Flying with a pet to and from the UAE.

Possible — cabin via Abu Dhabi on Etihad, or cargo via Dubai

The UAE is firmly in the strict-import camp on paperwork — but Etihad's cabin route into AUH means the cabin option is real for many travellers.

Bringing a pet into the UAE means working through several requirements in the right order: an import permit from MOCCAE obtained before travel, an ISO-standard microchip, a rabies vaccination given after the microchip, full core vaccinations, and — from countries the UAE classes as high-risk for rabies — a rabies antibody titer test. The paperwork is the same whether the pet travels cabin or cargo.

For the flight itself: Etihad is the only airline that carries cabin pets into the UAE, and only into Abu Dhabi (AUH), with weight up to 8 kg total including the carrier. Some origins are excluded (notably the UK, US, Australia, Hong Kong, Johannesburg). For excluded origins and for any entry via Dubai (DXB), pets travel as manifested cargo via Emirates SkyCargo or Etihad Cargo. The UAE also limits individuals to two pets per person per year, and bans a list of dog breeds outright. This guide walks through the permit, the microchip-and-vaccine sequence, the cabin-vs-cargo split, the banned-breed list, and what happens on arrival.

An import permit, obtained before you travel

No permit, no entry — and you cannot import on an expired one.

Before your pet travels, you must obtain an import permit from MOCCAE — the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment — through its online services portal. You register an account, complete the e-form and pay the fee; the permit is then issued electronically. A pet cannot enter the UAE on an expired permit.

Individuals may import a maximum of two companion animals per person per year — resident pets returning to the UAE are the exception. If your pet is transiting the UAE rather than entering it, a separate transit permit is required from MOCCAE, unless the connection is airside at the same airport.

The order matters: microchip first, then vaccinate

Get the sequence wrong and the rabies vaccination is not accepted.

The microchip comes first. The UAE requires an ISO-standard microchip (11784 / 11785), and its number must match every supporting document. The rabies vaccination must then be given on or after the microchipping date — a rabies shot given before the chip will not be accepted, and the pet would need re-vaccinating. After the rabies vaccination there is a 21-day waiting period before travel.

Beyond rabies, the UAE requires full core vaccinations: for dogs, distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis and leptospirosis; for cats, the FVRCP combination (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia). The pet must also have received internal and external parasite treatment within the 14 days before shipment, recorded on the health certificate or passport.

From countries the UAE classifies as high-risk for rabies, a rabies antibody titer test (RSNT) is also required, completed within 90 days of travel. The minimum age for an imported pet is 12 weeks from low-risk countries and 15 weeks from high-risk countries.

On arrival, port officials will want a valid health certificate from your country's veterinary authority — endorsed by the relevant government body, such as USDA endorsement for pets from the US, and valid for a short window after issue — plus the vaccination record showing the microchip number, the pet's full description, and every vaccine's name, manufacturer, batch number and date.

Etihad cabin to Abu Dhabi, or cargo to Dubai

This is the rule that most changes how you plan the trip — but Etihad's cabin route into Abu Dhabi is the one exception.

Under UAE government import rules, every imported cat or dog must clear MOCCAE (Ministry of Climate Change and Environment) inspection at the port of entry and the underlying paperwork (import permit, health certificate, microchip, rabies) is the same regardless of how the pet arrives. What that does NOT mean — and is widely mis-reported — is that pets cannot enter the UAE in cabin. They can, on one airline only.

Etihad is the only airline that carries pets in cabin INTO the UAE, and only into Abu Dhabi (AUH). Pets (cat or dog) up to 8 kg total including the carrier, at least 16 weeks old, travel under the seat in Economy or Business. Some routes are excluded — Etihad does NOT allow cabin pets on flights from the UK, USA, Australia, Hong Kong, Johannesburg or several South and South-East Asian origins. Outside those exclusions, Etihad's cabin route works in both directions. AUH is roughly 90 minutes by road from Dubai.

Dubai International (DXB) is cargo-only for pets on every airline. Emirates does not accept pets in cabin or as checked baggage to/from DXB at all — pets to Dubai travel as manifested cargo via Emirates SkyCargo (booked separately, usually through an IATA-registered pet shipper). For an actual cabin trip into the UAE, your route must be via AUH on Etihad.

For routes Etihad excludes (UK, US, Australia, etc.), the practical pattern is to fly cabin to a permitted hub Etihad serves (e.g. an EU hub or a Gulf neighbour) and connect onward — or, if your only origin option is excluded, accept that the trip will be cargo end-to-end via Emirates SkyCargo or Etihad Cargo. Always confirm the exact route with Etihad directly before booking.

The UAE bans a defined list of dog breeds

Check the list before you start the process — a denied permit can't be appealed quickly.

The UAE prohibits the import of certain dog breeds. Per MOCCAE and USDA APHIS, the banned list covers Pit Bull types — Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and American Bully — and Mastiff types: Brazilian Mastiff (Fila Brasileiro), Argentinian Mastiff (Dogo Argentino), Tibetan Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, French Mastiff (Dogue de Bordeaux), Boerboel, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso and Bully Kutta.

The ban can extend to undeclared crosses of these breeds — so a mixed-breed dog whose appearance matches the list can be caught by it. The narrow exception is for service, emotional-support or medical-purpose dogs, which may be permitted in line with the regulating requirements and additional documentation.

Because a permit denial or a customs seizure over a banned breed is difficult to reverse quickly, verify your dog's breed against the current MOCCAE list before beginning any paperwork or booking.

Inspection at the port of entry before release

MOCCAE checks the consignment against the permit before your pet is released.

When the pet arrives, MOCCAE officials at the port of entry inspect the consignment — verifying it against the import permit, the health certificate, the vaccination record and the microchip — before releasing the animal. MOCCAE operates around the clock and has offices in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Consignments must be shipped directly from the exporting country; if the route crosses another country, the pet must not be mixed with other animals along the way. Because the process runs through the cargo terminal, most owners use an IATA-registered pet relocation specialist to coordinate the permit, the cargo booking and the airport clearance as one process.

Leaving the UAE: the export side runs through MOCCAE too. You take the pet to a MOCCAE branch with its vaccination record for a physical assessment and microchip scan, and a veterinary health certificate is issued for the journey — then you follow the import rules of wherever you are heading next.