Route guide
London → Dubai
Dubai’s import rules add a UAE-issued import permit and a stricter health-certificate timeline on top of the UK’s own tapeworm and microchip requirements, which is what pushes this route to ‘strict’ rather than a standard EU-style pairing. Emirates and British Airways both fly it, and both carry pets exclusively as manifest cargo through dedicated animal-handling facilities rather than in the cabin. Forty-five days gives enough room to secure the import permit alongside the UK’s exit paperwork. Pets that clear both sets of requirements enter the UAE without quarantine.
What this route involves
Flying from London to Dubai means clearing United Arab Emirates entry rules on arrival and meeting your airline’s own conditions on departure. Below are both, plus the order to do them in.
Leaving United Kingdom
There is no quarantine when every requirement is met and you use an approved route and carrier. The tapeworm treatment must be given 24–120 hours before arrival.
See full entry rulesEntering United Arab Emirates
The UAE requires an import permit for every cat and dog, applied for through the ministry before the animal flies. Alongside the permit you need an ISO microchip, a current rabies vaccination and a health certificate endorsed in the country of origin, with a titer test for arrivals from higher-risk countries. Compliant animals are not quarantined and clear at Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah.
See full entry rulesAirlines on this route
Airline rules stack on top of the country rules above. Confirm both before you book.
Your chronological checklist
Work backwards from your travel date. Start the earliest step first — some cannot be rushed.
- 1 Apply for the import permit30 days before travel
Government approval takes weeks and often fixes the exact dates of every other step, so apply as early as the authority allows.
- 2 Book the flight and reserve the pet slot30 days before travel
Airlines cap how many animals travel per flight. The pet slot runs out well before the seats do.
- 3 Implant an ISO 11784/11785 microchip22 days before travel
It has to come first: every later certificate references this number, and a rabies shot given before the chip usually does not count.
- 4 Rabies vaccination21 days before travel
Must be given after the microchip and be valid on the day you travel. Most destinations also require a minimum of 21 days between the shot and entry.
- 5 Health certificate and official endorsement2 days before travel
Issued by an accredited vet close to departure, then endorsed by your government authority. This endorsement cannot be done at the airport.
- 6 Travel dayTravel day
Carry the originals plus copies of everything, arrive early, and keep the crate documents attached to the crate.