Guides / International pet travel
Travelling to Germany with your pet in 2026: the EU rules, the four banned breeds and the visitor exception
What a dog or cat from Canada or the US needs to enter Germany, the federal import ban on four dog breeds, the four-week exception that lets visitors bring one anyway, and the state rules on leads and muzzles once you're there.
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A dog or cat flying from Canada or the United States to Germany needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks or older with 21 days passed since a first vaccination, and an EU animal health certificate issued no more than 10 days before arrival. Germany then bans importing Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Bull Terriers and their crosses, with an exception for visitors who stay four weeks or less. Once you're in Germany, the state you stay in can require a listed dog to wear a muzzle and stay on a short lead in public.
What does a dog or cat need to enter Germany from Canada or the US?
Say a family in Calgary is flying to Frankfurt in mid-December for twelve days of Christmas markets, and they want to bring their dog: a four-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix who has never spent a night in a kennel. Before they think about Germany at all, the dog has to meet the EU's rules, which apply the same way in every member state. Our EU pet travel guide covers them in full.
Germany's agriculture ministry, BMLEH, sets them out on its page on travelling with dogs, cats and ferrets, which reflects Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131. For a pet arriving from outside the EU, that means:
- A microchip, put in or read before the rabies vaccination. A chip that doesn't meet the ISO standard is accepted only if you bring your own reader.
- A rabies vaccination given when the pet was at least 12 weeks old, with at least 21 days passed after a first vaccination before you travel.
- An EU animal health certificate, issued by an official vet, or by an authorised vet and then endorsed by your government. It's valid for 10 days from issue until the border check, plus the length of the voyage if you come by sea. When Germany is where your pet enters the EU, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705 requires it to be drawn up in German and in English.
- A signed declaration that the trip is non-commercial, with no more than five pets travelling with you (more only for pets registered for a competition, show, sporting event or training).
Canada and the United States are listed in Annex II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636, so the family's dog needs no rabies antibody test. Their dog's vaccine is current, so the real deadline is the certificate: a vet visit and the government endorsement, all inside the 10 days before they land. Our guide to the pet health certificate covers how that endorsement works.
Where this comes from
The EU requirements come from our EU entry data for dogs and cats from listed countries and the EU certificate rules, taken from Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, Articles 14 to 19, last verified 20 September 2026. The certificate language rule is from Annex III of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705. BMLEH's page on travelling with pets (published 24 July 2026) is the source for the five-pet limit and its exception.
Which dog breeds are banned in Germany?
Section 2(1) of Germany's federal dog import law (HundVerbrEinfG) says four breeds may not be imported or brought into the country:
- Pit Bull Terrier
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Bull Terrier
The ban covers crosses of these breeds with each other or with any other dog. German Customs (Zoll) helps enforce it at the border.
This is where the Calgary family's plan gets a hard edge. Their dog is an American Staffordshire Terrier mix, so the ban applies to him, even though he's a family pet with no history of trouble. The law looks at breed and crosses, not at the individual dog's temperament.
Where this comes from
The four breeds come from our German breed data, taken from the federal dog import law (HundVerbrEinfG section 2(1)), last verified 4 October 2026. The law text and the German Customs page were re-read on 6 October 2026 and still match.
Can tourists bring a pit bull or Staffordshire to Germany?
Yes, for a short stay. Under section 2(3) of the federal regulation on exceptions (HundVerbrEinfVO), a dog covered by the ban may come into Germany temporarily if it travels with a person who doesn't live in Germany and stays no longer than four weeks. German Customs describes this exception as intended for tourists. If you need longer, the authority responsible under state law can approve an extension on request, to avoid undue hardship.
The family's twelve days in Frankfurt fit inside the four weeks. A two-month stay wouldn't, without that approval.
German Customs is firm about paperwork. The owner must carry the documents that prove the dog's identity, for example a pedigree, vaccination or temperament-test certificate, or other certificates from the public order office. For the family, that means packing the dog's vaccination record and any breed papers they have, alongside the EU health certificate.
The same regulation has other exceptions, including for dogs returning to a German home where they are legally kept, and for guide dogs, assistance dogs and rescue dogs. If your situation doesn't match the visitor rule, ask German Customs before you book.
Where this comes from
The visitor exception and the other exceptions come from our German breed data, taken from HundVerbrEinfVO section 2, last verified 4 October 2026, and from German Customs' page on dangerous dogs, checked 6 October 2026.
Once you're there: state rules on leads and muzzles
The federal exception gets your dog into Germany. Once you're there, how you walk him is up to the state you're in. Each of Germany's 16 states has its own dog law and its own list of breeds it treats as dangerous, and these rules apply on top of the entry rules German Customs checks. On this family's trip, that means two states: Hessen, where they're staying in Frankfurt, and Berlin, their last stop in our EU guide. Hessen's guidance speaks to visiting dogs directly. Berlin's FAQ says a visiting dog follows the city's general lead rule and that the owner needs liability insurance. If your dog is on Berlin's list, ask the Berlin public order office before you go whether its muzzle rule applies during your visit.
Hessen and Berlin: the rules for walking a listed dog in public, checked 6 October 2026
| State | Breeds presumed dangerous (and their crosses) | Rules in public |
|---|---|---|
| Hessen (Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Darmstadt) | Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, Dogo Argentino, Kangal, Caucasian Shepherd, Rottweiler | For a visitor staying up to four weeks: lead no longer than two metres, and a muzzle unless the owner can show proof of handling expertise that meets Hessen's standard |
| Berlin | Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier | Listed dogs: muzzle from six months old (from the seventh month of life) and lead in public. A visiting dog falls under the general lead rule, and the owner needs liability insurance of at least €1 million per claim, with a deductible of no more than €500 |
For the Calgary family, Frankfurt means Hessen's rules. An American Staffordshire Terrier mix is on Hessen's list, crosses included, so for all twelve days he has to be on a lead no longer than two metres whenever he's out in public. Unless his owners can show proof of handling expertise that meets Hessen's standard, he also has to wear a muzzle. Hessen's interior ministry explains why: a visiting dog can't have passed the state's temperament test, so it stays on the lead, and the muzzle is allowed in place of the proof of handling expertise that residents need.
The state lists are also longer than the federal four. Hessen's includes the Rottweiler, American Bulldog, Dogo Argentino, Kangal and Caucasian Shepherd, so a dog that Germany lets in freely can still face lead and muzzle rules once you arrive. Staying in another state? Ask the public order office (Ordnungsamt) of the town you're visiting before you travel.
Practical tip
Pack a well-fitting basket muzzle that lets your dog pant and drink, and get him used to wearing it at home for a few weeks before the trip.
Where this comes from
Hessen: the Hessian interior ministry's guidance on the state dog ordinance (VVHundeVO of 19 December 2025, notes on sections 4(5), 9 and 17) for the four-week visitor rule, the two-metre lead and the muzzle, and the City of Darmstadt's official page for the breed list. Berlin: the Berlin Senate's FAQ on the Berlin dog law (questions 13, 15, 16 and 19). All checked 6 October 2026.
Moving to Germany? The states set their own import lists
A visit and a move are treated differently. The second sentence of the same section of the import law adds that dogs of other breeds, and their crosses, may not be brought from abroad into a German state if that state presumes them dangerous and the dog is going to be kept there permanently. The exceptions regulation lets such a dog in for permanent keeping only if you can show it may lawfully be kept in that state.
German Customs keeps a page on the provisions imposed by individual federal states, which notes that a state can still authorise keeping a dog on its list. If you're relocating with a dog, check with the authority of the state you're moving to well before the move.
Arriving in Frankfurt: entry points and the border check
Pets coming to Germany from Canada or the US must enter through a designated travellers' point of entry. BMLEH publishes the list of German entry points, and Frankfurt am Main airport is on it, along with airports such as Munich, Berlin Brandenburg, Hamburg and Düsseldorf. Confirm your arrival airport against the current list before you book.
At the entry point, German Customs or the official veterinary service checks the documents and reads the microchip to match it to the paperwork. BMLEH warns that a pet that doesn't meet the rules can be sent back to the country it came from, or put in quarantine until it does, and as a last resort put down if neither is possible.
Puppy and kitten owners should note one more line from BMLEH: young pets without valid rabies protection can't be brought into the EU from outside it. With the vaccine at 12 weeks and a 21-day wait, a pet from Canada or the US can't arrive younger than 15 weeks. Airlines can set their own minimum age for puppies and kittens too, so check yours before you book.
Practical tip
Frankfurt-Hahn airport is a different airport from Frankfurt am Main, in another state, with its own entry on the list. The BMLEH list also gives each entry point vet office's opening hours, so check them against your landing time, especially for a late or weekend arrival.
Where this comes from
Entry points and border checks come from the German agriculture ministry's (BMLEH) pages on entry points and rabies vaccination, and its list of German entry points, checked 6 October 2026. That list still refers to the rules in force before 2026, so check it is current before you book.
Enter your pet, your route to Germany and your travel date. The free readiness check compares the EU entry rules with your pet's age, vaccination dates and origin, flags Germany's federal breed ban if your dog's breed is on it, and shows the source for each one. Confirm the final details with German Customs, the state you're visiting and your airline before you fly.
Sources
- European Commission (EUR-Lex): Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705
- German federal government (Bundesamt für Justiz): HundVerbrEinfG section 2
- German federal government (Bundesamt für Justiz): HundVerbrEinfVO section 2
- German Customs (Zoll): Dangerous dogs
- German Customs (Zoll): Provisions imposed by individual federal states
- BMLEH (German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity): Reisen mit Heimtieren (published 24 July 2026)
- BMLEH (German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity): Einreiseorte
- BMLEH (German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity): Liste der Einreiseorte in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (PDF)
- BMLEH (German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity): Tollwutimpfung
- Hessian Ministry of the Interior (via Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt): Verwaltungsvorschrift zur Durchführung der Gefahrenabwehrverordnung über das Halten und Führen von Hunden (VVHundeVO), 19 December 2025
- City of Darmstadt: Haltung gefährlicher Hunde
- Berlin Senate Department for Consumer Protection: FAQ Hundegesetz
- European Commission (EUR-Lex): Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131
- European Commission (EUR-Lex): Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636
Common questions
Can I take my dog to Germany?
Yes, if your dog meets the EU entry rules and isn't one of the four breeds Germany bans. A Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier or a cross of one can still come for a visit of four weeks or less with an owner who doesn't live in Germany. Carry the documents that prove your dog's identity, and expect state rules on leads and muzzles while you're there.
Does a dog from Canada or the US need a rabies titer test for Germany?
No, if the dog travels directly from Canada or the US. Both are listed in Annex II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/636.