Pet Transport from the UAE to Pakistan

Two documents run this route, and they must be obtained in the right order. Pakistan requires an advance import permit for every dog and cat, filed through the Pakistan Single …

4-8 wks

Preparation needed

None

Quarantine on arrival

Moderate

Route complexity

Managed

Full door to door

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Lead time needed

4-8 weeks

Quarantine

None

Route complexity

Moderate

Airlines

4 carriers on this route

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In short: Preparing to move a pet from United Arab Emirates to Pakistan typically takes around 4-8 weeks. There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets. A rabies titre test is not required.

Regulations checked August 2026

Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team

Step by step

The import process, in full

Between 30 days and 12 months before entry.

Rabies vaccination in the window

Responsible: Your veterinarian in the UAE

Through the Pakistan Single Window (psw.gov.pk/aqd) before anything else: MOCCAE wants a copy of it.

Apply for the Pakistani import permit

Responsible: You (or your agent) + Animal Quarantine Department

AED 400, endorsed after inspection at an approved facility, valid at least 30 days.

MOCCAE export certificate via the app or portal

Responsible: You + MOCCAE-approved veterinary facility

Etihad approval 7 days ahead; SkyCargo 72 hours minimum.

Book the carrier: Etihad cabin, Emirates checked/SkyCargo, or PIA hold

Responsible: You + airline

Within 7 days of entry into Pakistan.

Final health certificate window

Responsible: Licensed vet + MOCCAE endorsement

Compliant pets clear without quarantine.

Fly to Karachi, Islamabad or Lahore; AQD inspection on arrival

Responsible: You + Animal Quarantine Department

Checklist

What your pet needs

Every item below must be completed and verified before your pet can travel. Expand each category for the detail.

Microchip

Required (15-digit ISO 11784).

Rabies vaccination

Required, between 30 days and 12 months before entry.

Rabies titre test

Not required from any country.

Quarantine

No quarantine for compliant pets. The Animal Quarantine Department inspects on arrival and handles non-compliant animals at its discretion.

Import permit

Required in advance for every dog and cat, issued by the Animal Quarantine Department under the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, applied for through the Pakistan Single Window portal (psw.gov.pk/aqd).

Health certificate

Required, completed by a licensed vet within 7 days of entry and endorsed by the government veterinarian, which for UAE departures means MOCCAE.

Export permit

MOCCAE veterinary health certificate, mandatory for every pet leaving the UAE whatever the travel mode. Applied for online with UAE Pass, endorsed after inspection at a MOCCAE-approved veterinary facility, AED 400, valid at least 30 days from issue.

Veterinary inspection

Inspection and endorsement at a MOCCAE-approved facility. The application asks for a copy of the destination country's import permit, so the Pakistani permit comes first.

We handle the regulations for every animal, every country, every airline, so nothing on your United Arab Emirates to Pakistan move gets missed.

Pet Transport Global

Airlines

Carriers on this route

Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. Confirm the operating carrier's current policy for every flight segment.

Emirates

No cats or dogs in the cabin, ever. Checked-baggage carriage exists on flights starting in Dubai and under 17 hours at USD 500 (to 23kg with crate), USD 650 (24-32kg) or USD 800 (over 32kg); otherwise Emirates SkyCargo with 72 hours' notice. Snub-nosed dogs and cats and their crosses, Bulldogs of all types included, are carried only under specific conditions during the winter season, November to April. Minimum age 15 weeks.

Cargo Only

Etihad

Currently the only UAE airline taking cats and dogs in the cabin: up to 8kg including carrier, minimum age 16 weeks, approval requested at least 7 days out, documents 72 hours before. Larger animals via Etihad Cargo from Abu Dhabi.

Cabin and Cargo

flydubai

No pets in cabin or as checked baggage (falcons excepted). Everything travels as cargo via flydubai Cargo with a Pet Transportation Form.

No Pets

PIA

No cabin pets. Live animals accepted in the baggage hold when properly crated with valid health certificate and entry permit, charged as excess baggage. Confirm current crate limits directly with PIA.

Cargo Only

Costs

What this route typically costs

MOCCAE export health certificate: AED 400

Emirates checked-baggage pet tiers: USD 500 / 650 / 800 by combined pet-and-crate weight

Pakistan Single Window permit fees (confirm on the portal)

UAE relocation industry guides put full international moves at AED 2,000-10,000 depending on pet size and service

IATA crate and pre-travel vet work

Critical points

Sequence matters: Pakistan permit first, MOCCAE certificate second. The MOCCAE application asks for the destination import permit, so reversing the order stalls everything.

The Gulf summer is a real barrier for flat-faced breeds. Emirates SkyCargo carries snub-nosed dogs and cats and their crosses only under specific conditions during the winter season, November to April. Emirates' published May to September embargo out of Dubai covers birds rather than dogs and cats, but high summer ramp temperatures still drive caution for every animal.

Only Etihad currently takes cats and dogs in the cabin from the UAE; Emirates never does, and flydubai carries pets solely as cargo.

Permit, then certificate: the two-document chain

Start on the Pakistani side. The Animal Quarantine Department under the Ministry of National Food Security and Research issues the import permit through the Pakistan Single Window at psw.gov.pk/aqd, and every dog and cat needs one before departure. Processing time is not published, so file as soon as travel firms up.

With the permit in hand, the MOCCAE application goes in: online via the ministry portal or app, UAE Pass login, inspection and endorsement at an approved veterinary facility, AED 400. The certificate stays valid for at least 30 days, comfortably covering the final health certificate window, which Pakistan sets at 7 days before entry with government endorsement.

Pakistan asks for no titre test from any country, and compliant pets face no quarantine: the AQD inspects at Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore airports and releases healthy, documented animals.

Four airlines, four different answers

The UAE to Pakistan corridor is dense with flights and thin on pet options, and each carrier answers differently.

Emirates: cabin never (falcons aside), checked baggage on sectors starting in Dubai and under 17 hours at three flat tiers (USD 500 to 23kg with crate, USD 650 to 32kg, USD 800 above), or SkyCargo with 72 hours’ notice. Its seasonal rule matters here: snub-nosed dogs and cats and their crosses, including Bulldogs of every type, are carried only under specific conditions during the winter season, November to April.

Etihad: the only UAE carrier currently taking cats and dogs in the cabin, up to 8kg with carrier, minimum age 16 weeks, approval at least 7 days out. Larger pets go through Etihad Cargo from Abu Dhabi.

flydubai: no pets in cabin or baggage at all; its animals move exclusively through flydubai Cargo with a Pet Transportation Form.

PIA: hold carriage as excess baggage with a valid certificate and the Pakistani permit, no cabin pets. For a small pet, Etihad’s cabin option is the gentlest journey; for a big dog in summer, an early-morning SkyCargo booking is usually the workable answer.

FAQ

Common questions

Two. Pakistan’s import permit, issued in advance by the Animal Quarantine Department through the Pakistan Single Window portal, and the UAE’s MOCCAE export health certificate (AED 400, valid at least 30 days). Apply for the Pakistani permit first: the MOCCAE application requires a copy of it.

Only on Etihad, and only up to 8kg including the carrier, minimum age 16 weeks, with approval requested at least 7 days before departure. Emirates carries no cats or dogs in the cabin on any route, and flydubai handles pets exclusively as cargo.

As checked baggage on eligible flights: USD 500 for pet plus crate up to 23kg, USD 650 for 24-32kg, and USD 800 above 32kg. Larger consignments and summer bookings go through Emirates SkyCargo, quoted per shipment with at least 72 hours’ notice.

Not for compliant pets. The Animal Quarantine Department inspects arrivals at Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore and releases animals with a valid permit, health certificate issued within 7 days, microchip and in-window rabies vaccination. Pakistan requires no titre test from any country.

Only in winter. Emirates SkyCargo carries snub-nosed dogs and cats and their crosses, Bulldogs of all types included, solely under specific conditions during the November to April season. Outside that window the options are Etihad cabin carriage if the dog is under 8kg with its carrier, or a specialist agent arranging cargo on a carrier without the seasonal restriction.

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to Pakistan.

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