If you want to bring a dog into Sweden, you must follow certain rules. This applies both if, for example, you have been on holiday abroad with your own dog and if you are buying a dog for yourself in another country. Of course, it also applies if you buy a dog abroad in order to sell it on or offer it for adoption in Sweden.
These rules exist to prevent the spread of diseases – above all rabies. Rabies does not currently exist in Sweden, but it is present in many countries outside Europe and in a few countries within Europe.
New rules from 21 April for bringing dogs into Sweden
New rules come into force on 21 April.
Under the new rules, if you are taking over a dog from another owner in another country, the health certificate from Traces must state that the dog comes from a registered establishment and has been transported by a registered transporter. The new rules also mean that the examination that must be carried out within 48 hours before departure for Sweden has to be performed by an official veterinarian.
No changes if you are travelling with your own dog and it is not changing owner
If your dog travels with incorrect or incomplete documentation, it may be refused entry into Sweden or, in the worst case, put down immediately. In some cases, the dog may be placed in quarantine, which you as the owner will have to pay for.
It is always your responsibility as the animal’s owner or as the importer to ensure that all requirements are met. It is therefore important that you find out in very good time before travelling which rules apply.
Keep in mind that the waiting period after rabies vaccination, and other waiting periods, may in some cases mean that it can take up to 4 months before you can bring the dog into Sweden.
Which rules apply in your specific case depends on the country the dog is coming from and the rabies situation in that country. Countries are divided into three groups – mainly based on their rabies status.
From EU countries and from Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Northern Ireland, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican City
The dog must be microchipped
Your animal must be identified with an ISO-compliant microchip.
- The animal must be microchipped before its rabies vaccination.
- The microchipping must be carried out by a veterinarian or an approved microchipper.
- The date of microchipping or reading of the microchip and the microchip number must be entered in the animal’s EU passport.
- If the animal has been re‑chipped and therefore has two ID numbers, both must be entered in the passport.
If the animal is checked at the border and the microchip cannot be read, it may be sent back to the country it came from, possibly placed in quarantine, or in the worst case put down. Since there is always a risk that the microchip cannot be read, you can, for safety’s sake, bring your own microchip reader.
If your animal has a legible tattoo that, according to documentation, was done before 3 July 2011, it does not need to be microchipped.
These are the EU countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland (including Åland), France (including French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Corsica, Martinique and Réunion), Greece, Gibraltar, Ireland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira), Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (including the mainland, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, and Ceuta and Melilla), Sweden, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Austria.
The dog must have a valid rabies vaccination
The dog must be vaccinated against rabies. The first vaccination, which builds up protection, is called the primary vaccination and consists of one or two injections. The vaccine must be approved in the country where the vaccination is given.
The dog must be microchipped and at least 12 weeks old to receive a primary vaccination. The microchipping must be done before the rabies vaccination in order for the vaccination to be valid. If the dog was already microchipped, the microchip must be read before the vaccine is administered. The fact that the dog was microchipped or the chip was read on the same day at the latest as the vaccine was given must be recorded in the animal’s passport or veterinary certificate. The vaccination itself must also be entered in the passport or certificate.
After the primary vaccination, you must wait 21 days before travelling with the animal.
Example 1: One‑shot vaccination on 1 January = earliest travel date 22 January.
Example 2: Two‑shot vaccination on 1 January and 1 February = earliest travel date 22 February.
Booster vaccinations are required
The period of validity of the vaccine can vary between countries. When the dog is vaccinated, the veterinarian records in the dog’s passport the period of validity that applies to that vaccine in the country where the dog is located. If you want to continue travelling with your dog, you must make sure that it receives booster vaccinations no later than the expiry date entered by the veterinarian.
If the dog receives its booster vaccination within the stated period of validity, no new 21‑day waiting period is required before you can travel.
Late booster vaccination
If a dog receives a booster after the previous vaccination has expired, the booster is treated as a new primary vaccination. A new 21‑day waiting period is then required before the dog may travel again.
The dog must have an EU passport
A dog brought into Sweden from another EU country must have an EU passport. You can obtain an EU passport from a veterinarian.
Only certain non‑EU countries may issue passports that the dog can travel with: Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Northern Ireland, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican City. Passports from other non‑EU countries are not valid – in those cases the dog must instead have a veterinary certificate.
The passport must include:
- The dog’s ID number, which must match the microchip number. If the dog has been re‑chipped and therefore has two ID numbers, both must be entered in the passport.
- Details of rabies vaccination and treatment against Echinococcus multilocularis (fox tapeworm) in cases where this is required.
- The dog owner’s name. If a breeder is selling a puppy to a foreign owner, the breeder is the owner until the dog is delivered. Make sure your details are entered in the passport when the dog is handed over to you. The owner listed on the last entry is considered the current owner.
- The dog owner’s signature. For the passport to be valid, the owner must sign on the last line under the telephone number.
Only authorised veterinarians with EU authorisation may issue EU passports or enter information in them.
The dog must be declared to Customs
Dogs can be brought into Sweden via any customs point. You must declare that you are bringing a dog into the country, which you do as follows:
- If you declare the dog directly at the customs point, you must choose a red lane or walkway.
- If you declare the dog in advance via the Swedish Customs (Tullverket) website, you may choose a green lane or walkway.
You can read more on the Swedish Customs website. If the dog is not declared to Customs, it may be refused entry into Sweden.
Fewer rules for dogs from Norway
Dogs from Norway must be microchipped and have a passport when they are brought into Sweden, but there is no requirement for rabies vaccination. It is therefore also permitted to bring in puppies, as long as they meet the requirements for microchipping and a passport.
If your dog is being transported by an agent or freight company, the agent or company must declare the dog to Customs. You do not need to do this yourself if you are travelling together with your dog from Norway and the requirements for microchipping and a passport are fulfilled.
There are further rules you must follow if, for example, the dog is changing owner, is travelling more than 5 days before or after the owner, or is travelling in a group of at least 6 dogs.
From non‑EU countries where the rabies situation is under control
This applies to the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Ascension, Australia, Barbados, Bahrain, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Fiji, Falkland Islands, French Polynesia, United Arab Emirates, Guam, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Japan, Canada, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Russia, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, the United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland), Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, USA, Vanuatu, Belarus, Wallis, Futuna and Saint Lucia.
For Malaysia, there are additional rules due to the disease Nipah disease.
You can read more about these specific rules on the Jordbruksverket website.
From non‑EU countries where the rabies situation is not under control
This group includes all countries not listed in the sections above. Examples of countries in this group are Brazil, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Peru, Kenya, China, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey.
You can read more about these specific rules on the Jordbruksverket website.
Source: Jordbruksverket.se
