Relocating your family to Qatar

You’ll know that relocating to another country has its challenges and can be grey-hair inducing. Add an animal or two into the mix, and your anxiety levels could be through the roof. At PetAir, they understand that these furry animals are very much part of your family, and will help guide you through the process with ease. Remember it’s something that they do all day, every day. PetAir has fine-tuned their services to accommodate both you and your animals and take the stress out of travelling. 

What is the process?

We firstly recommend that you give yourself ample time to ensure the smooth running of your relocation. Please start the process as soon as you have your relocation confirmed because it can take a few months. There can be unplanned setbacks or delays with vaccination requirements, animal illness or administration errors.

Recruit PetAir

The rules and regulations surrounding pet importation are often changing. You can breathe easily with PetAir. They have fully trained experts that understand the importance of your pets and the ever-changing landscape. They will make sure that your pets meet the import requirements. Each pet must be fully vaccinated and be at least three months old. 

Banned breeds

The government has specific guidelines that you must follow. The criteria to import dogs are strict.

Sadly, there are several breeds of dog that are banned, including:

• American Staffordshire Terrier
• American Pit Bull Terrier
• Boerboel
• Boston Terrier
• Boxer
• Bull Terrier
• Bulldog
• Chinese Shar-Pei
• Doberman
• Great Dane
• Japanese Akita
• Neapolitan Mastiff
• Afghan Hound
• Rottweiler
• Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Vaccinations

It’s essential to ensure that your pets have all of the relevant vaccinations within the stipulated times.

Dogs

• Leptospirosis
• Parvovirus (DHLPP)
• Hepatitis
• Distemper

Cats

• Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis
• Calicivirus
• Panleukopenia (FVRCP)

All of these vaccinations should be administered no less than two weeks before your export date and must be valid.

Rabies Vaccine and Certificate

Cats and dogs must be vaccinated against rabies. Your veterinary surgeon will provide you with a certificate that states the microchip number, the validity of the vaccination, and the date of inoculation. Rabies vaccines are valid for one, two or three years. The vaccine must be the inactivated variety. The vaccine must be administered between 30 days and 12 months before your pet’s flight into Qatar. 

Rabies Neutralising Antibody Titer Test (RNAT) for Cats and Dogs

Once your pet has had their rabies vaccination, you will need to wait approximately four weeks before collecting a blood sample for the RNAT test. The test must meet the following requirements:

• The blood test must be taken at least 30-days after the vaccination 
• Your vet must scan the cat’s microchip and collect the blood sample for the RNAT testing 
• The test is to be carried out by the competent and approved blood testing laboratory 

• A result of 0.5 IU/ml or more is acceptable. A result of less than 0.5 IU/ml is not acceptable and you must re-vaccinate and repeat the testing process.
• You must wait for three months from the date that the blood sample was taken before you travel
• Your vet must record the test results and the date that the blood sample was taken in the health certificate

As long as your pet’s rabies vaccinations are up-to-date, then the blood test will continue to be valid. 

Microchip

The authorities will only identify your pets with a microchip and the corresponding vet-stamped pet passport. A microchip is an integrated identification circuit placed under the skin of your pet. The rice grain size chip uses passive radio-frequency identification technology. It must be implanted before the rabies vaccination is administered. The Qatari government accepts microchips that comply with  ISO Standard 11784 or Annex A to ISO standard 11785.

PetAir will provide you with the necessary import permit that is required to allow your pets into Qatar. Each of your pets will require this import permit from the Qatari government’s Environment and Agriculture department. The team will provide you with the exact requirements for your country of origin. As a rule of thumb, you will need to provide the following:

• Your name, address, telephone number
• Copy of your passport
• Qatar ID (front and back) – if you do not have this, PetAir can still assist you
• Pet name, species, sex, date of birth, description and weight
• Photograph of your pet
• Details of the microchip (date of insertion, location and number)
• Vaccination records stating the vaccination given and the batch number, date given, date due, veterinarians signature, stamp or license number and contact details

Veterinary Certification

You will need to send an official international health certificate that states the name, age, description, and microchip identification number of each pet within 10 days of your flight. The microchip identification number is 15-digits long. PetAir will submit this for you; the process is complex, and without it, the government will deny your pet entry into the country.

 The health certificate must also include the following information before export:

• The animal has been examined and found to be healthy and free from any clinical sign of rabies and infectious or contagious diseases 
• The animal has been vaccinated against rabies using an approved anti-rabies vaccine
• The vaccination history and health status of your pet
• That your pet is healthy enough for air travel 

Make at least four copies of the certification and vaccination records for the following:

• Airline
• Pet travel crate
• Transit permit (if necessary)
• One for you

Quarantine

There is no quarantine in Qatar, but animals will be kept in a special facility at Hamad International Airport until they clear customs.

Additional Information

There are no restrictions on the number of pets imported, but the local Qatari authorities might have local regulations about the number of pets that can be kept in residential premises.

All pets must be microchipped for identification purposes and must wear collars. Animals without collars will be classes as strays. 

You are required to obtain all of the necessary permits that will allow you to import your pets into Qatar. Quarantine officers will not allow pets to enter the country if there are no import permits. 

Ensure that your pet crate is IATA and airline approved.

The import permit is valid for  60 days from the date of issue.

We hope that this reassures you, but should you need more specific advice, please let the helpful team at PetAir help, they are all delighted to help you.