Banned Dog Breeds in France: Category 1 and 2 Explained

Ask which dogs are banned in France and most sources answer with a list of breed names. The law doesn’t work that way. France sorts dogs by type, by papers and, in doubtful cases, by body measurements — which is why the same pit-bull-type dog can be banned without a pedigree and allowed with one. For a Poodle, a Corgi or a Golden Retriever none of this applies. For any dog that might fall near a category line, it decides whether the trip can happen at all. The rest of the requirements for a dog or cat are in the France pet shipping guide.

France Sorts Dogs by Type and Papers, Not by Breed Name

The Rural Code (article L211-12) splits potentially dangerous dogs into two categories, and a ministerial order of 27 April 1999 lists the types in each, as the agriculture ministry’s category guide sets out. “Type” is the key word: it means a dog that resembles a breed in body shape but isn’t registered in a studbook recognised by the agriculture ministry.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a separate breed from the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the ministry states outright that it isn’t a categorised dog. Confusing the two names is common, and it is a poor basis for planning a trip.

Category 1: No Entry, No Transit

Article L211-15 bans the import and introduction of Category 1 dogs into mainland France and the overseas territories. The ministry’s guidance adds that the ban covers dogs only passing through France. Bringing one in is an offence carrying up to six months in prison and a fine of €15,000 under article L215-2, with confiscation of the dog as an additional penalty. Prosecution can be closed by a flat-rate fine of €300. The ministry publishes no permit or exemption route for owners.

How a Dog Gets Judged: Type, Not Label

Without a pedigree, category depends on what the dog looks like. French customs’ official sheet gives measurable markers for the Category 1 types, alongside descriptions of head, coat and build.

Picture a 22 kg short-coated mixed-breed dog from Ho Chi Minh City with no pedigree papers. Its weight sits inside the pit-bull-type range — one marker among several, but enough to make a vet’s written opinion the document that matters. The ministry is clear that only a vet’s assessment can settle whether a dog belongs to a category, and that a dog isn’t classed automatically because it resembles a banned type.

For a dog with no pedigree that could pass for a Category 1 type, the ministry’s advice is to carry a signed vet attestation, translated into French where needed, stating that the dog belongs to no category. The attestation can be checked by a second assessment in France. If that assessment contradicts it and confirms a Category 1 dog, the owner faces the penalties above, up to confiscation.

Category 2: Allowed, With Conditions That Continue After Landing

A Category 2 dog enters under the same requirements as any dog — chip, rabies vaccination, titer test and an animal health certificate — plus proof of its pedigree from a studbook recognised by the agriculture ministry, which in practice means any studbook recognised by the FCI.

A Rottweiler-type dog without papers is the one exception: it is categorised on appearance, so no pedigree is asked for. The full sequence for any dog is in the France pet import law guide.

The heavier obligations begin in France, and they apply to the person as well as the dog:

• The owner is at least 18, isn’t under guardianship without a judge’s consent, and has no criminal conviction recorded in the relevant register.
• The owner holds a training certificate, a course of at least seven hours given by an approved French trainer.
• The dog has passed a behavioural evaluation by a vet on the local departmental list.
• The owner carries specific liability insurance.
• A detention permit has been issued by the town hall of the first commune of residence.
• The dog is muzzled and on a lead in public places, on public transport and in shared parts of buildings.
• The dog is declared to the national canine register after three months of stay.

Holding a categorised dog without the permit carries up to three months in prison and a €3,750 fine, with seizure possible. French customs’ own sheet notes that these conditions make short tourist stays with such a dog close to impossible. For an owner who is settling in France, the training and evaluation can be completed after arrival, and the guide to moving to France with pets covers the first weeks.

When the Airline Says No Before France Does

A dog that is legal in France can still be refused at the check-in counter. Vietnam Airlines’ official list of animals it will not carry includes the American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, Pit Bull, Tosa and its crosses, Rottweiler and its crosses — and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which France doesn’t categorise at all. On the French side, the agriculture ministry says Category 2 dogs may fly only on Air France flights and freight flights. Which airline and which mode fit which dog is worked through in the guide to flying pets to France.

Before Booking Anything

• Find out whether the dog has a pedigree from an FCI-recognised studbook, and keep the document with the travel file.
• Compare the dog against the three groups in the table above, using the pedigree first and the body measurements second.
• For a dog that resembles a Category 1 type, get a signed vet attestation in French before the certificate is issued.
• For a Category 2 dog, read the ownership conditions before choosing a date, since the training certificate, evaluation and permit are handled by French providers.
• Check the airline’s own breed list before checking France’s.

Cats face no breed ban in France. The one breed rule that concerns cats applies to Bengal and Savannah lines, which need a pedigree from a recognised studbook.