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Bringing a Cat from the USA to Germany: Requirements & Timeline

For cats, Germany is the plain EU chain — chip, shot, 21-day wait, certificate — with none of the breed-import rules that affect dogs.

Rules last verified against official sources: 2026-07-24

Planning for a dog instead? See the dog version of this route →

Pick your travel date to get a dated, backward-planned checklist. (This tool needs JavaScript; the full requirements are listed below either way.)

Cats enter Germany on the EU baseline: ISO microchip before the rabies vaccination, vaccination at 12 weeks or older, a 21-day wait, and a USDA-endorsed EU certificate with arrival within 10 days of endorsement. No titer test.

Minimum lead time: about 0.7 months (21 days). Germany is achievable in under a month; the 21-day wait is the floor. Germany's breed import ban is dog-only — cats are unaffected.

The requirements, in order

Order matters — several steps are only valid if the earlier ones were done first. This is the same sequence the planner above turns into dated deadlines.

  1. ISO microchip implanted
    ISO 11784/11785-compliant microchip, implanted and scanned BEFORE the rabies vaccination. Under EU rules a rabies shot given before the chip — or without scanning the chip first — simply does not count and must be redone.
    Official source ↗
  2. Rabies vaccination (then a 21-day wait)
    Given at 12 weeks (84 days) of age or older, after the microchip. For a primary vaccination the EU counts the vaccination day as day 0: validity starts 21 days later, and your pet cannot enter the EU before that. A booster given before the previous shot expired needs no new wait — but one day of lapsed coverage makes the next shot a 'primary' again.
    US primary rabies vaccinations count for 1 year in the EU regardless of the label. APHIS suggests vaccinating 3–6 months before travel to keep paperwork simple.
    Official source ↗
  3. EU health certificate issued & endorsed by USDA APHIS
    A USDA-accredited veterinarian completes the EU non-commercial animal health certificate (submitted via VEHCS); USDA APHIS ink-signs and embosses it. Your pet must arrive in the EU within 10 days of the endorsement. The certificate then covers onward EU travel for 4 months (6 months for certificates under the new EU rules from 1 Oct 2026) or until the rabies vaccination expires, whichever is first.
    Book the vet appointment and USDA endorsement inside the same 10-day pre-travel window — cutting it close on day 10 leaves no room for a delayed flight.
    Official source ↗

What's simpler for cats

Germany's federal breed import ban applies to dogs only, and tapeworm treatment never applies to cats. Your cat's route is chip → vaccine → 21-day wait → certificate, entering through a designated Travellers' Point of Entry.

Official sources

These are the only authorities on this route. If anything here disagrees with them, they win — and please tell us.

Rather have a professional handle the whole move? Pet relocation companies manage the vet visits, paperwork, and bookings end-to-end. (Referral placement — link to relocation partner here.)
Traveling internationally with a pet? Vet visits abroad are out-of-network by definition. (Pet insurance affiliate placement here.)

FAQ

How long does it take to bring a cat from the US to Germany?
About 3–4 weeks: microchip and rabies vaccination, a 21-day wait, then the endorsed EU certificate within 10 days of arrival.
Do Germany's breed bans affect cats?
No — the federal breed import ban is dog-only.
Can I bring a kitten to Germany?
Not under 16 weeks. Germany refuses unvaccinated young animals and vaccinated ones still inside the 21-day wait.

Other cat routes

Disclaimer: Preflight Pet is a planning aid, not legal or veterinary advice. Import rules change; airlines add their own requirements. Always confirm every step with the official government sources linked on this page, and with your airline and accredited veterinarian, before booking travel.