As of 1 October 2026: registering a pet’s official profile in Abu Dhabi costs nothing at all, read directly from TAMM’s own service page, and transferring that pet’s ownership to someone else is free too. Both run through a licensed veterinary clinic rather than a government counter directly.
What does Abu Dhabi pet registration actually involve?
The Department of Municipalities and Transport runs this through veterinary clinics rather than TAMM service centres: a vet registers a pet file for an individual or a licensed establishment and issues an ownership certificate for the animal, covering any animal residing in Abu Dhabi. Registration requires a health examination by the clinic itself, plus the owner’s Emirates ID, a photo of the animal, and proof of address. There is no fee, and TAMM lists the whole process at 6 minutes through UAE PASS once the clinic has done its part.
What does the actual registration produce?
Once complete, the owner receives an animal file number or a full animal registration certificate, the official record tying that specific pet to its owner in Abu Dhabi’s system. This is distinct from any microchipping or vaccination record the clinic itself might keep separately; the TAMM-linked registration is the government-facing ownership document, useful as proof of ownership if a pet is ever lost, disputed, or needs to be formally identified by a third party such as a landlord, an airline, or an insurer. If a pet actually does go missing, our Abu Dhabi lost and found guide covers the separate Abu Dhabi Police process for reporting and recovering lost items generally, a different system from this pet-specific ownership record.
How does transferring a pet to a new owner actually work?
Transfer of Pet Ownership moves an animal’s registered ownership from one person to another, also processed through a veterinary facility rather than directly online. It needs the animal’s existing certificate, a medical report, and a reference number, and like registration, it carries no fee. TAMM lists this one at 2 working days rather than 6 minutes, reflecting the extra verification a change of ownership needs compared with a first-time registration. This matters for anyone rehoming a pet locally, selling a pedigree animal, or taking over a pet from a friend or family member leaving Abu Dhabi, since the official record needs to follow the animal to its new owner rather than staying attached to whoever registered it first.
Does this apply to any pet, or only certain animals?
TAMM’s own description frames this broadly as covering animals residing in the emirate rather than listing specific eligible species, run through the Department of Municipalities and Transport as the responsible authority. Anyone unsure whether a specific pet qualifies should confirm directly with a licensed veterinary clinic before starting, since the clinic is the actual service operator for both registration and transfer.
What happens to the registration if the pet is no longer kept?
TAMM also runs a Close Pet Profile service alongside registration and transfer, covering the opposite scenario: ending an animal’s official record once it is no longer being kept by that owner, whether through rehoming, death, or leaving the emirate. Keeping the record current in either direction, opening a new profile or closing an old one, is part of the same ownership-documentation system the Department of Municipalities and Transport maintains.
How does this connect to bringing a pet into the UAE in the first place?
This Abu Dhabi-specific registration and transfer system is a separate step from actually importing a pet into the country. Our UAE pet import guide covers the federal vaccine, breed, and fee rules for bringing an animal in from abroad; once that pet is actually living in Abu Dhabi, this local registration and ownership-transfer system is what keeps its official record current. Our TAMM explainer covers how this pet-care category sits alongside dozens of other everyday services on the same single platform.
What is the short version?
Registering a pet profile in Abu Dhabi is free and takes about 6 minutes through a licensed veterinary clinic and UAE PASS, producing an animal file number or ownership certificate. Transferring that ownership to a new owner is also free, taking 2 working days and needing the existing certificate, a medical report, and a reference number. Both sit downstream of the UAE’s federal pet import rules, not a replacement for them.
Last updated: 1 October 2026. Primary source: TAMM, Register Pet Profile (Department of Municipalities and Transport).
