Bringing a dog or cat from the US to Austria

Bringing a dog or cat from the United States to Austria is very manageable, because the United States is on the EU's list of countries with eased pet travel rules. That means no rabies antibody blood test and no three-month wait, which is the biggest hurdle for pets from many other countries. What you do need is a correct sequence of microchip, vaccination and health certificate, timed to your flight. This guide follows the rules published by Austria's Federal Office for Consumer Health (BAVG) and the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), plus Vienna's rules for dog owners.

The legal framework changed in 2026

The BAVG notes that since April 21, 2026, non-commercial movements of pets from non-EU countries into the EU fall exclusively under Part VI of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and its implementing and delegated acts. The older Regulation 576/2013 no longer applies.

For the health certificate, the key dates are:

• New non-commercial health certificates took effect October 1, 2026, according to APHIS.
• Old-style certificates could still be issued before October 1, 2026, and remain valid until March 31, 2027, according to the BAVG.
• From October 1, 2026, only the new model may be issued.

If you are planning a move now, your vet will use the new certificate. Make sure they have it.

Conditions for every pet

The BAVG sets out general conditions for pets entering from outside the EU:

• The pets must be kept as pets.
• They must travel with their owner or an authorized person. If the authorized person transports them separately, this must happen within five days of the owner's trip.
• They must not be intended for sale or transfer of ownership.
• No more than five animals may travel per means of transport, unless it is public transport.
• The check must take place at the first border crossing point into the EU.

Requirements for dogs, cats and ferrets from the US

Because the United States, including American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, is on the eased list, entry requires:

1. Identification. Each animal must be identified. Since July 3, 2011, only microchips are accepted for new identification; a tattoo applied before that date remains valid if clearly readable. The microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination.
2. A valid rabies vaccination.
3. An official veterinary health certificate.
4. A declaration under Article 18(3) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, filled in by the owner or an authorized person in block letters, on the model in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705, Annex V Part 2.

### What makes the rabies vaccine valid

The BAVG lists the conditions:

• An inactivated or recombinant vaccine approved in the country of origin.
• The animal must be at least 12 weeks old at the first vaccination.
• The vaccination must be given by an authorized veterinarian.
• The first vaccination becomes valid 21 days after the primary vaccination is complete.
• If boosters are given on time, the vaccination remains valid. A late booster counts as a new primary vaccination, and the 21-day wait applies again.

This 21-day rule is why young puppies and kittens cannot travel immediately. Plan for at least 12 weeks of age plus 21 days.

### Only via the US, or via other countries?

The eased rules apply only if the animal has stayed exclusively in eased-list countries immediately before entry. If you connect through another country, the BAVG allows the eased conditions only if you carry either a pet passport recording a rabies antibody test, or a declaration that the animal only transited, had no contact with animals susceptible to rabies, and did not leave the secured transport or the international airport grounds. That declaration must be in German and English, in block letters, on the model in Annex V Part 5 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705.

The health certificate

The official veterinary health certificate follows the model in Annex III of Regulation (EU) 2026/705. One certificate can cover several animals traveling together.

In the United States, APHIS explains the process. A USDA-accredited veterinarian can issue the certificate electronically and submit it through the Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS) for endorsement. For Austria, USDA must also ink-sign and emboss the certificate, so you will need the paper original.

### The 10-day window

The certificate may be no more than 10 days old when your pet enters the EU. This is the tightest timing in the whole process. Book your accredited vet appointment and the USDA endorsement around your flight date, and allow for the time endorsement takes.

After the check at the EU border, the certificate can be used for further travel within the EU for up to six months from the day of that check. It loses validity earlier if the rabies vaccination must be renewed, or if the animal goes to a member state that requires a tapeworm treatment.

### Airline rules

APHIS reminds owners that airlines set their own rules for transporting pets. Check crate size and documents with your airline early. Most owners need an airline-compliant pet carrier sized to the airline's limits and a collapsible travel bowl for long transfers.

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At the Austrian border

Pets that meet these conditions are checked by customs, not by border veterinarians. You must present the animal actively to customs officers. At airports, that means using the red channel, the exit for goods to declare. Do not walk through the green channel with your pet.

Living in Vienna with a dog

### Dog tax

Vienna charges a dog tax for every dog kept in the city that is more than three months old. You must register the dog within 14 days of bringing it to Vienna, or of it reaching three months of age, and you need the microchip number. Registration can be done online.

The city lists the current tax as 72 euros a year for the first dog and 105 euros for each additional dog. From January 1, 2027, the tax is 120 euros per dog per year. For dogs requiring a dog license under Section 5a of the Vienna Animal Keeping Act, so-called listed dogs, newly kept from that date, the tax is 240 euros. If you pay dog tax in another Austrian municipality where the dog mainly lives, Vienna credits that amount.

### Liability insurance

Anyone keeping a dog in Vienna must take out and maintain liability insurance with coverage of at least 725,000 euros, under Section 5(11) of the Vienna Animal Keeping Act.

### Chip registration

All dogs in Austria must be microchipped from the age of three months. You must register the microchip number in the national pet database within one month of taking over the dog. For a dog arriving from the United States, register it after arrival.

Coming back to the United States

If you later return to the US with a dog, CDC is the primary authority for dog imports. Its requirements depend on where the dog was vaccinated and which countries it was in during the six months before entry. Use the CDC Dog Importation Navigator well ahead of your trip.

Timeline checklist

1. Confirm the microchip, or have one implanted before vaccinating.
2. Vaccinate against rabies at least 21 days before travel if the vaccine is new or lapsed.
3. Book an accredited vet within 10 days of arrival in the EU, and the USDA endorsement.
4. Fill in the owner declaration in block letters.
5. Use the red channel at the Austrian airport.
6. In Vienna, register for dog tax within 14 days, buy liability insurance and register the chip.

Common questions

Does my dog need a rabies titer test to move from the US to Austria? No. The United States is on the EU list with eased rules, so the rabies antibody test is not required, provided the pet came directly or only transited under the stated conditions.

How old can the health certificate be? No more than 10 days old when the pet enters the EU. It must be endorsed by USDA with ink signature and embossing.

How old must a puppy be to enter Austria from the US? At least 12 weeks at the first rabies vaccination, and the vaccine becomes valid 21 days later.

How much is the dog tax in Vienna? Currently 72 euros a year for the first dog and 105 euros for each additional dog. From January 1, 2027, it is 120 euros per dog.