Service dogs in Europe: what they are, which certificates count, and what they get you
Each airline, ferry and cruise line decides which issuers it trusts. This guide shows which certificates carriers accept, how to get one, and what they get you on board.
What most people get wrong
The assumption
A service dog has a card or certificate that opens every door in Europe.
What the rules say
It doesn’t. There’s no EU-wide document, no central registry and no single ID. EU law speaks of “recognised assistance dogs”, but no EU body certifies them — each carrier decides which issuers it trusts.
What’s inside the guide
14 pages, checked against the carriers’ and regulators’ own pages.
What counts as an assistance dog
The task rule and psychiatric assistance dogs.
The certificates that actually exist
ADI, ADEu, IGDF and Assistance Dogs UK, national schemes in Germany, Austria, France and Portugal, and the US DOT form.
What a certificate gives you — and what it doesn’t
EU Regulation 1107/2006, trains, ferries and public places, versus advance notice, capacity rules and borders.
How to get certified
Why online certificates aren’t recognised, and the six-month route with an accredited organisation.
Carrier tables
Cabin, fee, dogs in training and accepted documents for each airline, ferry and cruise line we checked.
The border rule nobody tells you
An assistance dog needs the same health paperwork as a pet.
17
European airlines compared
28
ferry operators
11
cruise lines checked
14
pages, PDF
Frequently asked questions
No. There’s no EU-wide document, no central registry and no single ID. Each airline, ferry and cruise line decides which issuers it trusts.
Other guides
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Airlines ask for a form, and you sign it yourself. This guide walks you through the DOT forms, the airlines, trains, ferries and cruise lines, and the border rules that still apply.
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