Taking your dog or cat from Dubai to United States
Every step for this route, dated backwards from your flight and sourced to United States’s own authority. Build the timeline first; the detail is below it.
[ quick answer · 2 september 2026 ]
The CDC lists the United Arab Emirates as high-risk for dog rabies (list effective 15 April 2026). A UAE-vaccinated dog needs a microchip, a rabies serology titre from a CDC-approved lab (CVRL Dubai is approved) drawn at least 30 days after vaccination and at least 28 days before entry, a Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form endorsed by MOCCAE within 30 days of travel, a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, and a reservation at one of 8 airports with a CDC-registered animal care facility. Without a valid titre the dog is quarantined 28 days at your cost. Cats have no CDC rabies requirement federally.
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 | Any brand readable by a universal scanner; ISO 11784/11785 recommended. Must be implanted before the rabies vaccination. | 150–300estimate | cdc.gov · foreign vaccinated high |
| Rabies vaccination (dogs), at 12 weeks or olderdog onlyfailure point | Your vet | First vaccination at 84 days of age or older, after the microchip. The titre sample must be drawn at least 30 days after this date. | 150–350estimate | cdc.gov · foreign vaccinated high |
| Rabies serology titre sample drawn (dogs)dog onlyfailure point | Your vet → CVRL (CDC-approved) | CVRL Dubai is on the CDC approved-laboratory list (updated 13 July 2026). FAVN, AED 750 plus VAT, results in about 3 weeks. The result stays valid for the life of the dog as long as vaccination cover does not lapse. | 750–790published | cdc.gov · foreign vaccinated high |
| Reservation at a CDC-registered animal care facility (dogs)dog onlyfailure point | CDC-registered facility | The facility examines and revaccinates the dog on arrival. Book once the titre report is in hand so the 28-day quarantine is not triggered. | 1,500–4,500estimate | cdc.gov · approved care facilities |
| Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form, endorsed by MOCCAE (dogs)dog onlyfailure point | Your vet → MOCCAE official veterinarian | Completed by your veterinarian and endorsed by an official government veterinarian in the UAE. | 200–600estimate | cdc.gov · foreign vaccinated high |
| MOCCAE veterinary health certificate for export | MOCCAE | Applied for online through the MOCCAE digital services system, then the pet is examined at a MOCCAE quarantine centre. Fee AED 100 for up to 2 pets. Service time 1 working day. Valid 30 days. | 100published | moccae.gov.ae · animal health certificate |
| CDC Dog Import Form submitted online (dogs)dog only | CDC | Free. Can be completed on the day of travel; the CDC recommends a few days before. Needs a recent photo of the dog. | 0published | cdc.gov · foreign vaccinated high |
| 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 |
| Manifest cargo booking confirmed with the airline | Airline cargo | Emirates SkyCargo raises its minimum age to 27 weeks for pets from countries the destination treats as high-risk. Seattle accepts cargo reservations only. Snub-nosed breeds are refused outside November to April. | 3,500–9,000estimate | skycargo.com · 3502 eksc emiratespets |
Total estimate excluding an agency and excluding our fee: AED 6,750–17,140 for a dog. Published figures are the authority’s own; estimates are typical Dubai clinic and carrier prices and vary.
Not required for this route
- Quarantine on arrival. None for dogs arriving with a valid rabies serology titre from a CDC-approved laboratory. Without one, 28 days at a CDC-registered facility at the importer’s cost. Source
- Rabies requirement for cats. The CDC does not require rabies vaccination for cats entering the United States, though some states and airlines do. Confirm with the destination state. Source
Cabin or cargo, and who will take which breeds
A foreign-vaccinated dog from a high-risk country can only enter at an airport with a CDC-registered animal care facility: Atlanta, Dallas Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia, Seattle or Washington Dulles, with a confirmed reservation. Seattle takes cargo-only reservations. Emirates flies cats and dogs as cargo only; some European carriers via a hub accept small pets in the cabin, but the CDC rules apply regardless of where the pet sits.
Banned or restricted for this route
No breed is banned from import by the destination on this route. Airline snub-nosed restrictions still apply from Dubai, and India’s 2024 advisory on 23 breeds varies by state; check with AQCS before booking.
Run any breed through the free breed checker.
Three ways Dubai to USA usually fails
No titre, 28 days locked up
A dog from the UAE without a valid rabies serology titre from a CDC-approved lab is quarantined 28 days at a CDC-registered facility, at the importer’s cost. CVRL Dubai is on the approved list.
The 30-day form
The Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip is valid 30 days from the vet’s signature and must be completed no more than 30 days before travel. Endorsement by MOCCAE sits inside that window.
Under 6 months
Dogs must be at least 6 months old on arrival. There is no paperwork route around it.
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 USA route is manageable on your own if your flight is more than 10 weeks 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 30-day CDC form and the facility reservation.
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 USA: what people ask
Is the UAE a high-risk country for dog rabies according to the CDC?
Does my cat need a rabies vaccine to enter the USA?
Which lab can do the titre in Dubai?
How long does it take to move a dog from Dubai to the USA?
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.
