Travelling with animals

You don't want to leave your pet behind on your next trip? Travelling with your faithful companion is possible with Eurowings, under certain conditions. On this page we provide important information about travelling with animals. Find out which animals are permitted on board or which requirements must be met for transport. We have also put together a list of tips for your pet's well-being, so you can both start your holiday relaxed.

You can find the most frequently asked questions and answers about travelling with animals here.

The most important facts for travelling with animals

  • Eurowings only transports small dogs and cats (up to 8 kg) and only in the cabin.

  • In addition, the EU regulation on the veterinary requirements for the carriage of pets, which came into force on 1 October 2004, must be observed. Please read the rules before booking or ask your vet, the veterinary office or the border control point.

  • For safety reasons, category 1 fighting dogs (according to the classification/legislation at the place of departure), such as pit bulls and Staffordshire bull terriers, will not be transported.

  • In order to ensure a stress-free journey for your pet, please inform yourself before booking your flight about the import and export regulations of the country of departure, transit and arrival that apply to your pet, e.g. at the consulate. You could also ask your vet about the applicable animal welfare regulations for travelling with your pet. To ensure that nothing gets in the way of your journey, it is important to obtain all necessary travel documents for your pet in advance.

  • Compliance with entry and exit regulations, as well as animal welfare laws remain your responsibility. Please contact the consulate for your destination country and speak to your vet to find out more about the applicable regulations.

Which requirements must be met for my animal to be transported?

  • You must complete a form and present it at check-in before your pet can travel.

  • The animal must be placed in a leak-proof, bite-proof, closed but air-permeable bag (not a hard-sided container) under the seat in front of you during the whole flight. It is not allowed to let the animal move around freely in the cabin or to take the animal out of your bag. The bag must not be rotated for stowing under the front seat if this means that it is no longer leak-proof or air-permeable.

  • The bag must not exceed the maximum dimensions of 55 x 40 x 23 cm to fit under the seat in front.

  • The combined weight of the animal and bag must not exceed 8 kg.

  • The animal must be able to stand upright in the bag.

  • The animal must be able to turn and lie down in a natural position.

  • Two animals are allowed per bag and person.

  • The pet must be at least 12 weeks old (from/to Germany at least 15 weeks), for animal welfare reasons

  • Seat reservation in the emergency exit rows and in the first row are not possible, when you travel with an animal.

  • If all requirements are met, the bag will receive a special Pet-in-Cabin baggage label at the check-in counter.

 

  We are obliged to refuse the carriage of pets if the above requirements are not met.

Frequently asked questions about animals on board

How much does it cost to bring my pet on board?

Which countries are subject to restriction for the transport of animals?

Tips for the well-being of your animal

  • Get your animal used to its transport container at home before the journey begins. Do so by placing the animal in the closed transport container several times for a few hours and then rewarding it.

  • Many animals become very nervous before and during the flight. Therefore, consider whether you should and want to sedate your animal with medication. However, it is not possible to predict how the animal will respond to medication, such as suffering from circulation problems during the flight. Please discuss your options with your vet. 

  • Place an object that your animal is used to in the transport container to calm the animal with the familiar smell.

  • If necessary, ask your vet for tips on adjusting your pet's diet for the flight.

Other topics

  • Of course, assistance dogs may fly with us free of charge. Please understand, however, that we are only able to carry one assistance dog per flight (not applicable for flights to and from the U.S.). We therefore recommend that you check before booking that this assistance dog place is still available, and then register your dog with us using our contact form. 

    Please also take into account that certain requirements apply to your assistance dog, which you can learn about on the page Accessible travel.

    Please note that the entry and exit of assistance dogs are subject to special regulations in the United Kingdom and Ireland. For more information please go to: https://www.gov.uk/pet-travel-travelling-with-assistance-dogs or write to:

    British Embassy
    Wilhelmstr. 70-71
    10117 Berlin
    Germany
    Tel +49 (0)30 20457-0

    The aforementioned provisions governing dogs on flights from and to the United Kingdom and Ireland apply solely to assistance dogs.

    Note:

    All regulations apply to Eurowings flights with an EW flight number, regardless of the operating airline. For our partner airlines' flights, which do not have an EW flight number, the conditions of the respective airline apply. These can be viewed on the airlines' own websites. These partner airlines currently include Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Condor, United Airlines, Air Canada and All Nippon Airways.

  •  

    • The animal must be placed in a leak-proof, bite-proof, closed but air-permeable bag (not a hard-sided container) under the seat in front of you during the whole flight. It is not allowed to let the animal move around freely in the cabin or to take the animal out of your bag. The bag must not be rotated for stowing under the front seat if this means that it is no longer leak-proof or air-permeable.

    • The bag must not exceed the maximum dimensions of 55 x 40 x 23 cm to fit under the seat in front.

      • Eurowings only transports small dogs and cats (up to 8 kg) and only in the cabin.

    • In addition, the EU regulation on the veterinary requirements for the carriage of pets, which came into force on 1 October 2004, must be observed. Please read the rules before booking or ask your vet, the veterinary office or the border control point.

    • For safety reasons, category 1 fighting dogs (according to the classification/legislation at the place of departure), such as pit bulls and Staffordshire bull terriers, will not be transported.

    • In order to ensure a stress-free journey for your pet, please inform yourself before booking your flight about the import and export regulations of the country of departure, transit and arrival that apply to your pet, e.g. at the consulate. You could also ask your vet about the valid animal welfare regulations for travelling with your pet. To ensure that nothing gets in the way of your journey, it is important to obtain all necessary travel documents for your pet in advance.

  • You can register your dog or cat in the second step of the booking process under "More services". If you have already completed your booking, you can also register your dog or cat under "My flight". Our call centre is also available to handle your reservation.

    Click here for more information about booking additional services at a later date .

    This table gives you more information about charges for transporting pets.

    Note:

    If your booking has an etix® ticket number or you booked your Eurowings flight through one of our partner airlines or a travel agent, charges may vary. Please contact the appropriate airline or your travel agent for more information about this.
    All regulations apply to Eurowings flights with an EW flight number, regardless of the operating airline. For our partner airlines' flights, which do not have an EW flight number, the conditions of the respective airline apply. These can be viewed on the airlines' own websites. These partner airlines currently include Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Condor, United Airlines, Air Canada and All Nippon Airways.

  • Due to the local entry regulations, we regret that we are unable to offer animal transport on flights to and from Keflavik, Marsa Alam, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. This regulation does not affect the carriage of assistance dogs. However, special regulations apply to the entry and exit of assistance dogs in Great Britain and Ireland.

  • The cost for taking a pet weighing up to eight kilos starts at €60.

    You can add your pet in the second booking step "seat reservation" under the section "special baggage". Or you can call our call centre to add your pet. If you have already booked a flight, you can simply add your pet to your existing flight.

  • You cannot remove booked services such as pets at a later date yourself. Please contact our call centre, which will be able to help you with your request.

  • A refund in case of voluntary cancellation is not possible. You can read about all flight disruption related refund policies here.

  • If you are flying with your pet, you may drop off a buggy at the airport check-in counter free of charge. Please note that it cannot be taken to the gate. Otherwise, it will be loaded into the hold for an additional fee (of 60€). A buggy does not replace a necessary, suitable transport bag for the flight.