Dog Relocation · Dubai, UAE
Dog Relocation Dubai
Foufoufly moves dogs into and out of Dubai — from a nine-kilogram terrier flying in from Manchester to a Great Dane in a custom-built container heading to Sydney. We assess the breed, measure the dog, build the crate, clear the permits and hand your dog over at the other end. You are told what is happening at every checkpoint.
Before anything else, four things decide whether your dog can fly at all: the breed, the shape of its face, its size, and its age. We check those first, on the first call, because everything downstream depends on them.
What decides whether your dog can fly
Almost every complication in dog relocation traces back to one of four things. Establish them at the start and the rest of the move is administration. Discover them late and you are rebooking flights.
Breed
The UAE restricts or prohibits certain breeds from entering, and several airlines maintain their own separate lists. The two do not always agree. A dog that is legal to import may still be refused by the carrier you wanted to use.
Restricted breeds in Dubai → Restricted dog breeds DubaiSnout
Snub-nosed breeds — Bulldogs, Pugs, Boxers, Shih Tzus — have shortened airways that cope badly with heat and stress. Several carriers embargo them on UAE routes seasonally, some year-round. It narrows the airline list rather than closing it.
Snub-nosed breeds and flying → Snub nosed breeds flyingSize
Size sets the crate, the crate sets the volumetric weight, and volumetric weight sets both the price and which aircraft can carry the shipment at all. Giant breeds often need a custom container and a specific aircraft type.
Large breed relocation → Large breed dog relocationAge
Puppies cannot fly until they are old enough to have completed the required vaccination schedule, and airlines apply a minimum age of their own on top of the import rules. Very senior dogs may need a veterinary fitness-to-fly assessment.
Minimum age to fly a puppy → Puppy relocation age requirementsHow we handle it: we ask for the breed, an approximate weight, the date of birth and four measurements on the first call, then come back with the airlines that will actually accept your dog. If your dog cannot fly on the route you had in mind, you will hear it from us immediately — not three weeks into a vaccination schedule.
Dogs travel as manifested air cargo rather than in the cabin on almost every UAE route. If that phrase is new, our pet shipping Dubai page explains what it means in practice, and dog shipping Dubai covers the cargo side specifically.
Service Tiers
What is included
Three tiers. The difference is how much of it lands on your desk.
| Included | Essentials | Managed | White Glove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed and airline eligibility assessment | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MOCCAE import or export permit | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Airline booking and air waybill | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| IATA-compliant crate measured and fitted | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Export health certification | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Customs clearance both ends | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vaccination and titre test scheduling | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Door-to-door collection and delivery | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Crate acclimatisation plan | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Named coordinator, one point of contact | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom-built container for giant breeds | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pre-flight boarding and comfort stop | — | — | ✓ |
| Flight nanny accompaniment | — | — | ✓ |
| Live updates at every checkpoint | — | — | ✓ |
| Destination settling-in visit | — | — | ✓ |
All prices are quoted in AED and include 5% UAE VAT. Terms apply; service availability is subject to route, breed and season.
Step by Step
How dog relocation works
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Eligibility check
Breed, snout, size, age — the four factors above, settled before anything is booked. This is also where we establish whether the destination has its own breed restrictions, which several countries do independently of the airline.
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Timeline built backwards
From your moving date, not forwards from today. The rabies titre test and its fixed waiting period is what usually decides whether a date is achievable — for the UK and Australia in particular, the clock cannot be shortened by paying more.
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Permits and paperwork
The UAE import requirements in full for inbound moves, or the destination authority's for outbound — APHA for the UK, USDA for the US, DAFF for Australia. Microchip details must match every document exactly; a single transposed digit stops a shipment at the counter.
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Veterinary schedule
Vaccinations, parasite treatment, titre test where required, and the export health certificate issued inside its validity window. We book the appointments and hold the dates so nothing drifts.
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Crate fitting and acclimatisation
Measured to your dog, then given to you weeks early so the dog can sleep in it at home. A dog that already treats the crate as its own space travels far better than one meeting it at the cargo terminal.
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Collection, flight, delivery
Collection from your door, lodgement at the cargo terminal, clearance at the destination, delivery to the new address — with confirmation at each checkpoint.
Crate size drives the whole quote
This is the part owners are most often surprised by. Airlines charge live animal cargo on volumetric weight — the space the crate occupies — not on what the dog weighs. A lean 22 kg Collie in a correctly sized crate can cost less to fly than a stocky 18 kg Bulldog that needs the next size up.
| Measurement | How to take it | What it sets |
|---|---|---|
| A — length | Nose tip to base of tail, dog standing | Crate length |
| B — height at elbow | Ground to elbow joint, dog standing | Added to A for crate length |
| C — width | Widest point, usually across the shoulders | Crate width |
| D — height | Ground to top of head or ear tips, whichever is higher | Crate height |
The dog must be able to stand fully upright without its ears touching the roof, turn around completely, and lie down naturally. Undersized crates are the single most common reason a shipment is refused at acceptance. Large and giant breeds usually need a wooden container built to the IATA CR82 specification, which we build here in Dubai to the animal's measurements.
Send us the four numbers and we will tell you the crate size before you buy anything. For the cost side of this, see our complete pet relocation cost guide, and for giant breeds specifically, large breed dog relocation.
Moving a dog into Dubai, and out again
Into Dubai
An import permit from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), an ISO-standard microchip, current rabies vaccination, an export health certificate from an approved veterinarian in your origin country, and the treatments the UAE requires for that country. Your dog clears through the animal reception facility at the cargo terminal, is inspected by the MOCCAE veterinary officer, and is released to the consignee named on the air waybill.
Step-by-step in our guide to bringing a dog to Dubai, and the full documentation picture in pet relocation to Dubai.
Out of Dubai
Outbound is where the timelines get long. The UK and Australia both require a rabies titre test with a fixed waiting period afterwards, and Australia adds a quarantine period on arrival. Neither can be compressed. Families leaving the UAE should start six months out where Australia is the destination.
We hold the veterinary schedule, the export permit and the destination paperwork so the sequence does not slip. Start early and outbound is straightforward; start late and it is not.
Dogs flying into the UAE
Dogs flying out of the UAE
Regulations change. We work to the current published requirements from MOCCAE and the destination authority, and verify them per shipment rather than working from memory.
Pricing
What dog relocation from Dubai costs
Four variables set the figure: the route, the crate size, the season, and how much of the work you want to keep. Breed sits behind all four — a snub-nosed dog restricted to two carriers has less competitive pricing available than one any airline will take.
Season matters more for dogs than most owners expect. Summer heat embargoes at both ends push shipments onto night departures and narrower routings, and the available cargo space on those flights is finite. Booking a July move in May costs more than booking it in March.
We quote a single fixed figure covering the permits, crate, veterinary coordination, airline charges, clearance and delivery. No line items appearing later.
Experience
Why relocate your dog with Foufoufly
We are based in Dubai. Not represented here, not working through an agent — based here, with a team that knows the cargo staff at the terminal by name. When a shipment needs a decision at two in the morning, the person making it is in the same time zone as your dog.
Every move is run by a named coordinator who stays with you from the first call to the delivery confirmation. You will not repeat your dog's medical history to four different people.
A recent move
A family leaving Dubai for Sydney came to us with a Rottweiler and eleven weeks on the clock. The breed was accepted by the destination but by only one of the carriers on that route, and their titre test had been taken a fortnight too early to count. We rebooked the test, held cargo space on the one airline that would take the dog, built a CR82 container to his measurements, and he cleared quarantine and was home with them five weeks later.
Sam Jamal, our founder, has spent his career in pet transport and is an IPATA-certified specialist. More about the team.
Moving a cat as well? See cat relocation Dubai — the paperwork is identical, the crate and the temperament are not.
FAQ
Dog relocation Dubai — frequently asked questions
Can any dog breed be relocated to Dubai?
No. The UAE restricts or prohibits certain breeds from import, and individual airlines maintain separate restrictions of their own — the two lists do not always match. We check both against your dog before anything is booked, so you know on the first call whether the move is possible and which carriers will take it.
How long does it take to relocate a dog from Dubai?
The flight is the shortest part. Preparation sets the timeline — a few weeks for straightforward destinations, and several months where a rabies titre test and its fixed waiting period apply, such as the UK or Australia. Australia adds quarantine on arrival on top. We build the schedule backwards from your moving date.
Can my dog fly in the cabin with me from Dubai?
On almost all UAE routes, no. Dogs travel as manifested air cargo in a pressurised, temperature-controlled hold, with registered assistance dogs the usual exception. It is a booking type rather than a downgrade — cargo is the only arrangement that gives you confirmed space on the aircraft.
What size crate does my dog need?
One that lets the dog stand fully upright without its ears touching the roof, turn around completely, and lie down naturally. The size comes from four measurements — length, height at the elbow, width across the shoulders, and height to the top of the head. Send us those numbers and we will specify the crate before you buy anything.
Can snub-nosed dogs like Bulldogs and Pugs be flown?
Often yes, but the airline list narrows considerably and some carriers embargo these breeds seasonally or year-round because of their restricted airways. Where a move is possible we route it on a direct night flight with a carrier that accepts the breed, and we will tell you plainly if your route has no such option.
What documents does my dog need to enter the UAE?
A MOCCAE import permit, an ISO-standard microchip, a current rabies vaccination, an export health certificate issued by an approved veterinarian, and any additional treatments the UAE requires for your origin country. Full detail in our UAE pet import requirements guide.
Ready to move your dog?
Tell us the breed, the route and your moving date. We will come back with the airlines that will take your dog, a fixed quote and a realistic timeline — usually within one working day.
hello@foufoufly.com · +971 50 451 0918
Subject to eligibility. Terms apply. All prices in AED, inclusive of 5% UAE VAT.