Import and border controls of animals, animal products and feed
When importing live animals, animal products, germinal products, organic vegetable feed, hay and straw from countries outside the European Union (EU), the goods must enter the EU through a border control post (BCP). You must notify the consignment to the BCP prior to its arrival.
Closed border control posts
The veterinary border control post at Landvetter closed on June 1 2023, and the border control post at Norrköping airport was closed September 1 2024. There are other border control posts in Sweden or in EU that you can take these animals and products through, and they are listed further down the page.
When you import some commodities from countries outside of the EU, you must present them for control at a BCP. This applies for the following commodities:
- Animals
- Animal by-products
- Germinal products
- Hay and stray
- Organic feed of non-animal origin
- Feed of non-animal origin subjected to special import conditions.
Regarding import of food, please refer to the Swedish Food Agency.
At the border control post, an official veterinarian will control the consignment to make sure it is compliant with the import conditions. The veterinarian will for example check that the animals or products are safe from an animal health perspective, that they do not contain any illegal substances and that the animals are fit for onwards transportation.
Notify the border control post at least one business day in advance
You must notify the border control post through which your consignment will enter the EU, at least one business day in advance. This also applies to consignment arriving in Sweden but reloaded and transported to another EU country.
The consignment must be registered in the web-based system Traces.
We recommend that you also contact the BCP where the consignment will enter the EU, see contact details below.
When your consignment passes the border into Sweden, you must also notify Swedish Customs of the import.
Imports to Sweden through another EU Member State
Live animals
If you are bringing live animals into Sweden via another EU Member State, the border control must take place at a border control post where the consignment first arrives to the EU. In this case, you must notify that border control post of the arrival of the consignment.
When the consignment of animals passes the border into Sweden, you must notify Swedish Customs.
Animal products and more
When transporting animal products, germinal products, hay and straw, and feed of non-animal origin subject to special import conditions, by air or ship to Sweden, you must report the consignment to the relevant border control post in Sweden. If the consignment is to be reloaded onto a car, lorry, railway or inner waterway in another EU Member State, you must notify the border control post in the country in question.
What happens at the border control post
At the border control post, the veterinarian will carry out a document check, an identity check, and a physical examination of the animal or the products to ensure that all legislative requirements are met.
The result of this control is registered in the EU common web-based system Traces. The consignment is then passed on to customs.
Sometimes, the border control veterinarian will also take test samples as part of the physical examination. If test samples have been taken from your consignment, it may normally pass on to customs and be delivered to you pending test results. However, it is preferable that the products do not proceed to retail or to production processes until you have received the final test results for the consignment. You will receive the test results within around 5 days.
If there are specific suspicions of contamination or infection, the consignment is detained at the border control post until it obtains a favourable result.
Fee for border control
There is a fee for the border control. You pay a fixed fee per consignment and an hourly fee which varies depending on how long the control takes to complete, and if the control takes place during regular business hours or in the evening or on a weekend. The fee is intended to cover the cost of the control. An additional cost may be charged for assistance in cases where a consignment needs to be fully or partially unloaded from the means of transport in order to perform the control. Such a cost will be less if the consignment is loaded in a manner that facilitates access. If we need to take testing samples in connection with the border control, you will be charged the actual analysis costs from the laboratory.
The fees are stipulated in regulation SJVFS 2019:75.
Fees for follow-up and extra control
The Swedish Board of Agriculture perform controls to follow up on non-compliance, and such control will render a fee. You will also need to pay an extra fee if, after the initial control has been performed, there is a need for further investigation or other actions that results in extra work for the authority.
Contact information for border control posts in Sweden
All animals except ungulates
Stockholm Arlanda (airport)
Traces code: SE ARN 4 – SJV
fax: +46 8 597 852 11
Email address for Border Control Post (BCP):
Animal products, germinal products, feed and more
Stockholm Arlanda (airport)
Packaged chilled, frozen and room temperature products.
Traces code: SE ARN 4 – SJV
fax: +46 8 597 852 11
Gothenburg (port)
Packaged room temperature products.
Traces code: SE GOT 1 – SJV
Helsingborg (port) SE HEL 1 – SJV
Packaged frozen or room temperature products.
Traces code: SE HEL 1 – SJV
fax: +46 42 18 19 55
No Swedish border control post for horses and other ungulates
Currently, there is no approved border control post in Sweden for receiving horses and other ungulates such as cattle, pigs, sheep or goats.
If you are bringing any of these animals from a country outside the EU, you must therefore bring them to Sweden through a border control post in another EU country.
Border control posts within the EU
You need to be updated with the rules for import
Before you plan to import animals, animal products or feed you must read the rules for travel and trade, so that you know what you need to comply with.
Check the following websites in order to read more about the rules for import.
There are also special import conditions for importation of products of animal origin.
Triangular trade
There are a few exceptions, for example regarding germinal products. If you are unsure, contact the BCP well in advance of the planned import.
Import to EU of animals and products from one third country, through another third country, is called triangular trade. One example may be pet feed originating in China, entering the EU through the United Kingdom. Triangular trade is generally not permitted, as the authorities in one country cannot certify for example the animal health requirements or treatments of a product performed in another country. This applies regardless if the establishment of origin in the originating third country is approved for export to EU, or not.
You might also be interested in this
- Trading plants, plant products and other objects with countries outside the EU
- Swedish Food agency, information regarding import of food (livsmedelsverket.se)
Legislation
Söker efter grundforeskrifter:
2019:75