Bringing a pet from Australia to Berlin

Moving your dog or cat to Berlin is far easier than bringing one home to Australia. Getting the order of the paperwork right is what matters.

The short version

Australia is a "listed" country for the EU, so dogs and cats from Australia don't need a rabies antibody blood test or a waiting period after one [1].
You still need a 15-digit microchip, a rabies vaccination given after the chip, and an EU animal health certificate signed or endorsed by the Australian Government. The certificate is valid for only 10 days until your entry check [1][2].
On arrival, go straight to the red customs channel with the original documents [1].
In Berlin, register your dog in the Hunderegister (€17.50 online) and pay dog tax: €120 a year for the first dog, €180 for each extra one [3][4][5].
Berlin dogs must be on a lead almost everywhere unless you get an exemption, which needs liability insurance and proof of dog-handling knowledge [6].

What the EU requires from an Australian pet

The EU rules for non-commercial pet moves were reissued under Regulation (EU) 2026/131, but the basic recipe for Australian pets is unchanged [7]. The Bavarian state authority that runs the border inspection post at Munich Airport lists Australia under "listed third countries", which don't need a rabies antibody test [1].

Requirement	What it means	Timing
Microchip	ISO 15-digit transponder, implanted before the rabies shot [1]	First
Rabies vaccination	At least 12 weeks old at the first shot [2]	At least 21 days before travel [2]
Rabies antibody (titre) test	Not required for Australia as a listed country [1]	Not applicable
EU animal health certificate	Signed by an official vet or endorsed by the competent authority [1][2]	Valid 10 days from issue to the EU entry check [1][2]
Owner's declaration	Signed declaration that the move is non-commercial [2]	Owner travels within 5 days of the pet [2]
Cats only	Vet must certify the cat comes from premises with no Hendra virus case in the last 60 days [1]	On the certificate
Number of animals	Up to five on a non-commercial move [2]

The tapeworm treatment on the certificate applies only to dogs entering an EU country or zone listed as free of the Echinococcus parasite [2]. Germany isn't one of them (the list covers a handful of places such as Ireland, Finland and Malta), so the step doesn't apply for Berlin. Check again if you'll stop in one of those countries on the way.

Your rabies vaccine needs to stay valid. If you let it lapse and revaccinate late, it counts as a new primary vaccination and the 21-day wait starts again [2].

Getting the certificate signed in Australia

The Australian side is handled by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). Its Manual of Importing Country Requirements (MICoR) publishes the current EU health certificate templates for dogs, cats and ferrets, including a German-English version [2]. Use the version current when you travel; MICoR updated it for October 2026.

Here's the usual order of steps:

Check the microchip. Have your vet scan it and confirm it's an ISO 15-digit chip. If it isn't, implant a new one and vaccinate afterwards.
Give the rabies vaccine. Australia is rabies-free, so most Australian pets have never had one. Your vet will need to source the vaccine and record the batch and dates.
Wait at least 21 days after a primary vaccination before travelling [2].
Lodge your export paperwork with DAFF. Book an accredited vet to complete the EU certificate and arrange government endorsement. Plan this within the 10-day window before your pet's arrival in Germany [1][2].
Book the flight. There are no direct flights from Australia to Berlin. Pets usually travel as manifested cargo via a hub, and the airline will have its own crate and paperwork rules. Many people use a pet transport company for this step.
Sign the owner's declaration and travel within five days of your pet [2].

Leave plenty of buffer. The 10-day certificate validity is the part that trips people up, especially when a flight is delayed or a connection is missed.

Arriving in Germany

Most Australian pets land at Frankfurt or Munich as cargo and are then flown or driven on to Berlin. Each EU country designates travellers' points of entry where pets from non-EU countries are checked [7].

Pets travelling as cargo go to the airport's border inspection post. The importer pays the inspection fee [1].
Pets in the cabin or as excess baggage come through passport control and baggage claim with you. Go straight to the red channel at customs and show the original documents. Skipping the red channel is an administrative offence [1].

Once your pet is in, the health certificate also works for onward travel within the EU for up to six months, or until the rabies vaccination expires [2]. After that, ask a Berlin vet for an EU pet passport. You'll want one for holidays in neighbouring countries.

Registering your dog in Berlin

Berlin's dog law (Hundegesetz) has applied since July 2016 [8]. It comes with three admin jobs.

1. The Hunderegister

Every dog kept permanently in Berlin must be listed in the central dog register, run for the city by GovConnect [8].

When: straight away, once your dog lives in Berlin [3].
Cost: €17.50 per dog online, or €26.50 in writing or by phone [3].
What you need: your details, the dog's breed, sex, date of birth and its 15-digit microchip number [3].
Penalty: not registering is an offence with fines of up to €10,000 [3].

2. Dog tax (Hundesteuer)

Since 1 January 2024, registering in the Hunderegister also counts as registering for dog tax, so you don't need a separate form for the tax office [4][8]. The tax office then sends a bill, usually after about four weeks [4]. Register within a month of moving to Berlin [4].

Dog	Annual dog tax in Berlin
First dog	€120 [5]
Each additional dog	€180 [5]
Dog adopted from an animal shelter	Exempt for five years, on application [5]
Assistance dogs (for example, guide dogs)	Exempt, on application [5]

Berlin doesn't charge extra for listed "dangerous" breeds [5]. Dogs no longer need to wear a tax tag; Berlin stopped issuing them in 2024 [4].

3. Listed breeds

Pit bulls, American Staffordshire terriers, bull terriers and their crosses are on Berlin's dangerous dogs list. They must be reported to the authorities immediately and stay on a lead in public [6][8]. If you own one, research this before you book flights.

The lead, insurance and the dog licence

Here's the biggest daily change from home. In Berlin, dogs must be on a lead throughout the city, except in designated dog runs and off-lead areas [6].

You can apply to your district Ordnungsamt for an exemption. With one, your dog can run off-lead on quiet streets, squares and open land [6]. You'll need:

Liability insurance for your dog (Tierhalterhaftpflicht). This is also a must if anything goes wrong [6].
A microchip, for dogs over three months [6].
Proof of dog-handling knowledge (Sachkunde). You can sit the Sachkunde exam with a recognised examiner, or show years of experience. Fees range from at least €41 after passing the exam to a cap of €164, depending on your route [6].

Many Berlin owners do the Sachkunde exam even if they don't plan to unclip often, because it's widely called the "dog licence" (Hundeführerschein) and it helps with landlords and dog sitters.

Renting with a pet

Most Berlin leases say something about pets. Small animals in cages are normally fine, but for a dog, and often a cat, ask the landlord for written consent (Erlaubnis zur Tierhaltung) before you sign. Mention your pet early in your flat applications. Our renting in Berlin guide covers the rest of the hunt.

Thinking ahead to coming home

Bringing a pet back to Australia is a much bigger project than leaving. It involves an approved country pathway, an import permit, rabies blood testing and post-arrival quarantine in Mickleham. Start planning at least six months out. Our guide to bringing your pet home to Australia goes step by step.

Need a Berlin vet, a dog walker or a pet-friendly flat lead? Join Cooee Germany, our Facebook group for Australians in Germany, where members share what worked for their own dogs and cats.

Bringing your dog or cat from Australia to Berlin: EU entry rules, dog tax and the leash