Pet Transport from the United Arab Emirates to Iceland
Relocating a pet from United Arab Emirates to Iceland follows a clear path once you understand what Iceland asks for. This route takes some organising, and roughly 12-16 weeks of preparation is about …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from United Arab Emirates to Iceland
typically takes around 12-16 weeks.
Expect 14 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 Iceland import process
01
Start of planning.
Implant the ISO microchip, then start the rabies vaccination course.
Responsible: Your vet in the UAE
02
Runs alongside the rabies vaccination schedule.
Complete leptospirosis, distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza vaccination, at least 14 days before entry to Iceland.
Responsible: Your vet in the UAE
03
In the final month before travel.
Complete the two required parasite treatments for dogs, timed 21-28 days and 5-10 days before import.
Responsible: Your vet in the UAE
04
Roughly 5-6 weeks before target travel, allowing for lab turnaround.
Draw blood for the titre test at least 30 days after vaccination, send to an approved laboratory.
Responsible: Your vet and the laboratory
05
At least 4 weeks before travel.
Apply to MAST for the import permit.
Responsible: You or your agent
06
As early as possible.
Book isolation station space at Reykjanesbae or Mosel. Intake dates are limited, so do this early, not once the permit clears.
Responsible: You or your agent, direct with the station
07
Close to departure, per the certificate's validity window.
Complete MAST's Category 1 certificate (D1 or C1) with your UAE vet, then get it endorsed.
Responsible: UAE vet and Dubai Municipality or MOCCAE
08
Day of travel, then immediately on landing.
Fly via Copenhagen or Paris CDG on Etihad or Emirates, then Icelandair Cargo into Keflavik. 14 days minimum in isolation on arrival.
Responsible: Cargo handlers, MAST border check and quarantine station staff
Requirements
Iceland entry requirements
Every item below must be in place before your pet can enter. We verify and track each one.
Microchip
ISO 11784/11785 microchip required, implanted before the rabies vaccination. Source: MAST, mast.is.
Rabies vaccination
Primary rabies vaccination after the microchip. MAST also requires leptospirosis vaccination at least 14 days before entry, plus current distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza cover for dogs, on top of the rabies course. Dogs also need two separate parasite treatments before import, one 21-28 days out and a second 5-10 days out. Source: MAST guidance notes and FAQ, mast.is, 2026.
Rabies titre test
Required, but with a real timing advantage most owners leaving the UAE do not expect. The United Arab Emirates appears on MAST's own Category 1 (rabies-free) country list, alongside Switzerland, Japan, Singapore and the UK. Blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, minimum result 0.5 IU/ml. Once the result clears, there is no further fixed wait before travel, unlike a Category 2 country, which faces a 90-day wait counted from the blood draw date. Source: MAST, mast.is, country list dated 19.05.2026.
Quarantine
Mandatory 14 days minimum at one of two approved isolation stations, Einangrunarstoedin i Reykjanesbae or Einangrunarstoedin Mosel, for every dog and cat entering Iceland. Category 1 origin does not exempt you from this. Source: MAST, mast.is, 2026.
Import permit
Required from MAST before travel: application form, a photo, the health certificate and lab results. Base fee 40,648 ISK (roughly EUR 270), described by MAST as a minimum fee applying only when documents are submitted correctly and on time. Quarantine station space is booked separately, on a limited intake schedule. Source: MAST, mast.is, 2026.
Health certificate
MAST's Category 1 certificate (Form D1 or C1), completed by the UAE-based vet and endorsed per the origin process above.
Leaving United Arab Emirates
Export requirements
Export permit
No UAE-specific export permit for cats and dogs. The endorsed Category 1 certificate is the export document. ISO 11784/11785 microchip must be implanted and recorded before travel.
Health certificate
Not MOCCAE's standard outbound paperwork used for EU destinations. MAST requires its own Category 1 certificate, Form D1 for dogs or Form C1 for cats, completed by a UAE government-approved vet. Endorsed by Dubai Municipality veterinary services for Dubai-based pets, or by MOCCAE or the relevant authority for other emirates. Source: MAST, mast.is, 2026.
Costs
What this route typically costs
Rabies titre test at an accredited laboratory: AED 600-1,200 (roughly EUR 150-300)
Leptospirosis and core vaccination course, plus parasite treatments: AED 300-700
Quarantine, 14 days: around ISK 220,000 for a dog (roughly EUR 1,450), ISK 100,000-110,000 for a cat (roughly EUR 670-730)
IATA-compliant travel crate: AED 500-2,000
Cargo fees, Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Keflavik via a European hub, two separate legs: EUR 900-1,800
Agent and handling fees, given the two-carrier routing: EUR 300-600
Total typical range: EUR 2,700-4,400 for a dog, lower for a cat
Critical points
The UAE's place on MAST's Category 1 list removes the 90-day post-titre wait that applies to Category 2 countries, but it changes nothing about the 14-day quarantine. Every pet entering Iceland serves it, UAE-origin or not.
There is no direct flight from Abu Dhabi or Dubai to Keflavik. Expect a carrier switch between your Gulf carrier and Icelandair Cargo at a European hub, which needs its own coordination and buffer time, not a single through-booking.
Keflavik is Iceland's only approved pet entry point, whatever routing you use to get there.
MAST's Category 1 certificate (Form D1 or C1) is a different document from MOCCAE's standard outbound certificate used for EU-bound pets. Brief your UAE vet early so the correct form is used.
Isolation station space at Reykjanesbae or Mosel is limited and should be booked before you commit to a flight date, not after.
Airlines
Approved carriers on this route
Airline
Notes
Type
Etihad Airways
No direct Abu Dhabi to Keflavik service exists. Etihad flies Abu Dhabi to Copenhagen daily, and Icelandair covers the Copenhagen-Keflavik leg. Since 1 November 2024, Icelandair no longer accepts pets as checked baggage on any sector, so the final leg into Keflavik moves through Icelandair Cargo, a separate booking from Etihad's.
Cargo Only
Emirates
Emirates SkyCargo flies Dubai to several European hubs, including Copenhagen and Paris CDG, both of which connect onward to Keflavik on Icelandair. Brachycephalic breeds are accepted with extra documentation. Gulf summer temperature embargoes, roughly June to September, restrict cargo departures from Dubai.
Cargo Only
Icelandair
Operates the only nonstop services into Keflavik from the European hubs used on this route, including Copenhagen, Paris CDG and Munich. Every UAE-to-Iceland pet move ends on this leg, regardless of which Gulf carrier handles the first segment, and it now runs as manifested cargo rather than checked baggage.
Cargo Only
The rules for bringing a pet into Iceland
Iceland has a detailed set of import rules, and each one needs to be satisfied before travel. None of it is unusual, but the order and timing are what catch people out.
How to keep this move on track
Keep every original document together and take copies. Border officials want originals, and a missing signature or date can hold up clearance.
Work backwards from your travel date and add a buffer. Fixed waiting periods mean a single slipped appointment can push the whole move back by weeks.
Check the airline’s crate size and labelling rules early. An undersized or wrongly labelled crate is a frequent reason pets are refused at check-in.
Ask about temperature embargoes for your travel window. Summer and winter cargo restrictions can rule out certain routes and dates entirely.
FAQ
Common questions about this route
Yes. MAST classifies the UAE under Category 1, its rabies-free tier, alongside countries such as Switzerland, Japan, Singapore and the UK. This means no fixed 90-day wait after the titre test, unlike a Category 2 country. Source: MAST, mast.is, country list dated 19 May 2026.
Yes. The 14-day quarantine at Einangrunarstoedin i Reykjanesbae or Einangrunarstoedin Mosel applies to every dog and cat entering Iceland, whatever the country of origin. Category 1 status shortens the pre-export titre test timeline only, not the quarantine itself.
No. There is no nonstop service from either UAE hub to Keflavik. The realistic routing connects Emirates or Etihad’s Gulf-to-Europe network, commonly to Copenhagen or Paris CDG, with an Icelandair Cargo leg into Keflavik. Since 1 November 2024, that final leg moves as manifested cargo, not checked baggage.
Budget roughly EUR 2,700 to EUR 4,400 for a dog, covering the titre test, vaccinations and parasite treatments, MAST’s import permit fee, the 14-day quarantine (around EUR 1,450), the crate and the two-leg cargo flight. Cats generally cost less, mainly because quarantine fees are lower.
MAST’s Category 1 certificate, Form D1 for dogs or Form C1 for cats, not MOCCAE’s standard outbound paperwork used for EU-bound pets. Your UAE government-approved vet completes it, then Dubai Municipality veterinary services or the relevant authority for other emirates endorses it before travel.
Airline guides
Etihad Airways
Emirates
Icelandair
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.