# Moving dogs from South Africa to Dubai



## sarahpillay (Mar 12, 2013)

Hi


I am moving with my husband and daughter to Dubai hopefully in the next month. When we get there we plan on finding an apartment with a garden, not only for our daughter but also for tge dogs (not necessarily a big one as they are small dogs). We plan to fly the dogs over a month after we arrive to give us enough time to find a suitable place to live. We are currently going through all the legalities with regards to paperwork and health checks. 
I would like to know if any South African's have gone through this process and if you have any tips and advise so that we can make this a smooth process for us and especially for our beloved dogs....


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## Klaaf (Jul 7, 2013)

Myself and my wife moved here about 3-4 months ago, and brought our cat with. It wasn't that much of a hassle, but we used agents both sides (Cape Town and Dubai). Just need to make sure you have all the paperwork done on your side, the most complex being the rabies blood tests that need to be done, so if you haven't done this, get that started ASAP, think it takes about 6 weeks. If the dogs haven't had the most recent rabies injection, the vet will give the animal a shot, you wait a month, then they take the blood, send it to PTA which takes 2 weeks or more. Then you submit all the paperwork to the state vet to get approved/attested.

The agent in Dubai is far more expensive than the agent in SA. The agents in SA generally have the crate made, arrange the cargo (animals go cargo), and get the paperwork all done.

The agents in Dubai cost a fortune (in Rands), and they pick up the paperwork, take it to 2 places, pay some fees, and then collect your pet and either drop it off at your place or take it to a kennel/cattery.

If I remember correctly, we paid, in total, about R15 000 to get the cat to the UAE. A bitter pill, but this was literally our only expense, the wife's company paid for everything else.

My opinion is to also be open to it taking longer than a month to find a place, and actually move in, with everything working, closer to 2 months, but am sure other people will have different opinions.


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## sarahpillay (Mar 12, 2013)

Thanks for the advice. We are taking them for their 6:1 Vacs, microchip and Rabies Vacs on Monday. I just hope we can get the Rabies results before we go so we have all in order and ready for them to join us. Did you take your cat with you or did he/she arrive later. Which agent did you use in SA? I have got a quote from a company called Petwings for just under R30 000 to take all 4 of my dogs over and they told me that they have covered all costs in Dubai too and that I would not have to pay any fees in Dubai once they get there. Hope there aren't any other hidden costs we don't know about. 

I also think that the dogs will be joining us closer to 2 months just to make sure we are really settled.


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## Klaaf (Jul 7, 2013)

The cat flew on the same flight as us, which though I am happy about, think I would have liked him to stay in SA until my home was ready to move in, but cats are not as easy as dogs when it comes to staying with family or friends  . If I had a dog, I would have had it stay with someone until I was settled in. Half the time you find a place here it has no grass, the other half the time it has dead grass, and depending on the size of the place, can cost a few AEDs to get it into a decent state, mine has been about 3000 AED to go from barren to lawn with trees, plants and flowers.....and lots of effort, not counting the water.

We paid to have the cat at a cattery for a month which is a bit expensive, think it was about 60 AED per day, for a month, called Posh Paws, think they have a Kennel as well.

Sorry I forgot the agents in SA, would have to ask the wife if she still has their details, but that was a Cape Town one, not sure where you live in SA. The Dubai one is called The Dog House, contact is Alison.

Once the pets are here, you need to register them with the municipality, but this can be done once you are all settled.

Good luck with the move and the vet......think the blood tests cost me R1500 including the shots.


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## sarahpillay (Mar 12, 2013)

I am from Durban. Petwings/Keringa seem to be quite clued up about that side and say they have their own agent there. Really hoping all runs smoothly. 

Thanks again


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## Kryptonite1988 (Aug 27, 2016)

*Klaaf - Contact me please*

Hi Klaaf I would like for you to contact me regarding the move of your cat from SA to the UAE. I am moving next year May and I will leave my cat Gucci behind for 2 months before she will be flying over. I would like to know how you guys went about to get all of this done. Gucci is my life and I will not life with myself knowing I left her behind.

Did your cat adapt to the heat change?

SNIP/

hope to hear from you soon.


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