Dangerous dogs
The attacks of dangerous dogs on people - in some cases with fatal results - required a law for the fight of dangerous dogs.
The Hundeverbringungs- und einfuhrbeschränkungsgesetz HundVerbrEinfG (Law on Restrictions for the Introduction and Importation of Dogs) came into force 21. April 2001.
Among others it includes a prohibit to introduce or import dogs regarded as dangerous.
These regulations serve the protection of the population. Customs participate in
the control of the importation of such dogs.
According to this law, certain breeds as well as cross breeds
among them or with other dogs must not be introduced or imported into Germany.
This applies to the breeds
- pitbull terrier
- American Staffordshire terrier
- Staffordshire bull terrier
- bull terrier
The prohibition of introduction or importation into Germany also affects
other breeds suspected of being dangerous according to the laws of the German
Land where the dog is permanently kept.
Such breeds are listed by the single German Laender and may therefore differ
from Land to Land. In statutory orders of the single German Laender, the
following breeds are regularly considered dangerous:
- alano
- American bulldog
- bullmastiff
- cane corso
- dogo Argentino
- dogue de Bordeaux
- fila Brasiliero
- mastiff
- mastin Espanol
- mastino Napoletano
- pittbull bandog
- perro de presa Canario
- perro de presa Mallorcin
- Tosa Inu.
In case of doubt you should check prior to travelling about the classification of breeds considered dangerous with the competent public affairs office as the a.m. list is not final.
Exceptions from the introduction and importation prohibit
To avoid difficulties in passenger traffic, exceptions from the importation
and introduction prohibit shall be allowed until a statutory order will be
issued. According to this, the importation or introduction prohibit does not
apply to
- dangerous dogs carried along by persons who stay in the Federal Republic of Germany for up to four weeks (this especially applies to tourists)
- dangerous dogs of the stock currently existing in Germany and re-imported/re-introduced from abroad
- police dogs and dogs accompanying disabled
provided that the dog keeper can submit the documents required for the verification of the pets (e.g. certificate of descent/origin, vaccination certificate, certificate of the personality test, other certificates issued by the competent public affairs office).
Introduction from other Member States
If dangerous dogs are introduced from other Member States of the European Community, the regulations for the importation from so- called ‘third countries’ apply analogously. Therefore, even in such cases of introduction of dangerous dogs into or from Germany the papers prescribed by state law should always be carried.
For questions about the importation/introduction of dangerous dogs, please contact:
- the locally competent public affairs offices,
- the central Customs Information Centre
- or locally competent customs offices
