If you searched for Lufthansa's emotional support animal policy: Lufthansa says it "will no longer recognise or accept this category", so an ESA can fly only under its ordinary pet rules. A trained assistance dog, including "a psychiatric assistance dog", flies in the footwell of your seat. On flights to or from the US, send both DOT forms 48 hours ahead (or hand them over at the gate if you booked later). On other routes, Lufthansa wants its own form plus proof of training, and says online training sites are not recognised.
Which rules apply to a Lufthansa flight?
- US DOT rules apply to foreign airlines "only with respect to flights you operate that begin or end at a U.S. airport" (14 CFR 382.7(b)). On those flights Lufthansa uses the DOT forms.
- Lufthansa's own rules apply on its other flights, such as flights within Europe. There it asks for proof of training.
- The destination's entry rules apply on every route. Germany and the rest of the EU have their own pet health rules, with no assistance dog exemption.
Lufthansa calls service dogs "assistance dogs", the European term. A note on our sources: lufthansa.com blocks automated reading, so we read Lufthansa's pages from Internet Archive copies captured between March and July 2026, and its PDF forms directly. Check the live page before you fly.
Assistance dogs on Lufthansa: what Lufthansa requires
- Any breed. Lufthansa accepts assistance dogs "Regardless of its breed or type".
- Number: on US flights, "A maximum of two (2) assistance dogs may be carried per passenger."
- Lead: the dog stays "on a lead ... at all times while on board Lufthansa aircraft and in airport areas" Lufthansa controls.
- Muzzle: "Please bring a muzzle with you". You "are not obliged to bring a muzzle on flights to/from the USA or Canada", but Lufthansa recommends it.
- Behavior: the dog "must not bark, growl or jump up at people or other animals" and "must never defecate in an uncontrolled manner in the cabin or at the gate." Lufthansa reserves the right to take legal action over damage.
- ID tag: only dogs certified in Germany need "a clearly visible identification tag, e.g. on a vest, harness or collar". Others need no vest.
In lounges, assistance dogs are exempt from Lufthansa's rule that animals stay in a carrier.
Submitting the DOT forms to Lufthansa
For flights to or from the US, Lufthansa asks for both the "U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Form" and the "U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Relief Attestation Form", sent to the Lufthansa Medical Operation Centre. The timing:
- Complete the forms "on or after the date you purchase your ticket".
- Booked more than 48 hours out: submit "electronically or in hard copy at least 48 hours before your date of travel".
- Booked later: "hand over these forms to Lufthansa at your departure gate on the day of travel."
One thing to know: the DOT rule lets an airline require the relief form only on a segment scheduled for 8 hours or more. Lufthansa's page asks for it on US flights without that condition. Lufthansa's own non-US form is "not required for assistance dogs on direct flights to/from the USA", but if your US itinerary connects outside the US, Lufthansa also wants a training certificate. Field-by-field help is in our DOT service animal form guide.
Lufthansa assistance dogs outside the US: proof of training
On flights that do not touch the US, you print and sign Lufthansa's own form twice for check-in, submit it by the 48-hour deadline, and show proof of training from an institution accredited by the Messerli Research Institute, ADI, Assistance Dogs Europe or IGDF, or a certificate from "a recognised training facility or a qualified dog trainer" describing the training and the task. Lufthansa adds:
"Please note that a certificate of completed obedience training or the completed DOT Form is not sufficient for travel outside the USA. Teach-yourself and online training sites are also not recognised."Lufthansa, assistance dogs page
Without that proof, the dog travels as a pet. No registry certificate, ours included, counts as proof of training. A voluntary record is for your emergency contact, not for an airline.
Psychiatric service dogs on Lufthansa
Of the four European airlines in our research, Lufthansa is the only one that names them: it accepts assistance dogs "including a psychiatric assistance dog". On US flights the DOT rule treats a psychiatric service dog like any other, with no mental health letter required. On other routes, the same proof-of-training rule applies, which is hard for an owner-trained dog. See psychiatric service dogs.
Emotional support animals on Lufthansa: flying as a pet
Lufthansa's words: "In accordance with 14 CFR Part 382, emotional support animals are no longer classified as assistance animals under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. Lufthansa will no longer recognise or accept this category." An ESA may travel under the ordinary pet rules:
- Cabin: dogs and cats up to 8 kg including a soft carrier of "118 cm (55 x 40 x 23 cm)", one container per passenger. Book at least 72 hours ahead.
- Fee: it "depends upon the route and is charged only once per flight direction". We could not verify the amounts, so we do not list them.
- Age: at least 12 weeks (15 weeks to, from or via Germany, and 6 months for dogs flying to the USA).
- Routes: Lufthansa may refuse cabin pets "on certain routes (such as to the UK, Ireland or Bangalore in India, for example)". Dogs flying to the USA go only to Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia and Washington DC, plus Newark for dogs not coming from a high-risk rabies country.
- Heavier dogs travel in the hold as excess baggage. Lufthansa's dangerous-dog page restricts several breeds as pets, and notes that importing American Staffordshire and Staffordshire bull terriers into Germany is forbidden.
Compare other airlines in can emotional support animals fly?
Service dogs in training on Lufthansa
Not accepted as assistance dogs. Lufthansa says "assistance animals in training are not assistance animals", which matches the DOT rule on US flights. A dog in training would have to meet the pet rules above.
Flying to Germany and the EU with an assistance dog
Flying from the US into Germany means meeting EU entry rules, which changed on 22 April 2026. The EU animal health certificate must be issued "not more than 10 days before your pet arrives in the EU", the rabies vaccine must follow the microchip and be given at 12 weeks or older, and it becomes valid 21 days after the first dose. The US is a listed country, so no rabies blood test. Lufthansa asks for a pet passport or official veterinary documents.
For the UK, the GOV.UK list (updated 2026-09-25) registers Lufthansa to carry assistance dogs into "All airports with a government approved assistance dog checker". Coming back to the US, every dog needs a CDC Dog Import Form and must be at least 6 months old and microchipped. More in international flights with a service dog.
Seating, size and large dogs on Lufthansa
"Your dog must fit in the footwell of your seat and must be attached to your seat belt with a pet harness provided by Lufthansa." And: "A regular seat may not be used for the animal under any circumstances." Unlike many US airlines, Lufthansa offers no extra seat. If the dog is too large or misbehaves, "Lufthansa reserves the right to transport the dog in the cargo hold for a surcharge or to refuse to carry the animal." If your dog is big, raise it with Lufthansa before you book.
Contacting Lufthansa, and when we last checked
Use the contact options on Lufthansa's assistance dog page, linked below. On a US flight, the DOT says unresolved problems go to the airline's Complaints Resolution Official. Our Lufthansa facts come from Archive captures of its assistance dog page (2026-03-27), animals page (2026-07-29), cabin pets page (2026-04-03) and dangerous dogs page (2025-08-26), and its PDF forms read directly on 2026-09-25. Compare Air France.
Common questions
Does Lufthansa accept emotional support animals?
Not as assistance animals. Lufthansa says it will no longer recognise or accept this category. An ESA may fly under the ordinary pet rules.
Does Lufthansa accept psychiatric service dogs?
Yes. Its page accepts assistance dogs including a psychiatric assistance dog. Outside the US you need proof of training.
Which forms does Lufthansa need for a US flight?
Both DOT forms: the Service Animal Air Transportation Form and the Relief Attestation Form, 48 hours ahead, or at the gate if you booked later.
Can my owner-trained dog fly Lufthansa in Europe?
Only with a certificate from a recognised training facility or qualified trainer describing the training and task. Teach-yourself and online training are not recognised.
Can I buy a seat for my large service dog on Lufthansa?
No. Lufthansa says a regular seat may not be used for the animal. A dog too big for the footwell may go in the hold for a surcharge, or be refused.
Sources
- Lufthansa, assistance dogs (read via Internet Archive)
- Lufthansa, travelling with animals (read via Internet Archive)
- 14 CFR 382.7, which carriers the DOT rule covers
- 14 CFR 382.75, documentation airlines may require
- DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form (PDF)
- Your Europe, travelling with pets
- GOV.UK, airlines and airports registered to transport and check assistance dogs
General information, not legal advice. Policies and laws change; follow the sources. Last checked September 29, 2026.