Pet Transport from the United Arab Emirates to Tunisia

Taking your dog or cat from United Arab Emirates to Tunisia comes down to good timing and the right paperwork. Around 5-6 weeks should do it, as this is an easier route to plan. …

5-6 wks

Preparation needed

Check guide

Quarantine on arrival

Low

Route complexity

Managed

Full door to door

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Lead time needed

5-6 weeks

Quarantine

Check guide

Route complexity

Low

Airlines

3 carriers on this route

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In short: Preparing to move a pet from United Arab Emirates to Tunisia typically takes around 5-6 weeks. A rabies titre test is not required.

Regulations checked July 2026

Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team

Step by step

The import process, in full

Before booking a vet appointment or a flight.

Confirm the pet's breed or type against Tunisia's outright ban on Pit Bull, Rottweiler, Tosa and Mastiff-type dogs before planning anything further.

Responsible: Owner

Start of planning if the vaccination isn't already current.

Confirm microchip and rabies vaccination are current, with at least 30 days passed since a first vaccination.

Responsible: MOCCAE-approved vet in the UAE

Close to travel, certificate valid 30 days from issue.

Book the MOCCAE vet appointment for the physical exam and health certificate.

Responsible: Owner and MOCCAE-approved vet

Same appointment or shortly after.

Reformat the MOCCAE certificate to meet DGSV's Tunisia import documentation.

Responsible: Vet or pet transport agent

3-4 weeks before travel.

Book cargo space with Emirates SkyCargo or Tunisair for the DXB-TUN or AUH-TUN leg.

Responsible: Owner or agent

Within the certificate's validity window.

Travel day: present the MOCCAE-based health certificate at Tunis-Carthage, the only approved entry airport.

Responsible: Owner and cargo agent

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. ISO 11784/11785, 15-digit chip, implanted before the rabies vaccination.

Rabies vaccination

Required, administered between 30 days and 12 months before entry. First-time vaccinations at 12 weeks minimum age, plus the 30-day wait before travel.

Rabies titre test

Not required for pets travelling from the UAE. Tunisia's DGSV does not ask for a titre test from most countries of origin, the UAE included; this differs from the Tunisia-to-UAE direction, where MOCCAE requires one because Tunisia sits outside its low-risk list.

Quarantine

Waived for a pet arriving with complete, correct paperwork. Non-compliant animals face quarantine, return to origin, or in the worst case euthanasia, at the owner's expense.

Import permit

Not required for an accompanied personal pet travelling with its owner.

Health certificate

International health certificate issued shortly before travel, based on the MOCCAE export certificate, endorsed by DGSV. Present the original at check-in.

Export permit

No separate export permit for a personal pet. A MOCCAE veterinary health certificate, issued after a physical exam and valid 30 days from issue, is the core document. MOCCAE's own service exempts companion animals from needing a certificate of origin or the destination country's import approval.

Veterinary inspection

Physical exam by a MOCCAE-approved vet shortly before travel, confirming microchip, vaccination status and general health.

Health certificate

MOCCAE veterinary health certificate, reformatted where needed to meet the DGSV's import documentation for Tunisia.

We handle the regulations for every animal, every country, every airline, so nothing on your United Arab Emirates to Tunisia 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 SkyCargo

Flies Dubai (DXB) to Tunis-Carthage (TUN) nonstop, the same city pair as the reverse direction, with a live-animal handling setup at its Dubai hub.

Cargo Only

Tunisair

Also operates the DXB-TUN nonstop, around 13 flights a week combined with Emirates on this pairing, roughly 6 hours' flying time. Pit Bull, Rottweiler and Tosa Inu type dogs are refused in every class.

Cargo Only

Qatar Airways Cargo

An indirect option via Doha into Tunis, worth pricing if neither direct carrier has cargo space on the required date.

Cargo Only

Costs

What this route typically costs

MOCCAE health certificate: AED 100 discounted personal-consignment fee, or AED 400 standard fee

Rabies vaccination or booster, if not already current: AED 150-350

Tunisia-side documentation and any local agent handling on arrival: TND 100-250 (approximately AED 120-300)

IATA-compliant travel crate: AED 350-1,100

Cargo, Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Tunis direct: AED 2,800-6,500 depending on crate size and season

Agent fees: AED 600-1,200

Total typical range: AED 4,500-9,500 over 5-6 weeks

Critical points

Tunisia's ban on Pit Bull, Rottweiler, Tosa and Mastiff-type dogs applies to every dog entering the country, no matter how clean the MOCCAE paperwork is. There's no appeal at the border. A banned-type dog turned away at Tunis-Carthage goes back to the UAE at the owner's cost.

MOCCAE's health certificate is valid for only 30 days from issue, so book the vet appointment against a confirmed travel date, not before.

Only Tunis-Carthage International Airport clears pet imports. A booking that lands anywhere else in Tunisia cannot process the animal.

Meeting Tunisia's entry requirements

Bringing a pet into Tunisia is one of the simpler processes. Cover the core requirements and you should have few surprises.

Advice worth following

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. Tunisia bans Pit Bull, Rottweiler, Tosa and Mastiff-type dogs and their crosses from entering the country outright, regardless of documentation or country of origin. A UAE-origin dog gets no exception.

No. Tunisia’s DGSV does not require a titre test from pets arriving from the UAE. A rabies vaccination given between 30 days and 12 months before arrival, alongside the MOCCAE-based health certificate, is sufficient.

Yes. Emirates and Tunisair both fly Dubai to Tunis-Carthage nonstop, around 13 flights a week between them, roughly six hours’ flying time.

A MOCCAE-approved vet issues a health certificate after a physical exam, valid 30 days from issue, costing AED 100 to AED 400 depending on service tier. Companion animals are exempt from needing a certificate of origin. There is no separate export permit.

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Airline guides

Emirates SkyCargo
Tunisair
Qatar Airways Cargo

Breed guides

Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.

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Pet Transport from the United Arab Emirates to Tunisia

The import process, in full

What your pet needs

Carriers on this route

What this route typically costs

Critical points

Meeting Tunisia's entry requirements

Advice worth following

Common questions

Move your pet

Airline guides

Breed guides

Get a free pet transport quote