Pet Transport from the United Arab Emirates to Guyana
Bringing your dog or cat from United Arab Emirates to Guyana takes some coordination, but the requirements are well defined. Expect a long lead time of roughly 14-26 weeks; the waiting periods here …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from United Arab Emirates to Guyana
typically takes around 14-26 weeks.
Expect 90 days of quarantine on arrival.
A rabies titre test is required, which adds a fixed waiting period, so start early.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The United Arab Emirates to Guyana import process
01
Vaccination at least 30 days before the planned Guyana entry date, and no more than 12 months before.
Confirm microchip is ISO-compliant and rabies vaccination is current, or administer it.
Responsible: UAE-based vet.
02
Allow 2-4 weeks for the laboratory result.
Rabies titre test blood draw at an accredited laboratory, more than 30 days after vaccination.
Responsible: UAE-based vet and accredited laboratory.
03
2-3 weeks before travel; certificate valid 30 days from issue.
MOCCAE export application submitted via UAE Pass, followed by the branch visit for the physical exam and microchip scan.
Responsible: Owner, via moccae.gov.ae.
04
Typically 3 working days to a decision once complete, though the quarantine determination can take longer.
GLDA import permit application submitted from the Guyana side, with the titre result, MOCCAE certificate and vaccination records attached.
Responsible: You / Guyana-based contact or agent.
05
Once the import permit outcome, including any quarantine requirement, is known.
Flight booked: either Emirates Dubai-Miami plus American Miami-Georgetown, or a UAE-London connection onto British Airways' BA2159 to Georgetown via St Lucia.
Responsible: Owner or cargo agent.
06
On landing at Cheddi Jagan International Airport; notify GLDA at least 24 hours ahead.
Arrival in Georgetown: GLDA-assigned vet meets the flight, documents checked, and quarantine begins if required.
Responsible: GLDA vet / owner or agent.
Requirements
Guyana entry requirements
Every item below must be in place before your pet can enter. We verify and track each one.
Microchip
15-digit microchip meeting ISO Standard 11784 or Annex A to ISO Standard 11785, scannable on arrival.
Rabies vaccination
Current rabies vaccination required, given between 30 days and 12 months before entering Guyana.
Rabies titre test
Required. The UAE isn't on the Guyana Livestock Development Authority's (GLDA) short list of rabies-free origins, which currently runs to the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica and a handful of small Caribbean states. A rabies antibody titre test, blood drawn more than 30 days after vaccination, applies as a result.
Quarantine
Up to 90 days of quarantine can apply for a pet arriving from a country GLDA classes as high-rabies-risk, which includes the UAE. Whether quarantine is imposed, and for how long, is decided case by case when the import permit application is reviewed, not fixed in advance. A clean titre result and complete paperwork are the strongest factors in avoiding or shortening it, but GLDA's own guidance doesn't promise an automatic waiver.
Import permit
License for Import required from the Ministry of Agriculture, issued via GLDA. Typically processed within 3 working days of a complete application, though the quarantine determination can extend the overall decision. Fee: G$20,000 per animal, roughly USD 95.
Health certificate
MOCCAE export/health certificate presented on arrival alongside the import permit, titre test result and vaccination records.
Leaving United Arab Emirates
Export requirements
Export permit
MOCCAE export health certificate application, submitted online via a UAE Pass account at moccae.gov.ae, ideally 2-3 weeks before travel. Mandatory for every pet leaving the UAE regardless of destination or transport mode.
Veterinary inspection
Physical assessment at a MOCCAE branch (Dubai or Abu Dhabi) with the pet present, vaccination book checked and the microchip scanned to confirm it matches the record before paperwork is issued.
Health certificate
MOCCAE export/health certificate, valid 30 days from the date of issue. Service fee AED 400, roughly USD 109.
Costs
What this route typically costs
MOCCAE export health certificate: AED 400, roughly USD 109, plus the branch vet exam
Rabies titre test and laboratory fee: AED/USD equivalent of USD 150-280
GLDA import permit: G$20,000 per animal, roughly USD 95
Cargo, Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Georgetown, either via Miami or via London with a cross-London transfer: USD 2,000-4,000 depending on routing, crate size and season
If GLDA imposes quarantine: facility fees are set case by case and aren't published as a fixed daily rate; budget for a materially higher total if a full 90-day hold applies, rather than assuming the shorter end of the range
Total typical range without quarantine: USD 2,600-5,000. With quarantine imposed, the total can run well beyond that, largely driven by the facility fees rather than the flight or permit costs
Critical points
This is the only one of the four Guyana routes this site covers where quarantine is a real possibility, not a formality. The UAE isn't on GLDA's rabies-free list, and GLDA's own procedure states the quarantine decision, up to 90 days, is made case by case at permit review. Don't book irreversible travel plans before that decision comes back.
The Emirates-Miami-American routing avoids Guyana's own CDC high-risk complication because that rule is about the animal's country of origin. A UAE-origin dog isn't restricted the way a Guyana-origin dog is on the reverse route. That makes Miami a genuinely practical option here, unlike on the outbound Guyana-to-UAE route.
If routing via London instead, Etihad and Emirates land at Heathrow while the only Guyana-bound flight, British Airways' BA2159, departs from Gatwick. Build the cross-London transfer into the schedule as its own step.
MOCCAE's export certificate is valid for 30 days from issue. If the GLDA quarantine decision or flight booking pushes travel past that window, the certificate has to be renewed, with a fresh branch visit and fee.
Airlines
Approved carriers on this route
Airline
Notes
Type
Emirates SkyCargo
Flies Dubai to Miami nonstop, one of Emirates' longest-standing routes, with dedicated live-animal handling at the Dubai hub before departure. From Miami, a transfer onto American Airlines' nonstop Miami-Georgetown sector completes the routing. Because the UAE isn't on the CDC's high-risk list for dog rabies, unlike Guyana itself on the reverse leg, this US-routed option stays open for dogs as well as cats.
Cargo Only
American Airlines
Operates the nonstop Miami-Georgetown leg that completes the Emirates connection above. No restriction applies here on the American Airlines Cargo rabies-risk rule, since that rule looks at the animal's country of origin, and the UAE isn't a listed high-risk country.
Cargo Only
British Airways
Runs the only through-service into Guyana: flight BA2159 (working in reverse for this direction), London Gatwick to Georgetown via a technical stop in St Lucia, same aircraft throughout, twice weekly. Reached from Dubai or Abu Dhabi via a connecting flight into London.
Cargo Only
Etihad Cargo
Operates Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow using the LiveAnimals product, maximum 24 hours acceptance-to-arrival. Lands at Heathrow, not Gatwick, so a cross-London transfer is needed to connect onto the British Airways service to Georgetown. Brachycephalic breeds only accepted 1 November to 1 March.
Cargo Only
Guyana entry requirements at a glance
Getting a pet into Guyana means meeting a demanding set of rules with no shortcuts. Start from the earliest deadline and work forward from there.
Getting the details right
Microchip before you vaccinate. The microchip must be in place before the rabies shot for the vaccination to count, and getting this order wrong is the most common and costly mistake.
Use an official, government-authorised vet for the health certificate, not just your usual clinic. Many destinations only accept certificates signed by an approved vet.
If this is your first international move, consider an IPATA-registered pet transport agent. They handle the documents, airline booking and crate sizing, and can troubleshoot problems.
Get your pet used to the travel crate weeks in advance. A calm, crate-familiar animal travels far better than one meeting the crate for the first time at the airport.
FAQ
Common questions about this route
It might. The UAE isn’t on GLDA’s rabies-free country list, and GLDA’s procedure allows for up to 90 days of quarantine for pets arriving from countries in that category. The decision is made case by case when the import permit application is reviewed, based on the titre result and full documentation, not applied automatically to every pet. Source: Guyana Livestock Development Authority import procedure, glda.gy.
Yes. Emirates flies Dubai to Miami nonstop, connecting onto American Airlines’ nonstop Miami-Georgetown sector. American Airlines Cargo’s restriction on dogs from CDC-classified high-risk rabies countries looks at the animal’s country of origin, and the UAE isn’t on that list, so this routing is open to dogs as well as cats.
AED 400, roughly USD 109, plus the cost of the required physical exam at a MOCCAE branch. It’s valid for 30 days from issue, which needs to be weighed against Guyana’s own permit and possible quarantine timeline so the certificate doesn’t expire before travel.
No. Two realistic routings exist: Dubai-Miami on Emirates then Miami-Georgetown on American Airlines, or a UAE-London connection onto British Airways’ twice-weekly Gatwick-Georgetown service, which requires a transfer between Heathrow and Gatwick.
Airline guides
Emirates SkyCargo
American Airlines
British Airways
Etihad Cargo
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.