Red Tape Travel

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How-to

What are the steps for flying a dog from the US to France or Germany?

Last verified: September 24, 2026Published

The quick answer

A dog flying from the US to France or Germany needs identification before rabies vaccination, a valid rabies vaccination, and an EU animal health certificate with a signed non-commercial declaration.[1][2] The primary rabies course must be completed at least 21 days before travel, unless the dog qualifies through a valid booster vaccination.[3]

Red Tape Travel covers the US-to-EU dog route, including the shared entry rules for France and Germany. This guide follows a pet dog flying directly with its US-resident owner, without a sale or transfer of ownership, through the civilian USDA-accredited veterinarian process. Commercial shipments, EU-resident return journeys and transit through unlisted countries are outside its scope.

Before arranging the flight

The European Commission's country information page links to French and German authorities for national animal-health information and measures concerning species and breeds.[7] Use those links for the national conditions; this shared EU guide does not establish breed eligibility.

Airline carriage is a separate question. APHIS states that airlines have their own policies and requirements for transporting animals.[4] A dog traveling in the hold can still qualify as a non-commercial movement when its owner travels on the same flight and remains responsible for it.[8] The EU certificate does not establish that a particular airline accepts the dog in the cabin.[4]

The steps in order

  1. Identify the dog before the rabies vaccination.

    For a dog traveling from the US to the EU, have the veterinarian scan the working microchip before administering the rabies vaccine.[4] If the microchip does not meet the EU's technical requirements, the owner must provide a device that can read it when requested.[3]

    Fails if: the rabies vaccination was given before the dog's microchip was implanted or read.[1][4]

  2. Complete the rabies vaccination and its waiting period.

    The dog must be at least 12 weeks old at primary vaccination, and must complete the primary course at least 21 days before movement to the EU.[5][3] APHIS also directs owners to follow a longer immunity period where the vaccine manufacturer specifies it.[4] A booster given while the preceding vaccination remains valid does not restart the primary-course wait; a vaccination after a lapse is treated as primary vaccination.[5][4]

    Fails if: the primary vaccination was given below the required age, or the applicable waiting period has not finished before the dog travels.[5][3][4]

  3. Establish whether the rabies blood-test exemption applies.

    The United States is on the EU's list of countries eligible for the rabies antibody titration test exemption.[6] For the direct journey covered here, the dog must come from the listed country where its owner habitually resides.[3] A departure from a US airport alone does not establish that condition.[3] Journeys involving stays or transit elsewhere need assessment against the regulation's separate conditions.[3]

    Fails if: the journey is treated as exempt without meeting the listed-country and itinerary conditions.[3]

  4. Have a USDA-accredited veterinarian issue the non-commercial EU certificate.

    For a dog leaving the US for the EU, the veterinarian completes the certificate and submits it through the Veterinary Export Health Certification System, or VEHCS, for USDA endorsement.[4] APHIS says the non-commercial certificate is valid for 30 days after the accredited veterinarian issues it; USDA endorsement and EU entry checks have their own timing below.[4] APHIS's new non-commercial certificates took effect on October 1, 2026.[4]

    Fails if: the certificate has not been issued through the required veterinarian and endorsement process.[4]

  1. Obtain USDA endorsement against the EU arrival date. For a dog traveling from the US to the EU, USDA must endorse the completed non-commercial certificate within 10 days before the dog's arrival in the EU.[4] USDA must ink-sign and emboss it, and the endorsed certificate must accompany the dog.[4] Electronic submission through VEHCS does not remove that original ink endorsement requirement.[4]

For EU entry, the animal health certificate is valid for 10 days from official-veterinarian issue, or competent-authority endorsement when an authorized veterinarian issued it, until the documentary and identity checks at the designated travellers' point of entry.[2][3] For the civilian US process described here, that is the USDA endorsement, rather than the accredited veterinarian's earlier issue date.[2][4]

Fails if: the endorsed certificate is missing, or the dog reaches its EU entry checks outside the certificate's validity.[2][4]

  1. Sign the declaration and carry it with the certificate.

    The owner completes and signs the non-commercial declaration, which confirms that the movement is not for sale or another transfer of ownership.[3][4] The signed declaration must accompany the dog and its health certificate.[3][4]

    Fails if: the required signed declaration does not travel with the certificate.[3][4]

  2. Present the dog for checks at the EU point of entry.

    A dog arriving from the US must enter through a designated travellers' point of entry, where the owner contacts the competent authority for documentary and identity checks.[1][3] The Commission's point-of-entry directory links to the French and German lists.[9] Use the list for the country where the dog enters the EU.

    Fails if: the dog arrives through an entry point that is not designated for the journey, or the owner does not report it for the required checks.[1][3]

Red Tape Travel's EU rule area page covers the shared requirements. The sources below provide the official entry rules and US export instructions; national restrictions and airline acceptance remain separate from those documents.

Confirm before booking. Rules and airline policies change. Check the official pages linked under Sources, and your airline, before you pay for anything.

Sources

  1. European Commission: Identification, vaccination, non-commercial documentation and checks when entering the EU from a non-EU country.
  2. EU Publications Office: Animal health certificate model and validity from official issue or competent-authority endorsement to EU entry checks.
  3. EU Publications Office: EU requirements for non-commercial dog movements, listed-country blood-test exemptions, certificates and declarations.
  4. USDA APHIS: Common US-to-EU microchip, vaccination, certificate issue, USDA endorsement and declaration instructions in the EU member-state template.
  5. EU Publications Office: Rabies vaccination validity, minimum age and the treatment of a booster given after a lapse.
  6. European Commission: Countries listed for the rabies antibody titration test exemption, including the United States.
  7. European Commission: National animal-health information and measures concerning species and breeds, with links for France and Germany.
  8. European Commission: Owner responsibility and non-commercial air travel when a dog is in the hold.
  9. European Commission: Directory of designated travellers' points of entry, including France and Germany.