🇩🇪 Pet travel to Germany (EU): entry requirements (2026)
Bringing a pet to Germany (EU) 🇩🇪 is relatively straightforward for prepared owners. No quarantine if all paperwork is in order. The essentials: ISO microchip, rabies vaccination, RNATT titer test and an official health certificate.
Microchip
Required — ISO 11784/11785
Rabies
Required
Titer test (RNATT)
Only from a non-listed country
Quarantine
None
Import permit
Not required
Cabin / cargo
Cabin or cargo
Breed bans
Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier
Authority
EU Commission — Pet Travel
Verified entry requirements (2026)
- ISO 11784/11785 microchip — before the rabies vaccination.
- Rabies vaccination — pet ≥12 weeks old; the vaccination date must not be earlier than the microchip date; then wait ≥21 days after the primary vaccination.
- Rabies titer test — required ONLY from an “unlisted” country (not needed from the EU or listed countries such as the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan). Blood ≥30 days after vaccination and ≥90 days (3 months) before the certificate; ≥0.5 IU/ml; EU-approved laboratory.
- Certificate — from a non-EU country: an EU Animal Health Certificate (Annex III, Reg. (EU) 2026/705) endorsed by the exporting country’s authority (in the USA, USDA APHIS), valid 10 days to entry. From the EU / on return: the EU pet passport.
- Tapeworm treatment — not required for mainland Germany.
- Breed import ban — federal law (HundVerbrEinfG §2) bans the import and transit of: Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bullterrier, Bull Terrier and their crosses. Individual federal states may add keeping rules (verify by state).
- Quarantine — none if everything is met. Puppies under 15 weeks are not admitted; from an unlisted country the process effectively takes ~7 months due to the timelines.
By species
Official sources
- BMLEH — Pets entry regulation ↗
- European Commission — Bringing a pet from a non-EU country ↗
- HundVerbrEinfG §2 (breed import ban) ↗
- USDA APHIS — US to Germany ↗
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Frequently asked questions
Does the microchip have to come before the rabies shot?
Yes. For Germany (EU) the rabies vaccination only counts if the ISO 11784/11785 microchip was implanted first. Always chip, then vaccinate.
Is there quarantine in Germany (EU)?
No mandatory quarantine if your paperwork is complete and correct.
Can my pet fly in the cabin?
Yes, small pets in cabin; larger pets in cargo.
How long does preparation take?
Start about 1–2 months ahead.
Are any dog breeds restricted?
Yes: Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier.
What do I need to bring a pet to Germany?
EU rules: ISO microchip, valid rabies vaccination and an EU Animal Health Certificate (or EU pet passport). No quarantine when compliant; a titer test applies only from unlisted countries.