Banned dog breeds in Greece: the law has no list

Search the consolidated text of Law 4830/2021, updated to Law 5314/2026, and you will not find a schedule of breeds. Instead the law defines a dangerous companion animal («Επικίνδυνο ζώο συντροφιάς») by conduct: an animal that repeatedly shows unprovoked and unjustified aggression towards people or other animals without being threatened, or one carrying a serious transmissible disease that a vet confirms cannot be treated.

So the question in Greece is how the individual dog behaves, not what it is. That is the opposite of the list-based approach in Ireland or Germany.

Source: Law 4830/2021, consolidated text by kodiko.gr with amendments to Law 5314/2026 (printed 20 July 2026), read 16 October 2026.

The law bars importing dogs and cats into Greece that do not carry electronic identification (a microchip) or that come from establishments not meeting EU Regulation 2019/2035. For animals coming from outside the EU, the chip number and the importer's name are recorded at the point of entry and passed directly to the national pet register.

Our pet passport guide covers the EU travel documents themselves.

Source: Law 4830/2021, consolidated text by kodiko.gr with amendments to Law 5314/2026 (printed 20 July 2026), read 16 October 2026.

Article 9 places a duty on every owner of a dog or cat: neuter it within six months of acquiring it, if the animal is over a year old. If you acquire it younger than one, the deadline is the first six months after its first birthday. A vet's reasoned opinion can vary the deadline by breed or other characteristics.

Neutering is not compulsory where a sample of the animal's genetic material (DNA) has been sent to the national companion-animal DNA laboratory set up under Article 13. If you intend to keep your dog entire, that DNA route is the one to raise with a Greek vet soon after you arrive.

Source: Law 4830/2021, consolidated text by kodiko.gr with amendments to Law 5314/2026 (printed 20 July 2026), read 16 October 2026.

Without a breed list, the law handles aggression case by case. At exhibitions and events, animals that show aggressive behaviour without cause towards people or other animals must wear a muzzle or be removed, and the law lists dog fights among the forms of cruelty it punishes.

Source: pet.gov.gr: Law 4830/2021 on companion animals (Government Gazette A 169/18.09.2021), read 16 October 2026.

We arrange international health insurance for people, not animals, so nothing on this page is something a Regency policy covers. Rules on dogs change, so confirm the current position with the authority named above before you book your dog's transport. This guide is general information from official sources, not legal advice.