If you are confused about taking a dog to Germany and want to know what the rules regulations are that you must follow for smooth transportation then you’re in the right place.
In this article, you will find out everything you need to know and will give you a proper answer for what you need when taking a dog to Germany.
Nothing’s more fun or exciting than going on vacation to a new country for the very first time, and the way to make your vacation more memorable is to bring your beloved dog along for the ride.
But when visiting a foreign country there are certain rules you will have to follow.
There are certain countries that enforce tighter rules and regulations when it comes to pet travel.
The breed of the dog also comes into play for deciding if the dog is allowed in the country or not.
Extensive research into this subject has to be performed before thinking about knocking on the foreign door with a dog by your side.
Germans love their pets, but no country would be complete without any rules and regulations. For Germany, it’s the same.
Some of you may not be familiar with the laws of Germany when it comes to bringing pets over. This guide will let you know about the rules that you need to follow for taking a dog to Germany.
Rules & Regulations
Germany is one of the countries that fall under the European Union regulation.
According to the EU, if you are planning to bring your dog from a non-EU country, then you should have your dog checked with the vet.
There is the federal agency charged with making sure that pet owners comply with the rules called ‘ZOLL’ The German Customs Office to learn more about ‘ZOLL’ and for more information regarding the EU country regulations regarding pets and what to expect click on the link above.
Before heading to Germany your dog will need to be vaccinated against rabies and must be over 12 weeks old to receive this vaccination, this can be given at the same time as the usual annual booster vaccinations.
You must wait 21 days from the date of their first rabies vaccination before travelling with your dog to Germany or any other EU member state All of this must be recorded in the documentation.
Having updated documentation for the dog will help out a lot while the dog undergoes various checkups. Germany requires 3 years vaccination period for dogs.
If the situation requires the dog to take another shot, then it has to be performed.
Ask your vet if the dog needs a new one or not, and recorded documentation to prove the dog is indeed healthy.
So, you can see your dogs in Germany without any trouble preventing it.
Besides getting a rabies shot, the dog should also get checked for tapeworms. This checking has to be done 5 days prior to the departure day. Otherwise, the dog has to go through quarantine.
You must follow the same rule over again when you are bringing your dog back from the foreign land to your country.
The changing of the climate could create harmful bacteria or attach them to the dog.
If the dog goes unchecked, then it might harm the dog’s inner system.
Leaving anything to the last minute of travel may prohibit the dog from entering the country.
The next thing is if your pet doesn’t have a microchip installed, then make sure to do it before travelling.
Micro-chipping installation is normally done before the rabies shot.
Another thing you should look out for when getting your dog microchipping is the ISO numbers, 11784 or 11785.
Make sure the microchips on the dog should have the 11784 or 11785 number.
Consider asking the vet about microchipping and when is the perfect time to install them before taking a dog to Germany.
So all the decision has to be taken before the travel date. If you want to spend your time with all of your dogs in Germany.
Another thing you should watch out for is tattoos. Tattoo on the dog may seem cute and memorable before, but now it is completely prohibited.
If the tattoos are fresh or made recently, that can get the dog banned from entering the country.
Older tattoos are still allowed, if you are planning to tattoo your dog, then don’t, if you want to travel to other countries with your favorite pal by your side.
Transportation
The rules for getting the dog from one airline to another stay the same. The rule has always been to inform the airline first about your situation.
Normally, it is common for airline companies to get these notifications. There are certain rules laid out by the airline companies that the traveler should follow.
One of the rules is making your dog stay in a sturdy crate with enough space for head and body movement.
And the crate needs to have some holes for ventilation.
This also has to meet all of these requirements for the comfort of your dog and the rules of the airline companies.
Some airline companies would allow the crates carried by their owners. But it is not going to be the same experience for everyone. Some might have to leave the crate at the cargo bay.
Smaller pets (< 10 pounds) are allowed to be with their owners while traveling. But others have to take to the cargo bay for their journey to Germany.
If you have smaller dogs, then make sure the pet carrier for the dog stays under the seat.
Some airlines would have tighter restrictions inside the plane. Make sure the pet carries stay in Infront of you.
Bigger dogs would count as cargo for the plane that’s why they have to go through the cargo bay to step into the foreign land.
To learn more about what size your pet carrier must be and what airlines accept dogs in the cabin check out this article below.
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Airline Guidelines
Airline companies will have their own set of rules regarding pet travel.
Some companies wouldn’t even allow any pet to be on board, even if the pet meets all the requirements set by the government.
Each airline companies have their own guidelines that they follow. Even if they support pet traveling, the pet has to meet up with all the prerequisites. Then they might allow the pet to be in a cabin or through the cargo section.
Some companies such as delta don’t allow the dog to transport as a cargo. If you are boarding a delta plane then the dog has to go through aircraft cabins.
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Some might charge a huge amount of money for pet travel. If you can’t seem to find an alternative, then you have to pay a hefty amount for the pet to travel to another country.
Airlines would have their own weight limit, container size, height, and weather conditions. Sometimes the deciding factor may lie inside of the weather.
Not only do you have to make your dog ready to meet all the requirements but you also have to pick the perfect season and date for a perfect pet journey.
In some instances, the weather change can create illness in a dog and sometimes results in death. The weather has to meet specific environmental conditions for pet travel to continue or start.
As you might have guessed, the temperature number varies from one airline to another.
For delta, if the weather condition sits at 10°F (-12C) or above 85°F (29.4C), then your dog might not get allowed to travel.
Some airlines provide alternative courses to avoid the bad effect of the temperature affect the dog.
For example, if you want to take your dog on summer vacation. Then there are certain rules you can follow to take the dog to Germany without prohibition. In summer, you must depart in the evening or in the early morning.
Because in these time durations the temperature is likely to be in cool condition.
To be noted, this only happens in certain airline companies, most of them will block the traveling of the pet under these circumstances.
Another thing is making sure your dog is ready to board the plane, Some dogs might not feel too happy staying far from the ground.
They might show unusual behavior if they get boarded without any notice.
So, ask your vet, if the dog is ready to take off. There are plenty of things that might harm your dog’s health. For example, as you are moving into another country, you will definitely experience a sudden change in the climate.
If the dog is not ready, this sudden change in the environment can cause a lot of stress for the dog to handle.
The weather might be too hot or cold for the dog to endure, it might lead to some distortions event.
If that happens, then you will be unable to find the proper solution because of being in another country.
The language barrier might affect your communication for describing the symptoms the dog has been showing, ever since it arrived.
Wild behavior on the dog can get you in legal trouble with the airline companies. Mostly foreign dogs are required to wear a muzzle on them at all times to avoid influencing the environment.
When you take out the dog in the public make sure you are in control, not vice versa.
It is better to ask the vet about these problems and make sure the dog is perfectly fine traveling to a different region.
If the dog doesn’t meet a certain standard, then it is better to leave the dog with your neighbor or any relative’s house.
The Cost For Taking A Dog To Germany
Before taking a dog to Germany you should be prepared to face the shipping charges.
The rate will differ from countries and airliners. The airliner will charge money for the shipment of the animal.
On average, you have to spend 200$ for the small animal, and 400$ – 600$ for the larger ones.
That is not to say these prices will be the same for every airline. Before thinking about traveling make sure to confirm the price point to the airliners.
Almost all the airliners have good customer service to provide you information on everything to your needs. these costs might see an increase to them if the dog gets sick in a foreign land.
Then you will have to deal with a large amount for simple vet service.
The language barrier already being the problem with communicating effectively, this could increase the overall expenses for your travel.
In these times better to check on the insurance policy, to make sure your pet gets handled well, even if the pet is in another country.
In Germany the vets are called ‘Tierärtze ’, some of them do speak English, and they would have everything inside the place to take care of your dog.
If the situation gets amped up to 11, these vets have all the modern tools to perform timely operation.
In Germany, dogs are a much more favorable companion amongst the citizens. So you will have plenty of vet offices around the city.
If you don’t have cash in hand at the time, then they would send you a bill. Having good insurance would help you out a lot in these circumstances.
If you don’t have any insurance for the pet, then make sure to carry a bit more money, for the just-in-case incidents.
Or you can opt-out of the pet aboard policy for better care only for a moderate amount of money.
Dogs Passport
Consider getting a pet passport for the dog, this would provide an instantaneous result on the approval of the dog.
To make a valid passport for the dog, it has to meet certain standards first. To do all that, you should ask the vet, for a lot of tests.
One of the major things that make the passport such a great thing to have for the dog’s validation, is vaccination.
If the dog has a pet passport, then it tells the dog has been cleared from all sorts of diseases. Passport raises the chance of seeing your dogs in Germany.
People tend to forget that the passport needs to be renewed if you are keen on traveling to different places. The vaccination shots have to have recent dates on them for them to work properly.
Having a passport for the dog would tell everything there is to know about the dog to the authority of the airline.
No longer do you and your dog have to sit through a quarantine list to get the approval.
Banned Breeds Of Dog In Germany
As I said before in the article, not all airliners will have similar rules and regulations for pets.
The breed of the dog also gets taken into context. This rule is not made by the airliner company but by the country itself.
Germany has tighter rules when taking certain Dog breeds in Germany that they consider harmful.
This includes some rules that even reach so far down the road to banning the dog due to various reasons.
Before you are thinking about traveling with the dog, make sure that it fits the description set by the German government.
All the 16 states of Germany have their own rules towards the kind of pet they would allow to roam in their street.
Mostly, the kind of pet that they consider to be dangerous.
Dog breeds such as Pitbull are considered dangerous and aggressive animals, bringing them to Germany is not an option for the people who own this breed of dog.
But some states, like Niedersachsen, have no rule prohibiting any breeds of dog from entering the region.
But generally, German dogs are diverse in breed. The list of prohibited dogs contains only a few breeds of dogs.
If you are planning to visit Germany, it is recommended to do extensive research on the stats and their rules regarding your dog.
Before losing hope on ever bringing the dog into the country, maybe you find your destination region to be one of the states that allow the breed of dog to run wild.
Since 2001, Germany has banned certain kinds of dogs from entering the country.
- American Pitbull Terrier
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- English Bull Terrier
Reservation
Before taking a dog to Germany you must make a reservation for your dog beforehand. Not in time can lose you the precious seat on the plane.
So, make sure to acquire everything you need first, then hit the reservation button in time.
If you are taking an alternative mode of transportation, then you must follow all the basic rules of bringing a dog to another country.
Either way, you will be responsible for the dog’s wellbeing in other countries and for its actions. But if you want to take the dog to Germany on a plane, then getting a reservation is the only way to do it.
Entering
Each individual is allowed to carry in at least 5 pets with them. All of them have to be registered under family pets.
If you are taking your dog from one EU country to another, then you don’t have to follow all the rules necessary for pet travel.
In normal circumstances, the dog has to be vaccinated to avoid quarantine.
If you are bringing a dog from an EU authority country, then you can just completely bypass this rule. The EU has an approved list to prove if the dog has the right condition for travel.
By being under the personal household item does bring in some minor rules to follow for the owner of the pets.
If you are renting a place then you must have the landlord’s permission.
Unlike cats, dogs, on the other hand, need to get licensed. There is a tax on the dog, that has to be paid monthly. You might see a change in the tax price in different states of Germany.
Some states might force the dogs to wear a muzzle on the face, this also keeps the dog safe from getting new bacteria.
Dogs in Germany are not allowed to go inside of the butcher shop, market store, or any place that sells fresh food.
If there is a sign hanging on the wall saying ‘Wir müssen leider daraussen warten’, then it is a sign that says keep your dog outside.
Some restaurants may allow the dog inside, but that wouldn’t be for all the cases. You are going to get a more prohibited experience if the dog behaves abnormally on the street or in general.
If the dog is relaxed in the environment. Then there wouldn’t be any problem bringing the dog inside.
Conclusion
Taking a dog to Germany may sound like an easy and fun thing to do.
In a way, it is fun seeing your favorite dog by your side along the journey but for that to happen, you must follow all these rules for the safe journey of you and your dog.
Some of these rules may take a lot of your time, but the result would be more memorable compared to the stress they had to make earlier.
So, remember these rules and follow them while you are over there.
