USA → Qatar
Export Horses from the USA to Qatar
Arabian breeding stock, endurance horses and racing stock into Doha, home to some of the world's most significant Arabian bloodstock programs.
- Arrives
- DOH
- Departs
- LAX / DFW
- Flight time
- ~16 hours nonstop from Dallas–Fort Worth
- Plan ahead
- 60–120 days
Doha Hamad Intl
Or whichever US gateway suits the animals
Qatar's Arabian breeding programs — Al Shaqab foremost among them — and a growing endurance and racing scene make it one of the more specialized Gulf lanes we run, alongside Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Qatar requires the APHIS-endorsed health certificate to be presented to Qatari import officials before an import permit is issued, and a horse transiting a third country on the way to Doha needs transit permission from Qatari officials first. We sequence the whole shipment around those two checkpoints.
Regulatory
What a Qatar export requires
These are the constraints that shape the timeline. The binding requirements are whatever Qatar has in force on your day of export — we confirm the current position as the first step of every quote.
Certificate presented before the import permit
Since 2021, the APHIS-endorsed health certificate must be presented to Qatari import officials before an import permit is issued — the reverse order of how some other lanes work. We get the certificate endorsed early enough that it doesn't become the bottleneck.
Transit permission for connecting routes
A horse transiting a third country on the way to Qatar needs permission from Qatari officials before the import permit application even goes in, and some countries aren't permitted as a transit point at all. We check the routing against this before booking anything.
Pre-export isolation and testing
Animals are held at a USDA-approved facility while a USDA-accredited veterinarian completes the required panel and prepares the International Health Certificate for USDA APHIS endorsement.
Air stables and handling
Horses travel on the main deck in air stables, with a groom flying the full sector. We brief the receiving agent in Doha in advance so the ground handoff is arranged before the aircraft lands.
Official source
USDA APHIS publishes the International Regulations for Animal Exports (IRegs) — the U.S. government’s understanding of Qatar's current import requirements.
By species
What we handle into Qatar
Horses
Racing, breeding and competition horses moved door to door — barn in the United States to barn in Asia-Pacific or the Gulf.
Breeding Livestock
Cattle, swine, sheep, goats and poultry genetics moved as single consignments or as a recurring program.
Exotic & Zoo Animals
Zoo collections, wildlife parks and private exotic consignments — including CITES-listed species — moved with the permitting handled.
FAQ
Exporting to Qatar: common questions
Can you export horses from the USA to Qatar?
Yes. Qatar has its own sequencing for the health certificate and import permit, and its own rules on which countries a horse can transit en route — we confirm both before anything is scheduled.
How much does it cost to ship a horse to Doha?
Ask us for a written figure against your specific horse and date. As with our other Gulf lanes, we don't publish a general range here the way we do for our longer-established Asia-Pacific destinations.
Is there a nonstop flight to Doha?
Yes, from Dallas–Fort Worth — one of the longer scheduled routes we use, at roughly 16 hours.
Do you handle Arabian breeding stock?
Yes — Qatar's Arabian breeding programs, Al Shaqab among them, are a core part of why this lane matters, alongside endurance and racing stock.
Does someone travel with the horse?
Yes. A professional groom flies with the horse on every international shipment we handle, keeping it hydrated and with forage available, and manages the offload at the destination.
Can my horse transit through another country on the way to Doha?
Only with Qatari officials' permission arranged before the import permit application, and only through countries Qatar currently allows as a transit point. We check this as one of the first steps, since it can change the routing entirely.
Other lanes
More destinations we run
Saudi Arabia
Export Horses from the USA to Saudi Arabia
UAE
Export Horses from the USA to the UAE
Hong Kong
Export Horses from the USA to Hong Kong
Moving animals to Qatar?
Send us the species, the number of animals, the origin and your target date. We confirm whether the protocol is currently open and come back with a written quote at no charge. If we can't do the shipment, we'll email you and say why.