Hello guys, I'm back !
I know I promised an article about finding friends in Abu Dhabi... but yesterday I got a request for help with importing a pet in the U.A.E. from a really nice lady from my super cool forum
expat-blog.com .
I was really nervous myself when I had to organize the import of my cat Charlie to Abu Dhabi, so I can understand her concern. It is not a complicated process, but it
definitely is a process, and it takes time. So I figured I'd help her get all these formalities out of the way and write my pets-related article today ;-)
So first of all, let me introduce you to Charlie :
As you can see, he is an extremely adorable cat, so there was absolutely no way that I wouldn't take him with me on my big trip :-) Believe it or not, when it's time to move away, some people actually decide not to take their pets with them. Crazy, right? It's kind of like, " Oh yes, I love my kids! But since I decided to go on a vacation to Mexico for 2 weeks, I decided to place them into foster homes with Child Services. Oh yeah, they're doing great with their new families!" Seriously people, be responsible. When you adopted a pet, you also adopted the responsibilities that go with it. Moving away with a pet needs a lot of organization, but it's completely doable. Stop making excuses.
Okay, sorry for the rant...
In this article, I will give information about your pet's paperwork. Transportation and how things will go for your pet once it arrives in the U.A.E. will be covered in a later article. Please bear with me ;-)
Before I get started, you need to know that
all animals that you want to send to the U.A.E. have to be shipped cargo. I repeat,
cargo. No matter what airline you fly with, you can't take your pet with you in the cabin. It is not negotiable, and has nothing to do with the airline you will use. It is the U.A.E. custom's policy, and that's the way it is. Don't worry, your pet will be fine! Airline regulations are really strict about the comfort of live animals: they are always loaded and unloaded from the aircraft first (yes, before the luggage of the expensive First Class passengers ;-)), and during the flight they are placed in a specific compartment of the plane which is heated; the belly of the plane gets really really cold during the flight, but your pet will not suffer from it.
Now that I got this out of the way, let's talk about the papers. Yay! The most important document you need to get for the import of your pet to the U.A.E. is an
import permit, issued by the
U.A.E. Ministry of Environment and Water. You will automatically get it within a few days of your application, as long as you provide the right documents. The requirements are the following.
- Your pet must be microchipped
- Your pet must have the following vaccines
Dogs | Rabies | Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) | Canine Parvo Virus | Infectious Canine Hepatitis | Leptospirosis |
Cats | Rabies | Feline Pan Leukcopenia (FPV) | Feline Rhinotrachitics (FHV-1) | Feline Calicivirus |
These vaccines are the usual, normal shots your pets get on their annual visits to the Vet, so most likely, they're already vaccinated for these diseases. Just make sure that the vaccines are up to date.
- You must provide a Rabies Serum Neutralization test
You are exempted from this requirement if you import your pet from one of the following countries :
Australia, Austria, Andorra, Ascension Island, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bahrain, Bermuda,Belgium, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Fiji,Finland, French Polynesia, Falkland Islands, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland,Italia, Japan, Jamaica, KSA, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Malta, Montserrat, Mauritius, Mayotte, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Portugal, Qatar, Saint Vincent & the grenadines, Saint Kitts & Nevis, San Marino, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, U.S.A,Vatican City, Vanuatu, Wallis & Futuna.
It is really important to read this list carefully because a lot of countries are not part of it, including European countries, which will probably surprise a lot of you! (It did suprise me, hehe). In case you're exporting your pet from a country that is not in the list, you need to get the Rabies Serum Neutralization test. Unfortunately, you won't be able to get your pet tested at your vet's. It needs to be done in an approved laboratory, and there might not be one in your city. Here are lists of laboratories I found for European Union countries, and one list for the rest of the world. If you don't find your country in these lists, leave me a comment at the bottom of this article and I will see if I can help you.
Now, here's the thing. You can apply yourself for the Import Permit on the Ministry's website. It is really cheap, it will only cost you 200 Dirhams (around $55, 45€). However, I strongly advise you don't do it yourself and use the services of a specialized agency. It will be more expensive, but it's really worth it. In case you apply yourself, and your pet's paperwork is not completely in order, two things can happen :
- your import permit will be denied, and it's going to delay all the import process, and also probably your move (what will you do if the import permit is denied and you need to leave your country? where is your pet going to stay?)
- your import permit will be accepted, but the U.A.E. customs will deny your pet's entry in the country, which can result in really long quarantines...
Trust me, I really don't have that much money, but I contacted professionals and it was worth every penny. In the beginning, my cat's vaccine certificate was not done right, so I got to go back to my vet's twice to get everything presented correctly. Thanks to my contact in the U.A.E., everything went nice and smooth, and I can't thank them enough for that.
Here is the contact information of some agencies that take care of applying for your pet's import permit. They're all veterinarians in Abu Dhabi, so they really know what they're doing.
- The American Vet : this is the company that I used, and I recommend it strongly. They reply to your emails in a timely manner, which is a really big deal sometimes with the time difference. They've been extremely patient and helpful and replied to all my crazy-obsessive-cat-lady questions ;-) Really, I tried them, and they're awesome.
- The German Vet
- The British Vet
In addition to the paperwork, these companies can help you schedule your pet's flight, pick up your pet at the airport for you and provide pet-sitting services while you find your accommodation in Abu Dhabi. Really, really priceless, people! (Well it
does have a price, don't get me wrong! It is quite high, tee-hee! But your peace of mind during the move is really important, and so is the comfort of your pet!)
In addition to the import permit, you will also need to go to your vet 10 days before you fly and get a
health certificate. It is basically a document that shows proof that your pet is good health and able to fly. All airlines require this document. Usually, this document will need to be stamped by your country's Ministry/department of Agriculture (for the USA, it has to be stamped by the
USDA of your state).
There might also be documents to prepare for the
exportation of your pet from your current country.
You will be guided through these steps with your contact in the U.A.E. and/or with your contact in the airline your pet will fly with.
Hope this helps, don't hesitate to comment on the article if you have any questions. The other articles will follow soon, but you don't need them to start taking care of your pet's paperwork. Be proactive and contact one of the U.A.E.'s vets right now! Good luck!