Movement of dogs, cats and ferrets from countries outside the EU where the rabies situation is not under control
The rules apply if you have been on holiday abroad with your own dog, cat or ferret, if you buy a dog, cat or ferret for yourself abroad or if you buy a dog, cat or ferret abroad and then sell on in Sweden for example.
The rules for the movement of dogs, cats and ferrets into Sweden differ depending on which country the animals come from. The rabies situation in the country governs which rules apply. The rules on this page apply to these countries:
The countries on this page are outside the EU. In some of these countries there are cases of rabies or there are no effective routines to detect rabies, which makes it difficult to assess the rabies situation. If you bring in a dog, cat or ferret from one of these countries, there is therefore a greater risk that the animal will carry rabies. Examples of countries in this group are Belarus, Brazil, China, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Peru, Kenya, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and Ukraine.
Keep in mind that only from certain countries you may bring in dogs, cats or ferrets that travel without their owner, that are travelling in a group with more than 5 animals or dogs, cats or ferrets that are to be sold, rehomed or adopted. To bring in these animals, the country of dispatch must have a trade agreement with the EU. You can see which countries have this agreement under the heading More rules for dogs, cats and ferrets that will change owners, travel without their owner or travel in a group of more than 5 animals.
Your animal could be euthanized if the requirements are not fulfilled
If your animal travels with incorrect or incomplete documentation, the animal can be denied entry into Sweden or in the worst case euthanized. In some cases, the animal can be quarantined and the owner liable for the cost.
It is always your responsibility as a pet owner or importer to ensure that all requirements are met. Therefore, it is important that you find out what requirements you need to fulfil well before the trip.
Keep in mind that the waiting time after the rabies vaccination and consequent waiting times can mean that in some cases it can take up to 4 months before you can bring the animal to Sweden.
Rules for all dogs, cats and ferrets
This applies to all dogs, cats and ferrets brought into Sweden from a country in this group.
The animal must be ID-marked
- Your animal must be ID-marked with an ISO microchip.
- Your animal must be microchipped before the rabies vaccination. If your animal is microchipped after, they will need to be vaccinated again.
- Microchipping must be done by a veterinarian or by a person who holds approval to microchip animals.
- The date of ID marking or reading of ID marking and the ID number must be stated in the animal's health certificate.
- If the animal has been re-marked and therefore has two ID numbers, both must be entered in the health certificate.
If the animal is checked at the border and the microchip is not legible, the animal can be sent back to the country from which it came, possibly quarantined or in the worst case, euthanized. As there is always a risk that the microchip is not legible, you can bring your own chip reader for safety. You will need to bring your own microchip reader if the animal is not marked with an ISO microchip.
If your animal has a legible tattoo that according to a certificate was made before 3 July 2011, your animal does not need to be marked with a microchip.
The animal must have a valid vaccination against rabies
The animal must be vaccinated against rabies. The first vaccination that builds up the protection, also called primary vaccination, can consist of one or two doses. The vaccine must be approved in the country where the vaccination takes place.
The animal must be microchipped and at least 12 weeks old to receive the primary vaccination. The animal must be microchipped before the rabies vaccination in order for the vaccination to be valid. If the animal is already microchipped, the microchip must be read before the vaccine is given.
The details of the vaccination must be entered into the animal’s passport or health certificate and it must be stated that the microchip has been implanted and/or read no later than the same day as the vaccine is given.
The primary vaccination against rabies becomes valid after 21 days, but note that when the animal travels to Sweden from a country outside the EU where the rabies situation is not under control, a titer test is also required. This means that a blood sample must be taken to the check that the animal has an approved amount of antibodies. The blood sample must be taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination.
Revaccination
The validity of the vaccine may vary from country to country.
When the animal is vaccinated, the veterinarian will specify the validity of the vaccine in accordance with the rules in the country where the animal is located. Please note, that only EU veterinarians can enter information into an EU pet passport. If you want to continue travelling with your animal, you must ensure that the animal is revaccinated no later than the expiration date written by the veterinarian.
Delayed re-vaccination
If an animal is revaccinated after specified period of validity, in other words the previous vaccination has expired, the revaccination is counted as the new primary vaccination. Then a new titer test is also required.
The animal must have an approved amount of antibodies against rabies (titre test)
You should make an appointment with a veterinarian to take a blood sample to check that the animal has a sufficient amount of antibodies against rabies. The test is called a titre test. The blood sample must be taken at least 30 days after the last rabies vaccination. A sample taken earlier is not valid. If two vaccinations are needed for the primary vaccination, you must wait at least 30 days after the second vaccination before the blood sample can be taken.
Example: Primary vaccination was given on 1 March and 1 April = blood tests can be taken on 1 May at the earliest. The sample may also be taken later, but the vaccination must still be valid.
The blood sample must be analysed by an EU-approved laboratory and must show at least 0.5 IU / ml. The laboratory must be approved for antibody testing for rabies.
If the animal has been revaccinated correctly after an approved blood test, no new blood test is required for the animal to be allowed to travel to Sweden.
3 months waiting period before a health certificate may be issued
The health certificate required for entry into the EU cannot be issued until at least 3 months after the date on which the blood sample for the antibody test was taken. Check that the rabies vaccination does not expire during the waiting period. If the animal is not revaccinated before the expiry date, a new blood sample must be taken, which means that the waiting period of 3 months begins to apply after the new blood sample.
In cases where more than 30 days have passed between the vaccination and the blood test, the waiting time between the blood test and the certification does not decrease. It is always at least 3 months and we cannot grant an exemption from that.
The results of the antibody test must be entered in the health certificate before departure to Sweden. The animal's ID number must be in the test answer. If the animal has been re-marked and therefore has two ID numbers, both must be entered in the test answer.
Exemption from the requirement of 3 months waiting period
Are you travelling from the EU with an animal that has an EU pet passport to a country outside the EU where rabies occurs? Then you should have the animal vaccinated against rabies and a rabies titration test done before the animal leaves the EU. If the vaccination and titre test are registered in the EU pet passport before the animal leaves the EU, you can travel back to the EU with the animal at any time during the rabies vaccination's validity period without waiting 3 months.
If the rabies vaccination has expired while the animal is outside the EU, you must, however, obtain a health certificate to be able to bring the animal back to the EU. Veterinarians in a country outside the EU are not allowed to enter information in an EU passport, and the vaccination will be considered invalid. The titre test and the rabies vaccination will then only remain valid if you give a booster vaccination for rabies abroad before it expires. As this vaccination cannot be written in the EU passport, you will need a health certificate instead.
The animal must have a health certificate or in some cases an EU passport
Animals brought into Sweden from a country outside the EU must have a health certificate that is issued and stamped by an official veterinarian or the central veterinary authority in the country in question.
In some cases, it is possible to use the EU pet passport
If you travel from Sweden or another EU country, you can use the animal's EU passport for the journey back to Sweden, provided that the vaccination against rabies and rabies titre test have been done and entered in the passport before you left the EU. Therefore, make sure that the vaccination is valid throughout your stay outside the EU. By taking the titre test in Sweden before departure, you avoid the waiting period of 3 months, which is otherwise a requirement to return to Sweden.
If the vaccination expires during the trip, however, you need to obtain a health certificate in which the new vaccination can be entered. You may need a new rabies titre test if you fail to give the rabies booster vaccination before the previous vaccination expires. The titre test and the rabies vaccination will remain valid only if you give a rabies booster vaccination abroad before it expires. As this vaccination cannot be written in the EU passport, you will need a health certificate instead. Only EU veterinarians can enter information into an EU passport.
There are two different health certificates
There are two health certificates. The animal needs the health certificate CANIS-FELIS-FERRETS in these cases:
- The animal will change owner after it has been brought into Sweden, for example the animals is to be sold, rehomed or adopted.
- The animal does not travel with the owner, but with another person (authorised person). The owner makes the same trip, more than 5 days before or after the animal.
- The animal travels in a group of more than 5 animals.
The health certificate CANIS-FELIS-FERRETS is modelled on Chapter 38 of Annex II to EU Implementing Regulation 2021/403. The model is also available to the official veterinarian in the Traces system.
In all other cases, the animal needs the health certificate E9.207. You can order the form E9.207 from the Swedish Board of Agriculture before leaving Sweden. We will send the certificate by post to your home address in Sweden within about a week. Take the form with you on the trip so that an official veterinarian in the country outside the EU can fill it in.
If the country from which your animal is to travel does not accept other countries' forms, the country can create its own certificate based on the template of E9.207 in Annex IV Part 1 of EU Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 or CANIS-FELIS-FERRETS in Chapter 38 of Annex II to EU Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/403.
This is an official veterinarian
An official veterinarian is a state appointed veterinarian who has a central role in the work of preventing the spread of infectious diseases. An official veterinarian may have different titles in different countries.
Official veterinarians are not available in all countries. If the country does not have official veterinarians, you should instead hire a licensed veterinarian to fill in the health certificate E9.207 and then have the certificate stamped and signed by the central veterinary authority in the country. You must contact the veterinary authority well ahead of time for instructions of how this should be done.
Please note, the CANIS-FELIS-FERRETS certificate must always be issued by an official veterinarian.
Show this to the veterinarian
In order for the veterinarian to issue the health certificate, you must present these documents:
- certificate of ID-marking
- certificate of rabies vaccination
- certificate of rabies antibody test (titre test)
- a pet owner declaration.
These papers must then be stapled together with the health certificate into a single booklet. All pages must be numbered (for example 1 of 6 or 1 (6), ie page 1 of a total of 6 pages), and the reference number at the top right of the health certificate must be written on all pages. Lastly, the veterinarian must stamp and sign all pages.
The animal's ID number must be in the health certificate and it must match the ID marking. If the animal has been re-marked and therefore has two ID numbers, both must be entered in the health certificate.
Validity Period
Once the health certificate has been stamped by the official veterinarian or by the central veterinary authority, you have 10 days to travel with your animal to a so-called Entry Point in the EU. Entry Points are specially designated places of entry where pets brought in from a country outside the EU can be examined. In Sweden, there are such Entry Points at Arlanda and Landvetter airports.
The health certificate E9.207 needs to be stamped at the Entry point in the first EU country the animal arrives at. After this, the certificate is then valid for travel within the EU for 4 months from the date of first entry into the EU (the date the certificate was stamped), or until the rabies vaccination stated in the certificate expires, depending on which occurs first.
The health certificate CANIS-FELIS-FERRETS is valid for 10 days from the date of issue until arrival at the border control post in the first EU country. In this case, the animal needs to arrive via a border control post.
The certificate must be issued correctly to be valid
In order for the health certificate to be valid, it must contain the correct information and a certificate of ID marking and rabies vaccination in the original or certified copy. All documents must be attached to the certificate in such a way that no document can be exchanged, for example stapled together. The numbering must be done correctly and the reference number, stamp and the veterinarian's signature must be included on all sides of the certificate.
If the animal travels within 5 days before or after its owner
If you and your pet are going to travel to the same destination but cannot travel together, you should book the animal's trip within 5 days before or after your own trip. The animal must then, in addition to a pet passport or health certificate, have these documents with them:
- A pet owner declaration for pets stating that your pet (ID number and passport number) may be transported by the agent or shipping company you are to hire and that the pet is not to be sold. Remember to fill in the box for power of attorney at the bottom of the form.
- Copies of your own ticket or booking, so you can see when you go and where.
If the animal travels more than 5 days before or after your own journey, or without you travelling the same route yourself, you should read more under the heading about animals that are to change owners, travel without their owner or travel in a group of more than 5 animals.
If the animal does not change owner and travels with its owner, or within 5 days before or after its owner, it must enter the EU via an Entry Point
An animal that is brought into the EU can only be brought in through a so-called Entry Point. Entry Points are specially designated places of entry for pets where the animals' identities and accompanying documents can be checked. The animal must be taken in through an Entry Point in the first EU country it comes to. Customs check the animal and stamp the health certificate in the box at the bottom of the last page. For example, if you have bought an animal in Serbia and travel by road via Hungary to Sweden, then Hungary is the so-called Entry Point in your case.
Only if the health certificate has been stamped at Entry Point is it valid for travel within the EU for 4 months from the date of the stamp or until the rabies vaccination stated in the certificate expires, whichever occurs first.
If the animal enters via another EU country
If the animal travels into the EU via an Entry Point in another EU country, the animal must therefore be checked there before it can travel on to Sweden. Then the health certificate must also be stamped. If the entry stamp is missing, the animal may be denied entry into Sweden.
The animal must then be brought into Sweden via a customs declaration post. There you must notify customs that you are bringing an animal into the country. You do this at a specific lane.
You must declare the animal directly to the customs office at the border by choosing a red lane and contact a customs officer in the surveillance area.
Read more on the Swedish Customs' website. If the animal is not reported to customs, it may be denied entry into Sweden.
The animal comes directly to Sweden from a country outside the EU
For animals that come directly to Sweden from a country outside the EU, you should plan your arrival only via Arlanda Airport in Stockholm or Landvetter Airport in Gothenburg.
If the animal does not change owner, it also needs a pet owner's declaration for pets
You must fill in the form E9.204. You thereby certify that the animal is yours and that it is not moved to be sold. You do not need to fill in the power of attorney box at the bottom of the form if you are travelling with your animal yourself.
If the animal travels by air
If your animal is to travel by air, the airlines may have their own rules for the flight, which must also be fulfilled. Contact the airline for information on what rules apply for your trip.
You can also read on the International Air Transport Association's website (IATA). IATA is a trade association of the world's airlines and often formulates industry policy and standards for airlines rules. Among other things, IATA has rules on cage dimensions.
If the animal travels in a group of more than 5 animals that will compete or train
When you travel with a group of more than 5 animals over 6 months of age who are to participate in an exhibition, competition or sporting event, or are to be trained before such an event, you must, in addition to the health certificate E9.207, bring with you a written proof that the animals have registered with an ID number to participate in the event or that they are registered in an organization that arranges such events.
If you travel in a group with more than 5 animals that are not to participate in any event, other rules apply, which you can read about under the next heading. Those rules also apply to those animals in the group that are younger than 6 months.
Examples of valid documents are the current exhibition or competition catalogue or pedigrees from, for example, the Swedish Kennel Club, provided that the animals' ID numbers are included.
More rules for dogs, cats and ferrets that will change owners, travel without their owner or travel in a group of more than 5 animals
Remember to also read the rules that apply to all animals further up the page
There you can read about ID marking, vaccination against rabies and rabies antibody testing (titre test).
It is only possible to bring in animals that will change owners, travel without their owner or travel in a group of more than 5 animals from countries that have a trade agreement with the EU. The following countries have such an agreement:
Albania, Algeria, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Egypt, El Salvador, Eswatini (Swaziland), Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, China, Kyrgyzstan, Cuba, Kuwait, Lebanon , Macao, Madagascar, Morocco, Montenegro, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay and Zimbabwe.
If the country you want to bring an animal from is not included in this list, it is only possible to bring the animal to Sweden if you as an animal owner travel with your animal, or if the animal is sent with an authorised person and you travel within 5 days before or after your pet.
The rules in this paragraph apply in these cases:
- You or someone else will travel with an animal that will change owner, for example if an animal is going to be rehomed, given away, adopted or sold. As long as the animal is moved to get to its new owner, the rules apply, regardless of whether the purchase has been formally completed.
- The animal travels without the owner. This applies regardless of whether the animal travels with an authorised person or as freight.
- More than 5 animals travel in groups with their owner. Exceptions are made for animals that are to participate in an exhibition or competition, or are trained for such an event, provided that the animals are older than 6 months.
If you are not going to travel with your animal, but travel the same way within 5 days before or after the animal, you should instead read under the heading If the animal travels within 5 days before or after its owner.
The animal must be examined and have a health certificate
The animal must be inspected by a veterinarian within 48 hours before departure to Sweden. The examination must be carried out by an official veterinarian in the country of dispatch.
You should hire an official veterinarian who checks that the animal meets the requirements by checking the animal's ID number, rabies vaccination and examines the animal. The official veterinarian then needs to issue a health certificate certifying this. The certificate is called CANIS-FELIS-FERRETS and the model can be found in Chapter 38 of Annex II of EU Implementing Regulation 2021/403. The model is also available to the official veterinarian of the Traces system. The sending country may also produce its own certificate, which must follow this model.
The certificate must be issued correctly to be valid
The official veterinarian issues a health certificate CANIS-FELIS-FERRETS and staples it together with the ID marking certificate and the rabies vaccination certificate. All the stapled pages must be numbered (for example, 1 of (6) or 1 (6), i.e. page 1 of a total of 6 pages) and the reference number at the top right of the health certificate must be written on all pages. The official veterinarian must finally stamp and sign all pages.
It is possible for the certificate to be issued electronically, if the country outside the EU issues the certificate and submits it via Traces with an electronic signature. In order for the certificate to be used for the trip, it needs to be available in the Traces system. Currently, only a few countries in this group offer this opportunity.
You should book an appointment with an official veterinarian well in advance of the trip. The official veterinarian must conduct the clinical examination within 48 hours before departure. The health certificate can be issued at the same time.
The health certificate is valid for 10 days for transport to Sweden from the date it was issued.
The animal must come from a registered establishment or an approved assembly centre
The animal needs to either come directly from a registered facility or a so-called assembly centre.
The establishment needs to be registered with the competent authority in the country of dispatch. If you want to bring in animals from several breeders or establishments at the same time, the animals need to be collected at one establishment before they can be sent. Such an establishment where animals are collected from different facilities is called an assembly centre. The animals need to be ID-marked and have a valid vaccination against rabies before they can be taken to the assembly centre and must not stay longer than 6 days. The assembly centre needs to be approved by the competent authority of the country of dispatch and included in a list of approved facilities.
The place of destination must be registered
Keep in mind that even a registration of your establishment where you receive animals may be required. If registration is required you will need to register your establishment before the veterinarian at the Border Control Post will be able to register the consignment in the Traces system. Read more about which establishments need to be registered under the link .
If the country or veterinarian in the country of dispatch or at the Border Control Post requires that the establishment is listed in Traces, you must answer yes to any of the questions about movement across borders in the e-service, even if it does not describe your situation.
The transporter must be registered
The person who transports dogs, cats or ferrets across borders must register if the purpose is for the animals to change owners or if the animals are transported in connection with economic activities.
Keep in mind that registration of transporters is not the same as a transport permit to transport animals that are part of your economic activity. You may therefore need to register both for moving animals between countries and have a transport permit.
You do not need to register if you are travelling with your own dog.
The animal must be brought in via a border control post
The animal must be brought into the EU via a border control post where it must be examined by a border control veterinarian. You pay a fee to have the animal examined. The fee is lower during regular working hours on weekdays. Outside the regular hours, an extra fee is applied.
You must contact the border control post and make an appointment for the examination no later than 1 pm on a working day before your planned arrival at the border control post. Keep in mind that if the shipment is to arrive on Monday, you will need to register no later than 13.00 on Friday.
You must also report it in Traces via a CHED (Common Health Entry Document) before sending it to the Union. The person who creates the CHED can be a private person, a company importing the animals, or a company in charge of organisation of shipping.
If the import takes place via another EU country, it must be reported to the border control post where the animals enter the EU. When the animals cross the border into Sweden, you must report the entry to customs.
If the animal is not examined at a border inspection post
It is very important that the animal is examined at a border control post. Otherwise, the animal may be sent back to the country from which the animal came.
Make sure you have all the necessary documents
If you are buying an animal that has been imported from a country listed on this page, these documents must accompany the animal:
- health certificate
- certificates needed if the dog is travelling without its owner or if the dog is travelling in a group with more than 5 dogs.
You must receive the original documents from the seller as you take over responsibility for the dog. This is important to show that the dog has been brought in according to the rules that apply.
If you buy an animal abroad and make the entire journey home with the animal
If you buy an animal for yourself abroad and then travel home with your animal, these extra rules do not apply. You need to follow the rules under the heading Rules for all dogs, cats and ferrets. However, if you do not make the entire trip with the animal, these extra rules apply. For example, the rules apply if you are going to buy an animal from Thailand, but the seller meets you in Denmark to hand over the animal.
Registration in the Swedish dog register
All dogs in Sweden need to be registered. If you rehome, buy or adopt a dog from another country, you must register the dog in the Swedish dog register no later than 4 weeks after arrival in Sweden.
Contact
If you have any questions you are welcome to contact Customer service by phone or e-mail.
Legislation
Söker efter grundforeskrifter:
2021:13
- Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals n the non-commercial movement of pet animals and repealing Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 (eur‑lex.europa.eu)
- Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 on the model identification documents for the non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets, the establishment of lists of territories and third countries and the format, layout and language requirements of the declarations attesting compliance with certain conditions provided for in Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (eur‑lex.europa.eu)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/429 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’) (eur‑lex.europa.eu)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/2035 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 as regards rules for establishments keeping terrestrial animals and hatcheries, and the traceability of certain kept terrestrial animals and hatching eggs (eur‑lex.europa.eu)
- Regulation (EU) 2020/692 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 regards rules for entry into the Union, and the movement and handling after entry of consignments of certain animals, germinal products and products of animal origin (eur‑lex.europa.eu)
- Regulation (EU) 2020/2235 laying down rules for the application of Regulations (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2017/625 regards model animal health certificates, model official certificates and model animal health/official certificates, for the entry into the Union and movements within the Union of consignments of certain categories of animals and goods, official certification regarding such certificates (eur‑lex.europa.eu)
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/403 laying down rules for the application of Regulations (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards model animal health certificates and model animal health/official certificates, for the entry into the Union and movements between Member States of consignments of certain categories of terrestrial animals and germinal products thereof, official certification regarding such certificates and repealing Decision 2010/470/EU (eur-lex.europa.eu)
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/404 of 24 March 2021 laying down the lists of third countries, territories or zones thereof from which the entry into the Union of animals, germinal products and products of animal origin is permitted in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and the Council (eur-lex.europa.eu)
Revision date: 2023-02-20