Taking Your Dog From Kerala to the UAE: Permit, Titre Test, AQCS Certificate and Timeline (2026)

The UAE's model veterinary health certificate for cats and dogs, Annex 3 of the ministry's rules, shows what a government vet in the exporting country must certify. As of November 2026 it covers:

• •Identification: the dog's microchip number, which must match every document.
• •Vaccinations for dogs: rabies, given when the dog is at least 12 weeks old and according to the manufacturer's instructions, plus canine distemper, canine parvovirus, infectious canine hepatitis and leptospirosis.
• •Rabies titre test: for dogs from high-risk countries, a blood sample tested at an approved laboratory with a result of at least 0.5 IU/mL. A low-risk country is defined as one with no recorded rabies for at least two years before export. Rabies is still present in India, so plan on the test.
• •Parasite treatment: treatment for internal and external parasites within 14 days before export.
• •Final check: the dog must be examined in the 24 hours before shipping and show no signs of disease.
• •Travel crate: clean and disinfected, well ventilated, leak-proof, easy to clean and allowing visual inspection.

On top of the certificate, you need a UAE import permit, applied for online through MOCCAE before the dog travels. Relocation guides also report a limit on the number of pets imported per person each year, a minimum age, a list of restricted breeds, and that dogs must arrive as manifested cargo. We could not open MOCCAE's own service page to confirm these, so check the ministry's Import of pets (cats/dogs) page at moccae.gov.ae, or ask your relocation agent, before you plan.

Before your dog leaves India, AQCS, under the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, issues the export health certificate in the importing country's format. As of November 2026, its export page asks for:

• •The dog itself, for examination by the officer.
• •A health certificate from any local registered veterinarian saying the dog is fit to travel.
• •The microchip certificate and vaccination details.
• •Copies of the owner's passport and air ticket, and the airway bill if the dog travels as cargo.
• •Anything the importing country requires, such as the import permit and the blood titre test.
• •Two postcard-size, front-facing photographs of the dog.
• •An authority letter if someone else attends for you.

Bring originals and self-attested photocopies. AQCS asks owners to confirm an appointment with the officer at least 7 days ahead by email or phone, and to bring the documents and the dog to the quarantine office 7 days before departure. Its export procedure note says the certificate is issued after a physical examination within 2 to 3 days before departure, and the export page says the certificate is valid for 10 days from issue or examination. Fill in a separate application for each pet.

The export page lists AQCS stations in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The government opened AQCS clearance for imported pet dogs and cats at Cochin International Airport in October 2024, as covered in our travel guide, but its export page does not mention Kochi, so ask AQCS whether Cochin can issue your export certificate before you book a trip to Chennai or Bengaluru.

This is a planning guide, not an official schedule. Some relocation agents advise starting even earlier. Screenshot it:

• •4 months or more before: see your vet. Check the dog's health and age, implant an ISO 11784/11785 microchip if it does not have one, and give or update the rabies and core vaccinations. Many vets implant the chip first so the vaccine is recorded against the chip number. Check the UAE's restricted breed list.
• •After the rabies vaccination: ask your vet or relocation agent which approved laboratory to use for the rabies antibody titre test, and how long to wait after vaccination before the blood is drawn. Results can take weeks, and a result below 0.5 IU/mL means repeating the process.
• •6 to 8 weeks before: once the titre result is in, apply for the UAE import permit online and check how long it stays valid. Contact airlines or a cargo agent about dates, crate size and heat restrictions.
• •3 to 4 weeks before: book your AQCS appointment and buy a travel crate of the right size.
• •Within 14 days before export: internal and external parasite treatment, as your vet advises. Record the date and product on the certificate.
• •About 7 days before: take the dog and all documents to AQCS on your appointment.
• •2 to 3 days before: AQCS examination and export certificate, valid for 10 days.
• •Within 24 hours of shipping: the final examination the UAE certificate asks for. Ask AQCS and your agent how this is met for your flight.
• •Travel day: arrive early, carry copies of everything, and keep the originals with the dog's paperwork.

Keep originals in one folder, with photocopies and phone photos of every page:

• •Microchip certificate with the chip number.
• •Vaccination record showing rabies and core vaccinations, with dates, batch numbers and the vet's stamp.
• •Rabies antibody titre test report from the approved laboratory.
• •UAE import permit.
• •Fitness-to-travel certificate from your registered vet.
• •AQCS export health certificate in the UAE format.
• •Parasite treatment record within the 14-day window.
• •Copies of your passport, ticket and the airway bill.
• •Two front-facing photographs of the dog.

Several Indian and Gulf airlines fly from Kochi (COK) and Trivandrum (TRV) to the UAE, but whether one will carry your dog is a separate question. As of November 2026, per the airline pages cited in our guide on travelling with a dog from Trivandrum, IndiGo does not carry pets, Air India Express says it has no standard pet-in-cabin service, and Air India accepts pets in the cabin on some flights from the UAE but not on flights from India to the UAE.

Relocation guides report that dogs entering the UAE usually travel as cargo, booked through the airline's cargo arm or a licensed agent rather than the passenger website. Before you book, ask the airline or agent:

• •Does it accept dogs on your route and date, and as cargo or checked baggage?
• •What crate size and type does it require for your dog's size?
• •Are there heat restrictions in the Indian or Gulf summer, or rules for snub-nosed breeds?
• •Who handles the dog on arrival, and where do you collect it?

We could not confirm current official fees, so get written quotes for each item:

• •Vet visits, microchip and vaccinations in Kerala.
• •The rabies titre test, including sending the sample to the laboratory.
• •The UAE import permit fee, and any arrival inspection charges in the UAE.
• •AQCS charges, which AQCS publishes on its quarantine charges page.
• •An airline-approved crate.
• •Cargo charges, which depend on the crate's size and weight.
• •A relocation agent, if you use one.

For some families, especially on a short or uncertain posting, these costs and the months of paperwork tip the balance towards leaving the dog in Kerala. Our comparison of dog boarding costs in Kerala and Dubai may help.

Some families fly first and bring the dog once housing and paperwork are settled. Neolokam offers long-term boarding at ₹444 a day standard, ₹555 for additional care and ₹666 for heavy and giant breeds, and monthly boarding from ₹9,999 to ₹17,777, all plus 18% GST, with daily photo and video updates on WhatsApp. Every new dog needs a trial visit and temperament assessment; up-to-date rabies and core vaccinations with the record; current tick and parasite prevention as advised by your vet; and must be comfortable around other dogs.

If your dog boards while you prepare the move, decide who in Kerala will take it to the vet, the titre test blood draw and the AQCS appointment, and tell the Neolokam team those dates early. If you might bring the dog back to India later, keep copies of the export papers.