WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/ARE/6 
13 June 2005 
 (05-2439) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Pet animals 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All 
countries 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Ministerial Decree 
Number (64) of the year 2005-03-02 on terms and conditions for importation of Pet Animals 
to the United Arab Emirates  (Available in English, 2 pages) 
6. Description of content:   
• Pet animals shall not be imported in purpose fo r selling or transferring their ownership to 
other persons, and it shall be absolutely fo rbidden to import dogs and cats for trade 
purposes except through the competent auth orities approved by the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Fisheries. 
• Pet animals shall not be permitted for im portation unless obtaining prior import permit 
from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries; and in case that any animal arrives to the country without obtaining prior importation perm ission from the Minist ry of Agriculture 
and Fisheries it shall be considered as an  illegal importation and the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Fisheries shall have the right to send it back to the exporting country at 
the expense of the owner, or it may be destro yed or confiscated if the owner refused to do 
so. 
• An official health certificate issued by th e competent veterinary authorities in the 
exporting country according to the regulations applied in the United  Arab Emirates shall 
be obtained for the pet animal. 
• Imported pet animal should be transported by air in accord ance with the international 
terms and conditions of (IATA) by ai r cargo and not under baggage mode. 
Transportation should, by any means, ensure the safety and welfar e of the animals and 
that they shall not come in contact with othe r animals not of the same health status during 
their journey to the United Arab Emirates. 
• Pet animals in the country shall have vacc ination cards issued by the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Fisheries or by the comp etent body authorized by the Ministry. 
Vaccination cards shall include all particulars related to the animal health. The competent 
authorities shall register the health status  of the animal before leaving the country. 
 G/SPS/N/ARE/6 
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• On arrival of these animals in the country accompanied by health certificate issued by the 
exporting country  they shouldn't need prior im port permit provided that the instructions 
stated in the health card  were properly followed. 
• Transit animals shall obtain prior import permit from th e destination country and they 
shouldn't come in contact with other animals during their journey either by the means of 
transportation or in the quaran tine premises of the country. 
• Animal Health Department of the Ministry of  Agriculture and Fisheries shall issue a list 
including the prohibited kinds of importation of dogs and cats and shall include the kinds 
which may be dangerous to man and animals or any other animal species thought by the 
Department that may contradict with the legislations issued for ensuring the health and welfare of animals. Animal Department shall review and amend the list when necessary.  
• Each animal arriving to any of the official outlets in the country and found not fulfilling
 
the health terms and conditions of exporta tion to United Arab Emirates shall be 
immediately sent ba ck to the exporting country at the expense of the owner or it may be 
destroyed or confiscated in case  the owner refused to do so. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [   ] food safety, [ X ] animal health, [   ] plant protection, 
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [   ]  protect territory from other 
damage from pests 
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [ X ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:    
9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which thes e are available:  Available in Arabic 
and English 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   20 February 2005 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   20 February 2005 
12. Final date for comments:   
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:    
 
En. Mohamed Moussa Abdallah Head of National Notification Authority and Enquiry point 
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries 
P.O. Box 1509 United Arab Emirates - Dubai Tel: +971 4 29 57650  +971 4 202 6634 
Fax: +971 4 2945994  
Mobile: +971 50 6342226 
E-mail: plant.maf@uae.gov.ae
 
Website:  http://www.uae.gov.ae/uaeagricent/  
  G/SPS/N/ARE/6 
 Page 3 
 
 
 13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notificati on authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
En. Mohamed Moussa Abdallah 
Head of National Notification Authority and Enquiry point Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries 
P.O. Box 1509 
United Arab Emirates - Dubai Tel: +971 4 29 57650  +971 4 202 6634 Fax: +971 4 2945994  
Mobile: +971 50 6342226 
E-mail: plant.maf@uae.gov.ae
 
Website:  http://www.uae.gov.ae/uaeagricent/  
En. Khalfan Abdulaziz Alsuwaidi 
General Director of Animal Wealth Department 
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries 
P.O. Box 1509 United Arab Emirates - Dubai Tel: +971 4 294 5775  +971 4 202 6600 
Fax: +971 4 295 74 75 
Mobile: +971 50 48 255 31 E-mail: vetgazal.maf@uae.gov.ae
 
Website:  http://www.uae.gov.ae/uaeagricent/  
http://www.uae.gov.ae/uae agricent/RULES_REG ULATIONS/decision/Rule64_e5.doc  
in English 
http://www.uae.gov.ae/uaeagricent/RUL ES_REGULATIONS/decision/rule64.doc  
in arabic