Animal husbandry (except farm animals), permit

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

• Breeding or keeping of vertebrates 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
• Vertebrate pest control
• They train dogs for third parties, such as companion dogs or assistance dogs, maintain facilities for this purpose or instruct 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 licence is also required if you wish to carry out the following activities:

• They carry out the breeding or keeping, including for sale to third parties, or use of vertebrates or cephalopods which themselves or whose organs or tissues are intended to be used for scientific purposes, for example animal experiments.
• They carry out the breeding or keeping of vertebrates whose organs or tissues are intended for non-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 centre.
• They keep and exhibit animals in a zoological garden or other institution 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 in return for payment or consideration, or broker these animals in return for payment or consideration, for example through foreign dog welfare organisations.
• They train guard dogs or maintain facilities for this purpose.
• They organise animal exchanges for the purpose of the exchange or sale of animals by third parties.

You need a permit for the commercial handling of animals if you wish to carry out the following activities commercially:

• Breeding, keeping or trading of vertebrates other than farm animals
• Maintenance of a riding and driving operation
• Display of animals
• Vertebrate pest control
• bring vertebrate animals that are not livestock into Germany for the purpose of sale (delivery against payment).
• Train dogs for third parties or instruct the training of dogs by pet owners

This permission is also required if you

• Keeping animals in a shelter or similar institution
• Keeping and exhibiting animals in a zoological garden or other institution
• Train dogs for third parties, maintain facilities for this purpose or instruct the training of dogs by the animal owner.
• bring or import vertebrate animals into the country for the purpose of giving them away for payment or for consideration, or arrange for these animals to be given away for payment or for consideration.
• Conduct animal exchanges for the purpose of exchange or sale of animals by third parties.

Note: You do not need the permit to keep farm animals.

Permission can be granted to an individual person (sole proprietorship) or to a corporation. In the case of a partnership, the individual personally liable partners each receive a permit.