There is a lot of information and work that comes with bringing your pets to Germany from abroad. From what I originally understood, was as long as you paid the hefty fees that came with bringing your pets to Germany, you were good to go. Boy, was I wrong.
There are various rules and regulations to bringing your pets (dogs, cats, and ferrets) across the border and in airplanes. There are even more rules and regulations for bringing your pets to Germany.
Practical Tip: Do you have insurance for your pets yet? In Germany particularly, it’s very important to consider getting pet insurance. This would cover any incidents in regard to breaking or injuring a person, place, or thing. You can compare your insurance options and pricing first or you can go with a popular choice like GetSafe (it’s in English!) and AXA (not English, but extremely reputable). Dog liability insurance is also extremely recommended. For more information on pet insurance, you can read the full guide here!
Your Pet Must Be Vaccinated
Make sure you stay up-to-date on the required vaccinations. Rules and regulations regarding vaccinations can change and for legal reasons, I will not be including any requirements in this post.
If you need a vet when you arrive in Düsseldorf, we have a great list of English speaking recommended vets.
Your Pet Must Have a Health Certificate
The health certificate will differ depending on the country you are arriving from. It will also depend on whether or not you will be traveling with your pet. This may result in your pet having his/her own passport – kind of cool!
Your Pet Must Be Microchipped
For expats coming from a country where microchipping animals does not exist, this may come as a shock to you. Your pet must be microchipped if you are planning on bringing it to Germany with you. These microchips can be purchased online for about $40.00.
Don’t Travel with more than 5 Pets
You actually can travel with more than five pets, but as soon as you start shipping over animals in this quantity, government officials will know something’s up. Do you really need more than 5 cats anyway? ?
Don’t Book a Layover in a High Rabies Country
As long as you haven’t made a stopover in a high rabies country, the border control posts shouldn’t be too difficult to get passed. If you have stopped over in a high rabies country, things might get a little more difficult for you.
Don’t Bring the Little Ones
All animals need to have their proper vaccinations. Most animals cannot receive these vaccinations until they are 12 weeks of age. In this case, perhaps you can leave your little ones in the homeland until they’re old enough to get their vaccinations.
Be Aware of Banned Breeds
I hate to break it to you, but not all dogs are allowed to enter Germany. Don’t push it. Here is a list of pups that may cause you some havoc if you’re planning on travelling together:
- Bandogs
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Tosa Inu
- Pit Bull Terrier
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- Alano
- Cane Corso
- American Bulldog
- Dogo Argintino
- Bull Mastiff
- Bull Terrier
- Mastiff
- Dogue de Bordeaux
- Mastino Napolitano
- Fila Brasileiro
- Mastin Espanol
- Perro de Presa Mallorquin
- Dogo Canerio
- Rottweiler
While these are the rules that apply to dogs, cats and ferrets, if you’re planning on bringing along any of your little pets to Germany, the rules will likely be a lot softer. Many people recommend getting a health certificate anyways. If you’re looking for more tips about bringing your pets to Germany, Pet Travel is a great resource.
