Planning a pet relocation from Germany to Iceland is easier when you work backwards from your travel date. Allow about 10-14 weeks; the requirements are detailed but predictable once mapped out. Plan for 14 days of quarantine on arrival. …
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Germany to Iceland
typically takes around 10-14 weeks.
Expect 14 days of quarantine on arrival.
A rabies titre test is required, which adds a fixed waiting period, so start early.
Regulations checked
Prepared and reviewed by Pet Transport Global Editorial Team
Step by step
The Germany to Iceland pet import process
Each step must be completed in a precise sequence. Start early. We manage every stage and deadline.
1
Implant the ISO microchip, then administer the primary rabies vaccination.
Responsible: Your vet in Germany
Start of planning.
2
Complete the leptospirosis (two doses), distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza cover alongside the rabies course.
Responsible: Your vet in Germany
Runs alongside the rabies vaccination schedule.
3
Draw blood for the titre test at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination, submit to an approved laboratory.
Responsible: Your vet and the laboratory
Roughly 5-6 weeks before your target travel date, allowing for lab turnaround.
4
Apply to MAST for the import permit, submitting the application form, a photo, the health certificate and lab results.
Responsible: You or your agent
At least 4 weeks before travel.
5
Book quarantine space at Einangrunarstoedin i Reykjanesbae or Einangrunarstoedin Mosel. Check-in dates are limited, so this needs to be locked in early, not left until the permit is approved.
Responsible: You or your agent, direct with the quarantine station
As early as possible, ideally alongside the permit application.
6
Complete MAST's Category 1 certificate (Form D1 or C1) with your vet, then get it endorsed by your local district veterinary office.
Responsible: German vet and Kreisveterinaeramt
Close to departure, per the certificate's validity window.
7
Fly Frankfurt to Keflavik and hand over to the quarantine station transport on arrival.
Responsible: Cargo handler and MAST border check at KEF
Day of arrival.
8
14 days minimum at the isolation station before the pet is released to you.
Responsible: Quarantine station staff
Immediately after arrival.
Requirements
What your pet needs to enter Iceland
Every item below must be in place before your pet can travel. We manage and verify each one.
Microchip
ISO 11784/11785 microchip required, implanted before the rabies vaccination. Source: MAST, mast.is.
Rabies vaccination
Primary rabies vaccination required after the microchip. Also required, and separate from most EU destinations: two leptospirosis doses 3 to 4 weeks apart, plus current distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza cover for dogs. Source: MAST guidance notes, 2026.
Rabies titre test
Required regardless of EU origin. Blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination, tested at an approved laboratory, minimum 0.5 IU/ml. Germany sits on MAST's Category 1 list, so once the result clears there is no further fixed wait before travel, unlike Category 2 countries, which face a 90-day wait from the blood draw. Source: MAST, mast.is, 2026.
Quarantine
Mandatory. Every dog and cat entering Iceland spends a minimum of 14 days at one of two approved isolation stations, Einangrunarstoedin i Reykjanesbae or Einangrunarstoedin Mosel, regardless of EU or EEA origin. There is no exemption for EU-vaccinated pets. Source: MAST, mast.is, 2026.
Import permit
Required from MAST before travel. Apply with the completed application form, a photo of the pet, the health certificate and laboratory results. Base fee is roughly ISK 40,000 (about EUR 270). Quarantine station space is booked separately and fills up, usually with intake on set days every few weeks. Source: MAST, mast.is, 2026.
Health certificate
MAST's Category 1 certificate (Form D1 for dogs, Form C1 for cats), completed by the German vet and endorsed by the district veterinary authority.
Export permit (Germany)
No formal export permit for a private pet move. The health certificate is the export document.
Costs
What this route typically costs
Rabies titre test at an approved laboratory: EUR 150-300
Leptospirosis and core vaccination course: EUR 80-180
MAST import permit base fee: around ISK 40,000 (roughly EUR 270)
Quarantine, 14 days: around ISK 220,000 for a dog (roughly EUR 1,450), ISK 100,000-110,000 for a cat (roughly EUR 670-730)
IATA-compliant travel crate: EUR 60-250
Cargo fee, Frankfurt to Keflavik: EUR 400-900 depending on crate size and season
Agent and handling fees: EUR 300-600
Total typical range: EUR 2,300-3,800 for a dog, lower for a cat
Critical points to read before you book
The 14-day quarantine is not a penalty for messy paperwork. It applies to every pet entering Iceland, including a fully vaccinated, EU-passported German dog. Budget the isolation station fee and the two weeks into your plan from the outset, not as a contingency.
Icelandair stopped taking pets as checked baggage in the passenger hold on 1 November 2024. Confirm current Icelandair Cargo capacity, or price Lufthansa's Frankfurt Animal Lounge routing, before you commit to a travel date.
Keflavik is the only approved entry point for pets in Iceland. There is no alternative port, so your routing has to land there regardless of where in Germany you start.
MAST does not accept a standard EU AHC for this route. Your vet needs the specific Category 1 form (D1 or C1), a different document from what most EU-to-EU moves use.
Airlines
Carriers approved for this route
Not all airlines accept live animals on this route. We know which carriers to use and how to book.
ICELANDAIR
Icelandair
Operates the Frankfurt (FRA) to Keflavik (KEF) route directly, roughly 10 flights a week and just under 4 hours in the air. Since 1 November 2024, Icelandair no longer accepts pets as checked or excess baggage in the passenger hold. A pet now moves as manifested air cargo through Icelandair Cargo, booked through a cargo agent rather than at the check-in desk.
Cargo Only
LUFTHANSA
Lufthansa
Also flies FRA to KEF direct, around 8 times a week. Lufthansa Cargo runs its own live animal facility at Frankfurt, the Frankfurt Animal Lounge, which gives it an established alternative for hold transport on this exact city pair if Icelandair's cargo capacity does not fit your dates.
Cabin and Cargo
How Iceland handles incoming pets
Iceland asks for several pieces of paperwork, and they all need to line up. A checklist and a clear timeline are your best tools here.
What experienced owners do
Book the titre test laboratory well ahead. Approved labs have limited slots and the sample takes time to process, so this is not something to leave to the final weeks.
Microchip before you vaccinate. The microchip must be in place before the rabies shot for the vaccination to count, and getting this order wrong is the most common and costly mistake.
Use an official, government-authorised vet for the health certificate, not just your usual clinic. Many destinations only accept certificates signed by an approved vet.
If this is your first international move, consider an IPATA-registered pet transport agent. They handle the documents, airline booking and crate sizing, and can troubleshoot problems.
FAQ
Common questions about Germany to Iceland pet transport
Yes. Iceland does not exempt EU or EEA pets from its 14-day quarantine. The rule exists to protect Iceland’s rabies-free and largely disease-free status as an island, and applies regardless of how complete your paperwork is. Germany’s Category 1 status shortens the pre-export titre test timeline, not the quarantine itself.
Roughly ISK 220,000 for a dog’s 14-day stay (about EUR 1,450), and around ISK 100,000-110,000 for a cat (roughly EUR 670-730), at either of Iceland’s two approved isolation stations. This is on top of the MAST import permit fee, which is around ISK 40,000.
Not as checked or excess baggage. Icelandair stopped accepting pets in the passenger hold from 1 November 2024, so a pet now moves as manifested cargo booked through Icelandair Cargo. Lufthansa, which also flies Frankfurt to Keflavik directly, is worth comparing given its dedicated Frankfurt Animal Lounge facility.
Yes, in one respect. Germany is on MAST’s Category 1 list, so once the titre test clears at 0.5 IU/ml or above, there is no extra fixed wait before travel. A Category 2 country faces a further 90-day wait from the blood draw date. The 14-day quarantine on arrival applies either way.
Airline guides
Icelandair
Lufthansa
Breed guides
Check breed-specific airline rules and country bans.