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GOODS ACROSS BORDERS

ITEM RULE · TRAVELING

RESTRICTED

Pets (Dogs) 🇫🇷 France

VERIFIED · 2026-07-25LOW CONFIDENCE

EU regulations apply; third-country rules

ANSWER

Can I bring Pets (Dogs) into France?

RESTRICTEDVERIFIED · 2026-07-25LOW CONFIDENCE

EU regulations apply; third-country rules

QUANTITY / LIMITS

Personal pets

DOCUMENTS

  • EU Pet Passport or AHC
  • Rabies vaccination
  • Microchip

DECLARATION

Required at the destination customs authority

SOURCE

douane.gouv.fr
Verify against the official customs authority before acting on this answer.Report a correction

Full details

France follows EU pet travel regulations. EU Pet Passport required from EU countries. From non-EU countries: health certificate, rabies vaccination, microchip, and blood titer test from non-listed countries. Certain dangerous breeds (Category 1) are banned from entry.

PENALTIES

  • Fine: 250–5000 EUR
  • Civil penalty only

Leaving France with pets (dogs)

RESTRICTEDTaking a dog out of France requires an export health certificate, microchip, and rabies vaccination — with destination rules driving the timeline.

Dog export from France requires a veterinary export health certificate issued shortly before departure (typically within 10 days), an ISO microchip, and current rabies vaccination. The destination's import rules drive the real timeline: rabies-titre blood tests with waiting periods (up to 180 days for rabies-free jurisdictions such as Australia, New Zealand, and Japan), import permits, and quarantine bookings must be arranged months ahead. Airlines add their own container (IATA Live Animals Regulations) and breed restrictions. Start with the destination's official import checklist and work backwards.

PRACTICAL ADVICE

France restricts import of Pets (Dogs). Personal-use retail-packaged quantities may clear with declaration and inspection but home-prepared, loose-packed, or above-personal-use quantities typically require a Phytosanitary Certificate (plants) or Export Health Certificate (animal-origin). Verify current rules with Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI — French Customs) before travel — biosecurity rules change frequently on specific commodities.

OFFICIAL SOURCES · VERIFIED 2026-07-25

RULE DETAILS

QUANTITY LIMITS

Personal pets

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

  • EU Pet Passport or AHC
  • Rabies vaccination
  • Microchip

LEGAL REFERENCE

EU Regulation 576/2013, French Rural Code

AIR TRAVEL IS SEPARATE

This page covers destination customs rules in France. Whether you can carry pets (dogs) through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.

Related rules

Pets (Dogs) rules in other countries

RULES5,339COUNTRIES85ITEMS111CARRIERS28GUIDES46UNIQUE SOURCES645LATEST VERIFICATION2026-07-26MethodologyChangelog