Pets in Qatar: import permits, vets and moving them out

Qatar welcomes pet cats and dogs, but moving one here, or out of here, takes paperwork and time. Inside Qatar, the Ministry of Municipality is in charge: it issues the import permit you need before your pet flies in and the veterinary health certificate you need before it flies out. In 2025-2026 the Ministry moved these services onto its Oun app, which you log into with your QID. The usual order is: check your pet is allowed, get the microchip, rabies vaccine and (often) a rabies blood test done, apply for the permit, book the flight, then get the final health certificate a few days before travel. Plan three to four months ahead if a blood test with a waiting period applies. Once your pet is here, the bigger daily issues are the summer heat, finding pet-friendly housing, and knowing where dogs are and are not allowed.

Before you start

• Your Qatar ID (QID) and a Qatari mobile number, because the import permit is applied for by a resident and the Oun app logs in with QID and a one-time code
• Your pet's ISO 11784/11785 microchip number, written exactly the same on every document
• The rabies vaccination certificate showing the vaccine name, batch number, date given and expiry
• Other vaccine records: for dogs the combined distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis and leptospirosis vaccine; for cats the FVRCP-type vaccine
• A rabies antibody (titre) blood test report from an approved laboratory, showing at least 0.5 IU/mL, if your route requires it
• A clear photo of your pet and its breed and age, so you can check it is not on a restricted list
• An airline-approved (IATA-standard) travel crate that is big enough for your pet to stand, turn and lie down
• Your landlord's or compound's written OK to keep a pet, before you sign a lease
• Your passport copy and flight details, which the airline and any relocation agent will ask for

Step by step

1. Check your pet is allowed

   Start with the basics before you spend money. Pets generally need to be at least four months old to be imported, and some official routes have used a higher age (seven months), so follow the stricter one unless the Ministry tells you otherwise. Several large or powerful dog breeds are restricted: published lists include Rottweiler, Doberman, Boxer, Great Dane, Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bulldog, Shar-Pei, Neapolitan Mastiff, Boerboel and Japanese Akita, and a 2024 Ministry of Environment list of dangerous animals adds Pit Bulls, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, Kangal, Caucasian Ovcharka and other mastiffs. These lists do not match each other, so if your dog is one of these breeds or a cross of them, ask the Ministry in writing before you plan anything. Note too that some airlines refuse snub-nosed breeds such as pugs, bulldogs and Persian cats in hot weather.

2. Microchip, then vaccinate against rabies

   Your pet must have an ISO-standard microchip; animals without one are not admitted. Ask the vet to implant and scan the chip before, or on the same day as, the rabies vaccine, so the vaccine is clearly linked to that chip number. The rabies vaccine should be given at least 30 days before travel and must still be valid when your pet lands in Qatar. Also bring the core vaccines up to date: the combined vaccine for dogs, and the cat flu and enteritis (FVRCP-type) vaccine for cats. Check that every certificate shows the same chip number, because a mismatch is one of the most common reasons pets are held at the airport.

3. Do the rabies blood test early

   Many pets coming to Qatar need a rabies antibody blood test (often called a titre test, RNATT or FAVN). Your vet takes a blood sample at least a few weeks after the rabies vaccine and sends it to an approved laboratory; the result must be 0.5 IU/mL or higher. Some official routes have also required a 90-day wait after the blood sample is taken before the pet can enter. Because results take weeks and the waiting period can be long, this test is the step that decides your timeline. Do it as early as possible and keep the original lab report.

4. Apply for the import permit

   The Ministry of Municipality issues the 'import permit for cats and dogs'. Since 2025-2026 you can apply in the Ministry's Oun app: log in with your QID and mobile number, enter the one-time code, choose the cats and dogs import permit, upload the vaccine records, titre test and microchip details, and track the request in the app. You can also apply in person at the Animal Resources Department veterinary offices (for example the clinic on Al Matar Street in Al Rayyan); call 184 if you are unsure where to go. The permit has been reported as normally issued within about a working day and valid for about one month, so apply once all documents are ready and shortly before the flight. A vet or pet relocation company can prepare the file for you, but only the Ministry can approve it. Confirm any fee shown in the app before paying.

5. Book your pet's flight

   Qatar Airways does not let pet cats and dogs travel in the cabin; only falcons and recognised service dogs on certain routes can. Your pet can fly as checked baggage on most routes if it is with you and the crate is within the limits, or as cargo if it is travelling alone, is very large (over 75 kg or crate over 300 cm in total dimensions), or is connecting to another airline. Request pet carriage at least 48 hours before departure and arrive at check-in at least two hours early. Some breeds that struggle with heat are restricted, and summer heat makes cargo travel harder, so ask the airline about your breed and dates. Other airlines have their own rules, so check each leg of your journey.

6. Get the final health certificate

   A few days before you fly, your vet examines your pet and issues an official health certificate saying it is fit to travel and meets Qatar's conditions. In many countries this certificate must then be endorsed (stamped) by the government veterinary authority, which can take extra days. Qatar Airways asks for a vet's fit-to-fly confirmation issued within 10 days of travel. Check the exact validity window with your departure country's authority, the airline and any transit country, and carry the originals in a folder with the permit, vaccine records and titre report.

7. Collect your pet at Hamad International Airport

   If your pet flew as checked baggage, it is checked in and released through the airport's baggage process, and you will be pointed to the area where live animals are handed over; if it flew as cargo, it goes through the cargo terminal and customs clearance, often with the help of a clearing agent or relocation company. Animals are held in a dedicated facility while officials check the microchip, permit and health papers. With complete papers there is no routine fixed quarantine, and pets are often released the same day, but this is not guaranteed. Missing or mismatched documents can lead to the pet being held, quarantined or sent back. Bring water and an air-conditioned car, especially between May and September.

   Read guide: Your first 30 days in Qatar →

8. Settle in: vet, records and heat safety

   Register with a private vet clinic soon after arrival; Doha has many offering vaccinations, microchipping, neutering, grooming and boarding, and the Ministry's Animal Resources Department also runs veterinary clinics. Keep the rabies vaccine current, because you will need a valid one again whenever your pet travels, and make sure the microchip is registered to your Qatar phone number. Qatar's summer is dangerous for animals: walk dogs only early in the morning or late at night, test the pavement with the back of your hand, and never leave a pet in a parked car, even for a few minutes. Keep water and shade available at all times. Heavy panting, drooling, weakness, vomiting or collapse can mean heatstroke; cool your pet with room-temperature water and go to a vet immediately.

   Read guide: Emergencies in Qatar: who to call and where to go →

9. Rent a home that allows pets

   Many landlords and compounds in Qatar do not allow pets, and some allow cats but not dogs, so raise it before you pay any deposit. Ask for permission to be written into the lease, including any extra deposit or cleaning charge when you move out. Villas with gardens and some compounds are usually easier with dogs than apartment towers. If a landlord later objects to a pet that the lease allowed, the signed clause protects you.

   Read guide: Renting a home in Qatar →

10. Know where pets can and cannot go

    Dogs are not allowed in most indoor public places in Qatar: malls, mosques, schools, indoor restaurants and cafes, stadiums and workplaces. Signs ban pets on the Corniche and in several public parks, and only assistance dogs may ride the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram. Dogs are generally welcome on leash at many public beaches (for example Al Wakrah, Al Maroona and Zekreet), at the fenced Pet Park on The Pearl, and at some parks such as Al Bidda Park and 5/6 Park, plus a growing number of cafes with outdoor seating. Rules change and are enforced by security staff, so look for signs, keep your dog on a lead, pick up after it and keep it away from people who are uncomfortable, as many people here are not used to dogs.

    Read guide: Laws and etiquette every Qatar resident should know →

11. Adopt locally instead of importing

    Thousands of cats and dogs in Qatar need homes, and adopting avoids the import process entirely. The main rescue groups include Qatar Animal Welfare Society (QAWS), PAWS Rescue Qatar, 2nd Chance Rescue and Dogs in Doha. Expect an application form, an interview about your home, working hours and plans, and sometimes a home visit; animals are usually vaccinated, microchipped and neutered before adoption, and groups ask for an adoption donation or fee that varies. Think honestly about what happens to the pet when you leave Qatar, because abandoned expat pets are a big reason these shelters are full.

12. Take your pet with you when you leave

    Start planning at least three to six months before you leave, because your destination's rules decide the timeline. The UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand and the US each have their own microchip, rabies, titre test and waiting-period rules, and Australia and New Zealand require cargo travel. In Qatar you need a veterinary health certificate for exporting cats and dogs from the Ministry of Municipality, now also available in the Oun app; you will usually need your QID, your vet's travel health certificate showing the chip number, the rabies vaccine card and, for some countries, the titre test report. The certificate is valid only for a short time (sources mention 7 to 15 days), so time it close to the flight. If you plan to come back, ask about the Ministry's re-entry permit for cats and dogs, and book the airline space early, especially in summer.

    Read guide: Leaving Qatar for good: a step-by-step exit checklist →

What it costs

Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.

Common mistakes

• Starting too late: the rabies blood test and any waiting period can take three months or more, and cannot be rushed
• Giving the rabies vaccine before the microchip is implanted, or having a different chip number on one document
• Getting the import permit too early; it is valid for only about a month, so a delayed flight can mean applying again
• Assuming a breed is fine because it is common at home; check restricted breed lists and the airline's heat restrictions for snub-nosed breeds
• Signing a lease without a written pet clause, then being told by the building or compound that pets are not allowed
• Walking dogs in the middle of a summer day or leaving a pet in a parked car, which can kill within minutes
• Taking a dog to the Corniche, a mall or the Metro, where pets are not allowed and security will ask you to leave
• Leaving the export paperwork to the last week before you leave Qatar, when the destination country may need months

Questions people ask

Official sources

• Qatar Airways: travelling with animals ↗
• Gulf Times: Ministry of Municipality adds cat and dog import and export services to the Oun app (Sept 2026) ↗
• The Peninsula handbook: pets and animal control ↗
• The Peninsula: Ministry lists 28 dog breeds among dangerous animals (2024) ↗
• Qatar Living: bringing your pet to Qatar (2026) ↗
• Marhaba: pets and animal welfare in Qatar (2026) ↗

Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.

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