Measures & Terms of Imports & Export of live animals 

Introduction: The general terms for importing live animals

Firstly: Every permit issued for the importation of live animals including fetusses and eggs shall be subject to the following conditions: (In addition to what any regulations provide for in the country)

1. Date and time of the consignment: The department shall be given notice of the date and time of the consignment arrival into the country, conveying company and the number of the trip in an early time not exceeding one week (During official office hours of the Ministry) as from the consignment arrival.
2. All consignments of live animals shall be freighted except for those require otherwise provided that they shall be noted in the prior permit.
3. The means of conveyance of animals shall consist with the recommendations of the OIE and IAIA and with any other recommendations being observed inside the country.
4. All the consignments of live animals shall be accompanied with:
   • Import permit obtained previously for this purpose
   • A declaration from the importer or exporter showing the distinguishing marks and origin of the animals.
   • A phytosanitary certificate stamped and attested by the authorities that are approved by the exporting body showing that the animals are healthy and clarifying the vaccines made and the experiments applied on the animal and any other precautions to prevent outbreak of diseases.
5. The live consignment shall be transferred directly from the country of origin into the country without stopping to exchange the means of conveyance, to re freight it or to mix with other animals except for the cases, which the department agrees on and recommends in writing in the import permit.
6. The captain or the person accompanying the consignment shall give notice to the veterinarian of the quarantine of the loss of any animal arising from death or disease during the trip.
7. Fodder, drug, straw , litter, freight boxes, containers, cages and the like shall be loaded down from the means of conveyance unless by instructions from the veteranian of the isolation centre who can give order for their cleaning, disinfection, disposal, inseration or any other method he sees suitable for their disposal.
8. The veteranian of the quarantine shall examine the consignments and documents on arrival.
9. The consignment inside the quarantine shall not be released unless it is verified that it satisfies the import terms on its arrival such as the period of sequestration, tests, treatment and inoculation.
10. The import permit is unchangeable and the department is entitled to nullify or amend the same at any time after the arrival of the concerned consignment if the health of the animals intended for import or the quarantine conditions in the exporting country has been changed or informed of its change at that time.
11. The consignee sustains alone any expenses including the documents, tests and quarantine treatments inside the quarantine.
12. The country shall not sustain any indemnity for inseration, re-export or any other measures.

Secondly: It is obligatory in the phytosanitary certificate accompanying the consignment that the country of origin shall be free of any epizootic or contagious disease of socioeconomic nature, of importance on the public health or in the international trade and its products and is inserted by the international epizootic office in the table (A) and (B) and the mentioned regulations didnot provide for it, and the consignee is asked to:

• Have the country of origin free from the disease which is not notified officially about it during the past six months prior to exportation.
• Importation Cease unless the country is free from the aforementioned diseases in this case.

Equine family

Equine import

There are terms for importation laid down by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in the country that consist with those set down by the European Federation for Equestration where countries are categorized into groups in which the terms of importation differ with the difference of the group from which import is needed, and most important of which is to obtain a prior permit from the Ministry, noting that there are three kinds of import permits. These are:

• Permanent import permit
• Temporary import permit
• Import permit of only transit feature

Secondly: Measures required for importation (in coordination with the Emirates society for horse racin.

1. The importer shall submit a written application for horses import (permanent or temporary) appendix (A-1)
2. In case of temporary importation, the owner or the consignee shall submit a signed promise by which he will re-export these horses to the country of origin after the period expires (Thirty days).
3. Returing the form to the department after filling it and then contacting the concerned authorities in the country of origin to carry out the necessary quarantine measures.
4. The horses shall be inoculated against the horses flu 14 days before export and shall not exceed 60 days as from the commencement of inoculation.
5. Right after receiving the results of blood samples tests (which shall be negative for the quarantine epszootic diseases that are approved internationally) the approved charges are to be paid and an import permit for horses is to be issued to the owner or to whoever acts as his representative.

Thirdly: Quarantine measures after horses arrival

- In case of temporary import:

• The veteranian shall investigate and match the phytosanitary certificate and the identity card with the consignment.
• The horses shall be isolated in the veterinary quarantine under the technical supervision of the Ministry and not be allowed for mixing with other horses unless during racing and for release and returned before the end of thirty days.
• Swaps and Blood samples shall be taken for examination in approved laboratories

 - In case of permanent import:

• The horses shall be detained for six days unless an epizootic diseas is suspected
• Swaps blood samples are to be taken for testing in approved laboratories.

Horses import

Firstly: Export terms

There are two kinds of export:

1. Permanent export
2. Temporary export

The permanent period of export is to be limited by over thirty days while the temporary period of export mustn't exceed thirty days and its terms depend on the terms laid down by the importing country as some countries stipulate carrying out a prior blood test for certain diseases or inoculations against other diseases.

Secondly : Required export measures

Horses that don't need veterinary isolation according to the importing countries.
The documents required for a phytosanitary certificate for export (horses export destination shall be identified)

1. Submitting an application (Appendix A-2)
2. Photocopy of the first page of the horses passport
3. Submitting the original copy of the horses blood test certificate.
4. Inocculating horses against some disease required by the importing country.
5. Paying the approved charges.
6. The veteranian shall test the horses, ascertain that they are healthy during 48 hours prior to departure, sign the phytosanitary certificate and then hand it over to the owner or whoever represents him.

Breeding Animals, Birds/ Reptiles/ Ornamental fish

Importation

Firstly : Document required for importation

Import permit for the species specified in this chapter requires the following documents which are to be submitted to the Animal Wealth Department in the Ministry.

A valid photocopy of the trade licence for the required activity Filling the form of the application which showing up the required scientific names, Paying the approved charges. Handing over the formality during a - two day work<

Secondly: Clearance measures

On the consignment arrival it shall be accompanied with the following documents. The import permit obtained prior to arrival from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in the Emirates A phytosanitary veterinary certificate attested from the country of origin.

Quarantine measures

As all live animals are subject to the veterinary quarantine terms, it requires the importer to affix his signature on the quarantine sequestration report by which he agrees to sustain any financial expenses, inseneration of the consignment or re-exporting it in case he refringes the import terms.

The cows imported for slaughtering shall be isolated for a period that might extend to a month during a period which the consignment will be subject to inocculation against the epizootic diseases, the consignee shall himself sustain all the treatment charges and feeding inside the quarantine. The other animals imported for breeding shall be subject to veterinary control by the veteranian of the quarantine. Incase of importing a number less than what is specified in the import permit, it is permitted to import the rest during a period not exceeding 15 days provided that it shall be prior to the termination of permit validity and be also subject to the veterinary quarantine terms.

Export

To export any one of the species specified in this chapter, A phytosanitary certificate shall be obtained from the Veteranian on duty at your area during a period not exceeding 48 hours prior to departure.

Endangered Species (endangered animals and birds - and their products)

Firstly: The required import documents

To import any species of the endangered animals which the convention of the international trade in these species (CITES) has provided for, the following document shall be submitted for the Animal Wealth Department in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

• A photocopy of the valid trade license for the intended activity and in case of individuals, a photocopy of the passports is required.
• (Cites) import certificate which can be obtained as following:-

1. Submitting an application for import to the Animal Wealth Department in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries .
2. Filling a Cites form.
3. 3. A photocopy of a valid trade licence (Only for companies and establishments).
4. Paying the approved charges.
5. Handing over the formality in a-two-daywork.

Import permi :

it is obtained as following:

1. Filling an import application and submitting it to the Animal Wealth Department.
2. Handing over the formality during a two day work.

Secondly: Clearance measures

• Having the consignment arrived into the land of the country. The following documents shall be produced to the Veteranian on duty.
• Import permit obtained previously from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
• CITES certificate from the country of origin.
• Attested veterinary health certificate.

Quarantine measures

• The endangered species shall undergo veterinary quarantine which is required from the consignee.
• Affixing signature on the veterinary sequestration form in which the consignee agrees to sustain any quarantine expenses, insenerating the consignment or re-exporting it in case of violating the import terms.
• The animal as well as the premises of their breeding shall be under the control of the veteranian for a period of month at the maximum and any deaths or clinical cases shall be notified.
• In case of importing a number less than what is specified in the import permit, it is permitted to import the rest during a period not exceeding 15 days provided that it shall be before the permit validity is finished and shall be also subject to the veterinary quarantine terms.

Export and Re-export

To export any of the species specified in this chapter the following documents shall be obtained:

CITES certificates for export which is obtained from the Animal Wealth Department in the MOEW as following:

1. Producing a CITES certificate from the country of origin.
2. Paying the approved charges.
3. Handing over the formality in a two daywork.

A phytosanitary veterinary certificate for exportation is to be obtained as following:

1. Contacting the veteranian on duty in your area on the telephone numbers appearing at the end of this booklet for having a veterinary test on the animal.
2. The phytosanitary certificate shall be attested during 48 hours prior to departure.
3. Paying the charges of the attested phytosanitary certificate.

Notice: The veterinary certificates from the Ministry are deemed to be valid through ports, outlets and airports for a period ranging between 5 - 14 days from the date of its issue according to the exporting consignment.

Pet Animals (Home pets - dogs - cats - Rabbits - rats)

Health terms for importing dogs and cats

• The animal (only dogs and cats) should have been inoculated against rabies disease before a period not less than a month and its age shall not less than four months.
• Free from ecto parasites, epizootic and contagious diseases.
• The imported animals shall be isolated as the veteranian of the quarantine sees necessary.

Import

Firstly : Documents for import

Obtaining permit for importing any of the species specified in this chapter requires the following documents from the Animal Wealth Department in the MAF.

• A photo copy of the valid trade licence and in case of individuals a photocopy of the passport of the animal's owner is required.
• Paying the approved charges.
• Delivering the formality in a two daywork.
• Filling application for import showing the number and breeds of the required species.
• A photocopy of the inocculation certificate for the animal intended for import.

Secondly : Clearance measures

On arrival of the consignment into the land of the country, it shall be accompanied with the following documents:

• The import permit previously obtained thereon from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in the country.
• Approved veterinary phytosanitary certificate from the animal exporting body.
• Separate inocculation book for each animal.

Quarantine measures:

• Pet animals are from the species that are subject to the veterinary quarantine terms which require the consignee to affix his signature on the quarantine sequestration report, by which he agrees to sustain any financial expenses, insinerating the consignment or re-exporting it in case he infringes import terms.
• The animals and their breeding premises shall be under the veteranian control for a period of month at the maximum and any death' or clinical cases shall be notified.

Export and re-export

To export or re-export any of the species appearing in the herein chapter, a veterinary phytosanitary certificate shall be obtained from the veterinarian on duty in your area during 48 hours prior to departure.

Required measures:

• Filling animals export application.
• Examining the animal intended for export by the veteranian.
• Producing up the inoculation book of the animal.
• Paying the approved charges.
• Obtaining the veterinary phytosanitary certificate for the animal.