Moving from Dubai to Australia with a dog

Moving to Australia with a dog from Abu Dhabi, Dubai or the wider UAE is not for the faint hearted. It's a process that takes over 6 months in total and planning is absolutely essential. It's also very important that steps are done in order, with the submissions to the authorities being done in exactly the format required. Any error in the process could result in extended quarantine for dogs or the process having to restart which is costly in time and money.

This is not an exhaustive list of the process but a high level guide. You should consult a relocation agent to get the latest rules and benefit from their experience of having done this process time and again. Here at Relocate Your Pet we have over a decade of experience sending dogs to Australia and are members of IPATA, the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association, which gives us unparalleled access to information on updates to country rules and regulations.

A rough guide to moving to Australia:

1. You will need a microchip verification which reduces quarantine on arrival from 30 days to 10 days, this has to be sent to Australia via the Ministry
2. A rabies blood test (titre test) is performed to show that your dog has antibody levels sufficient to protect them against rabies
3. The blood tests starts a 180 day wait period and your dog cannot travel prior to the 180 days elapsing
4. Import permits and quarantine reservations need to be in place well in advance as there can be a backlog
5. When you know the date of entry into Melbourne (which is where the quarantine facility is) you can plan the remainder of the tests and treatments required
6. Dogs generally arrive as manifest cargo however there are some shared charters to Melbourne which is a great option, particularly for snub nose breeds over the summer
7. Dogs from the UAE will spend 10 days in quarantine assuming that all the steps have been followed correctly

Moving to Australia with dogs is a complex and lengthily process but when you partner with a trusted relocation agent the tasks become less daunting. We know that you may only do this move once inf your life so it's normal to feel overwhelmed. We do the process every day so can hold your hand through the next stage of your journey.