Bringing a dog or cat to Germany

From easy to hard, depending on which of the authority's 4 origin groups your pet starts in.

Difficulty from France
Easy
Prep time
4 weeks
Quarantine
None
Authority
European Commission (DG SANTE) sets the rules; checks are done by the competent veterinary authority of each Member State
Rules researched 25 Sep 2026 · 44 sources
01

Requirements

Dog from France · 4 steps

It depends on where you're coming from. Pick your country, or compare the origin groups the authority itself uses below.

COMING FROM
Prep time 4 weeks

Dog from France (EU member states): 4 requirements

Open as my dated checklist
  1. 01
    Microchip
    Injectable transponder (microchip) implanted by a vet and meeting the technical standard in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2035; if it is not ISO-readable, the owner must carry a reader.
    • On or before the first rabies vaccination — before or on the day of the first rabies vaccination
    Source:European Commission (EUR-Lex) (opens official site: Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 — animal health requirements for non-commercial movement of pet animals)· checked 04 Oct 2026
  2. 02
    Rabies vaccination
    Inactivated or recombinant rabies vaccine given by an official or authorised vet when the animal is at least 12 weeks old, on or after the day the microchip was implanted or read. Valid from 21 days after the primary course is completed; boosters must be given before the previous vaccination expires, otherwise the next dose counts as a new primary vaccination (new 21-day wait).
    • At least 21 days before arrival — primary vaccination completed at least 21 days before travel; booster within the validity of the previous one
    Source:European Commission (EUR-Lex) (opens official site: Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/688, Annex VII — rabies vaccination validity; Echinococcus treatment)· checked 04 Oct 2026
    Also: European Commission (EUR-Lex)
  3. 03
    EU pet passport
    EU pet passport signed by the owner, issued by an authorised vet in the Member State where the owner habitually resides, recording the microchip, the rabies vaccination and (for dogs going to FI/IE/MT/Northern Ireland) the tapeworm treatment.
    Source:European Commission (EUR-Lex) (opens official site: Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 — animal health requirements for non-commercial movement of pet animals)· checked 04 Oct 2026
  4. 04
    Non-commercial limits
    At most 5 dogs, cats or ferrets per non-commercial movement, unless all are over 6 months old and registered for a competition, exhibition or sporting event. If the pet travels with an authorised person, the owner must travel within 5 days.
    Source:European Parliament and Council (EUR-Lex) (opens official site: Regulation (EU) 2016/429 (Animal Health Law), Part VI — non-commercial movements of pet animals)· checked 04 Oct 2026

Dog from France: 4 requirements.

In short: Microchip, rabies vaccine and an EU pet passport; for dogs, tapeworm treatment only when going to Finland, Ireland, Malta or Northern Ireland.

Always confirm with the destination's official authority and your airline before travelling.

Compare by origin group

The groups are the authority's own lists. Pick a cell to see that group's checklist above.

FromDogCat
EU member states
From France: dog · cat
27 places
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
Annex I 2026/636
From Switzerland: dog · cat
10 places
Andorra, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland, Vatican City
Annex II 2026/636
From United Kingdom: dog · cat
52 places
American Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Ascension Island, Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Caribbean Netherlands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Curaçao, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Montserrat, New Caledonia, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Serbia, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, U.S. Virgin Islands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna
Other third countries (every country not listed elsewhere)
From Thailand: dog · cat
Still deciding where to go?
See Germany side by side with other destinations from France.
Compare with other destinations
02

Quarantine

None

No quarantine

Source:European Parliament and Council (EUR-Lex) (opens official site: Regulation (EU) 2016/429 (Animal Health Law), Part VI — non-commercial movements of pet animals)· checked 04 Oct 2026
03

Official fees

None named

The researched rules name no official fee for this route. Vet, airline and courier prices are not part of the rules.

04

Going back to France

Easy

Returning to France from Germany: 4 weeks.

France guide
05

Approved entry points

20 airports
06

Breed bans

4 breeds
  • Banned from import · dogs
    • Pitbull-Terrier
    • American Staffordshire-Terrier
    • Staffordshire-Bullterrier
    • Bullterrier

    Crosses of these breeds included.

    Exceptions: service dogs of the federal, Land and municipal authorities and of foreign armed forces, guide dogs, assistance dogs, disaster and rescue dogs (HundVerbrEinfVO § 2(1)); dogs returning to a place in Germany where they may lawfully be kept (§ 2(2)); temporary stay of up to four weeks with a companion who does not live in Germany (§ 2(3)); the companion must carry official papers proving identity and that the dog has not been conspicuous as dangerous.

    If found: housing at the owner's cost until the requirements are met, seizure, or immediate return to the place of origin (HundVerbrEinfVO § 4); criminal offence: up to two years' imprisonment or a fine (§ 5), confiscation of the dog (§ 7).

    The federal ban applies to bringing a dog in from another EU country as well as importing from a third country (§ 1 of the Act defines both).

    Second layer, not shown per Land: breeds presumed dangerous under the law of the Land where the dog will be kept may not be brought into that Land from abroad (16 Länder lists differ; e.g. Bavaria, Hamburg, NRW list further breeds). Check the destination Land.

    Temporary visits of up to four weeks with a non-resident companion are allowed.

    Papers in a foreign language need a certified German translation.

    Penalty for breaching the import ban.

    Source:Bundesministerium der Justiz / Bundesamt für Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) (opens official site: Hundeverbringungs- und -einfuhrbeschränkungsgesetz (HundVerbrEinfG) — federal ban on bringing four terrier breeds into Germany)· checked 04 Oct 2026
07

Transit through Germany

Not researched

Transit rules for Germany have not been researched yet. Ask the authority and your airline before booking a connection with the pet.

08

Leaving Germany with your pet

Not researched

Export formalities of Germany have not been researched yet. The destination's import rules still apply — pick it on the board.

09

Rule changes

1 dated change · 1 coming
10

Good to know

2 notes
11

Questions about Germany

12 questions

Answered in plain words from the authorities' own pages, each linked to the page it comes from. Confirm with the authority before travelling.

12

Checklists to Germany

16 route pages

Step-by-step route pages for the origins people move from most, dated timeline and all.

13

Traveller reports

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No traveller reports for Germany yet. If you have made this trip, tell the next person what was actually checked at the border.

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14

Sources

44 official pages
Report a rule change

Every official page behind this guide, with the last day its text was confirmed unchanged.

Show all 44 sources