Moving to Germany With a Pit Bull or Restricted Dog (2026)
If your dog is a Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, or a cross, moving one of the four federally named breeds permanently to Germany is generally prohibited. Normal pet paperwork, airline acceptance, or a temperament test does not override the federal rule. Limited statutory exceptions exist, but the four-week visitor exception is not a permanent relocation route.
Do not book non-refundable transport yet
Resolve the federal breed question first. Then check the destination state, every transit country, the operating carrier, and the separate animal-health route. Approval at one gate does not approve the others.
1. Check Germany's federal breed gate before booking
Section 2 of Germany's Dog Movement and Import Restriction Act names four breeds and their crosses in its first prohibition:
- Pit Bull Terrier
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Bull Terrier
The law also covers additional breeds and crosses when dangerousness is presumed under the law of the German state where the dog will be kept. That is why a dog outside the four-name list can still require a destination-specific decision.
Rottweilers require a destination check
A Rottweiler is not one of the four breeds named in the first federal prohibition. State classification can still bring the second federal rule into play. Get the competent destination authority's answer before treating the dog as eligible.
2. Match your origin to the animal-health route
Breed eligibility and animal-health compliance are cumulative. A valid passport or certificate cannot cure a breed prohibition, while a breed-eligible dog can still fail the microchip, rabies, certificate or entry-point requirements.
EU country or Northern Ireland
Use the current EU pet-passport route and verify the microchip and rabies entries. Passing the animal-health check does not override Germany’s separate breed restriction.
EU pet travel rulesGreat Britain
A resident travelling from England, Scotland or Wales normally needs a new animal health certificate for each EU entry. The official veterinarian, certificate timing and owner-travel conditions still sit behind the German breed gate.
Great Britain animal health certificateUnited States
Follow the current APHIS Germany workflow. It ordinarily involves an accredited veterinarian and USDA endorsement of the applicable EU health certificate. Do not begin that paid process until German breed eligibility is clear.
USDA Germany pet travel stepsOther non-EU country
Check the Commission’s current country list to determine whether rabies titration applies, obtain the correct health certificate, and use a designated travellers’ point of entry when required.
EU non-EU country list3. Check every transit country and carrier separately
Do not assume that an airside connection removes national breed rules. Ask the relevant transit authority what happens if the dog changes terminals, clears immigration, is collected during disruption, or must leave the secure area. For a road journey, check every country crossed.
Ask the operating carrier, not only the booking website, whether it accepts the exact breed, crossbreed description, crate and route. Airline acceptance does not make the import legal, and government permission does not force a carrier to transport the dog.
European Commission pet-travel FAQ4. Get the destination decision in writing
Federal import rules answer whether the dog may be brought into Germany. State and municipal rules answer whether the dog may be kept at the destination and under which conditions. Send the authority the breed documents, destination address, ownership history and intended arrival route, then retain its written answer.
A landlord, veterinarian, breeder, rescue, relocation company or airline cannot replace the competent authority. A local vet can help verify the microchip and health records, but cannot grant import or keeping permission.
5. Build the final go or no-go file
Breed identity evidence
Collect the pedigree, registration, adoption, microchip and veterinary records that identify the dog. A visual guess or an airline booking is not a legal classification.
Written federal answer
Ask German Customs about the specific dog, journey purpose, origin and proposed exception. Save the response with the exact travel facts you supplied.
Written destination answer
Ask the competent Ordnungsamt or other named authority whether the dog may be kept at the exact destination and which permit, insurance, muzzle or test rules apply.
Animal-health file
Keep the microchip, rabies, passport or certificate, titration result when required, owner declaration and entry-point plan together.
Transit and carrier confirmations
Record every country where the dog may enter, clear immigration or leave the secure transit area. Obtain the operating carrier’s acceptance for the exact breed and crate.
Entry-information notice
This guide is general information, not an entry clearance or individual legal advice. Origin, transit, ownership transfer, animal count, health history, breed evidence and destination can change the result. Confirm the final route with German Customs, the destination authority and the official veterinarian before travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move permanently to Germany with a Pit Bull?
Germany’s federal law generally prohibits bringing Pit Bull Terriers and the other three named breeds, including their crosses, into Germany. An ordinary permanent relocation is not a general exception. Ask German Customs for a written decision about the specific dog and facts before booking.
Does the four-week visitor exception allow a permanent move?
No. The statutory exception is limited to a dog accompanied by a person who is not resident in Germany and whose stay will not exceed four weeks. It is not a permanent relocation route, and documentary and destination-state requirements still apply.
Is a Rottweiler federally banned from Germany?
A Rottweiler is not one of the four breeds named in the first federal prohibition. However, the federal law also reaches additional dogs whose dangerousness is presumed under the law of the German state where they will be kept, so the destination rules and documentary exception must be checked.
Does a temperament test make a restricted import legal?
Not automatically. A Wesenstest can affect a particular state keeping procedure, but it does not by itself cancel the federal import prohibition. Federal import eligibility and destination keeping permission are separate decisions.
Can an airline approve a dog that Germany will not admit?
Yes. Carrier acceptance concerns transport, not legal admission. Airline acceptance does not make the import legal, and a legally eligible dog can still be refused by a carrier or transit country.
📚 More Guides for Expats
Restricted Dog Laws by Country: Germany, UK and US
Compare official Germany, UK and US checks for restricted dogs, then build a written destination, transit and carrier file before booking.
The EU Pet Passport Guide
Why you need one, how to get it, and how much it costs. The golden ticket for travel within Europe.
Are Pit Bulls Banned in Germany? Breed Rules
Check the federal import ban, its limited exceptions, and verified Berlin, Hamburg and Bavaria keeping rules before travelling.
Moving to Germany With a Dog or Cat
Choose the correct EU or non-EU route, then check microchip, rabies, certificate, owner-travel and breed requirements.