AE
United Arab Emirates
✈️
CI
Ivory Coast
Pet Transport from United Arab Emirates to Ivory Coast
10-14 weeks
Typical preparation
None
Quarantine on arrival
High
Route complexity
✓ Managed
Full door-to-door service
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from United Arab Emirates to Ivory Coast
typically takes around 10-14 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
A rabies titre test is not required.
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Overview
Getting a pet from United Arab Emirates to Ivory Coast is a step by step process, and each stage has its own timing. Allow about 10-14 weeks; the requirements are detailed but predictable once mapped out. Pets with correct documentation skip quarantine entirely.
A rabies titre test is not needed for this route. Start with the step by step process below and build your plan from there.
Step by step
The United Arab Emirates to Ivory Coast process
1
5-6 months before travel is a comfortable margin
Rabies vaccination given or booster confirmed, dated between 30 days and 12 months before travel
Responsible: UAE-based vet
2
Alongside the vaccination appointment
Microchip fitted, since every downstream document references it even though Cote d'Ivoire's own rule is a recommendation, not a mandate
Responsible: UAE-based vet
3
8-10 weeks before travel, allowing for a slow reply
Import permit application and a copy of the rabies certificate emailed to DSV's two addresses
Responsible: Owner or a Cote d'Ivoire-based agent
4
Within 10 days of travel for the certificate, plus translation time
MOCCAE export application filed and the health certificate issued, then translated into French or accompanied by a certified translation
Responsible: MOCCAE-accredited vet, then a certified translator
5
6-8 weeks before travel
Cargo booking confirmed with Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa, or Turkish Airlines via Istanbul
Responsible: Owner or cargo agent
6
Day of travel
Travel day: present the DSV import permit, translated health certificate and vaccination record at check-in
Responsible: Owner and the airline's cargo desk
7
On landing
Arrival inspection at Port Bouet International Airport, Abidjan
Responsible: Ivorian veterinary officials
Checklist
Ivory Coast: entry requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Microchip | Not strictly mandatory for entry, but every downstream document in this process ends up referencing a chip number, so a 15-digit ISO 11784/11785 microchip is worth fitting regardless of the technical exemption. |
| Rabies vaccination | Required, dated between 30 days and 12 months before arrival. Where a primary dose or booster falls outside the previous vaccination's stated validity, an additional 21-day wait after the new dose applies before travel. |
| Rabies titre test | Not required from any country, the UAE included. Cote d'Ivoire's import rules carry no blood-test condition at all, a lighter position than several countries where a pet leaving the same region for elsewhere runs into a titre requirement. |
| Quarantine | No quarantine for a pet arriving with compliant documents. Veterinary services at the airport can hold an animal for observation if paperwork is incomplete or disease is suspected, a discretionary check rather than a fixed period. |
| Import permit | Required, issued by DSV (Direction des Services Veterinaires) under MIRAH, and processed entirely by email rather than through a portal. The completed application and a copy of the rabies certificate go to DSV's own addresses, carv.dsvci@gmail.com and dsv.sdsa2017@gmail.com. No turnaround guarantee is published, so send this early and follow up directly if a couple of weeks pass with no reply. |
| Health certificate | The health certificate needs to be in French, or accompanied by a certified French translation, before officials at Port Bouet International Airport, Abidjan, will accept it. A MOCCAE certificate that's otherwise complete but only in English or Arabic risks being turned away on this point alone. |
Leaving United Arab Emirates
Export requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Export permit | MOCCAE, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, is the sole issuer of a UAE pet export permit, applied for online at moccae.gov.ae once Dubai Municipality or ADAFSA registration is confirmed. |
| Veterinary inspection | A MOCCAE-accredited vet completes the pre-export exam; a government vet carries out a second check at the airport immediately before departure. |
| Government endorsement | MOCCAE typically issues the export health certificate within 10 days of travel, once the accredited vet's online submission clears, and the certificate is valid for 30 days from issue. Source: MOCCAE, moccae.gov.ae, checked July 2026. |
| Health certificate | MOCCAE veterinary export health certificate, AED 100 for up to two pets on a personal move, confirming microchip, vaccination status and fitness to fly. Cote d'Ivoire expects this certificate in French, so a certified translation is a further step before travel. |
Costs
What this route typically costs
| 1 | MOCCAE veterinary health certificate: AED 100 for up to two pets |
| 2 | UAE vet consultation, microchip and rabies vaccination if not already current: AED 300-700 |
| 3 | Certified French translation of the health certificate: AED 200-400 |
| 4 | DSV import permit, fee not published: budget agent time chasing the two email addresses, roughly AED 200-500 |
| 5 | IATA-compliant travel crate: AED 350-1,200 |
| 6 | Cargo agent handling for the export booking: AED 1,800-4,000 |
| 7 | Air cargo Dubai to Abidjan via Addis Ababa or Istanbul: AED 6,500-12,500 depending on crate size and season |
| 8 | Total typical range: AED 9,350-19,300 |
Critical points
Read before you book
⚠ Air Arabia looks like the obvious UAE budget option given how much of Africa and Asia it covers from Sharjah, but it simply doesn't fly to Abidjan or Douala. Don't build a plan around checking its fares for this route; go straight to Ethiopian or Turkish.
⚠ The DSV import permit runs through two Gmail addresses, not a government portal. Send the application and rabies certificate copy at least 8-10 weeks ahead and follow up directly if there's no response within a couple of weeks.
⚠ The health certificate has to be in French or carry a certified translation. A MOCCAE certificate that's otherwise perfect but only in English or Arabic risks rejection at Port Bouet on that point alone.
⚠ There's no nonstop UAE-Abidjan flight. Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa keeps the pet on one carrier's network the whole way, which is the steadier of the two realistic options.
Carriers
Airlines on this route
Ethiopian Airlines
Flies Dubai to Addis Ababa nonstop, up to four times daily, then Addis Ababa to Abidjan on its own aircraft, a sector Ethiopian is currently the only airline flying nonstop at all, roughly seven times a week. The pet stays on one carrier's network from Dubai to Abidjan.
Turkish Airlines
Connects Dubai to Abidjan via Istanbul, using Turkish Cargo's Pet Lounge for the layover. A genuine second option, though it involves a carrier change the Ethiopian routing doesn't.
Air Arabia
Not a workable option on this route, despite being the UAE's own budget carrier and covering 81 destinations from its Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah hubs. Air Arabia does not fly to Abidjan, and none of its network reaches close enough to build a realistic connection through its own hubs. Ethiopian or Turkish are the only practical choices.
How Ivory Coast handles incoming pets
Ivory Coast 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.
What experienced owners do
Confirm live animal acceptance on every flight segment before booking. Not all aircraft or connections take pets, and cargo terms can differ leg to leg.
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.
FAQ
Common questions
No. Air Arabia serves 81 destinations from its Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah hubs, but Abidjan isn’t among them. Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa, or Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, are the realistic options instead.
No. Cote d’Ivoire doesn’t require a titre test from any country of origin, the UAE included. A rabies vaccination given between 30 days and 12 months before arrival is what’s checked.
Send the completed application form and a copy of the rabies vaccination certificate by email to DSV’s two addresses, carv.dsvci@gmail.com and dsv.sdsa2017@gmail.com. No fixed turnaround time is published, so apply at least 8-10 weeks before travel and follow up if there’s no reply.
Yes. Ivorian officials expect the certificate in French, or accompanied by a certified French translation, before accepting it on arrival at Port Bouet International Airport. Budget translation time and a fee alongside the standard MOCCAE process.
No. Ethiopian Airlines’ Dubai-Addis Ababa-Abidjan routing keeps the pet on a single carrier’s network with one stop, since Ethiopian is currently the only airline flying the Addis Ababa-Abidjan sector nonstop. Turkish Airlines via Istanbul is the alternative.
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