Bringing dogs, cats and ferrets out of Sweden – for travel or for trade
There are rules that specify how you may travel with dogs, cats and ferrets or sell dogs, cats and ferrets to another country. These rules are intended to prevent the spread of disease, primarily rabies. The rules differ between countries. It is therefore very important that you find what applies in your specific case in the country to which the animal is travelling. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the right certificates and that the animal meets the requirements that apply.
Your animal may be put down if the requirements are not met
The authorities in the country to which your animal is travelling decide what happens if your animal travels with incorrect or incomplete documentation. The animal may be refused entry and sent back to Sweden or, in the worst case, be put down immediately. In some countries, the animal may in certain cases be quarantined. This will incur costs that you, as the owner, will have to pay. It is your responsibility to ensure that all requirements are met. For that reason, it is very important that you collect all the information on the applicable rules in good time before your departure.
If an animal is refused entry into a country and has to be sent back to Sweden, the animal must meet the Swedish rules that apply to the country where the animal has been, in order for it to be allowed back into Sweden.
To EU Member States
The following section describes the general rules that apply when you travel with dogs, cats and ferrets to EU Member States. In this context, the Faroe Islands and Greenland also count as EU Member States.
Always look up which rules apply in the country to which the animal will travel
Since some countries have further rules in addition to what is discussed here, you must always find out which rules apply specifically in the country to which the animal is travelling. Contact that country’s veterinary authority, or that country’s embassy in Sweden, in good time to find out what applies.
The animal must be marked with an ID number
Your animal should be microchipped.
- The ID-marking must always be carried out before the animal receives a rabies vaccine.
- The ID-marking must be carried out by a veterinarian or by a person certified for ID‑marking .
- An animal travelling as a pet with its owner to another EU Member State must be microchipped using a microchip which complies with the ISO standard 11784/11785.
- An animal travelling to another EU Member State must be microchipped with an approved microchip if it is changing owners, travelling more than 5 days before or after its owner, or travelling in a group of more than 5 animals. If the animal is microchipped in Sweden, the microchip used must be approved by the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
- The date for ID-marking or reading of the microchip and the ID number must be stated in the animal’s EU passport. If the animal has been microchipped more than once and therefore has two ID numbers, both are to be stated in the passport.
If the animal is controlled at the border and the microchip is unreadable, the animal may be refused entry and sent back to the country from which it came, possibly placed into quarantine or, in the worst case, be put down. Since there is always a risk that the microchip will be unreadable, you can bring your own microchip reader just in case.
If your animal has a legible tattoo with an ID number, and you have a document certifying that this was done prior to 3 July 2011, your animal does not need to be microchipped as well.
Microchips which are approved by the Swedish Board of Agriculture
Manufacturer | ICAR's product code | Number series |
|---|---|---|
AEG Identifikationssysteme GmbH | 968003 och 968004 | 752 0 968 0000 0000– 752 0 968 9999 9999 |
Bartmed | 932001 | 752 0 932 0000 0000– 752 0 932 9999 9999 |
Business Inception Identification B.V | 945002 | 752 0 945 0000 0000– 752 0 945 9999 9999 |
Datamars | 981011 | 752 0 981 0000 0000– 752 0 981 9999 9999 |
Datamars Iberica, S.L.U. | 941013 | 752 0 941 0000 0000– 752 0 941 9999 9999 |
RF Holding (Beheer) BV | 967003 och 967004 | 752 0 967 0000 0000– 752 0 967 9999 9999 |
Shenzhen Toptag Group Co Ltd | : 900268 | 752 0 900 0100 0000- 752 0 900 0100 0999 |
Smartrac Technology Wehnrath Gmbh | 992007 | 752 0 992 0000 0000– 752 0 992 9999 9999 |
Trovan LTD | 956003 | 752 0 956 0000 0000– 752 0 956 9999 9999 |
A microchip is approved if it meets the requirements of the EU animal health regulation.
When we approve microchips, we do not take the microchip’s technical performance or other characteristics into account. If you have questions about the technical performance or other characteristics of microchips, please contact the manufacturer, your veterinarian or a person certified to carry out microchipping.
The animal must have a valid rabies vaccination
The animal must be vaccinated against rabies. You should look up whether the country to which the animal is travelling requires that any specific vaccines were used.
The first vaccination, which builds up the animal’s protection against rabies, is called a primary vaccination and consists of one or two shots. The vaccine must be approved in the country in which the vaccination is carried out.
The animal must be ID-marked and at least 12 weeks old in order to receive a primary vaccination. In order for the vaccination to be valid, the animal must be ID-marked before the vaccination is administered. If the animal was previously ID-marked, the ID-marking must be read before a vaccination is administered. The passport must state that the ID-marking was carried out, or the ID-marking read, at the latest on the same day as the vaccination. The vaccination must also be recorded in the passport.
After the primary vaccination, you must wait 21 days before you travel with the animal.
Example 1: Vaccination with one shot on 1 January = earliest possible date of travel is 22 January.
Example 2: Vaccination with two shots, one on 1 January and one on 1 February = earliest possible date of travel is 22 February.
The vaccination requires boosters
When the animal is vaccinated, the veterinarian will record how long the vaccination is valid in the animal’s passport, given the rules for the vaccine used in the country where the animal is. The period of validity may vary between countries. You should look up if the country to which the animal is travelling has any specific rules about the period of validity.
If you want to continue travelling with your animal, you must ensure that the animal is vaccinated again, no later than on the date of last validity which the veterinarian has specified. If the animal is vaccinated again with the specified period of validity, you do not have to wait 21 days before you may travel with it.
Delayed vaccination
If an animal receives its booster vaccine after the end of the period of validity of the primary vaccination, the revaccination is considered to be a new primary vaccination. This means that a new waiting period of 21 days is mandatory before the animal may travel again.
The animal must have an EU pet passport
Dogs, cats and ferrets must have EU pet passports.
The following rules apply:
- Only veterinarians may issue the passport.
- The veterinarian will record the animal's ID number, any treatments carried out, and any vaccinations administered, in the passport.
- The name of the animal’s owner must be recorded in the passport.
- In order for the passport to be valid, the animal’s owner or owners must also sign the passport when it is issued, signing on the last line beneath the telephone number on the page with the owner’s details.
- If a breeder is to sell a puppy to a foreign owner, the breeder is to be recorded as the owner in the passport, until the puppy has been delivered.
- The animal’s ID number must be recorded in the passport, and this must correspond to the number on the microchip. If the animal has been marked with an ID number more than once and received a new chip number, both numbers must be stated in the passport.
Bear in mind that only veterinarians working in the EU, with an EU licence, are allowed to issue EU pet passports or to add information to a passport.
Some countries have specific requirements. For that reason, you should contact the veterinary authorities in the country to which you are planning to travel, or that country’s embassy in Sweden, in good time to find out what applies.
The animal may need to be dewormed
Some countries require the animals to be dewormed against echinococcos in order for them to be allowed into the country. This applies, for example, in Finland, Ireland and Malta. Please note that Norway also has this requirement.
Make sure to look up what applies to the country to which you are travelling.
Look up if your dog's or cat's breed is allowed in the country to which it is travelling
Some countries, such as Denmark, only permit certain breeds to enter the country. Make sure you know which breeds are permitted before departure.
If the animal is returning to Sweden, it must meet the Swedish requirements
If the animal is returning to Sweden after it has been abroad, it must also meet the Swedish requirements for entry. Make sure you know which rules apply in Sweden before you leave, so that the animal can come back home with you afterwards.
If a animal is refused entry into a country and sent back to Sweden, the animal must also meet the Swedish requirements that apply to the country where the animal has been, in order for it to be allowed back into Sweden.
If the animal travels within 5 days before or after its owner
If you and your animal are travelling to the same place but not travelling together, you should plan the animal’s journey so that it travels within 5 days before or after you do. The following documentation must then accompany the animal, in addition to its EU passport:
- A pet owner's declaration stating that your animal (identified with its ID number and passport number) may be transported by the agent or carrier which you are going to hire and that it will not be sold. Remember to fill out the area for authorisation at the bottom of the form.
- Copies of your own ticket or booking, so that it can be determined when and where you are travelling.
If the animal is travelling more than 5 days before or after you do, or travelling by a different route than you are, you should read the information under the heading Further rules for animals that are changing owners, travelling more than 5 days before or after the owner, or travelling in a group of more than 5 animals.
If the animal is going to travel by air
If your animal is going to travel by air, airlines may apply their own rules which you must also follow. Contact the airline for information about what applies to your trip.
Further information is also available on the website of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). IATA is an industry association of the world's airlines and sets the rules that form the basis for the airlines' rules. The IATA have, for example, rules relating to crate dimensions.
If more than 5 animals are travelling in a group to compete or to train
When you are travelling with a group of more than 5 animals over the age of 6 months, which are to participate in a show or competition, or are to participate in training for such events, you need to bring written evidence that the animals, specifying their ID numbers, have been registered to participate in the event, in addition to the passport. You may also bring written evidence that they are registered with an organisation which hosts such events.
Examples of valid documents include relevant catalogues for the show or competition, or pedigrees from e.g. the Swedish Kennel Club which specify the ID numbers of the animals.
Bear in mind that you must also contact the country to which the animal is travelling in order to find out if any further rules apply.
If you travel with a group of more than 5 animals that are not participating in any event, there are other rules that apply. These are specified under the heading below. Those rules also apply to those animals in the group which are less than 6 months old.
Further rules for animals that are changing owners, travelling more than 5 days before or after the owner, or travelling in a group of more than 5 animals
There are additional rules that apply when animals
- are to be sold or otherwise change owners by, for example, adoption or rehoming
- travel by themselves
- travel with an agent independent of the owner
- travel by the same route as the owner, but more than 5 days before or after the owner
- travel in groups of 5 or more together with their owner, even if they are not to be sold.
If any of these conditions apply, and the animal is travelling to an EU Member State, the following applies:
- An animal travelling to a new owner in another EU Member State must come from a registered or approved establishment. Read more in the section below.
- An official veterinarian must certify that the animal meets the requirements. The official veterinarian must check the animal's ID number and the information in the passport and must carry out a clinical examination of the animal within 48 hours of the animal’s departure. The veterinarian will then enter the information into a computer system called Traces. You will receive a health certificate showing that the animal has been examined and meets the requirements.
- If you are transporting animals to another EU Member State, you must register as a transporter if the animals are either changing owners or otherwise used in commercial activities. Read more in the section below.
The health certificate must be presented with the animal’s passport on entry. It is valid for 10 days after the date of issue. Make sure that the veterinarian is an official veterinarian and has access to Traces when making your appointment. Make sure, however, that the examination takes place no more than 48 hours before the animal travels.
The animals must come from a registered or approved establishment
Animals that are travelling to a new owner in another EU Member State must come from registered or approved establishments. A private household is also considered to be an establishment in this context.
You need to register your establishment in our e-service.
Since you are moving the animal from the establishment, you must answer yes to the relevant question in the e-service. This also applies if the animal is travelling to another EU Member State or to Norway, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Andorra, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Liechtenstein, Monaco or San Marino.
You must do this well in advance of the first time the animal is to be moved from the establishment. You need only answer the question once. In other words, you do not have to do so every time the animal is moved.
The question can be found under the heading See/change my establishments in the e‑service.
There must not have been any reported rabies infection among the animals kept at the establishment for 30 days before the animal leaves the establishment, and there must also not have been any abnormal mortality without an established cause. The official veterinarian must certify that this has not been the case in the health certificate.
If the animal is not changing owners
If the animal you are taking to another EU Member State is not changing owners, you are not required in the following cases to register the establishment from which the animal is coming:
- The animal is travelling by the same route as its owner, but more than 5 days before or after its owner.
- More than 5 animals travel in a group together with their owner but are not participating in a competition or training.
If the animals are sent from an animal shelter or a collection facility, the shelter or facility must be approved by the Swedish Board of Agriculture before animals can be sent from the establishment to another EU Member State.
The transporter must be registered
If you are transporting dogs, cats or ferrets to another EU Member State, you must register if the animals are either changing owners or otherwise used in commercial activities. You can register the establishment and register as a transporter in our e‑service right now. Bear in mind that a registration as a transporter is not the same as the transporter’s permit required to transport animals as part of your economic activities. It may also be the case that you need both a registration to move animals between countries and a transporter’s permit.
Deregister the dog in the dog register or the cat in the cat register
If you are selling a dog or a cat from Sweden to another EU Member State, do not forget to deregister the animal in the dog register or in the cat register.
Check that you have done everything you need to do before you travel!
- I have contacted the veterinary authorities in the country to which the animal is travelling, and have found out which requirements apply, which certificates are needed, and if the breed is permitted in the country.
- The animal has an EU passport.
- The animal has been ID-marked.
- The animal has a valid rabies vaccination.
- If relevant, I have found out what rules apply to animals that travel without their owner, travel in a group of more than 5 animals to compete or train, or which are changing owners.
- I have found out what requirements apply when the animal is returning to Sweden from the country in which it has been.
To countries outside the EU
The rules that apply when your dog, cat or ferret is travelling to another country outside the EU are different in different countries. You have to find out for yourself which rules apply in the country to which the animal is travelling. Contact the veterinary authorities in good time in the destination country, or the country’s embassy in Sweden, for the right information.
Please note that the United Kingdom, except for Northern Ireland, is no longer in the EU.
Look up if there are export restrictions
Before you travel with dogs, cats or ferrets or export them to countries outside the EU, you need to look up if any restrictions apply due to contagious animal diseases.
Please note when the animals are travelling to another country outside the EU
- The requirements that apply when an animal is entering another country are determined by the veterinary authorities in that country. The Swedish Board of Agriculture is usually unable to specify what these requirements are.
- Typically, the animal will need to have both a passport as well as at least one form of animal health certificate, issued by an official veterinarian.
- It is your responsibility to ensure that the correct certificate is used, that all documents and certificates that are required accompany the animal when it is travelling, and that the animal meets the requirements that apply.
- It can be a time-consuming process to find out which certificates are required and to ensure the animal meets all the requirements, so it is important to start preparing in good time.
- If a animal is refused entry into a country and sent back to Sweden, the animal must also meet the Swedish requirements that apply to the country where the animal has been, in order for it to be allowed back into Sweden.
- Some countries, such as Norway, only permit certain breeds to enter the country. Make sure you know which breeds are permitted before departure.
A veterinarian from outside the EU may not write in the EU passport
Only veterinarians with an EU licence are allowed to add information to an EU passport.
If the rabies vaccination in the EU passport expires when you are in a country outside the EU with your animal, you must instead acquire a veterinarian’s certificate stating that the booster vaccine has been administered, in order for the animal to be allowed back into Sweden.
If a titre test for rabies antibodies is required and the animal has not received a booster vaccination in time, you will need to repeat the titre test with a waiting period of 3 months after the test before the animal can return home.
Find out what applies in the country to which the animal is travelling
Here is how you can find out what rules apply in the country to which the animal is travelling:
- Contact the veterinary authorities in the country to which the animal is travelling
- Ask for a written confirmation of the applicable requirements.
- Ask whether they accept the Swedish Board of Agriculture’s health certificate for dogs and cats.
- Find out if the country to which the animal is travelling has any other requirements such as special certificates, tests, deworming or other treatments. For example, Norway requires that dogs have undergone a deworming treatment for echinococcos.
The rules regulating which certificate shall be used may differ depending on whether the animal is joining its owner on a holiday, or is travelling to change owner in a sale, adoption or rehoming. When you contact the veterinary authorities in the country to which the animal is travelling, make sure to use the following terms to ensure that you receive the right information:
- export = if the animal is travelling in order to be sold to someone in the destination country
- non-commercial movement = if the animal is not to be sold but is travelling with its owner, e.g. on holiday
The destination country’s embassy in Sweden, or the Swedish embassy in the destination country, may also be able to help.
New rules for bringing animals or animal products to the United Kingdom
The following section describes the rules that apply when you are bringing animals or animal products to the United Kingdom, but you must also read the general rules that apply when travelling to countries outside the EU.
As of 1 January 2021, new rules apply to trade with the United Kingdom. The ministry responsible for these rules is the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). If you have any questions, please contact them.
The rules are described in the guide Border Operating Model.
The UK is implementing the new rules in several phases throughout 2021 and 2022. The conditions for exports to the UK may change, and it is therefore important that anyone carrying out exports stays up-to-date via the DEFRA’s website.
What you need to do as an exporter
Companies that are exporting to the UK need to, among other things:
- In collaboration with the importer, check which certificates should accompany the consignment.
- Ensure that you have access to the web-based system Traces in order to record the details required for the certificate.
- Check that the dispatching establishment is registered or approved, and that the transporter meets applicable requirements.
- If the transport to the UK passes through other EU countries, you must also check what applies when exporting to other EU Member States.
- Contact an official veterinarian in good time!
Health certificates and pre-registration
The importer in the UK should pre-register living animals, breeding materials and products from animals from the EU with the UK system Import of Products, Animals, Feed and Food Systems (IPAFFS). This must be done at the latest one working day prior to the estimated date of arrival. A health certificate must always accompany the consignment. Physical controls may be carried out.
The health certificate has been developed by UK authorities and is available in the EU computer system Traces or on DEFRA’s website. It is your responsibility as an exporter to check which certificate must be used, and for that reason it is important that you, potentially with the help of the importer, look up what is required by checking DEFRA’s website. On their website, you can also read more about how the various parts of the certificate are to be filled in, which information is mandatory and which information is optional.
The following rules apply when exporting to Great Britain:
- The importer must register the consignment in the computer system IPAFFS
- The consignment will be assigned a unique notification number (UNN) in IPAFFS, which is of the format IMP.GB.2021.1XXXXXX.
- A health certificate issued by an official veterinarian in Sweden must always accompany the consignment.
- The importer in the UK must provide the UNN number to the exporter or to the official veterinarian, who will record the number in the health certificate.
- The exporter must give the importer an electronic copy of the health certificate, so that the certificate can be uploaded to IPAFFS.
- The exporter is responsible for ensuring that the original health certificate accompanies the consignment.
When you have found out which certificates are required, contact an official veterinarian
When you have found out which certificates are required, you must contact an official veterinarian in your area who will help ensure the requirements are met and the certificates issued.
The veterinarian will need to see the certificates well in advance of departure. This is so that the veterinarian has enough time to examine if any of the diseases that are mentioned in the certificate have been present in Sweden, and when the latest outbreaks took place. The veterinarian may also need to plan vaccinations or tests of your animal for various diseases. This means that you may need to visit the veterinarian several times before you leave.
Please note that your animal must meet all the applicable requirements in order for the veterinarian to stamp and sign your certificate. If the text in the certificate is unclear or the requirements cannot be met, the official veterinarian may refuse to issue the certificate.
Sometimes, the official veterinarian will need a document from you where you state in writing certain details that the veterinarian will not themselves be able to verify. This can, for example, relate to which countries the animal has previously visited in the past year.
Only official veterinarians may issue certificates
Only official veterinarians may issue certificates, and not all veterinarians in Sweden are official veterinarians. Official veterinarians have received an appointment by the Swedish Board of Agriculture, meaning that they are permitted to issue animal certificates. This means that you cannot ask official veterinarians of the Swedish Veterinary and Food Administration when you travel with your animal.
If the country does not require a special certificate
If the veterinary authorities in the country to which the animal is travelling do not require any special certificate which they require you to use, you should ask whether they accept our health certificate for the export of dogs and cats.
Remember to always obtain a confirmation to this effect in writing from the veterinary authorities in the country to which the animal is travelling before you travel.
To obtain the health certificate for the export of dogs and cats, you must contact an official veterinarian. You can download a watermarked copy of this certificate, but you cannot order the certificate from us. The certificate will be issued by your veterinarian.
If you need a certificate showing that Sweden is free from various diseases
If the country to which the animal is travelling requires a certificate stating that Sweden is free from various animal diseases, such as rabies, such certificates are available to print from this website. This is called a veterinary certificate.
If the animal is going to travel by air
If your animal is going to travel by air, airlines may apply their own rules which you must also follow. Contact the airline for information about what applies to your trip.
Further information is also available on the website of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). IATA is an industry association of the world's airlines and sets the rules that form the basis for the airlines' rules. The IATA have, for example, rules relating to crate dimensions.
If the animal is returning to Sweden
If the animal is returning to Sweden after a stay in a country outside the EU, there are Swedish requirements that must be met. The requirements differ from those that apply when leaving and vary depending on the country from which the animal is returning. Make sure you know which rules apply in Sweden before you leave, so that the animal can come back home with you afterwards.
If the dog or cat is staying in the country to which it is travelling
If the dog or the cat is staying in the country to which it is travelling, you must deregister it in the dog or cat register
Check that you have done everything you need to do before you travel!
- I have contacted the veterinary authorities in the country to which my animal is travelling, and found out what requirements apply, which documents are required and if any particular document is required, such as a health certificate.
- I have contacted an official veterinarian in Sweden to obtain a passport and the necessary vaccinations, tests and certificates for my animal.
- I have ordered a health certificate in good time from the Swedish Board of Agriculture (only if the destination country requires it).
- I have found out what the rules are for travelling with the animal with my travel company (if I am travelling with a travel company).
- I have found out what requirements apply when returning to Sweden with my animal and have ensured these will be met.
- I have deregistered my dog from the dog register and cat from the cat register (if the dog or the cat is not returning to Sweden).
Questions and answers
Can records and treatments be transferred from various documents into an EU passport?
A licensed EU veterinarian may transfer information and treatments from valid EU passports and other official animal health certificates from countries outside the EU into an EU passport, if the veterinarian makes the assessment that the information can be traced. A veterinarian cannot transfer information from, among others, vaccination certificates, medical records or vaccination books.
Can you leave Sweden sooner than 21 days after a rabies vaccination?
In most cases, the answer is no. The rabies vaccine is not valid until the waiting period of at least 21 days has passed. However, some countries have exceptions from the 21‑day waiting period, and if an animal is travelling directly to a country with such rules, you may leave Sweden before the 21 days have passed.
My animal is travelling to a country outside of the EU where rabies is present, where there are not working routines to detect rabies. Afterwards, the animal is returning to Sweden. The antibody test results for rabies (titre test) will not be ready in time and will not have been entered into the passport before departure. Can a veterinarian add the test result into the passport and send the passport in afterwards?
No, antibody tests for rabies cannot be entered into the passport retrospectively, it must be done before the animal travels. If it has not been recorded in the passport prior to departure, your animal must wait for 3 months from the day when the blood sample was drawn and then travel back with a health certificate issued by an official veterinarian in the country of departure. To avoid waiting for 3 months and be able to travel back with the EU passport, an approved test must be recorded in the EU passport by a licensed veterinarian before departure.
Contact
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