Spain's 'banned' breeds: not banned — licensed, insured and listed

The decree developing Spain's dangerous-animals law names its breeds in Annex I: a) Pit Bull Terrier · b) Staffordshire Bull Terrier · c) American Staffordshire Terrier · d) Rottweiler · e) Dogo Argentino · f) Fila Brasileiro · g) Tosa Inu · h) Akita Inu. Annex II extends the net by phenotype — dogs with all or most of a listed physical profile (strong musculature, powerful appearance, and the rest) fall under the regime regardless of pedigree, which is how crosses get caught.

The machinery is licensing, not prohibition: the decree sets the requirements for the administrative licences that authorise holding such animals — including minimum criteria for the certificates of physical capacity and psychological aptitude, and the minimum sum of the civil-liability insurance for third-party damage. Autonomous communities and municipalities layer their own registration on top.

Source: BOE, Real Decreto 287/2002 — animales potencialmente peligrosos, read 6 September 2026.

The EU movement rules our dog-to-Spain guide covers get your animal across the border; RD 287/2002 governs what happens once you live there: licence application at your municipality (with the capacity and aptitude certificates), the liability policy at or above the decree's minimum, local census registration, and the public-space rules (lead and muzzle regimes run through municipal ordinances). Rottweiler and Akita owners are the classic surprised parties — breeds unremarkable at home, licensed in Spain.

Start the paperwork before the container ships: the certificates and policy are arrival-week errands only if you knew they were coming.

The dog's Spanish file (licence, insurance, census) runs parallel to yours (visa, padrón, cover per the Spain hub's cited rules). Same calendar, different desks:

Print the moving checklist