Route guide
Chicago → Berlin
Chicago to Berlin follows the same EU framework as most European routes: a microchip implanted before the rabies vaccine, then an EU health certificate issued within ten days of travel. Lufthansa offers cabin, checked-baggage, or cargo transport, while United keeps to a cabin allowance for small pets and routes larger dogs as cargo. Forty days gives enough room to sequence vaccination, any titer confirmation, and certificate paperwork without last-minute pressure. Germany applies no quarantine once the paperwork is in order.
What this route involves
Flying from Chicago to Berlin means clearing Germany entry rules on arrival and meeting your airline’s own conditions on departure. Below are both, plus the order to do them in.
Leaving United States
Requirements differ sharply depending on where your dog has been in the previous six months. Cats face no federal rabies requirement, though individual states may add their own.
See full entry rulesEntering Germany
Germany applies the EU pet-travel scheme. A dog or cat from most countries needs an ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU animal health certificate; Frankfurt and Munich are the busiest approved entry points.
See full entry rulesAirlines on this route
Airline rules stack on top of the country rules above. Confirm both before you book.
Your chronological checklist
Work backwards from your travel date. Start the earliest step first — some cannot be rushed.
- 1 Implant an ISO 11784/11785 microchip22 days before travel
It has to come first: every later certificate references this number, and a rabies shot given before the chip usually does not count.
- 2 Rabies vaccination21 days before travel
Must be given after the microchip and be valid on the day you travel. Most destinations also require a minimum of 21 days between the shot and entry.
- 3 Book the flight and reserve the pet slot30 days before travel
Airlines cap how many animals travel per flight. The pet slot runs out well before the seats do.
- 4 Health certificate and official endorsement2 days before travel
Issued by an accredited vet close to departure, then endorsed by your government authority. This endorsement cannot be done at the airport.
- 5 Travel dayTravel day
Carry the originals plus copies of everything, arrive early, and keep the crate documents attached to the crate.