Canada to Germany
Pet Shipping from Canada to Germany
We provide international pet transport from Canada to Germany, planned around the EU’s entry rules, the Canadian winter and your move date.
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.
- Airline booking
- The travel crate
- The CFIA export paperwork
- Check-in at your Canadian airport
- Pickup in Germany with delivery to your new address
Germany at a glance
Full requirementsA pet arriving from Canada comes in through one of the approved points of entry that Germany’s agriculture ministry lists, where customs or the official veterinary service checks its papers and identity.
- Microchip
- ISO 11784, in before the rabies shot; another type needs a reader you supply
- Rabies vaccination
- A first shot needs 21 days before entry; a booster given before the last one lapsed counts straight away
- Rabies titre
- Not needed from Canada, which Annex II of Implementing Regulation 2026/636 lists
- Health certificate
- In English and German, valid 10 days from your veterinarian’s signature, endorsed by the CFIA
- Pet limit
- Up to five pets can travel non commercially with an owner. Larger moves follow the commercial route
Pet Shipping from Canada to Germany
A move to Germany runs on the EU import sequence, and the order is strict: the microchip goes in first, then the rabies vaccination, then a wait of at least 21 days, then the EU health certificate, carrying the CFIA’s endorsement and no more than 10 days old when your pet enters the EU. Every date is worked back from your pet’s arrival.
Which route does a pet take into Germany?
Every route ends at a point of entry Germany has designated: Munich, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Berlin Brandenburg airports are among those on its agriculture ministry’s list. Which one, and the connection on the way, depends on the airline that will carry your pet out of Canada and the time of year.
What are the entry requirements for pets going to Germany?
The short answer
Canada appears in Annex II of the EU’s lists, so Germany wants from a Canadian pet the same as the EU does: a microchip, a rabies vaccination given after it, and an EU animal health certificate that the CFIA endorses once the vet has signed it, as the final step before the pet leaves Canada. The CFIA says the certificate is completed in English and in the official language of the country where the pet first enters the EU, which for a direct flight to Germany means German. A pet that falls short can be sent back, kept in quarantine until it complies or, failing both, euthanized, Germany’s agriculture ministry says.
Which pets can enter Germany?
Four dog types and their crosses are barred from Germany by federal law, and the banned breeds answer further down names them. Any other dog, cat or ferret from Canada can go once its rabies vaccination is valid: a pet under 12 weeks that has had none, or one not yet protected by it, cannot come into the EU from a country outside it, going by the European Commission’s young animals page. A pet can be held up at the border by a small mismatch: a microchip number that reads differently across documents, a rabies shot dated before the chip, or a health certificate endorsed outside its 10-day window.
What vet work and documents does a pet need for Germany?
Start with the microchip: ISO 11784 compliant, or any other type as long as you supply a reader. The rabies vaccination comes after it, and a first shot has to be at least 21 days old when the pet arrives. Last comes the EU animal health certificate, signed by your veterinarian, endorsed by the CFIA and valid for 10 days from the veterinarian’s signature. You travel with the pet, or someone you authorize in writing moves it within five days of your own flight; otherwise the commercial certificate applies. Dates and microchip numbers are cross-checked on the certificate before the CFIA appointment.
| Requirement | Germany, from Canada |
|---|---|
| Microchip | ISO 11784, in before the rabies shot; another type needs a reader you supply |
| Rabies vaccination | A first shot needs 21 days before entry; a booster given before the last one lapsed counts straight away |
| Rabies titre | Not needed from Canada, which Annex II of Implementing Regulation 2026/636 lists |
| Health certificate | In English and German, valid 10 days from your veterinarian’s signature, endorsed by the CFIA |
| Pet limit | Up to five pets can travel non commercially with an owner. Larger moves follow the commercial route |
| Quarantine | Germany’s agriculture ministry allows return, quarantine or, last of all, euthanasia for a pet that falls short |
The export side follows the CFIA’s page on taking a pet to the EU, and the EU entry rules the European Commission’s guidance on pet movements. For Germany itself the page draws on the agriculture ministry’s list of points of entry, the federal law on dangerous dogs and German customs’ page on it.
Planning Timeline for Pet Shipping to Germany
Plan on roughly a month to six weeks for a straightforward Germany move when the rabies vaccination is current, and longer if it needs redoing, since the 21-day wait restarts. The health certificate is the tight part: it must be issued and CFIA-endorsed inside a 10-day window before arrival, which is why the last vet appointment and the flight are booked as a pair.
Poland runs no derogation for young animals. Our Poland page explains what that means for a Canadian move.
Planning the budget? See what shipping a pet from Canada to Germany costs, fee by fee.
Every Pet Travels Differently
Different destinations, different routes, different challenges.
Because timelines, airline rules, and the EU’s entry requirements can vary, we build a plan that fits your pet and your move date.
Destination-Focused Planning
We use Germany’s official EU import guidance as the baseline, then turn it into a simple checklist and timeline you can follow.
Smart Routing and Logistics
We help choose practical routes, travel windows, and handoff procedures so your pet’s trip is safer and more predictable.
Personalized Support
Pet Travel Advisors assigns a move coordinator who keeps you updated and checks details before travel so nothing important is missed.
Questions about moving a pet to Germany
Request a QuoteWhen is the best time to fly a pet from Canada to Germany?
Spring and autumn are the seasons to aim for. Winter is the hardest from Canada, because Air Canada limits pets in the hold over the cold months and the holidays, as our Air Canada pet policy guide sets out, and in summer a cooler departure and arrival time matters most for snub-nosed breeds.
How much does it cost to move a pet from Canada to Germany?
Four things move the price: how big your pet and its crate are, the airline, the time of year, and how much of the move you hand over. Our cost breakdown for Canada to Germany lists the government fees, and a quote gives the full figure for your move.
How does Pet Travel Advisors handle a Canada to Germany move?
One coordinator owns your file, and you pick the pieces: flights, the crate, the EU certificate with its CFIA endorsement, check-in at the Canadian airport, and collection on arrival in Germany with a drive to the new address.
Are any dog breeds banned from Germany?
It does. Under Germany’s federal law on dangerous dogs, the Pitbull-Terrier, American Staffordshire-Terrier, Staffordshire-Bullterrier and Bullterrier, and any cross of them with each other or another dog, may not be brought in, and the penalty runs to two years’ imprisonment or a fine. German customs names only narrow exceptions: dogs with visitors in the country four weeks or less, dogs returning to a state that has authorized the owner to keep them, and dogs serving as guide, assistance, rescue or official service animals. A family dog moving to Germany for the first time does not fit any of them.
Underneath that sits a second rule: a dog of any further breed presumed dangerous under the law of the German state where it will be kept may not be brought into that state, and every Bundesland keeps its own list. The answer therefore depends on the destination city as much as on the breed. Our guide to banned and restricted dog breeds by country covers both layers, and Ontario’s own rules as well.
Ready to start?
Book door-to-door pet relocation, or only the parts you need.