Travelling to Sweden with your dog

We've made the trip with our dogs — many times. The paperwork to bring your dog into Sweden isn't complicated, but there's one well-known trap : the timing of the deworming treatment for echinococcus. That's the only real point to watch. Read the rest at your own pace and you'll be ready.

This page is for travellers coming from a country in the European Union. If you're coming from outside the EU (United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Switzerland...), the rules are different — write to us, we'll point you in the right direction.

The European pet passport is issued by your vet. It records your dog's identity, microchip number, and vaccination history — including the rabies stamp.

It's mandatory to cross any EU border. Without it, your dog will be turned back.

The passport isn't bought online; your vet hands it to you in person at an appointment. Budget around €30.

Your dog must have received the rabies vaccine at least 21 days before entering Sweden. This delay starts on the day of the injection.

If it's your dog's first vaccination, those 21 days are non-negotiable. For a booster given in continuity with a valid vaccine, the animal is considered protected immediately.

The vet's stamp must appear in the passport, with the date, vaccine name and lot number. Validity : 1 to 3 years depending on the vaccine. Check the expiry date — it must cover your entire stay.

This is where most people get caught out. Sweden is one of the few European countries to require a deworming treatment against echinococcus (an intestinal parasite). The rule :

The treatment must be given between 24 and 120 hours (1 to 5 days) before entering Swedish soil.

In practice : your vet administers a tablet of praziquantel (often combined with milbemycin) and stamps the passport noting the exact date and time.

The classic trap : you take the treatment the day before departure, you spend 24 h in transit, and you arrive in Sweden just outside the window. Time it from arrival, not departure.

If you plan to leave and re-enter Sweden during your stay (for example, a round trip to Norway), you have to redo the treatment for each return. It's fiddly.

The microchip is mandatory and must conform to the ISO 11784/11785 standard (15 digits). That's what's been implanted in France and most EU countries since 2011.

If your dog has a tattoo without a chip (older system), you need to have a chip implanted before the trip. The number must appear in the passport, and a reader must be able to scan it if asked at the border.

The simplest. You cross road borders (for example France → Germany → Denmark → Sweden) with no systematic check for a private vehicle. Keep the passport accessible — a random check is still possible, especially at the Øresund Bridge (Copenhagen → Malmö) and on ferries.

For the dog : breaks every 2-3 hours, fresh water available, never leave an animal alone in a car in full sun. A correctly secured travel crate is safer than a long lead.

The trip France → Norrbotten by car takes 3-4 days at a reasonable pace.

Flying is the fastest but also the hardest on the dog. Three things to know.

Cabin or hold. Most airlines accept small dogs in the cabin (up to 6-8 kg, in a transport bag under the seat). Above that, it's the hold in an IATA-approved crate. A few airlines simply refuse dogs — check before booking.

The IATA crate. For the hold, the crate must meet specific dimensions : your dog must be able to stand up, turn around, lie down. Budget €80-200 depending on size. Water bottles attached to the inside grille, ID stickers fixed on the outside.

Flights to Lapland. No direct flights from continental Europe to Norrbotten. You typically transit via Stockholm-Arlanda (then a domestic flight to Luleå) or Helsinki (then road or train). Each connection means a new paperwork check.

Our advice : if your dog is afraid of crates, the car or train are better. The stress of the hold isn't trivial, especially on a first flight.

European airlines that accept dogs (verify when booking) : Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Finnair, SAS. Easyjet and Ryanair only accept service dogs.

Possible but long. Night trains Hamburg → Copenhagen → Stockholm, then night train Stockholm → Luleå. Dogs are accepted in some dedicated compartments or with a supplement. Check with SJ (Sveriges Järnvägar) and your departure operator.

It's the calmest option for the dog, but allow 2-3 days of transport.

For an intra-EU traveller with a dog and a valid passport, there's no customs declaration to make. You enter Sweden like any other European resident.

If you transit through Norway (Schengen but outside the EU), no systematic check either, but keep the passport within reach.

Sweden has no quarantine. If your papers are in order, you leave the border check (where one occurs) in under 5 minutes.