Administrative services A-Z

You require a permit if you wish to carry out the following activities with animals on a commercial basis:

• Breeding or keeping vertebrate animals other than farm animals and wild game
• trade in vertebrates
• maintain a riding or driving operation
• exhibiting animals or making them available for this purpose
• Controlling vertebrates as pests
• training dogs for third parties, such as companion dogs or assistance dogs, maintaining facilities for this purpose or instructing the training of dogs by the animal owner, for example through dog schools

Registration of a trade is not a prerequisite.

As a rule, a trade is deemed to exist if the activity is carried out independently, systematically, continuously and with the intention of making a profit.

A permit is also required if you wish to carry out the following activities:

• You carry out the breeding or keeping, including for sale to third parties, or use of vertebrates or cephalopods which are themselves or whose organs or tissues are intended to be used for scientific purposes, for example animal experiments.
• You carry out the breeding or keeping of vertebrates whose organs or tissues are intended for purposes other than scientific purposes, for example for the creation of cell cultures for diagnostic purposes.
• You keep animals in an animal shelter or similar facility, such as a rescue center.
• You keep and exhibit animals in a zoological garden or other facility or make them available for the latter.
• They bring or import vertebrate animals - with the exception of farm animals - into Germany for the purpose of selling them for a fee or consideration, or place these animals for a fee or consideration, such as through foreign dog welfare organizations.
• They train guard dogs or maintain facilities for this purpose.
• They organize animal exchanges for the purpose of exchanging or selling animals through third parties.

Veterinary and food monitoring office of the district/city

• § Section 11 Animal Welfare Act (TierSchG) - Breeding, keeping of animals, trade in animals

There are no indications or special features.

Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL)