Step by step
- ISO microchip. Your dog needs a working microchip, ideally ISO-compliant (usually 15 digits), implanted before its rabies vaccination. The vet must scan it before vaccinating.
- Rabies vaccination, at 12 weeks old or older. After a first (primary) vaccination, wait at least 21 days, or the vaccine maker's immunity period, before you travel. For dogs vaccinated in the U.S., a primary vaccination counts for only 1 year for EU travel, even if it's a 3-year vaccine.
- EU health certificate. A USDA-accredited vet issues the EU non-commercial health certificate and submits it to USDA. It's valid for 30 days after your vet issues it, and USDA must endorse it within 10 days of your dog's arrival.
- Sign the declaration on the certificate's last page. It travels with your dog and the certificate.
The EU introduced new health certificates on October 1, 2026. Certificates on the old form still count for entry only if they were issued before that date.
How USDA endorsement works is in our USDA health certificate guide. Our trip checker works out the date for each step from your flight.
Sources: Pet Travel From the United States to Germany (USDA APHIS), Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country (European Commission)
Germany's ban on dangerous dog breeds
German federal law bans bringing these breeds into Germany, along with crosses of them with each other or with other breeds:
- Pit Bull Terrier
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Bull Terrier
The ban doesn't apply to dogs traveling with someone who isn't staying in Germany for more than four weeks, which German Customs says is meant particularly for tourists. It also doesn't apply to guide and assistance dogs, rescue and civil-protection dogs, security or watch dogs, or dogs already kept in Germany coming back home.
Even under an exception, bring the documents that identify your dog, such as a pedigree certificate, vaccination certificate or temperament-test certificate. German Customs says they're absolutely essential, and the originals must be shown.
Source: Dangerous dogs (German Customs)
Extra breeds banned by some German states
Dogs of other breeds can't be brought in either if the state where they'll live treats them as dangerous. German Customs lists extra breeds for five states:
| State | Extra breeds treated as dangerous |
|---|---|
| Baden-Württemberg | Bullmastiff, Dogo Argentino, Bordeaux Dogge, Fila Brasileiro, Spanish Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Mastiff, Tosa Inu |
| Bavaria | Bandog and Tosa Inu; also, unless shown otherwise: Alano, American Bulldog, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, Fila Brasileiro, Mastiff, Spanish Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Rottweiler, Perro de Presa Canario, Perro de Presa Mallorquin |
| Hamburg | Unless shown otherwise: Bullmastiff, Dogo Argentino, Dogue de Bordeaux, Fila Brasileiro, Kangal, Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Mastiff, Spanish Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Rottweiler, Tosa Inu |
| Hesse | American Bulldog, Dogo Argentino, Kangal (Karabash), Caucasian Shepherd Dog, Rottweiler |
| Brandenburg | Listed by German Customs as one of the five states, without a breed list on its page. Check with Brandenburg's authorities. |
A state ban isn't absolute: the local authority where the dog will live can issue a permit to keep it. The rules are set by each state and can change, so check with the authorities of the state you're moving to.
Sources: Dangerous dogs (German Customs), Dangerous dogs: provisions imposed by individual federal states (German Customs)
If something's missing
Every pet's documents are checked and its identity verified on arrival. German Customs warns that a pet that doesn't meet the rules can be sent back, quarantined for several months or, in some cases, put down, at the owner's expense.
Traveling with more than five pets? Different (commercial) rules apply.
Source: Provisions on the import of pet animals from non-EU states (German Customs)
Traveling on to other EU countries
The EU health certificate covers travel into other EU countries for up to 6 months from the day your dog enters the EU, as long as its rabies vaccination stays valid. Dogs going on to Finland, Ireland, Malta or Norway need a tapeworm treatment 1 to 5 days before entering. See our pet passport guide for how EU pet passports fit in.
Source: Pet Travel From the United States to Germany (USDA APHIS)
Coming back to the U.S.
Your dog needs a CDC Dog Import Form receipt to come home, like every dog entering the U.S. See our CDC Dog Import Form guide.
APHIS also lists Germany as not free of foot-and-mouth disease. For a dog coming from Germany, that means its fur and bedding must be free of excessive dirt, hay or straw, and it should be bathed as soon as it gets home and kept away from livestock for 5 days. No paperwork is needed for this.
Sources: CDC Dog Import Form and Instructions (CDC), Dog Imports: Check Country Disease Status (USDA APHIS), Bring a Pet Dog into the United States (USDA APHIS)
Before you go
Entry rules change, sometimes with little notice. This page summarizes the official pages below as of September 28, 2026. Confirm the current requirements with your vet, USDA APHIS and your airline before you travel.
- Pet Travel From the United States to Germany (USDA APHIS)
- Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country (European Commission)
- Dangerous dogs (German Customs)
- Dangerous dogs: provisions imposed by individual federal states (German Customs)
- Provisions on the import of pet animals from non-EU states (German Customs)
- Dog Imports: Check Country Disease Status (USDA APHIS)
- Bring a Pet Dog into the United States (USDA APHIS)
- CDC Dog Import Form and Instructions (CDC)
Want these steps with dates? Enter your flight in our trip checker for a checklist worked back from your travel date, and whether your dog fits your airline's cabin rules.
Flying there? Compare airline pet policies. For how USDA endorsement works, see ourUSDA health certificate guide.