Traveling with Pets

The following exclusively addresses the entry requirements for pets (dogs, cats, and ferrets). If you have any questions regarding the entry or transit of other types of animals, we kindly ask you to directly contact the Veterinary Border Control Post.

Entry from Belarus and Russia / Holiday Travel to Turkey

Attention: For the third countries BELARUS and RUSSIA, a requirement has been introduced to provide proof of a rabies antibody titre for dogs and cats upon entry into the EU. The effective date is September 16, 2024.

Attention: Travelers to TURKEY must have the following document certified by the official veterinarian at the competent local veterinary authority before departure to Turkey:
VETERINARY AND ORIGIN CERTIFICATE FOR PET DOGS, CATS AND FERRETS FOR IMPORT INTO TURKEY

Entry into Germany with Cats, Dogs and Ferrets

When entering Germany with a pet, it is mandatory to comply with the legal regulations. The determining factor is whether the animal is entering from:

  1. the EU or a country equivalent to the EU
  2. a listed third country
  3. an unlisted third country.

Is my pet allowed to enter?

Does your pet meet the requirements for entry into Germany? Use our questionnaire to find out!

Regulations by country of origin


Conditions for Accompanied Travel within the EU

  1. Microchip
    • The animal must have a 15-digit ISO microchip.
    • The chip must be implanted before the valid rabies vaccination.
  2. Rabies Vaccination
    • The vaccination may only be administered at the age of 12 weeks (= 84 days) or older.
    • It must be done after the microchip implantation.
    • There is a waiting period of 21 days from the date of the first vaccination or after a vaccination gap.
    • The vaccination must be valid at the time of travel.
  3. EU Pet Passport

Conditions for Accompanied Travel from Countries equivalent to the EU

  1. Microchip
    • The animal must have a 15-digit ISO microchip.
    • The chip must be implanted before the valid rabies vaccination.
  2. Rabies Vaccination
    • The vaccination may only be administered at the age of 12 weeks (= 84 days) or older.
    • It must be done after the microchip implantation.
    • There is a waiting period of 21 days from the date of the first vaccination or after a vaccination gap.
    • The vaccination must be valid at the time of travel.
  3. EU Pet Passport

Conditions for Listed Third Countries

  1. Microchip
    • The animal must have a 15-digit ISO microchip.
    • The chip must be implanted before the valid rabies vaccination.
    • Proof via microchip certificate, registration, or similar must be provided.
  2. Rabies vaccination
    • The vaccination may only be administered at the age of 12 weeks (= 84 days) or older.
    • It must be done after the microchip implantation.
    • There is a waiting period of 21 days from the date of the first vaccination or after a vaccination gap.
    • The vaccination must be valid at the time of travel.
    • Proof via vaccination certificate, vaccination passport, or similar must be provided.
  3. EU Veterinary Certificate
  4. Additionally, the following applies:

    For cats coming from Australia, the veterinary authority must additionally certify that the cat comes from a facility where no cases of Hendra disease have been detected in the last 60 days.

    For dogs and cats coming from Malaysia (Peninsula), the veterinary authority must additionally certify the following:

    1. The dog/cat has not been in contact with pigs in the last 60 days before export,
    2. they have not been kept in facilities where cases of Nipah disease have been detected in the last 60 days,
    3. they have undergone an IgG-ELISA test with a negative result, conducted in a laboratory approved by the competent veterinary authority for Nipah antibody testing, based on a blood sample taken no more than 10 days before export.

Conditions for Non-Listed Third Countries

  1. Microchip
    • The animal must have a 15-digit ISO microchip.
    • The chip must be implanted before the valid rabies vaccination.
    • Proof via microchip certificate, registration, or similar must be provided.
  2. Rabies vaccination
    • The vaccination may only be administered at the age of 12 weeks (= 84 days) or older.
    • It must be done after the microchip implantation.
    • There is a waiting period of 21 days from the date of the first vaccination or after a vaccination gap.
    • The vaccination must be valid at the time of travel.
    • Proof via vaccination certificate, vaccination passport, or similar must be provided.
  3. Rabies Antibody Test
    • Blood sample taken at least 30 days after a valid rabies vaccination.
    • Examination of the blood sample in an EU-approved laboratory.
    • Threshold: 0.5 IU/ml serum or higher.
    • If the antibody titer is below 0.5 IU/ml serum, a repeat rabies vaccination and a subsequent rabies antibody test must be conducted according to the mentioned conditions.
    • Waiting period: 3 months from the day of blood sampling with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml serum. Proof via laboratory report must be provided.
  4. EU Veterinary Certificate

Entry Requirements for Pet Birds

Further Information

Transit through the European Union

If your pet is traveling through a European Union (EU) country on its way to a non-EU country, you will need a transit health certificate for the EU. The transit health certificate is the same as if the final destination for your pet were an EU country.

Puppies

Generally, puppies are not allowed to be imported into Germany or transited through Germany. Under the term "puppies," dogs, cats, and ferrets that are younger than 12 weeks old and do not have effective protection against the rabies virus are included. Dogs, cats, and ferrets can only be brought into Germany at the earliest at the age of 16 weeks.

You can find more information here.

Commercial Import

Please notice: If:

this is a commercial import of animals. In this case, the commercial certificate must be used, which is only valid for entry into the EU for 48 hours after it is issued. A veterinary clearance at the Veterinary Border Inspection Post and sending the animals as freight with a Air Waybill Number (AWB) is mandatory.
Overview of health certificates in English

Flight Sponsors / Animal Companions

In animal disease control law, a distinction is made between private travel and commercial trade when transporting dogs or cats. Private travel means that only the owner is allowed to accompany the animal. The sale (including so-called "adoption fees") or any transfer to third parties (even without compensation, such as to acquaintances or friends) of animals transported to or within Europe is not permitted in private travel.

To bring animals into the EU or between EU member states in private travel, various requirements must be strictly met (e.g., a valid rabies antibody test from so-called non-listed third countries, up-to-date rabies vaccinations, complete animal health documents, microchip, etc.). Further information can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

For any questions, the respective border control points are always available and should be contacted before leaving or entering the EU to avoid further measures in case of uncertainty.

There are very strict regulations in animal disease control and animal welfare law for bringing animals into the EU as a so-called flight sponsor and handing them over to third parties. From an animal welfare perspective, animal welfare organizations based in Germany that transfer animals from abroad and later place them with owners in Germany need a permit for commercial dealing with vertebrates (so-called §11 permit under the Animal Welfare Act). The same applies to potential "foster homes." Additionally, the animals must travel with a so-called commercial certificate (or from member states with a so-called Traces certificate) and enter the EU through an official border control point. Dogs and cats from third countries require an import examination by a veterinary officer at a border control point. Entry through purely designated "entry points," such as Nuremberg in Bavaria, is not possible.

It is also essential to consider that the animal welfare regulations must be observed during transport (including transport from the airport to the final destination). Therefore, animals must be transported in adequately sized transport containers and must be fit for transport. Please also note that various airlines have specific requirements for transporting animals.

Procedure at Munich Airport

The procedure at Munich Airport is as follows:

Contact for Further Questions

For further questions or matters that could not be clarified above, please contact bip-muc@kblv.bayern.de or 089/97590390 (available by phone from Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 16:30).


Additional Information