Emirates service animal policy: service dogs, ESAs and flying through Dubai

Which rules apply to an Emirates flight?

• US DOT rules cover a foreign airline "only with respect to flights you operate that begin or end at a U.S. airport" (14 CFR 382.7(b)). On those flights Emirates uses the DOT forms.
• Emirates' own rules cover everything else, and they depend heavily on the route.
• Country rules apply at the destination, and in the UAE even for arrivals in Dubai.

Most Emirates trips change planes in Dubai, so a US itinerary can include a second leg where Emirates' own rules, not the DOT's, decide where your dog sits.

Service dogs on Emirates: what Emirates requires

Emirates says: "Your service dog, including a guide dog or psychiatric assistance dog (PSA), can travel with you free of charge." And: "Only dogs are considered service animals." The rules:

• Notice: "Let us know at least 48 hours ahead of your flight if you plan to fly with your service dog."
• Documents (non-US): proof of vaccination, microchipping and a pet passport; import permits "according to country regulations"; and proof that the dog "has been trained to perform specific tasks and behave in a public setting either by an individual or with an organization". Owner training is not ruled out.
• Age: "over the age of 4 months to travel in the aircraft cabin."
• Tether: "harnessed, leashed, or otherwise tethered by the handler in all areas of the airport and on board".
• Behavior: no barking, growling, biting, jumping or lunging. A dog that misbehaves may be moved "to the cargo hold at an additional cost" or refused, and you are liable for damage.
• Relief: the dog "must not relieve themselves in the cabin or at the boarding gate unless there is suitable provision to avoid health risks or hygiene issues."

Emirates does not state a maximum number of service dogs or a breed rule for service dogs.

Which Emirates routes allow a service dog in the cabin?

Emirates says seeing-eye dogs and psychiatric support dogs "can travel in the cabin on certain routes", listing:

• To or from the USA and Canada
• Between Australia and New Zealand
• Between countries in the EU and the USA
• From Dubai to countries in the EU, and from the EU to Dubai

On those routes the dog may also go as checked baggage or cargo. "To or from Dubai to other countries" it is "Transported only as checked baggage or manifest cargo." So New York to Dubai can be in the cabin, but a connection from Dubai to, say, Mumbai goes in the hold.

Two more lines to read carefully. First, the page says "Service animals other than seeing-eye or psychiatric support dogs can travel as checked baggage". Read literally, a hearing or mobility dog would ride in the hold. On flights to and from the US the DOT rule covers every task-trained service dog, so if yours is another type, get Emirates to confirm cabin travel in writing. Second, Emirates' pet FAQ still says animals are not allowed in the cabin except falcons on some Pakistan routes and "Guide Dogs for the visually impaired". The accessibility page is the more detailed and specific one.

Submitting the DOT forms to Emirates

For a flight to or from the US, Emirates asks for the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form "to attest the animal's health, training and behavior", and, "if your flight is longer than 8 hours", the DOT Relief Attestation Form. You upload them through Emirates' special assistance request form, and Emirates will "contact you to confirm this is validated before you travel".

Flying into the US, you also meet CDC rules. All dogs need a CDC Dog Import Form, and the CDC lists the UAE as a high-risk country for dog rabies. Dogs that have been in a listed country "within the past 6 months" face extra requirements, so a dog coming home after time in the UAE needs more paperwork. The CDC pages we read do not say how a connection that never leaves the airport is treated, so ask the CDC before you book. Our DOT form guide walks through each field.

Psychiatric service dogs on Emirates

Emirates accepts them by name, free of charge, on the same cabin routes as guide dogs. On routes that do not touch the US, Emirates wants extra paperwork: "A signed statement, no older than one year prior to your flight date, from a licensed medical health professional" naming your disability, confirming you are under their care and stating "The need for a psychiatric support dog for air travel or for activities at your destination", with the professional's license details.

For US flights, Emirates' page points to its US section, which asks only for the DOT forms and the CDC requirements. That fits the DOT rule, under which airlines may no longer require a letter from a mental health professional. We never sell or refer letters; if you need one for a non-US leg, ask your own clinician. See psychiatric service dogs.

Emotional support animals on Emirates: pets in the hold

Emirates is direct: "Emotional support or therapy animals are not considered service animals and will be accepted as normal pets. They can travel as checked baggage based on the regulations of the country you're traveling from and to. Excess baggage charges will apply."

• No cabin option. Emirates carries no pets in the cabin, apart from falcons on some routes.
• Into Dubai: "For all itineraries ending in Dubai, animals must be transported as cargo."
• Checked baggage fees on Emirates' US site: USD 500 for animal and cage up to 23 kg (50 lb) and 150 cm, USD 650 up to 32 kg (71 lb), USD 800 above that; larger cages go as cargo.
• Time limits: animals move to cargo if the total journey exceeds 17 hours, or if a Dubai connection runs more than 6 hours.

Oddly, UAE import rules do recognize emotional support dogs (see below), but that does not change how Emirates carries them. Compare airlines in can emotional support animals fly?

Service dogs in training on Emirates

Emirates' pages do not mention dogs in training. On US flights the DOT rule says service animals in training are not service animals, so expect a dog in training to be treated as a pet, which means the hold.

Flying into Dubai, and connecting there

Entering the UAE. Emirates says documents must reach the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) "at least four working days before departure": a veterinary health certificate, a rabies titer test (RNAT), vaccination records, a MOCCAE import permit and receipts for MOCCAE's fees. "The booking for the service dog will only be confirmed after the documents have been validated".

MOCCAE's own page adds that service, emotional support and medical dogs need "A certified document from a training center", "A medical report on the owner's health status that supports the purpose of using the dog" and a pledge not to transfer, abandon or breed the dog. The permit is valid for 90 days, and processing takes 5 working days for these dogs. The US is not on MOCCAE's list of low-risk countries, so expect the titer test (a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml). MOCCAE bans the import of pit bull types, the American Bully, Cane Corso, Bullmastiff and several other mastiff breeds, but exempts "those used as service animals, emotional support animals or for medical purposes".

Connecting in Dubai. MOCCAE says air transit "at the same airport" needs no transit permit, provided the animal is kept apart from other animals. Emirates' own limit for a dog travelling as checked baggage is a connection of no more than six hours. More on routes like this in international flights with a service dog.

Seating, size and large dogs on Emirates

"A service dog must not occupy a seat. A service dog must be of a size that can fit at your feet." It must not block aisles or exits, and Emirates will not seat you in an exit row. If the dog is too big for the space in front of one seat, Emirates says "you can purchase a second seat beside you", or rebook. On a US flight, the DOT rule says that if the dog does not fit, the airline must offer another seat in the same class if one is available, and otherwise the hold free of charge or a later flight.

The UK: Emirates does not appear on the UK government's list (updated 25 September 2026) of airlines registered to carry assistance dogs into Great Britain.

Contacting Emirates, and when we last checked

Use Emirates' special assistance request form or the contact options on its accessibility hub, both linked below. On a US flight, Emirates also lists information on its complaint resolution officials. We read Emirates' service dog page and animal FAQ, and MOCCAE's import page, live on 2026-09-29. Compare Qatar Airways and KLM.

Common questions

Sources

1. Emirates, flying with a guide dog or service dog
2. Emirates, rules and charges for travelling with animals
3. UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, import of pets (cats / dogs)
4. 14 CFR 382.7, which carriers the DOT rule covers
5. DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form (PDF)
6. CDC, high-risk countries for dog rabies
7. GOV.UK, airlines and airports registered to transport and check assistance dogs

General information, not legal advice. Policies and laws change; follow the sources. Last checked September 29, 2026.