Moving to Germany With a Dog or Cat: 2026 Entry Rules
The correct checklist depends on where the journey starts. An EU passport route, a listed non-EU route and a rabies-titration route are not interchangeable.
Current official guidance
1. Start with the country your journey begins in
These routes apply to private movement without a sale or transfer of ownership. Adoption, rehoming, sale, unaccompanied transport, or movement that does not meet the owner-travel conditions can fall under different animal-health rules.
EU country or Northern Ireland
EU ROUTE- Use a valid European pet passport for a dog, cat or ferret.
- The passport must identify the animal and document a valid rabies vaccination.
- If an authorised person travels with the pet, the owner’s movement must remain within the permitted five-day window.
Listed non-EU country or territory
NO TITRATION ROUTE- Check the current European Commission list before relying on this route.
- A compliant animal health certificate is normally required, unless a specific passport exception applies.
- A rabies antibody titration test is not required solely because the journey starts in a currently listed country or territory.
Other non-EU country or territory
TITRATION ROUTE- The pet needs the identification, rabies vaccination and certificate requirements that apply to non-EU entry.
- A rabies antibody titration test from a designated laboratory is also required.
- The blood-sample and waiting timetable must be completed before the certificate is issued and before travel.
2. Microchip and rabies timing
Identification first
Match the vaccine to the pet
The rabies vaccination date must not precede the microchip implantation or reading date. A clearly readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011 is the limited legacy alternative.
Primary vaccination
Allow at least 21 days
The pet must be at least 12 weeks old for its primary rabies vaccination. At least 21 days must then pass before travel. A booster given before the previous vaccination expires maintains continuity and does not restart that primary-vaccination wait.
Germany’s young-animal rule
Germany does not accept a young dog, cat or ferret that is not yet fully protected against rabies. The 12-week vaccination age plus the primary 21-day wait produces an approximate earliest travel age of 15 weeks, but the exact record and vaccine validity still need to be checked.
3. Use the correct passport or health certificate
| Journey | Main document | Key check |
|---|---|---|
| EU or Northern Ireland | European pet passport | Identity and rabies entries remain valid |
| Most non-EU origins | EU animal health certificate plus declaration | Issued or endorsed by the competent authority and used within its entry-validity window |
| Specific passport exceptions | Qualifying passport | Country, passport model and health entries satisfy the current exception |
Under the current 2026 rules, the non-EU animal health certificate uses the model linked by the European Commission and is generally valid for 10 days from official issue to the entry identity and document check. Sea travel can extend that period by the voyage duration.
There is a live certificate transition: Annex IV certificates issued before 1 October 2026 remain valid for non-commercial entry under the Commission’s transition rule. Use the model supplied by the competent authority on the actual issue date rather than downloading an old form from an article.
4. When the rabies antibody test is required
Check the current official non-EU country list. If the origin is not covered by the listed-country exemption, the rabies antibody titration route normally requires:
- a blood sample collected by an authorised veterinarian at least 30 days after the primary rabies vaccination, or during a continuously valid vaccination series;
- a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from a designated laboratory;
- the official laboratory report attached to the animal health certificate; and
- the sample collected no less than 90 days before the certificate is issued.
A satisfactory test generally does not need repeating when every later rabies booster is administered before the previous vaccination expires. A specific re-entry exception can also remove the 90-day wait when the test was completed and recorded before an EU-resident pet left the EU.
5. Owner travel, authorised persons and pet numbers
The owner can travel separately within five days
An authorised person can accompany the pet when the owner travels within five days before or after the pet and the required written declaration is carried.
Missing the five-day condition changes the rule set
A longer gap does not automatically make the movement commercial. It means the simplified non-commercial owner-linked route no longer applies, so the competent authority must identify the animal-health conditions for that movement.
The ordinary maximum is five pets
More than five dogs, cats or ferrets can use the event exception only when they are over six months old and documented for a competition, exhibition, sporting event, or training for such an event. Otherwise, a different entry rule set applies.
6. Germany-specific checks before booking
Confirm the journey type
Record the origin country, any transit countries, the German entry point, who accompanies the pet, and whether ownership will change.
Scan the identification
Have the veterinarian scan the microchip and verify that its number matches every passport, vaccination record, laboratory report and certificate.
Audit the rabies timeline
Confirm whether the vaccination is primary or a continuous booster, whether 21 days are required, and whether a titration test and 90-day interval apply.
Use the current certificate route
Ask the competent authority or official veterinarian which certificate model applies on the planned issue and entry dates.
Check German restrictions
Verify the traveller point of entry, dangerous-dog rules, and any destination-state requirements before transport is booked.
Travellers’ point of entry
A pet arriving from a non-EU origin generally needs the designated entry and identity-check route, subject to defined country exceptions.
EU travellers’ points of entryDangerous-dog restrictions
Germany has a separate federal import restriction for specific breeds and crosses, plus destination-state keeping rules.
Germany breed-restriction guideBirds, rabbits, reptiles and other pets
The passport and rabies workflow above is specific to dogs, cats and ferrets. Other species follow national and species-specific conditions, so check Germany’s current rules and any transit-country requirements separately.
Entry-information notice
This guide is general information, not an entry clearance. Origin, transit, ownership transfer, animal count, vaccination history and species can change the applicable route. Confirm the final checklist with the competent authority and official veterinarian before travel.
Moving into rented housing?
Pet entry documents do not replace a landlord or lease decision. Prepare for the housing search separately and get any required consent for the specific animal in writing.
Pet-friendly apartments in Berlin guideFrequently Asked Questions
Must a dog or cat be microchipped before its rabies vaccination?
For the rabies vaccination to support EU pet travel, the vaccination date must not precede the microchip implantation or reading date. A clearly readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011 can qualify under the legacy exception.
Can a puppy or kitten younger than 15 weeks enter Germany?
Germany does not accept a young dog, cat or ferret that is not vaccinated against rabies or is not yet fully immune. A primary rabies vaccination can be given from 12 weeks and normally requires at least 21 days before travel, which produces an approximate 15-week earliest date.
Do pets entering from every non-EU country need a rabies blood test?
No. The European Commission maintains a list of non-EU countries and territories whose pet movements do not require a rabies antibody titration test. Other origins normally require the test and its timing conditions.
Does a pet have to travel on the same flight as its owner?
Not necessarily. An authorised person may accompany the pet, but the owner must travel within five days before or after the pet and the required written declaration must accompany the documents.
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