Relocating your Cat or Dog to the UAE

When preparing for an intercontinental move, there are bound to be a lot of considerations on your mind – visa applications to prepare, flights to book, accommodation to find – but one detail that often gets overlooked until the last minute is what to do about your family pets. Unfortunately, pets are not exempt from animal import laws; depending on your destination, you may have to provide a range of evidence in support of your pet’s health, fitness to travel and risk to local populations. These evidentiary documents need to be legalised before you can get started on relocating your pet.

Dogs and cats are generally subject to fewer restrictions than other household pets. Even so, you should ensure that all of the relevant documentation is legalised well in advance to avoid a situation where your pet is refused entry onto your flight or gets held at the destination.  

Although the UAE does not require individuals to send any documentation ahead of time in order to obtain a pet import permit, there are certain documents you will have to show upon arrival in the country. Your pet will be examined at the point of entry and you will be expected to provide the following: 

  • A customs declaration or bill of lading showing the delivery data
  • A document of immunizations or a passport with the required data
  • A certified health certificate issued by the competent veterinary authorities 
    • (From the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment) [1]

Individuals are allowed to import two cats and two dogs annually. Each pet would have to meet the documentation requirements when relocating.

Since leaving the EU, the U.K. no longer issues pet passports. Instead, you would require the pet’s immunisation record and an export health certificate (EHC) issued by DEFRA. Unlike pet passports, health certificates are country- and trip-specific and cannot be reused – you would need new certificates for any future journeys. 

Health certificates and immunisation records should be signed by a recognised veterinarian and should usually be apostilled when being used abroad. For use in the UAE, they should also be attested at the UAE embassy. 

Applications for attestation can get complicated. Fortunately, at Pardus Bloom we have experience with the UAE embassy and know exactly what is required to get documents through without unnecessary delays. We understand how important relocating pets can be when moving abroad.

Pardus Bloom is also happy to assist pet transport and relocation agencies in processing documentation for their clients, with corporate discounts for large orders. If you would like to discuss corporate partnerships, please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

[1] https://www.moccae.gov.ae/en/services/export-import-services/import-permit-pets.aspx#:~:text=Personal%20import%20is%20allowed%20for,requirements%20for%20import%20are%20fufilled

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