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An examination fee of €55 per pet owner will be implemented Feb. 1 for all pets imported from a non-European Union country.
The Kaiserslautern County Administration, in coordination with Rheinland-Pfalz state authorities, will implement this new fee in accordance with European Union Ordinance No. 998/2003, which regulates the import of dogs, cats and other pets into the European Union.
Upon arrival into the country, pets will be examined by the veterinarian near the Ramstein Passenger Terminal’s baggage claim area. These examinations are conducted by the county veterinary office for the German Federal Customs.
Only credit cards will be accepted and a credit card reader is available at the terminal to pay the fee. The fee will be the military member’s responsibility and will not be reimbursed on a travel voucher.
Military personnel flying into Frankfurt International Airport will no longer be exempt from the charges associated with importing a pet. The State of Hessen charges €35 per accompanied pet, €55 for an unaccompanied pet, plus an additional 50 percent if the pet arrives on a weekend or holiday.
In a memorandum, the Kaiserslautern County Administration veterinary director, Dr. Holger Hofmann, wrote that the regulation protects from the introduction and dissemination of rabies throughout the European Union. The extent of the examination of pets depends on the rabies situation in the country of origin and also the receiving EU-member state. The health requirement also states that pets are required to be older than 3 months and vaccinated against rabies. They must comply with the rabies condition in not only the third country of origin, but also the receiving EU-member state.
Additionally, Hofmann wrote that travelers entering the country may import a maximum of three pets of one species without an import license; however, the animals must not be destined for change of owner. The import of pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers and Staffordshire bull terriers and their crossbreeds is prohibited. Passengers can also import up to three domestic birds and rabbits without an import license unless they suffer from a contagious disease, which needs to be supported by a veterinary certificate.
For more information regarding the examination fee, contact the host nation office at 06371-952655 or 480-2094.
