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Dog tax Cologne 2026
What a dog costs in Cologne per year: current rates, reductions and a calculator for several dogs and listed dogs.
📜 From the official city source🔄 Checked on 22 Oct 2026🔒 No sign-up
Your dog tax
Dog tax in Cologne at a glance
- First dog
- €174
- Second dog
- €174
- Each further dog
- €174
- Listed dogs
- no higher tax, the normal rate applies
- Calculation
- The second dog costs the second rate, each further dog the third.
- Valid since
- 1 Jan 2026
- Reductions and exemptions
- Exemption on application: dogs from Cologne animal shelters (Dellbrück, Zollstock, Ostheim) for 24 months, for life if adopted at 8 years or older; assistance dogs; rescue dogs. Reduction to €60 per year for one dog for recipients of Hilfe zum Lebensunterhalt (subsistence assistance) or Grundsicherung (basic income support) (SGB XII), for 36 months, renewable.
- Notes
- Bylaw as amended by the 5th amending bylaw of 17 December 2025: €174 for each dog kept, no tiering (dog2 = dog3plus = dog1). The bylaw contains no higher rate for dangerous dogs or listed dogs.
- Source
- Hundesteuersatzung der Stadt Köln (dog tax bylaw of the City of Cologne), version of 17 December 2025 ↗
Official source, checked on 22 Oct 2026
How Cologne compares
3 of 51cities with euro rates charge more than Cologne for the first dog.
€131is the average for the first dog in the 50 largest German cities.
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Frequently asked questions
How much is the dog tax in Cologne?
In Cologne the first dog costs €174 a year. The second dog costs €174, each further dog €174.
How much is the tax for listed dogs in Cologne?
According to the source, Cologne does not charge a higher tax for listed dogs. The normal rate applies.
Is there a reduction in Cologne?
Exemption on application: dogs from Cologne animal shelters (Dellbrück, Zollstock, Ostheim) for 24 months, for life if adopted at 8 years or older; assistance dogs; rescue dogs.
Sources and method
- 📚Hundesteuersatzung der Stadt Köln (dog tax bylaw of the City of Cologne), version of 17 December 2025 Open source ↗
- 📚All values checked on 22 Oct 2026. We check the list every year at the turn of the year. Anything not verified is marked as unknown.
