Legislation Details
- Full Title: Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine
- Law Type: Federal Law
- Law Number: [number] of 2025
- Issued Date: 26 Dec 2025
- Effective Date: 01 Jan 2026
- Official Gazette: No. 814
- Sector: Environment and Natural Resources
- Status: Active
- Number of Articles: 58
- Chapters/Parts: 0
- Amendments: 0
Summary
The Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine regulates the procedures for the import, export, and transit of animal consignments in the United Arab Emirates. Its primary purpose is to protect the UAE from the introduction and spread of animal diseases. The law imposes various requirements and obligations on importers, exporters, carriers, and government authorities to ensure the safe movement of animals and animal products across the UAE's borders. Compliance with this law is crucial for businesses and individuals involved in the trade of live animals, animal products, and related goods, as violations can result in significant penalties. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 1-3)
What is the scope and purpose of this law?
The Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine applies to all animal consignments imported into the UAE, exported from the UAE, or transiting through the UAE's territory. The law aims to regulate veterinary quarantine procedures on these animal consignments and to protect the UAE from the introduction and spread of animal diseases. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 2-3)
What are the key definitions under this law?
The law provides the following key definitions:
- State: The United Arab Emirates
- Ministry: The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment
- Competent Authority: The competent local authority in each Emirate of the UAE
- Veterinary Quarantine Center: Any facility or building under the supervision of, or accredited by, the Ministry where animals are isolated for health surveillance and testing
- Live Animal: All animal species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, aquatic organisms, and terrestrial organisms
- Animal Products: Products derived from animals that may cause the transmission of infectious and epidemic animal diseases
- Animal By-Products: Inedible parts of animals, including dung, blood, horns, hooves, bones, and others
- Animal Feed: Food materials used for feeding animals, which may include meat, poultry, fish, and their products, derivatives, and by-products
- Animal Consignment: Any live animal, animal products, animal by-products, animal feed, animal samples, or non-medical animal tools and equipment imported, exported, or transiting through the UAE
- Supervising Veterinarian: The veterinarian appointed by the Ministry
- Border Port: All ports approved within the UAE by the Ministry through which animal consignments pass
- Importer or Exporter: Any natural or legal person importing or exporting an animal consignment
- Veterinary Health Certificate: A document issued by the competent authority in the exporting country, detailing the conditions and procedures applied to the animal consignment
- Permit: The authorization issued by the Ministry for the import, export, or transit of animal consignments
(Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 1)
What are the main obligations and requirements?
The key obligations and requirements under this law include: 1. Obtaining the necessary permits or veterinary health certificates from the Ministry before importing, exporting, or transiting animal consignments through the UAE. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 6) 2. Importing animal consignments only through approved border ports within the UAE, as determined by the Ministry. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 7) 3. Complying with the health requirements for the importation of live animals, their products, animal by-products, and animal feed, including originating from countries or regions free from diseases as determined by the Ministry. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 8) 4. Carriers of animal consignments must comply with the specifications and requirements necessary for the transport of such consignments, as determined by the Ministry or the competent authority. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 9) 5. The owner, possessor, importer, or exporter of an animal consignment must bear all costs related to veterinary quarantine procedures and provide the necessary care for the animals during their accommodation. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 14)
What licensing, registration, or approval requirements exist?
Any person wishing to import, export, or transit an animal consignment through the UAE's territory must submit an application to the Ministry for the required permits or veterinary health certificates, in accordance with the controls and procedures specified in the Executive Regulations of this law. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 6)
Which authorities or bodies are responsible for enforcement?
The key authorities and bodies responsible for the enforcement of this law are: 1. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, which is responsible for issuing permits, designating border ports, evaluating the level of veterinary services in exporting countries, and appointing supervising veterinarians. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 5, 11, 12) 2. The competent local authority in each Emirate of the UAE, which may work alongside the Ministry in certain enforcement and regulatory procedures. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 1) 3. The supervising veterinarian at the border port, who is responsible for examining incoming animal consignments and preventing the entry of consignments infected with any disease. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 12-13)
What are the penalties for non-compliance?
The law imposes the following penalties for non-compliance: 1. Any person who imports animal consignments through other than the approved border ports in the UAE shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of not less than one year and a fine of not less than AED 100,000 and not exceeding AED 1,000,000, or by either of these two penalties. The seized items shall be confiscated. The penalty shall be doubled in the event of recidivism. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 19) 2. Any person who fails to comply with the conditions for the import of live animals, their products, animal by-products, and animal feed, or with the specifications and requirements necessary for the transport of animal consignments, shall be punished by a fine of not less than AED 50,000 and not exceeding AED 500,000. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 20)
When did this law come into effect?
The Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine was issued on 26 December 2025 and came into effect on 1 January 2026, as per the effective date specified in the law. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Issued Date and Effective Date)
How does this law interact with other UAE legislation?
This law repeals and replaces the previous Federal Law No. (6) of 1979 Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, as amended. (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Art. 27) The law also references the following related legislation: - The Constitution of the United Arab Emirates - Federal Law No. (1) of 1972 Regarding the Competences of the Ministries and the Powers of the Ministers, as amended - Federal Law No. (6) of 1979 Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, as amended (Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine, 2025, Preamble)
Source Documents
This article analyses Federal Law Regarding Veterinary Quarantine for legal research and educational purposes. For the purpose of interpretation and application, reference must be made to the original Arabic text. In case of conflict, the Arabic text prevails. This does not constitute legal advice.