The UAE list
Under Federal Law No. 22 of 2016 as applied by MOCCAE, Pit Bull types (Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully), Mastiff types (Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, Tibetan, Neapolitan and others), the Japanese Tosa and the Perro de Presa Canario are banned from import. Emirates SkyCargo will carry these breeds out of the UAE if the destination allows them, in upgraded, reinforced containers.
The airline list
Emirates SkyCargo does not accept snub-nosed cats and dogs, or their crosses, except under specific conditions between November and April. The dog list includes all Bulldogs, all Pugs, Boxers, Boston Terriers, Shih Tzus, Pekingese, Lhasa Apsos, Chow Chows, Shar-Peis and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels; the cat list includes Persians, Himalayans, Exotic Shorthairs, British Shorthairs and Longhairs, Burmese, Scottish Folds and Selkirk Rex.
The destination lists
Great Britain bans Pit Bull Terrier types, the Japanese Tosa, the Dogo Argentino, the Fila Brasileiro and the XL Bully. Australia bans the Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa, American Pit Bull Terrier and Perro de Presa Canario, plus wolfdog hybrids, and from 1 March 2026 Bengal cats. The USA and India have no federal import ban on breeds, though India’s 2024 advisory on 23 breeds is applied unevenly by state.