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Banned and restricted breeds, by country.
Breed restrictions are the rule most likely to halt a trip at the airport. Every destination handles them differently. Some ban the import outright, some allow the breed in but require a muzzle and a permit, and many leave it to regional or municipal law. This article covers the twelve destinations UK travellers fly to most, with the official source linked on every entry. If your destination isn't listed, run it through the search.
Banned vs restricted
Two categories run across every country on the list, and the difference matters.
Bannedmeans the breed cannot be imported, owned, or, in some cases, bred in that country. A banned breed is refused entry at the border regardless of paperwork. The pet doesn’t travel.
Restricted means the breed is allowed, but conditions apply: a muzzle and lead in public, neutering, third-party insurance, a permit or licence from the local authority, owner age over 16 or 18, and sometimes registration on a public register. Skipping any one of them is treated as a breach.
The label on each country below tells you which category the country uses. A few countries use both: banned for some breeds, restricted for others.
Country by country
Lists change. Every entry below links to the official source. Verify the list against the source before you book.
United Kingdom · Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and the XL Bully Order 2023
The UK bans five breeds outright. An exemption certificate route lets pre-existing dogs be kept under strict conditions: neutering, microchip, third-party insurance, muzzle and lead in public, and registration on the Index of Exempted Dogs. No new XL Bullies have been added to the index since February 2024. Importing a banned breed into Great Britain is a criminal offence.
- XL Bully (banned, exemption route closed)
- Pit Bull Terrier (banned, exemption by court order only)
- Japanese Tosa (banned, exemption by court order only)
- Dogo Argentino (banned, exemption by court order only)
- Fila Brasileiro (banned, exemption by court order only)
Official source: gov.uk · Banned dogs.
Ireland · Control of Dogs Regulations 1998
Ireland doesn’t ban breeds outright. Ten breeds and their crosses are subject to restrictions in public: a strong lead no longer than two metres, a muzzle, and a handler over 16 who can control the dog. The owner must also be able to identify themselves to a Garda or dog warden on request.
- American Pit Bull Terrier (restricted)
- English Bull Terrier (restricted)
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier (restricted)
- Bull Mastiff (restricted)
- Doberman Pinscher (restricted)
- German Shepherd (restricted)
- Japanese Akita (restricted)
- Japanese Tosa (restricted)
- Rhodesian Ridgeback (restricted)
- Rottweiler (restricted)
Official source: irishstatutebook.ie · SI 442 of 1998.
France · Code rural, articles L211-12 to L211-16
France runs two categories. Category 1, “chiens d’attaque”, can no longer be imported, sold, given away, or bred. Existing owners must sterilise and declare. Category 2, “chiens de garde et de défense”, can be owned with a permit from the mairie, third-party insurance, a muzzle in public, and an owner aptitude certificate.
Category 1 (banned import)
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Pit Bull-type without pedigree papers (banned)
- Mastiff and Boerboel-type without papers (banned)
- Japanese Tosa-type without papers (banned)
Category 2 (restricted with permit)
- Pure-bred American Staffordshire Terrier (restricted)
- Pure-bred Rottweiler (restricted)
- Pure-bred Japanese Tosa (restricted)
Official source: service-public.fr · Chien dangereux.
Germany · Hundeverbringungs- und -einfuhrbeschränkungsgesetz, plus 16 Land-level laws
Germany has two layers and they don’t agree with each other. At the federal level, four breeds and their crossings cannot be imported. At the Land level, each of the 16 federal states maintains its own dangerous-dog list. Bavaria runs a fighting-dog category system, Brandenburg keeps a much shorter list, and North Rhine-Westphalia combines breed-specific rules with individual-dog regulation. Travellers need to check both layers for the Bundesland of arrival and residence.
Federal import ban
- Pit Bull Terrier (banned)
- American Staffordshire Terrier (banned)
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier (banned)
- Bull Terrier (banned)
Common Land-level additions
- Rottweiler (restricted)
- Dogo Argentino (restricted)
- Fila Brasileiro (restricted)
- Japanese Tosa (restricted)
Official source: BMEL · Hundeverbringungsgesetz.
Spain · Ley 50/1999 (Perros Potencialmente Peligrosos)
Spain doesn’t ban breeds; it puts eight on the “potentially dangerous” (PPP) list. Owning one requires a PPP licence from the local town hall, third-party insurance, a muzzle and a short non-extendable lead in public, and an annual veterinary fitness check. The autonomous communities may add to the list locally.
- American Staffordshire Terrier (restricted)
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier (restricted)
- Pit Bull Terrier (restricted)
- Rottweiler (restricted)
- Akita Inu (restricted)
- Tosa Inu (restricted)
- Dogo Argentino (restricted)
- Fila Brasileiro (restricted)
Official source: boe.es · Ley 50/1999.
Netherlands · Wet dieren (no current breed-specific ban)
The Netherlands lifted its national Pit Bull ban (Regeling Agressieve Dieren) in 2008, and dangerousness is now assessed dog-by-dog rather than by breed. There is no current national breed-specific list. Municipal by-laws can restrict particular breeds locally, and the Wet dieren empowers authorities to act against individual dogs assessed as a risk.
- No national breed-specific list. Check the destination municipality for local rules. (restricted)
Official source: rvo.nl · Hond mee op reis.
Portugal · Decree-Law 315/2009
Portugal lists seven breeds as potentially dangerous. Owners need a licence from the junta de freguesia, third-party insurance, an owner aptitude certificate, and they must use a muzzle and short lead in public. The dog has to be sterilised and registered on the national SIAC database.
- Pit Bull Terrier (restricted)
- Brazilian Mastiff (Fila Brasileiro) (restricted)
- Tosa Inu (restricted)
- Rottweiler (restricted)
- American Staffordshire Terrier (restricted)
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier (restricted)
- Dogo Argentino (restricted)
Official source: dgav.pt · Cães perigosos.
Denmark · Hundeloven (2010 amendment)
Denmark bans thirteen breeds for import and breeding. Dogs already in the country before the 2010 cut-off are grandfathered with conditions (muzzle, lead, registration). Crossings substantially similar to a banned breed are treated as the banned breed for the purposes of the law.
- Pit Bull Terrier (banned)
- Tosa Inu (banned)
- American Staffordshire Terrier (banned)
- Fila Brasileiro (banned)
- Dogo Argentino (banned)
- Boerboel (banned)
- Kangal (banned)
- Caucasian Shepherd Dog (Caucasian Ovcharka) (banned)
- Central Asian Shepherd Dog (banned)
- South Russian Shepherd Dog (banned)
- Tornjak (banned)
- Šarplaninac (banned)
- Czechoslovakian Wolfdog (banned)
Official source: foedevarestyrelsen.dk · Hundeloven.
Norway · Hundeloven §19 and forskrift om hunder
Norway bans six breeds and their crossings. The ban covers import, breeding, and ownership. Hybrids of wolf and domestic dog are also banned regardless of the wolf percentage.
- Pit Bull Terrier (banned)
- Tosa Inu (banned)
- Fila Brasileiro (banned)
- Dogo Argentino (banned)
- Czechoslovakian Wolfdog (banned)
- American Staffordshire Terrier (banned)
Official source: lovdata.no · Hundeloven.
Australia · Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956
Australia prohibits the import of five breeds and their crossings. At the state level, individual states (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and others) maintain their own declared-dangerous-dog rules that can require muzzle, enclosed yard, and warning signage on the property.
- American Pit Bull Terrier (banned)
- Dogo Argentino (banned)
- Fila Brasileiro (banned)
- Japanese Tosa (banned)
- Perro de Presa Canario (banned)
Official source: agriculture.gov.au · Cats and dogs.
New Zealand · Dog Control Act 1996
New Zealand prohibits the import of four breeds and classifies them as menacing. Dogs already in the country before the designation are subject to muzzle, neutering, and registration rules.
- Brazilian Fila (Fila Brasileiro) (banned)
- Dogo Argentino (banned)
- Japanese Tosa (banned)
- American Pit Bull Terrier (banned)
Official source: mpi.govt.nz · Cats and dogs.
Canada (Ontario) · Dog Owners' Liability Act 2005
Canada has no federal breed-specific list. Ontario bans the Pit Bull at provincial level under DOLA 2005. The ban covers the American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and dogs substantially similar in physical appearance. Pre-2005 dogs were grandfathered with conditions. Other provinces have their own approaches, and several municipalities outside Ontario maintain by-law restrictions.
- American Pit Bull Terrier (banned)
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier (banned)
- American Staffordshire Terrier (banned)
- Crosses substantially similar to the above (banned)
Official source: ontario.ca · Pit bull ban.
Where the national list breaks down
A few destinations don’t have a single national breed list. The patchwork is the rule, not the exception.
Italy removed its national dangerous-breeds list in 2009. The Ministry of Health publishes a circular instead, and regional or municipal rules handle local restrictions.
Switzerland is cantonal. Some cantons (Geneva, Valais) maintain lists; others rely on individual dangerousness assessments. The federal Animal Welfare Act sets the floor.
United Stateshas no federal breed-specific legislation. State and city ordinances vary widely. Denver, Miami-Dade County, and dozens of other municipalities have historically banned Pit Bull-type dogs, though several have since repealed. The destination city’s animal-control page is the authoritative source.
Canada (outside Ontario) has no federal breed-specific list. Municipal by-laws (Winnipeg, parts of Manitoba) operate independently of provincial law.
For these four, the search on this site checks the specific origin and destination authorities and surfaces any breed-restriction notice that applies.
What to do if your breed is on a list
If the destination bans the breed, the trip doesn’t happen. The pet stays at home. There’s no permit, no quarantine route, and no commercial workaround for a banned import.
If the breed is restricted, the trip can happen, but the paperwork is heavier. The destination usually wants proof of third-party insurance, a muzzle in public, an owner-aptitude certificate, neutering, and (in some countries) a permit issued by the local mairie, comune, or municipality. Allow extra time before travel for the permit to be issued. The vet doing the AHC won’t handle the destination’s permit; that’s a separate step with the local authority at the destination.
For mixed-breed dogs, the assessment is done by appearance (“substantially similar to”) rather than DNA. A vet’s letter describing the dog as a non-matching breed isn’t a defence at the border. The visual assessment is what counts.
A note for commercial movers
The personal-travel breed restrictions apply identically to commercial movements. There’s no commercial exemption. A breeder bringing five XL Bullies into Great Britain is in the same legal position as an owner travelling with one. The commercial paperwork track (TRACES pre-notification, commercial veterinary health certificate, border control post inspection) adds requirements; it doesn’t remove the breed restrictions.
The short version
- Breed restrictions are the rule most likely to halt a trip at the airport. They apply at the destination, not the origin, and they’re checked by visual assessment.
- Bannedmeans the breed cannot be imported and the trip doesn’t happen. Restricted means the trip can happen, with conditions (muzzle, permit, insurance, neutering).
- Twelve destinations covered above. For Italy, Switzerland, the United States, and the rest of Canada, restrictions are regional or municipal; check the specific destination authority.
- The official source is linked on every country entry. Verify the list against the source before you book.
Check the destination’s official authority for the breed at the planning stage, before the AHC appointment. A banned breed can’t be appealed at the border; a restricted breed needs the permit paperwork lined up in advance.
Country-specific sources are linked in each entry above. For the broader rule frame:
- APHA / DEFRA, Banned dogs on gov.uk.
- The underlying EU rule for pet movements, Regulation 576/2013, on eur-lex.europa.eu. Breed restrictions remain national competence inside the EU; movement rules and breed rules sit on different legal tracks.
- European Commission, Movement of pets on food.ec.europa.eu.