, keep the MOCCAE certificate. While you are away, keep the rabies vaccine valid.

A simple timeline

Each case is different. But this sequence is useful:

1. When you know the date, read the destination rules and speak to us.
2. Get a microchip, if necessary.
3. Get the rabies vaccine.
4. Do the titre test blood sample, if necessary. Then wait for the waiting time.
5. Book the airline or a relocation company.
6. Do the fit-to-travel check and the clinic health certificate in the time that the destination gives.
7. Get the MOCCAE export health certificate. It is valid for 30 days.
8. Travel with your pet.

We can help

We do these services:

• the fit-to-travel check
• the clinic health certificate
• the EU health certificate document
• a new pet passport
• the rabies titre (FAVN) blood test

Book a travel check. Or send us a WhatsApp message on 058 517 3440. Tell us your destination and your date. We are happy to help you and your pet.

Sources

• MOCCAE, "Animal Health Certificate for Export / Re-export of Live Animals": moccae.gov.ae
• MOCCAE, "Import Permit for Pets" (pets that come back, and the titre test): moccae.gov.ae
• Dubai Municipality, travel advice for pet owners: dm.gov.ae
• European Commission, "Listing of territories and non-EU countries" (pet movements): food.ec.europa.eu
• UK Government, "Bring your pet to Great Britain: which document you need": gov.uk
• UK Government, "Bring your pet to Great Britain: rabies vaccination and boosters": gov.uk

This article is general information. It is not a diagnosis. For an emergency, call us.