Dubai and Abu Dhabi are two of the most common destinations we move Canadian pets to, and the UAE rewards preparation: there is no quarantine when every document is correct, but the rules are strict about how pets arrive. Every dog and cat must enter as manifest cargo in a climate controlled hold, never in the cabin and never as checked baggage.
At Pet Travel Advisors, one coordinator manages the whole journey from your Canadian home to the UAE: the MOCCAE import permit, the CFIA endorsed health certificate, the crate, and the routing from Toronto Pearson, Vancouver, or Montreal Trudeau. Tell us your city and your timing, and we will build the plan around your pet.
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Because timelines, airline rules, and the entry requirements of the United Arab Emirates all affect each other, we build a plan that fits your pet and your move date.
We use the official Ministry of Climate Change and Environment guidance for the United Arab Emirates as the baseline, then turn it into a simple checklist and timeline you can follow.
We help choose practical routes, travel windows, and handoff procedures so your pet’s trip is safer and more predictable.
Pet Travel Advisors assigns a move coordinator who keeps you updated and checks details before travel so nothing important is missed.
Moving a pet to the UAE is a sequence of steps that must happen in the right order. The microchip comes before the rabies vaccination, the vaccination at least 21 days before travel, and the MOCCAE import permit close to your flight date because it is only valid for a short window. Here is what we lock in for every UAE move:
To keep everything clear, we break the process into steps:
We confirm what rules apply based on your pet and travel details.
We map out what happens when, so steps are completed in the right order.
We help keep appointments and timing aligned with what’s required.
We check the details that cause delays (microchip digits, dates, names, signatures).
We help align crate setup and routing with airline handling expectations.
We guide you on travel-day handoff and what to expect on arrival.
We keep your checklist aligned with the official rules. For the Canadian export side, we follow the CFIA guidance for Canada to United Arab Emirates travel. For the entry rules, we follow the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment import permit service.
Pets travel to the UAE as manifest cargo in a climate controlled hold; the UAE does not allow arriving pets in the cabin or as checked baggage. Direct cargo routings run from Toronto Pearson into Dubai, with connections from Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, and every other Canadian city through our ground network.
Summer matters twice on this route: Canadian origin weather and Gulf arrival heat both shape which flights and times we book. Arrival is at the Dubai or Abu Dhabi cargo terminal, where clearance happens against the import permit before your pet is delivered to your door.
Pets from Canada enter the UAE without quarantine once the paperwork is complete and correct. The UAE requires a rabies antibody titer test only for pets arriving from high risk countries; Canada is recognized for rabies control, so pets traveling directly from Canada generally skip the titer entirely. We confirm the current country list when we file your permit.
The UAE also bans several breeds, including pit bull types and certain other guarding breeds, and restricts snub nosed breed travel during summer heat, so we confirm your pet is eligible before you spend anything.
Before scheduling vet steps or flights, we confirm what rules apply to your pet directly with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and the CFIA, so nothing in your plan is based on outdated summaries.
Your pet will need an ISO microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination, a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel, and a veterinary health certificate issued close to departure and endorsed by the CFIA to match the UAE certificate model exactly.
The MOCCAE import permit is applied for online, carries a fee set by MOCCAE and payable at application, and is valid for a short window, so we time the application against your confirmed flight rather than filing months early.
The UAE can move fairly quickly once the timing is right. Plan for 6 to 8 weeks for a straightforward move when the microchip and rabies vaccination are already current, or about 3 months if the vaccination needs to be redone. Peak season and summer embargo windows can add time, and we plan the route around both.
Most UAE moves fly out of Toronto Pearson, which has direct cargo routings into Dubai. Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary work well with one connection, and we arrange ground transport from any other Canadian city to the departure airport.
Canada requires a CFIA endorsed export health certificate issued close to departure, with the microchip, rabies vaccination, and exam records all matching the chip number. We prepare the file and book the CFIA endorsement so the dates line up with your flight.
An ISO microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old on arrival, a MOCCAE import permit, and entry as manifest cargo. Pets from Canada generally do not need a rabies titer test, and there is no quarantine when the file is correct.
Cooler months are easiest on both ends. In summer we book flights that arrive in the Gulf during cooler hours and avoid embargo windows for snub nosed breeds; in winter we plan around Canadian cold weather embargoes at the origin.
Two of the government charges on this route are published, and one is not. CFIA export certification is CAD $24.64 per certificate plus GST or HST, and because it is charged per certificate rather than per animal, two pets travelling together on one certificate cost the same as one. The UAE’s Ministry of Climate change and Environment charges a fee for the import permit, which you can confirm on the MOCCAE import permit service page. There is also an inspection charge when your pet arrives.
Airline freight is usually the largest line and it is quoted per booking, because no carrier serving Canada publishes live animal rates. Your crate size drives it more than your pet’s weight does. Add your vet’s charge for the examination and certificate paperwork, and ground transport at either end.
Every quote is built for your pet and route. Request a quote and we price the full journey up front, with government fees included. See our pet shipping cost calculator for how the Canadian side of the bill breaks down.
One coordinator owns your file from the first call to delivery: permit filing, vet scheduling, CFIA endorsement, crate sizing, flight booking, customs clearance in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and delivery to your door.
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