Flying Lufthansa With Your Dog: Cabin, Hold, Fees and How to Book

Lufthansa flies dogs in the cabin and in the hold on most routes, but it's stricter than KLM or Transavia on one thing: you must register your dog in advance, and the deadlines are real. Here's the short version, checked September 2026. Confirm on Lufthansa's pet page before you fly.

In the cabin: up to 8 kg, dog and bag together

  • Weight: max 8 kg for dog + bag together.
  • Bag: soft, leak-proof and bite-proof, max 55 × 40 × 23 cm (118 cm in total) — a bit roomier than most airlines allow. It stays closed under the seat in front of you.
  • How many: up to 2 animals per passenger; two small dogs can share one bag if they're used to each other.
  • Age: at least 12 weeks — 15 weeks on flights from, to or via Germany.

In the hold: as "excess baggage", on your own flight

Over 8 kg with the bag? Your dog flies in the hold — the heated, air-conditioned luggage space under the floor of your own plane — in a hard kennel. You hand it over at check-in and pick it up after landing.

  • Weight: Lufthansa sets no fixed maximum; the kennel size and the aircraft decide. Two dogs up to 14 kg each can share a kennel.
  • Kennel: hard, IATA-approved, screwed together (no clips), with ventilation holes of max 25 × 25 mm. Your dog must be able to stand, turn around and lie down in it.
  • Connections: no hold transport on connections via Munich; via Frankfurt, Brussels, Vienna, Zurich and Geneva there's a transfer surcharge of €150.
  • Weather: Lufthansa can refuse the hold at short notice when it's extremely hot or cold at your destination.

Where Lufthansa won't take your dog

  • United Kingdom and Ireland: Lufthansa's own page says it can refuse cabin bookings on these routes, and in practice the UK only accepts dogs as cargo. Going to England? Read how to take your dog to the UK by ferry or Eurotunnel.
  • United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong: no dogs in the hold; the UAE takes none in the cabin either. Cargo only.
  • United States: dogs only to Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, New York-JFK, Newark, Philadelphia and Washington DC, at least 6 months old, registered through Lufthansa's online form plus the CDC Dog Import Form.

On these routes the pet option is missing or gets declined after you request it. Check before you buy the ticket.

Flat-nosed dogs: cabin only

Lufthansa does not take snub-nosed breeds in the hold — pugs, bulldogs, boxers, Shih Tzus, Pekingese and similar. Under 8 kg with the bag, the cabin is fine. Over that, Lufthansa won't fly them.

What it costs

Lufthansa doesn't publish one flat price list — the fee depends on the route and, in the hold, on the kennel size. As a rough guide: from about €60 in the cabin within Europe, more on intercontinental flights, and roughly €100–400 in the hold depending on route and kennel. The exact amount shows in Lufthansa's baggage calculator or when you register your dog. The fee is per flight direction; a stopover of more than 24 hours counts as a new flight.

How to book your dog's spot

A dog is not part of any Lufthansa fare. You register it after you've booked your own ticket — and it only counts once Lufthansa has confirmed it.

  1. Book your own ticket first.
  2. Register your dog — preferably straight away, and at least 72 hours before departure: cabin through My Bookings on lufthansa.com, hold through Lufthansa's online form. Missed that? The Service Centre can still register it up to 24 hours before departure, but spots are limited. US flights: online form only, at least 72 hours ahead.
  3. Wait for the confirmation. Without it, your dog doesn't fly. Flying with more than one airline? You need a confirmation from each of them.
  4. Don't see the option, or got declined? Either your route is on the list above, the connection runs via Munich, or the pet spots on that flight are taken. Try another flight time or call the Service Centre.
  5. Bring the EU pet passport (or Animal Health Certificate if you live outside the EU), a rabies shot at least 21 days old, and a microchip.
  6. Cabin: the bag goes under the seat. Hold: be at the check-in desk 2–3 hours early with your dog in the kennel.

Not sure if your dog fits the rules?

Our free Dog Flight Checker takes your dog's breed and weight and tells you whether Lufthansa — and 24 other airlines — take it in the cabin or the hold, with a checklist for the vet dates.

Open the Dog Flight Checker →

Also flying with: KLM · Transavia · Air France. Need a bag? Which Dog Carrier Bag Is Really Airline-Approved?

Source: Lufthansa pet information, checked September 2026. Always confirm with Lufthansa before you book.

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