Country entry guide · Europe (EU)
Traveling to Luxembourg with your dog
Luxembourg welcomes dogs, but what you need to prepare depends mainly on the country your dog is travelling from — not only on Luxembourg itself. As an EU member, Luxembourg applies the 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 Luxembourg |
| 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 Luxembourg
🧭 How your dog's entry requirements are decided
The exact documents depend on three things — Luxembourg (your destination) is only the first.
- 1 Country of destination — Luxembourg★★★★★
Luxembourg 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 Luxembourg.
- 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 Luxembourg'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; ALVA |
| Rabies vaccination | Required | Dog at least 12 weeks old at the shot; at least 21 days between vaccination and departure. | The microchip must already be in place; otherwise re-vaccination is needed. | EU Reg. 576/2013, Annex III; ALVA |
| Rabies antibody test | Conditional | Non-listed origins only: blood ≥30 days after vaccination, ≥3 months before travel, 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; ALVA |
| 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 by an official vet after a clinical exam in the 48 hours 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; ALVA |
| Tapeworm (Echinococcus) treatment | Not required | — | Only Finland, Ireland, Malta, N. Ireland and Norway require it — not Luxembourg. | European Commission — pet travel |
| Advance notification / import permit | Not required (non-commercial) | — | Luxembourg issues no import permit for a pet travelling with its owner; commercial imports use TRACES and a border control post. | Single Window for Logistics (Customs); EU Reg. 576/2013 |
| Border check (documents & identity) | Non-EU arrivals | At a designated travellers' point of entry (mainly Luxembourg Airport); present yourself spontaneously to customs / veterinary services. | No systematic check for intra-EU (Schengen) arrivals. | EU Reg. 576/2013; ALVA |
| 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; ALVA |
| Quarantine | Not required | — | Only if rules are breached — non-compliant animals may be seized and placed in official quarantine (as ALVA has done for illegal imports). | ALVA (gouvernement.lu) |
🌍 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, a clinical exam by an official vet within 48 hours of departure and an EU animal health certificate. No antibody test is required; present yourself to customs at a travellers' point of entry.
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 travel. A clinical exam and an EU animal health certificate are also required.
🛬 Arrival
What happens when your dog reaches Luxembourg 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: enter via a designated travellers' point of entry (mainly Luxembourg Airport) and present yourself spontaneously to customs and veterinary services for documentary and identity checks.
- No import permit is issued for a pet travelling with its owner; commercial consignments are cleared through TRACES at a border control post.
- Carry original documents (not copies), in French or German, or officially translated.
- If documents are missing or invalid, the animal can be seized and placed in official quarantine at the owner's expense, and the case referred to the public prosecutor.
🧳 Real traveller experience
No reliable documented traveller feedback available.
🚫 Restricted dogs
Luxembourg regulates dogs 'liable to be dangerous' under the amended law of 9 May 2008. Rather than banning breeds, it lists them and makes keeping one subject to prior authorisation and conditions. Only the listed breeds (or dogs resembling them by morphology) are concerned.
Listed breeds (Article 10): American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Mastiff and Tosa. Keeping one requires prior authorisation from the Ministry of Agriculture, obtained after passing the 'Hondsführerschäin' training and producing a criminal-record extract and ID. A second declaration to the commune is due within 18 months of birth, with an obedience-training certificate; some listed dogs must be neutered.
Look-alike dogs: dogs resembling the listed breeds by their morphological characteristics without being entered in a pedigree book recognised by the minister (commonly called pit-bulls and boer-bulls). The same authorisation, training and conditions apply as for the listed breeds.
Luxembourg does not impose a blanket import ban on these dogs, but you cannot keep one there without the ministerial authorisation and conditions above. All dogs must be leashed in built-up areas and covered by third-party liability insurance. Confirm your situation with ALVA before travelling.
🛂 Airports in Luxembourg
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 EU health certificate after a 48-hour clinical exam (non-EU origin)
- ☐Original documents in French or German, or officially translated
- ☐Airline reservation confirming your dog's travel option
- ☐Suitable IATA crate if travelling in the hold
- ☐If your dog is a listed 'dangerous' breed, arrange the required authorisation before keeping it in Luxembourg
📚 Official sources
- European Commission — Bringing a pet into the EU from a non-EU country
- European Commission — Travelling with a pet within the EU
- European Commission — Listing of non-EU countries (antibody-test exemption)
- Guichet.lu — Identifying and registering a dog
- ALVA (gouvernement.lu) — Entry conditions for dogs, cats and ferrets from non-EU countries
- ALVA — Travel requirements for pets (agriculture.public.lu)
- Legilux — Amended law of 9 May 2008 on dogs (dangerous dogs)
- Single Window for Logistics (Customs) — Live animals