Lufthansa Pets: Cabin, Cargo Hold and Travel Document Rules (October 2026)

Lufthansa pets policy, in short: Lufthansa accepts dogs and cats only. Pets weighing up to 8 kg together with their carrier can fly in the cabin as additional carry-on baggage. Heavier dogs and cats travel as excess baggage in the air-conditioned cargo hold, and all other species must go as freight with Lufthansa Cargo. You must register your pet at least 72 hours before departure. The minimum age is 12 weeks, or 15 weeks for travel from, to or via Germany.

The Lufthansa pets policy is the set of rules Deutsche Lufthansa AG applies to dogs and cats travelling with passengers on flights that Lufthansa itself operates. It covers cabin carriage, cargo-hold carriage, booking deadlines, breed restrictions and the documents your pet must carry. This guide is written by the Animal Passport editorial team and was last updated on 7 October 2026. It draws on Lufthansa's official pages, the European Commission, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS).

Lufthansa pets policy at a glance

As of October 2026, Lufthansa offers three ways to move an animal. Which one applies depends on the species, the weight of the animal and its container, and the rules of the countries involved.

Which pets can fly in the Lufthansa cabin?

Only smaller dogs and cats weighing no more than 8 kg including their transport container may travel in the passenger cabin, according to Lufthansa's Travelling with animals page (2026). Larger dogs and cats, and all other animal species regardless of their size, are not allowed in the cabin. Assistance dogs are the exception: Lufthansa carries them in the cabin free of charge under separate rules, and their registration deadline is 48 hours before departure.

Carrier requirements for the cabin

Lufthansa's cabin registration form sets a maximum carrier size of 55 x 40 x 23 cm (118 cm in total) and a maximum weight of 8 kg including the pet. The carrier must be soft-sided, leak-proof and odour-proof, and large enough for the animal to stand, lie down and turn around naturally. Lufthansa also says the carrier must not have a rigid frame, wheels or a telescopic handle, because it has to fit under the seat in front of you. Bring your own carrier: Lufthansa says they generally cannot be bought at the airport.

For flights to or from the USA, Lufthansa also requires two signed printouts of its form for carrying an animal in the passenger cabin. You present them at the check-in counter to confirm that your pet meets the requirements. Lufthansa says the form is not needed for assistance dogs on direct US flights.

When do pets travel in the Lufthansa cargo hold?

Dogs and cats weighing more than 8 kg including their container can travel as excess baggage in the aircraft's air-conditioned cargo hold, under conditions set out by Lufthansa (2026). The container must comply with the IATA Live Animals Regulations. Each animal must be able to stand, lie down and turn around inside it. Lufthansa reserves the right to refuse cargo-hold carriage when there is extreme weather at the destination, at short notice or for a whole season. Local restrictions also mean large animals cannot be carried in the hold to some destinations.

Snub-nosed and fighting-dog breeds

Lufthansa says snub-nosed (brachycephalic) dogs and cats have anatomically restricted airways, which make breathing difficult, so special rules apply to them. Lufthansa has barred these breeds from the passenger cargo hold since 1 January 2020. They can still fly in the cabin if they meet the 8 kg limit. Lufthansa's breed list includes pugs, most bulldogs, Boston terriers, boxers, shih tzus and Pekingese. It also treats several bull-type breeds, such as the American Staffordshire terrier and the Staffordshire bull terrier, as snub-nosed.

Breeds classed as fighting or dangerous dogs may travel only in the cargo hold, in special IATA-compliant crates. Puppies aged three to six months are an exception and may use standard containers. Lufthansa Cargo announced in February 2026 that, from 1 March 2026, it accepts kennels for restricted dog breeds only if they fully meet its LH05 requirements under the IATA Live Animals Regulations: a wooden or steel frame, solid wood or plywood side walls, and no metal kennels.

Minimum age, number of pets and other limits

• Minimum age: 12 weeks for dogs and cats, 15 weeks for travel from, to or via Germany, and 6 months for dogs travelling to the USA (Lufthansa, 2026).
• Number of animals: up to two per passenger. That can be two animals of the same species in one cabin carrier, one in the cabin and one in the hold, or two in the hold.
• Sharing a container: two adult animals of similar size that are used to each other and weigh up to 14 kg each may share a hold container. So may two weaned puppies or kittens from the same litter, aged up to 6 months and weighing up to 14 kg each.
• Exclusions: Lufthansa does not accept pregnant animals or animals intended for commercial purposes.
• Codeshares: these rules apply only to flights operated by Lufthansa. On codeshare or multi-airline itineraries, every operating airline must confirm that it will carry your pet.

How to book a pet on Lufthansa: step by step

1. Check entry rules first. Lufthansa tells passengers to confirm the import and export rules of the departure, transit and destination countries before booking a flight, for example with the relevant consulates.
2. Book early. Lufthansa says space for pets is limited and recommends registering your pet when you book your own ticket.
3. Register the pet. For cabin travel outside the USA, use My bookings, ideally at least 72 hours before departure, or contact the Service Center up to 24 hours before departure. For the cargo hold, use the online cargo-hold form within the same deadlines.
4. For the USA, use the online form only. Lufthansa requires online registration at least 72 hours before departure and says it is not currently possible to register through the Service Center.
5. Wait for confirmation. Lufthansa confirms by email whether it can carry your pet. Your pet is only booked once Lufthansa has confirmed it.
6. Prepare the paperwork. This means the pet passport or animal health certificate, vaccination records and, for dogs going to the USA, the CDC Dog Import Form receipt.
7. Check in at the counter. You can check in online or on mobile from 30 hours before departure. If your pet travels in the cabin, you must still collect your boarding pass at the airport check-in counter.

Flying Lufthansa to the USA with a dog

The CDC changed its dog entry requirements on 1 August 2024. As a result, Lufthansa says it currently accepts new bookings for dogs flying to the USA only to Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, New York-JFK, Philadelphia and Washington DC. Since October 2024, Lufthansa has also accepted dogs to Newark (EWR) again, provided the dog has not been in a high-risk rabies country in the six months before entering the USA.

According to the CDC (2024), the requirements depend on where the dog was vaccinated and which countries it has been in during the six months before entry. A dog that has been in a high-risk country for dog rabies in that period and is not vaccinated against rabies will not be allowed into the United States. Every dog owner must complete the CDC Dog Import Form and show the confirmation, digital or printed, on departure day and on arrival. Lufthansa says it will refuse carriage if the CDC requirements are not met.

USDA APHIS (page last modified March 2026) confirms that the CDC is the primary authority for dog imports into the United States. If you are leaving the USA with a pet, APHIS advises contacting a USDA-accredited veterinarian as soon as you decide to travel. The vet can work out the destination country's requirements and help you get a USDA-endorsed health certificate.

What documents does your pet need for a Lufthansa flight?

Lufthansa does not issue pet travel documents. It checks that your pet meets the rules of the countries involved, and it says it is not liable for rebooking, boarding or hotel costs if it has to refuse carriage because the rules were not met. The main official documents are:

EU pet passport (travel between EU countries)

The European Commission says dogs, cats and ferrets moving between EU countries for non-commercial reasons must have a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination, and must travel with an EU pet passport issued by an authorised veterinarian. As of 2026, these rules are set out in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131. The animal must be at least 12 weeks old when vaccinated, the vaccine must not be given before the microchip, and the vaccination is valid from at least 21 days after the primary course is completed. According to the European Union's Your Europe portal, dogs going to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway or Northern Ireland also need tapeworm treatment against Echinococcus multilocularis 24 to 120 hours before arrival.

EU animal health certificate (entering the EU from outside)

According to Your Europe, a pet coming from a non-EU country needs an EU animal health certificate issued by an official state vet no more than 10 days before the pet arrives in the EU. From most non-EU countries, the pet also needs a rabies antibody titration test, followed by a three-month wait from the date of the blood sample.

Where the sources differ: minimum age

The EU sets 12 weeks as the minimum age for the first rabies vaccination, which is the same as Lufthansa's general minimum age. Lufthansa, however, applies 15 weeks to all travel from, to or via Germany. That fits with Your Europe's statement that Germany does not admit young pets that are unvaccinated or not yet fully immune: 12 weeks plus the 21-day wait after vaccination comes to roughly 15 weeks. If the airline and a government set different limits, follow the stricter one.

How much does Lufthansa charge for pets?

Lufthansa does not publish one flat pet fee. It describes carrying animals in the cabin or the hold as a service with an extra cost that depends on the route. You can look up the price in Lufthansa's baggage calculator, and Lufthansa says the fee is paid at airport check-in once the booking is confirmed. Lufthansa's cabin pages say the fee is charged once per direction, including Lufthansa connecting flights, and charged again for return flights and for stopovers longer than 24 hours. Freight prices through Lufthansa Cargo vary and are quoted by the forwarder.

Check-in, lounges and pet welfare

Lufthansa allows dogs and cats in its lounges, but they must stay in their transport box or carrier. Assistance dogs are exempt from that rule. Lufthansa also offers these welfare tips:

• Get your pet used to the carrier at home, keeping it closed for about two hours at a time, several times before the trip.
• Think carefully before using sedatives, which can cause circulatory problems in flight, and ask your vet first.
• Pack a familiar blanket or favourite toy to calm the animal.
• Ask your vet whether your pet's food should be adjusted for the flight.

For dogs and cats changing planes in Frankfurt as air freight, Lufthansa Cargo offers a Pet Premium service at its Frankfurt Animal Lounge. Lufthansa Cargo describes the lounge as a 4,000 m² animal station with 24/7 care, 61 dog kennels and three quiet zones for cats.

EU pet passport vs Animal Passport: not the same thing

Because of the name, people sometimes confuse Animal Passport with the official EU pet passport. They are different things.

Animal Passport links a muzzle-print identity to the owner, breed, estimated age (from a dental photograph, with a confidence score), body condition score on a 1 to 5 scale (from a side-profile photo) and vaccination history. In August 2025 it was used in livestock flood rescue in Pakistan, so farmers could reclaim animals after their paper ear tags washed away. It is useful for proving ownership and keeping herd records. For a Lufthansa flight, however, you still need the microchip, vaccinations and official documents described above. More livestock identification guides are available on the Animal Passport blog.

The bottom line on Lufthansa pets

As of October 2026, flying with a pet on Lufthansa comes down to four checks. Is it a dog or cat? Is it under or over 8 kg with its carrier? Is it a snub-nosed or restricted breed? And does it meet the entry rules of every country on the route? Register at least 72 hours ahead, keep the confirmation email, and check the official CDC or European Commission requirements before you fly, because Lufthansa refuses carriage when the paperwork falls short.