Country entry guide · Europe (EU)
Traveling to Austria with your dog
Austria welcomes dogs, but what you need to prepare depends mainly on the country your dog is travelling from — not only on Austria itself. As an EU member, Austria applies the shared EU pet-movement rules: an ISO microchip and a valid rabies vaccination are always required. A dog coming from another EU country simply needs an EU pet passport. A dog from a listed non-EU country (such as the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom) needs an EU animal health certificate but no blood test. A dog from a non-listed country faces the longest path, including a rabies antibody test and a three-month wait. This guide explains each case so you know exactly what to prepare before you book your flight.
📋 At a glance
| Dogs allowed | Yes |
| Microchip | Required |
| Rabies vaccination | Required |
| Rabies antibody test | Conditional — non-listed origins only |
| Veterinary certificate | Conditional — non-EU origins |
| Tapeworm treatment | Not required for Austria |
| Quarantine | Normally not required |
⏱️ Estimated preparation time
Times are indicative. The rabies antibody test alone adds a fixed 3-month wait.
⚠️ Important
- MyDogCanFly provides general information — not veterinary or legal advice.
- Only a veterinarian can confirm the exact procedure for your individual dog.
- Requirements depend on: the country of origin, previous travel history, identification, vaccinations, the itinerary and the travel date.
Always consult your veterinarian before booking your trip.
Find a flight to Austria
🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact documents depend on three things — Austria (your destination) is only the first.
- 1 Country of destination — Austria★★★★★
Austria applies the EU pet-movement framework: an ISO microchip and a valid rabies vaccination are always required, and no tapeworm treatment is needed to enter Austria.
- 2 Country of departure★★★★★
Whether your dog leaves from an EU country, a listed non-EU country or a non-listed country decides whether an antibody test and a health certificate are required.
- 3 Countries your dog recently stayed in★★★★☆
A recent stay in a rabies-risk country can trigger an antibody test even if you fly in from an exempt country. It is your dog's real origin and history that count — not only the last airport.
So read the requirements below as Austria's framework, then confirm your dog's exact origin and history with your vet.
✅ Entry requirements
| Requirement | Required? | When | Exceptions | Official reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO microchip | Required | Must be implanted before the rabies vaccination. | A legible tattoo is accepted only if done before 3 July 2011. | EU Reg. 576/2013; oesterreich.gv.at |
| Rabies vaccination | Required | Dog at least 12 weeks old at the shot; valid from 21 days after the primary vaccination. | The microchip must already be in place; otherwise re-vaccination is needed. | EU Reg. 576/2013, Annex III |
| Rabies antibody test | Conditional | Non-listed origins only: blood ≥30 days after vaccination, ≥3 months before entry, result ≥0.5 IU/ml, EU-designated lab. | Not required from the EU or from listed countries (US, Canada, UK, Switzerland, Japan, Australia…). | EU Reg. 2020/692; bavg.gv.at |
| EU pet passport | EU origins | Issued by an EU vet; records the microchip and rabies vaccination. | Replaced by an animal health certificate for non-EU origins. | EU Reg. 577/2013 |
| EU animal health certificate | Non-EU origins | Issued/endorsed by an official vet before departure; valid 10 days to entry, then up to 4 months for onward EU travel. | Not needed for EU origins (passport instead). | EU Reg. 577/2013, Annex IV |
| Tapeworm (Echinococcus) treatment | Not required | — | Only Finland, Ireland, Malta, N. Ireland and Norway require it — not Austria. | European Commission — pet travel; bmf.gv.at (Zoll) |
| Advance notification / import permit | Not required | — | Austria issues no import permit and requires no prior customs appointment for private pet travel. | bavg.gv.at (FAQ) |
| Border check (documents & identity) | Non-EU arrivals | Declare the dog to customs at a designated point of entry (red exit); a border vet decides at the EU external border. | No systematic check for intra-EU (Schengen) arrivals. | EU Reg. 576/2013; bmf.gv.at (Zoll) |
| Puppies / minimum age | Effectively ≥15 weeks | 12-week rabies shot + 21-day wait (listed); about 7 months from a non-listed country. | Puppies under 12 weeks cannot be vaccinated, so cannot enter from outside the EU. | EU Reg. 576/2013; bavg.gv.at |
| Quarantine | Not required | — | Only if rules are breached — authorities may then order re-export, quarantine or, in the worst case, euthanasia. | EU Reg. 576/2013; bavg.gv.at |
🌍 Rules according to your dog's origin
Simplified — EU pet passport
A dog coming from another EU country needs an EU pet passport showing a valid ISO microchip and an in-date rabies vaccination. No antibody test, no health certificate and normally no border check.
Health certificate, no blood test
From a listed non-EU country (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, Australia and others), your dog needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU animal health certificate endorsed by an official vet before departure. No antibody test is required; declare your dog to customs on arrival.
Antibody test + 3-month wait
From a non-listed (at-risk) country, add a rabies antibody test: blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, result ≥0.5 IU/ml at an EU-designated laboratory, then a compulsory 3-month wait before entry. An endorsed EU animal health certificate is also required.
🛬 Arrival
What happens when your dog reaches Austria depends on where you flew from.
- From another EU country: no systematic border check — keep the EU pet passport with you.
- From outside the EU: declare your dog to Austrian customs at a designated point of entry (use the red exit, e.g. at Vienna-Schwechat); at the EU external border an official vet decides on admissibility.
- No import permit is issued and no prior appointment with customs is needed for private pet travel.
- Carry original documents (not copies), in German or English, or officially translated.
- If documents are missing or invalid, authorities may order re-export, quarantine or, in the worst case, euthanasia — at the owner's expense.
- There is no national breed import ban, but if you settle with your dog, the dog-keeping rules of the destination Land (state) may apply.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 Restricted dogs
Austria has no uniform national breed ban and no national breed-based import prohibition. Dangerous-dog rules are set at the level of the Bundesländer (the nine federal states), so the rules depend on where in Austria you keep the dog.
Only Vienna, Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) and Vorarlberg maintain official 'Listenhunde' lists (breeds such as American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, Dogo Argentino, Tosa Inu, Pit Bull Terrier, Mastino/Mastiff types and their crosses). Other states regulate dangerous dogs case-by-case rather than by a breed list.
Obligations differ by state: in Vienna the owner of a listed dog aged 6 months or more must pass a dog-licence test (Hundeführerschein), with muzzle and leash in public; in Lower Austria keeping a listed dog must be reported to the municipality without delay; in Vorarlberg keeping a listed dog is subject to authorisation. Muzzle and leash duties commonly apply.
There is no single Austrian breed law — always check the rules of the destination Land (state) and municipality before travelling or settling with a listed breed.
✈️ National airlines
Carriers registered in this country that accept dogs — see each airline's MyDogCanFly fiche.
🛂 Airports in Austria
Check where your dog can relieve itself at each airport — and whether it's before or after security.
🧾 Preparation checklist
- ☐Microchip (ISO) implanted before the rabies vaccination
- ☐Valid rabies vaccination (dog ≥12 weeks at the shot, +21 days)
- ☐Rabies antibody test — non-listed countries only
- ☐EU pet passport (EU origin) or endorsed EU health certificate (non-EU origin)
- ☐Original documents in German or English, or officially translated
- ☐Airline reservation confirming your dog's travel option
- ☐Suitable IATA crate if travelling in the hold
- ☐Check the destination Land's dog-keeping rules if your dog is a listed breed
📚 Official sources
- oesterreich.gv.at — Travelling with pets in the EU/EEA (pet passport)
- BAVG (Federal Office for Consumer Health) — Import of dogs, cats and ferrets from third countries
- BAVG — Travel with pets (Reiseverkehr)
- Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (BMSGPK) — Pet travel within the EU (dogs, cats, ferrets)
- Austrian Customs (BMF/Zoll) — Travelling with animals
- oesterreich.gv.at — Keeping listed dogs ('Kampfhunde') in Austria (state rules)
- European Commission — Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country