Pet Transport from the United Arab Emirates to Macau
Moving a dog or cat from United Arab Emirates to Macau is very doable with the right preparation. Around 18-24 weeks is sensible here, with a few steps that must happen in a strict order. No routine …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from United Arab Emirates to Macau
typically takes around 18-24 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
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 Macau import process
01
5-6 months before travel.
Confirm the pet's UAE municipality registration and rabies vaccination are current.
Responsible: Your UAE-based vet.
02
4-5 months before travel.
Draw blood for the rabies antibody titre test, at least 30 days after vaccination.
Responsible: Vet and an approved laboratory.
03
Fixed. This is the step that sets the overall timeline.
Wait out the roughly three-month period from the blood draw date.
Responsible: Owner.
04
4-6 weeks before travel.
Book the routing: Emirates SkyCargo or Etihad Airways to Hong Kong, then the cross-border transfer into Macau.
Responsible: You or your agent.
05
2-4 weeks before travel.
Apply for the MOCCAE export permit once flight dates are fixed, since it's only valid for 30 days.
Responsible: You, via moccae.gov.ae.
06
2-4 weeks before travel.
Apply for the IAM Import Licence for Live Animals (PS-1092), timed against the same confirmed dates, since it also expires after 30 days.
Responsible: You or agent, via the Macao SAR Government Portal.
07
Certificate shortly before departure; inspection booked at least 1 working day ahead.
Obtain the MOCCAE export health certificate at the airport and confirm the IAM arrival inspection slot in Macau.
Responsible: Government veterinarian in the UAE; IAM in Macau.
Requirements
Macau entry requirements
Every item below must be in place before your pet can enter. We verify and track each one.
Microchip
Required. ISO 11784/11785 compliant, implanted before the rabies vaccination is given.
Rabies vaccination
Required. Given after the microchip, current and clearly dated on the health record.
Rabies titre test
Required. IAM's own published guidance treats the titre test as the default unless a pet comes from a country with no rabies incidents in the past two years, and independent summaries of that guidance note the test still applies even to countries some other authorities treat as rabies-free, the UK and Australia among them. The UAE is not classed as rabies-free by any comparable international standard, so the same test applies: blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, minimum result 0.5 IU/mL, then a further wait of around three months from the blood draw date before entry. Source: Instituto para os Assuntos Municipais (IAM) pre-entry inspection requirements, as summarised via PetTravel.com and gov.mo, 2026.
Quarantine
No mandatory quarantine for pets that meet the pre-entry requirements and pass an on-arrival inspection by an IAM veterinary surgeon. IAM dropped the previous 30-day mandatory quarantine for compliant dogs and cats in a policy update that took effect around June 2026. Source: Macau Business, 'Gov't eases pet import rules, drops 30-day quarantine for dogs and cats', 2026.
Import permit
Import Licence for Live Animals (PS-1092), applied for through the Macao SAR Government Portal. IAM typically issues the licence within 3 working days, valid for 30 days once granted, the same validity window as the MOCCAE export permit on the UAE side.
Health certificate
Official veterinary Health Certificate of Animal (form referenced as PS-1086 on the Macao SAR Government Portal), issued shortly before travel and covering microchip, vaccination and titre test results.
Leaving United Arab Emirates
Export requirements
Export permit
No separate export permit distinct from the MOCCAE export health certificate below, valid 30 days from issue. The pet must already be registered with its emirate's municipality (Dubai Municipality or ADAFSA in Abu Dhabi) and current on municipality-mandated vaccines before MOCCAE grants it. Source: moccae.gov.ae, checked 17 July 2026.
Veterinary inspection
A final in-person inspection by a government veterinarian, typically at the airport shortly before departure, confirms the animal matches its paperwork and is fit to fly.
Government endorsement
Health certificate endorsed by MOCCAE (Ministry of Climate Change and Environment) or the relevant emirate's municipality, working alongside MOCCAE's federal system rather than instead of it.
Health certificate
MOCCAE export health certificate confirming the animal meets UAE health and export requirements, drafted around Macau's own IAM import checklist rather than a generic template. Source: moccae.gov.ae, checked 17 July 2026.
Costs
What this route typically costs
MOCCAE export permit and municipality registration fees: AED 200-400.
MOCCAE export health certificate and airport inspection: AED 150-350.
Rabies titre test and laboratory fee: AED 550-1,000.
IAM Import Licence (PS-1092) application fee: modest, typically under AED 280 equivalent.
IATA-compliant travel crate: AED 500-1,800.
Cargo fee, Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Hong Kong: AED 6,000-11,000 depending on crate size and season.
Cross-border transfer, Hong Kong to Macau (bridge coach or ferry, including crate handling): AED 500-1,400.
Total typical range: AED 7,900-16,200 over 4-6 months. Treat this as a planning estimate and confirm current figures before booking.
Critical points
The UAE is not classed as rabies-free by IAM or by any comparable authority, so the titre test applies. IAM's own guidance suggests even rabies-free countries like the UK and Australia don't skip this test, which makes an exemption for the UAE unlikely, though IAM hasn't published a UAE-specific ruling either way.
Two separate 30-day clocks run on this route: the MOCCAE export permit and the IAM import licence (PS-1092). Apply for both against a confirmed flight date, never a provisional one, or one lapses before the other is even issued.
There is no direct flight from the UAE to Macau. Every pet transfers through Hong Kong, adding its own booking and a road or ferry crossing.
Cathay Pacific's Dubai to Hong Kong passenger route is suspended until at least 1 September 2026, and no Dubai freighter restart has been announced. Route this journey through Emirates SkyCargo or Etihad Airways for now.
Pets leave the UAE as manifested cargo only. There is no cabin option on this route.
Airlines
Approved carriers on this route
Airline
Notes
Type
Emirates SkyCargo
Operates its own Dubai to Hong Kong sector nonstop, around 9 hours 15 minutes, recently strengthened by a newly converted Boeing 777-300ERSF freighter with roughly a quarter more cargo volume than the standard 777F. From Hong Kong, the pet transfers overland across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, or by ferry, to clear IAM inspection. Snub-nosed breeds face a seasonal heat embargo above 29C (85F) forecast ground temperature, broadly May through September.
Cargo Only
Etihad Airways
Flies Abu Dhabi to Hong Kong, currently five times a week on Boeing 787 equipment, with the same Hong Kong-Macau cross-border transfer required afterward. The more direct option if the pet is registered with ADAFSA in Abu Dhabi rather than Dubai Municipality.
Cargo Only
Cathay Pacific Cargo
Not usable for the Dubai leg at present. Cathay suspended its Hong Kong to Dubai passenger route in February 2026 after Middle East airspace disruption, with passenger service not due back until 1 September 2026 and no announced restart date at all for a dedicated Dubai freighter rotation. Its only confirmed Middle East cargo restart so far is Riyadh, from 1 August 2026.
Cargo Only
Meeting Macau's entry requirements
Bringing a pet into Macau involves a fair amount of documentation. Keep everything organised and check each item against the current requirements before you book.
Advice worth following
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.
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.
FAQ
Common questions about this route
Yes. The UAE isn’t classed as rabies-free by IAM or any comparable standard, and IAM’s own guidance suggests even countries treated as rabies-free elsewhere, the UK and Australia included, still face the test. Blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, a result of 0.5 IU/mL or above, then roughly three months’ wait before entry.
The MOCCAE export permit on the UAE side and Macau’s IAM Import Licence for Live Animals (PS-1092) both run for exactly 30 days from issue. Apply for both against a confirmed flight date rather than a provisional one, so neither one lapses before travel.
No. Macau International Airport has no long-haul cargo capacity. Pets fly Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Hong Kong with Emirates SkyCargo or Etihad Airways, then cross into Macau by road over the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge or by ferry.
Not at the moment. Cathay suspended this route in February 2026 and passenger service isn’t due back until 1 September 2026. No Dubai freighter restart has been announced. Emirates SkyCargo and Etihad Airways are the practical options in the meantime.
Not for a pet that meets the pre-entry requirements. IAM dropped the mandatory 30-day quarantine for compliant dogs and cats in a policy change that took effect around June 2026.
Airline guides
Emirates SkyCargo
Etihad Airways
Cathay Pacific Cargo
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.