Taking your dog or cat from Dubai to Australia
Every step for this route, dated backwards from your flight and sourced to Australia’s own authority. Build the timeline first; the detail is below it.
[ quick answer · 2 september 2026 ]
The UAE is a Group 3 country for Australia. The pet cannot fly until at least 180 days after its rabies titre (RNATT) blood sample reaches the laboratory, the RNATT is valid for 12 months, and the import permit is valid until the RNATT expires. Arrival is Melbourne only, as manifested cargo, followed by a minimum 10-day stay at Mickleham if an official vet verified the pet’s identity before the blood draw, otherwise 30 days.
Every document, who issues it, when, and what it costs
| Step | Who issues it | Timing rule | Cost (AED) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO microchip implanted and scannedfailure point | Your vet | ISO compliant (10 or 15 digits; not starting 999). Scanned at every vet visit and before every blood sample. Must be in place at least 180 days before export. | 150–300estimate | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| Identity verification by an official government vet (optional, halves quarantine)failure point | MOCCAE official veterinarian | Must happen before the RNATT blood draw, at a separate visit. Reduces the Mickleham stay from a minimum 30 days to a minimum 10 days. | 100–400estimate | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| Rabies vaccination (valid continuously from titre to export)failure point | Government-approved vet | Given at 84 days of age or older. DAFF says wait 3 to 4 weeks between a first vaccination and the RNATT blood draw; regularly vaccinated pets may draw sooner. | 150–350estimate | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| RNATT blood sample drawn (rabies titre)failure point | Government-approved vet → CVRL | CVRL Dubai runs the FAVN test at AED 750 plus VAT with results in about 3 weeks. The sample must be taken between 12 months and 180 days before export. The 180 days count from when the sample reaches the lab; CVRL is in Dubai, so that is usually the same day. | 750–790published | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| RNATT laboratory report received (≥0.5 IU/ml) | CVRL | CVRL releases results within 3 weeks. The report must state the testing laboratory, not a submitting clinic. | 0published | cvrl.ae · rabiesantibodytest |
| RNATT declaration signed by an official government vet | MOCCAE official veterinarian | Requested from the competent authority with the vaccination certificate and RNATT report. Required for the import permit application. | 100–300estimate | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| Australian import permit issued (BICON)failure point | DAFF | Apply as soon as the RNATT declaration is in hand. Pay in full at submission. The permit lists the exact preparations required. | 1,200–1,600estimate | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| Mickleham post-entry quarantine booked | DAFF | Minimum 10 days if identity was verified before the titre draw, otherwise minimum 30. See the DAFF fee schedule for current charges. | 4,500–9,000estimate | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| Leptospira canicola vaccination (or negative MAT within 45 days)dog only | Government-approved vet | Primary course is usually 2 doses 2 to 4 weeks apart. Alternative: a negative microscopic agglutination test within 45 days of export. | 150–400estimate | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| Brucella canis test (not desexed dogs), within 45 daysdog only | Government-approved vet + approved lab | Sample within 45 days of export. Not needed if the dog is desexed. | 300–700estimate | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| Leishmania infantum test (IFAT or ELISA), within 45 daysdog only | Government-approved vet + approved lab | Quantitative IFAT or ELISA only, sample within 45 days of export. | 300–700estimate | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| External parasite treatment started (dogs 30 days, cats 21 days before export) | Government-approved vet | Dogs: start at least 30 days before export. Cats: at least 21 days. Repeat per manufacturer directions so cover runs to the flight. | 100–300estimate | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| Internal parasite treatment 1 of 2 (within 45 days) | Government-approved vet | Nematodes and cestodes. Combined products are acceptable. | 80–200estimate | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| Internal parasite treatment 2 of 2 (within 5 days of export) | Government-approved vet | Can be done at the same visit as the final examination. | 80–200estimate | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| Pre-export clinical examination and health certificate completedfailure point | Government-approved vet | Bring the permit and every laboratory report. The vet completes the DAFF health certificate at this visit. | 300–800estimate | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| MOCCAE endorsement of the health certificate and lab reports | MOCCAE | The official government veterinarian signs and stamps every page of the health certificate and each laboratory report, within 5 days before export. Fee AED 100. Allow for weekends and public holidays. | 100published | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
| IATA-compliant crate bought and acclimatised | IATA LAR / airline | Sized to IATA Container Requirement 1: the animal must stand, turn and lie down naturally. Give the pet at least 2 weeks to get used to it. | 400–1,500estimate | iata.org · pets |
| Manifested cargo booking, direct to Melbourne | Airline cargo | Melbourne only, no domestic transfers. Manifested cargo in an IATA crate. Transhipment stops must stay airside in an approved country. | 7,000–14,000estimate | agriculture.gov.au · category 3 step |
Total estimate excluding an agency and excluding our fee: AED 15,760–31,640 for a dog. Published figures are the authority’s own; estimates are typical Dubai clinic and carrier prices and vary.
Cabin or cargo, and who will take which breeds
Cats and dogs must arrive at Melbourne International Airport as manifested cargo in an IATA crate; no domestic transfers and no cabin travel. Any airline may be used at the operator’s discretion, so Emirates SkyCargo and Qantas Freight via Dubai or a Gulf hub are the usual routes. Transhipment stops must stay airside in an approved country.
Three ways Dubai to Australia usually fails
The 180 days
Export is not permitted until 180 days after the RNATT sample reaches the laboratory. There are no exceptions. A result under 0.5 IU/ml restarts it.
Identity check after the blood draw
The official vet identity verification has to happen before, and at a different visit from, the titre blood draw. Do it in the wrong order and the minimum quarantine goes from 10 days to 30.
The final five days
Second parasite treatment, pre-export exam, health certificate and MOCCAE endorsement all have to land inside 5 days before export, in that order, around government office hours.
An honest answer for this route
Yourself, with the Plan · AED 1,499
You attend every vet visit and the MOCCAE examination anyway. With the dates and the documents in hand, the Dubai to Australia route is manageable on your own if your flight is more than 7 months out.
Yourself, checked · Assured AED 3,499
Same route, but a UAE-licensed vet partner checks each document at 3 checkpoints and we submit the MOCCAE certificate. Sensible when the windows are tight: on this route, the identity check before the blood draw and the final five days before export.
An agent, or Handoff · AED 6,999
If your date is inside the minimum, your breed is restricted, or you cannot attend the airport day, an agency or our Handoff tier is the right call. We say so rather than sell you the Plan. Either way, read what airport day at Dubai looks like before you decide.
Dubai to Australia: what people ask
How long does it take to move a dog from Dubai to Australia?
How long is quarantine in Australia?
Is the UAE an approved country for Australia?
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Last verified
2 September 2026
Every rule re-checked against the authority page at least quarterly.
Vet review
In progress
A UAE-licensed vet is reviewing these corridors. Until they have signed, every rule links to its official source so you can check it yourself.
