Pet Transport from Turkey to Germany

The EU distinguishes between listed and non-listed third countries for pet travel. Listed countries have animal health systems formally recognised as equivalent to EU standards. Turkey is not a listed country, and German customs names it explicitly among the origins needing the full serology route. The framework is now Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, which replaced Regulation 576/2013 in April 2026; the mechanics carried over unchanged.

The titre test measures rabies antibodies in the blood. For it to count, the blood must be drawn from a pet that already has a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination, at least 30 days after that vaccination. The blood draw date starts the 3-month clock, not the results date. Blood drawn on 1 January means the earliest travel date is 1 April.

The sample goes to the EU-designated Etlik institute in Ankara. Results typically take two to four weeks. Once the 3-month wait has elapsed and the vaccination remains current, the pet is eligible for EU entry, and a passing titre stays valid for life as long as boosters never lapse.

Start no later than five months before your planned travel date. If you miss the window, the 3-month clock does not restart unless new blood is drawn.

Germany operates a two-tier breed system that Turkish owners relocating with dogs need to research before starting any paperwork.

At the federal level, German import law bans bringing in Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier and crosses of these four. That is an import ban, applied at the border, uniform across Germany. Beyond it, each of the 16 Bundeslaender keeps its own restricted list. Bavaria is the strictest, covering Rottweiler, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, American Bulldog, Cane Corso and more. A breed permitted in Berlin may be restricted in Munich.

Turkey to Germany is the single largest pet relocation corridor out of Turkey, and a fair share of these moves involve Kangal, Akbash and similar Turkish breeds. Kangal is not on the federal import ban and not widely listed at Bundesland level as of 2026. If your dog is mixed or resembles a listed breed, the Veterinaeramt of your destination district can advise in advance, in writing.

Check your destination state before beginning the titre process. A dog restricted in your Bundesland can be refused at state level even after clearing federal customs at Frankfurt.

The 8kg line decides how your pet travels. Pet plus soft carrier at or under 8kg flies in the cabin at your feet; on interline bookings Turkish Airlines charges a flat 75 US dollars per segment for it. Over 8kg means the hold: rigid IATA crate, 50kg combined ceiling, 150 dollars interline, or per-kilogram pricing on the airline’s own sectors, quoted through its pet fee calculator.

Three Turkish Airlines rules catch people out. Cats and dogs never travel on the same aircraft, so a two-species household books separate flights or splits carriers. Snub-nosed breeds are cabin only, never hold. And Istanbul summer heat triggers hold embargoes, typically May to September, which makes the cabin allowance the only dependable option for small pets in the hot months.

Lufthansa mirrors the 8kg cabin rule on its IST nonstops to Frankfurt and Munich, and Lufthansa Cargo takes the big dogs, with a year-round brachycephalic exclusion and its home-hub animal facility at Frankfurt. Flight time is around three and a half hours, one of the gentlest cargo journeys a pet can make into the EU. Book four to six weeks ahead and confirm live animal space on your specific flight number.