UAEDogs and cats from Vietnam enter the UAE with a MOCCAE Import Permit, a rabies titer test and MOCCAE’s health certificate form, Annex No.(3). There is no quarantine when the documents are correct. Emirates and Etihad fly pets non-stop as cargo, and small pets can fly in the cabin to Abu Dhabi through Bangkok.
Last updated 16 Oct 2026i
The MOCCAE strictly oversees all import procedures. Any documentation discrepancy may result in immediate deportation at airports.
Vietnam is classified as a high-risk country. Pets must provide an RNATT certificate showing a rabies antibody level of ≥ 0.5 IU/ml.
Beyond the Import Permit, you must have MOCCAE Annex form signed and stamped by the official government VET in Vietnam.
Pets fly non-stop as cargo on Emirates to Dubai or Etihad to Abu Dhabi. The only cabin route is through Bangkok into Abu Dhabi, for pets up to 6 kg with the bag.
All documentation must be digitized and approved through the MOCCAE portal before your pet departs Vietnam.
Use a 15-digit ISO microchip. Implant the chip before or on the day of the rabies vaccination, so every record carries the same number. The rabies vaccine is given from 12 weeks old.
The blood sample is drawn at least 21 days after a first rabies vaccination, or right away if the current one is valid. The result must reach 0.5 IU/mL at an approved laboratory, and the sample must be no more than 12 months old at travel.
Mandatory prior to travel. Each individual is limited to importing two pets per year. Note that MOCCAE requires two separate permit steps — an Import Permit before departure and a Release Permit after landing. See the full MOCCAE Permit Guide for fees and portal walkthrough.
This is the UAE’s specific health certification model. Once the Import Permit is issued, you must print the Annex form and the airport animal quarantine station in Vietnam signs and stamps it along with the export health certificate. The Annex states that the pet was examined within 24 hours before shipping.
Pets must receive internal and external parasite treatments within 14 days prior to flight. All treatments must be clearly recorded in the medical records.
MOCCAE vets check the pet and the documents at Dubai or Abu Dhabi airport. The release fee is AED 500 per dog or AED 250 per cat.
A structured process designed to avoid documentation errors and ensure a stress-free journey.
Microchip & vaccinations
Implant a 15-digit ISO chip before the rabies vaccine. Complete core vaccinations (DHPP/L for dogs, FVRCP for cats).
RNATT blood sample
Draw blood for the titer test at least 21 days after a first rabies vaccination. Allow about three weeks for the result.
MOCCAE Import Permit
Apply online through the MOCCAE portal once RNATT results and vaccination records are finalized. For the full month-by-month preparation schedule, see the Pet Shipping Timeline to UAE.
Annex printing & stamping
Print the MOCCAE Annex form from the portal after the Import Permit is approved. The airport animal quarantine station stamps it with the export health certificate.
Parasite treatments & Cargo
Complete internal and external parasite treatments within 14 days before export. The final health check takes place within 24 hours before shipping.
Landing & clearance
Arrive in Dubai/Abu Dhabi via Emirates SkyCargo, Etihad Cargo, or Qatar Airways Cargo. A partner agent in the UAE handles the release and delivery of your pet.
Errors in the UAE market can lead to thousands of dollars in clearance delays and storage fees.
Many owners rely solely on the standard Vietnam Health Certificate, forgetting the UAE-specific Annex form that requires an official government stamp.
Pets from Vietnam fly to Dubai only as cargo, on a separate air waybill. The cabin is possible only into Abu Dhabi, through Bangkok.
Pets from Vietnam must be at least 15 weeks old on arrival. Airlines can ask for more: Etihad 16 weeks, and Emirates may ask up to 27.
Every document must show the same microchip number. A chip missing from the vaccination record, or a number typed wrong, stops the pet at the airport.
The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) strictly prohibits the import of all Pit Bull Terriers (American, Staffordshire, Bully), Mastiff breeds (Brazilian, Argentinian, Tibetan, Neapolitan, French, Boerboel, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, Bully Kutta), Japanese Tosa, Perro de Presa Canario, and Wolf hybrids.
No cat breed is on MOCCAE’s ban. Flat-faced dogs and cats, such as Pugs, Persians and British Shorthairs, face airline limits: Emirates carries them only from November to April.
Applied to every pet flying the UAE route.
Eight weeks and fully weaned is the floor for carriage, and some airlines set it higher. Pregnant animals are not accepted.
IATA and IPATA both advise against sedation, and a pet known to be sedated can be refused at the counter. Crate conditioning on a six-week schedule does that work instead.
Expert handling of MOCCAE documentation and terminal clearance at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports.
Every journey is different — see how we handled real relocation cases for pets traveling from Vietnam to the UAE.
A teacup Poodle whose owner insisted on in-cabin travel — but no direct Vietnam to UAE flight offers it. See the two-flight Etihad route we built through Bangkok.
A Corgi puppy whose titer test, permit and flight had to fit his age, with every date counted back from departure.
As conflict escalated across the Middle East in March 2026, a dog and a cat had to reach Vietnam from Dubai while airlines were cancelling flights daily.
Last updated 16 Oct 2026
Compiled by our specialists from the regulations in force on the date above, for reference only. Rules may change after this date. Please verify with the competent authorities or contact us for the most accurate information.