Dogs in United Arab Emirates: rules, tax and travel
Dog owners need a licence and must keep dogs on a lead in public, and dogs and cats are registered and microchipped through the emirate (Abu Dhabi registration is compulsory and free, Dubai charges a small fee). Bringing a pet in needs an online MOCCAE permit, a chip, rabies vaccination, usually a rabies antibody test, and entry as cargo.
Registration, licence tags, fees and public place rules are set by each emirate (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and others), while import rules and dangerous animal laws are federal.
Breed rules
| Where | Rule | Breeds and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Whole country | Banned | Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, any Mastiff or hybrid (2021 list names Tibetan, South African, Italian, Indian mastiff and Bullmastiff), Tosa, Rottweiler, Dobermann, Presa Canario, Boxer, mixed breeds and hybrids of the above Federal Law 22/2016 on dangerous animals, Annex 2 'List of Dangerous Dogs': possession, trade, breeding and import banned except by licence for service or medical purposes; a Nov 2021 ministerial decision updated the list to pit bull types, mastiffs, Tosa and Presa Canario, so the status of Rottweiler, Doberman and Boxer should be treated as uncertain. [1] |
Registration and microchip
Registration is compulsory and set by each emirate. Abu Dhabi: compulsory since 3 February 2025, free, done through a licensed vet on the TAMM platform, renewed yearly, fines up to AED 1,000 for unregistered pets. Dubai: AED 10 per dog or cat through a licensed vet, fine of AED 150 to 500 for a first offence.[2]
Dogs must be microchipped and registered. In Dubai a chip costs about AED 50 plus fees and VAT.[3]
Dog tax and licence
Dog owners must obtain a licence for their dogs.[4]
typical 10 AED registration
Leash and muzzle
Dogs must be on a lead at all times in public.[4]
Other rules
Federal Law 16 of 2007 protects animal welfare. Mistreatment is penalised and abandonment is illegal; in Abu Dhabi abandoning a pet on the street carries a fine of AED 2,000.[4]
Pets are kept in independent homes or need permission from the property owner in rented buildings.[3]
Travelling to United Arab Emirates with a dog
An online import permit from MOCCAE is mandatory before travel (AED 200 per pet, valid 30 days per the ministry service steps) and a release permit on arrival (AED 500 per dog, AED 250 per cat). Pets need an ISO microchip, rabies vaccination at 12 weeks or older and at least 21 days before travel, a vet certificate and parasite treatment within 14 days. A rabies antibody test is needed unless the country is on MOCCAE's low risk list. Maximum 2 pets per person.[5]
Same permit and release permit. Per a Canadian government certificate: 2 pets maximum, at least 15 weeks old, microchip, rabies vaccine 21 days before departure, antibody test of at least 0.5 IU/ml done within 365 days of arrival, parasite treatment within 14 days, a vet exam within 5 days and a certificate valid for 10 days.[6]
Required from countries not on MOCCAE's low risk list: at least 0.5 IU/ml from an accredited lab, valid for 365 days. If the vaccine was a first dose or lapsed, sample at least 21 days after vaccination.[5]
Not a tapeworm rule as such. Treatment for internal and external parasites is required within 14 days before export.[6]
Not confirmed yet: Dog tax, Liability insurance, Quarantine. We only show what an official or named source states.
Laws change: this is general information, not legal advice. The authority linked on each line has the final word.
Sources
- uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1162/regulations/609/download (official)
- blog.wego.com/uae-pet-registration/ (secondary source)
- propertyfinder.ae/blog/pet-rules-dubai (secondary source)
- u.ae/en/information-and-services/environment-and-energy/animal-welfare/banning-private-own (official)
- khaleejtimes.com/life-and-living/uae-travelling-with-a-pet-permit-process-vaccines-explain (secondary source)
- inspection.canada.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2026-06/United_Arab_Emirates_UAE_2839_d (official)