Transporting animals in aircraft
You can take your dog or cat with you on Lufthansa flights (1/2). Please read the following information carefully before booking a flight with your pet.
(1) = From 1 January 2020 restrictions will be imposed on the transport of hares and rabbits as well as dogs and cats belonging to snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds.
(2) = Existing, confirmed bookings, including those scheduled after 1 January 2020, remain valid.
A good trip for your precious pet
Depending upon the kind of animal, its weight and size, and the regulations applicable in different countries, transport is possible at an extra cost either as additional carry-on baggage in the passenger cabin or as excess baggage in the aircraft’s air-conditioned cargo hold. Lufthansa Cargo also offers the transport of the above-listed animals and other species as air freight. Special rules apply to assistance dogs. Please note that because of local circumstances and restrictions, the transport of large animals in the cargo hold to certain destinations is not possible. You can find out more about this by contacting our Service Center.
General advice on transporting animals on Lufthansa flights
Please make sure that you find out about the import and export regulations applicable to your pet in your departure, transit and destination countries in plenty of time and before booking your flight. Such information is available from the relevant consulates, for example. Furthermore, Lufthansa reserves the right to apply even stricter regulations and to refuse the booking on certain routes (such as, for example, to the UK, Ireland, or Bangalore in India), if necessary, in order to exclude the animal from travel. Please also ask your vet about applicable animal welfare provisions for travelling with your pet. Obtain all the travel documentation required for your pet so that nothing stands in the way of your trip. Lufthansa also reserves the right to refuse to transport animals in the cargo hold if there are extreme weather conditions at the destination. This can happen at short notice or seasonally.
Please note: each passenger is allowed to take a maximum of two animals with them (in an approved transport container). Animals can be transported either in the cabin and/or in the cargo hold:
- No more than two animals (dog or cat) in the cabin (in an approved transport container) or no more than two animals in the cargo hold (in one or two approved transport containers)
- One animal (dog or cat) in the cabin (in an approved transport container) and one animal in the cargo hold (in an approved transport container)
Special regulations apply to the transport of assistance dogs.
Please also note the minimum age of the animals to be transported:
- For dogs and cats the minimum age is 12 weeks; for journeys to/from the USA it is 16 weeks
- For hares and rabbits the minimum age is 5 weeks
More detailed information about the transport container for carriage in the hold
More detailed information about the transport container for carriage in the cabin
In the event of Lufthansa having to refuse the carriage of your pet because of non-compliance with the regulations, Lufthansa is not liable for any resulting costs (e.g. rebooking charges, animal boarding costs, hotel accommodation).
Your pet must be registered and confirmed for the flight by Lufthansa no later than 24 hours before departure (for emotional support dogs, the deadline is 48 hours before departure). As the allocation is limited, we recommend that you book your pet in early, preferably at the same time as you book your own flight. To do this, please contact your travel agency or the Lufthansa Service Center.
All the regulations mentioned here apply exclusively to flights operated by Lufthansa. On code-share flights, please therefore make sure that you check the regulations of the airline operating the flight concerned. If you are travelling with several airlines, please ensure you have confirmation from all the airlines concerned that they will transport your pet.
Online and mobile check-in 23 hours before departure is possible for all passengers travelling with animals. The boarding pass must be picked up at the check-in counter at the airport.
You are welcome to take your four-legged friends with you into our lounges. Please understand, however, that out of consideration for our other guests, your dogs or cats should not be allowed to wander freely around Lufthansa lounges and should await their onward journey in their transport container or pet carrier.
What travel options apply to which animals?
The transport options for animals with Lufthansa depend upon the kind of animal, as well as its weight and size. Further information is available on this page and the following pages.
Only smaller dogs and cats, who weigh no more than 8 kg including their transport container, may be transported under certain conditions as additional carry-on baggage in the passenger cabin. Larger dogs and cats and all other animal species, regardless of their weight and size, are not allowed in the cabin.
To enable you to take your pet with you into the cabin as carry-on baggage, we need your confirmation that the animal meets the stated requirements. For this purpose, please present two copies of the fully completed and signed form at the check-in counter: Form for transporting an animal in the passenger cabin
Further information on the transport of animals in the cabin
Dogs and cats, who weigh more than 8 kg including their transport container, may be transported under certain conditions as excess baggage in the aircraft’s air-conditioned cargo hold.
More information about the carriage of animals in the cargo hold
For the transport of all other animals, please contact Lufthansa Cargo.
Recognised assistance dogs, such as, for example, guide dogs and hearing dogs, can be transported in the cabin free of charge on all Lufthansa flights. On routes to and from the USA, emotional support dogs can also be transported free of charge.
We distinguish between:
- Recognised assistance dogs (SVAN) such as, for example, guide dogs
- Emotional support dogs (ESAN)
To enable you to take your pet with you into the cabin, we need your confirmation that the animal meets the stated requirements for travelling as a recognised assistance dog or emotional support dog. For this purpose, please present two copies of the fully completed and signed SVAN or ESAN form at the check-in counter.
Special regulations apply if you wish to take any breed of fighting dog with you when you fly.
More information about the carriage of fighting dog breeds
Dogs and cats belonging to snub-nosed breeds have anatomically restricted airways with the accompanying difficulty in breathing. For this reason, there are special instructions and rules for transporting these animals.
More information about the carriage of snub-nosed animals
If you are unable to travel together with your pet, country regulations stipulate that animals must be transported by air freight, or you would like to transport an animal not listed on lufthansa.com, there is the option of having your animal transported as cargo. Varying prices apply to shipping animals as air freight (for example, with Lufthansa Cargo). For this, you need a carrier who specialises in transporting animals. You can find the contact details of one near you with the help of the animal freight forwarder search.
If you have any questions about this, the Lufthansa Cargo Service Center will be happy to help you further. It is contactable in Germany on tel. 0180 6 – 747 100 (calls cost €0.20 per min. from the German landline network; max. €0.60 per min. from mobile phone networks).
Information concerning your pet’s welfare
- If possible, get your animal used to its transport container at home before the journey by putting it into the closed transport container several times for about two hours at a time and rewarding it afterwards with a treat.
- Many animals get very nervous both before and during a flight. Nevertheless, you should think very carefully before giving your pet a sedative. This makes it difficult to predict how your animal may react. It can, for example, cause circulatory problems during the flight. Please ask your veterinary surgeon’s advice about this.
- Put your pet’s "comfort blanket" and its favourite toy in the transport container in order to soothe and calm it with familiar smells.
- Ask your vet how to adapt your pet’s food needs for the flight.