Taking your pet to Germany: the EU rules at the border, the German rules after it

Yes, your dog or cat simply rides along to Germany, on the back seat, and the border asks three things: a microchip, a rabies vaccination completed at least 21 days before departure and a European pet passport from an authorised vet. No quarantine, no import permit, at most five animals per vehicle — laid down since 22 April 2026 in Regulation (EU) 2026/131. The part that surprises Dutch people comes afterwards. Germany regulates dogs per state and per municipality, and Berlin shows how far that goes: dog tax at the Finanzamt, compulsory liability insurance of at least € 1 million per claim, a central dog register, a general leash requirement and a list of breeds for which a police certificate and a temperament test apply.

What has to be in order before departure?

The European order is binding: first the chip, then the vaccination, then wait.

Step	Rule	What to watch
Chip	compulsory; a tattoo only counts from before 3 July 2011	implant before the vaccination
Rabies vaccination	animal at least 12 weeks old; date after the chip	a jab before the chip doesn't count
Waiting time	validity starts 21 days after completion of the first vaccination	a booster within the validity counts immediately
Pet passport	filled in by an authorised vet, only for owners in the EU	arrange it in the Netherlands
Tapeworm treatment	not needed for Germany	only for Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland and Norway
Number	at most five dogs, cats or ferrets per vehicle	more only for competitions and exhibitions

If you cannot travel at the same time as the animal, an authorised person may transport it, provided you travel within five days before or after the animal and a declaration is attached to the passport. A passport of the old model remains valid if issued before 22 April 2026. And the rules apply to private transport without a transfer of ownership; whoever sells or hands over an animal falls under the trade conditions.

What changes after arrival for a dog?

More than at any other EU destination. The rules differ per state and municipality; Berlin is the best-documented example, and most large cities have variants of the same four elements.

Dog tax. As a dog owner in Berlin you pay tax for your dog, assessed by the Finanzamt; registration runs via the dog register or directly with the Finanzamt. Exemption exists for guide, rescue and assistance dogs and for whoever takes a dog from a shelter — that one is exempt for five calendar years.

Insurance. In Berlin liability insurance for personal injury and property damage caused by the dog is compulsory, with a minimum cover of € 1 million per claim and an excess of at most € 500 per insurance year. That applies to visitors with a dog too; for a resident it is not a choice.

Register and chip. Every dog kept in Berlin must be microchipped and registered by the owner with the central register within six months. With an EU passport the chip is already there; the registration isn't.

Leash requirement. Since 1 January 2019 a general leash requirement applies throughout Berlin, except in designated exercise areas. Running free is only allowed with a Sachkundebescheinigung — the "dog licence" — after an exam with a recognised expert, or if you have demonstrably kept a dog for three years without incident in the last five.

What if my dog is on the breed list?

Then the move changes. In Berlin pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, bull terriers and crosses of them count as dangerous on account of their breed. You report keeping one to your district's Ordnungsamt without delay, with chip number and origin; within three weeks you apply for a police certificate, within eight weeks you show your Sachkunde and the insurance, and a temperament test (Wesenstest) applies as well as, from the seventh month of life, a muzzle requirement that remains even after a passed test. Other states keep their own lists.

Choose your state before your dog. For a bull or Staffordshire type the rules differ per state from "register and insure" to a muzzle requirement that never lapses. Find that out in the orientation phase, not at the Ordnungsamt.

And a cat?

For cats the European border rules apply and otherwise almost nothing: no tax, no register, no leash requirement. The German dog rules are dog rules.

What the vet and the passport roughly cost, and what the dog tax does to your monthly budget, is in the cost indication for Germany. For the rest of the move — why the car has a clock and your household goods don't — see the other articles of this phase.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 3 of 5 of the journey, step 3.3: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Germany or go straight to step 3.3 in the open plan.