Travelling abroad with your dog from Norway: requirements and checklist

If your dog is going to an EU or EEA country and back to Norway, it needs a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and a pet passport you have signed. In addition, a vet in the country you are leaving must treat the dog for tapeworm 24–120 hours before it arrives in Norway. Sweden has its own rules, and more requirements apply from countries outside the EU. Here are the requirements in the order you need to arrange them.

Short answer

• EU and EEA: microchip, rabies vaccination, signed pet passport and tapeworm treatment by a vet in the country you are leaving, 24–120 hours before the dog arrives in Norway.
• Sweden: no rabies vaccination either way, but a microchip and passport. Before you drive home, a Swedish vet must treat the dog for tapeworm.
• Finland: if you come directly from Finland to Norway, no tapeworm treatment is needed.
• United Kingdom and USA: no rabies blood test, but the dog must enter Norway through Oslo Airport or Storskog.
• New rules have been proposed, not adopted. No date has been set for when they might apply.

Requirements for the EU and EEA

The requirements below apply when you travel privately with your own dog to an EU or EEA country and back to Norway.

1. Microchip

The dog must have a microchip that meets ISO standard 11784, using HDX or FDX-B technology. The chip must be readable with a reader that meets ISO standard 11785. The chip must be inserted before the rabies vaccination. For more on microchips and ID marking in Norway, see the guide to microchipping a dog.

2. Rabies vaccination

The dog must be at least 12 weeks old before it can get the rabies vaccine. After the first vaccination you must wait 21 days before it is valid. A dog coming in from an EU country can therefore travel at the earliest when it is 12 weeks and 21 days old. Sweden is an exception, see below.

If the dog gets a new vaccination while the previous one is still valid, the new one is valid straight away.

3. Pet passport

The dog must have a pet passport. For the passport to be valid, you must have signed it.

4. Tapeworm treatment before the trip home

Before the dog arrives in Norway, it must be treated for the fox tapeworm. The rules are:

• The treatment must be given by an authorised vet in the country the dog is travelling from.
• It must be given between 24 and 120 hours before the dog arrives in Norway.
• The vet records the treatment in the passport or health certificate.
• The treatment cannot be given in Norway before you leave.

If you travel directly from Finland, Malta, Ireland or Northern Ireland, no treatment is needed. From Sweden and Denmark the requirement applies.

5. No more than five dogs, and only your own

You can travel with up to five dogs, and only with your own animals. There are exceptions for competitions and shows when the dogs are over six months old. If the dog does not travel with you, it can travel within five days before or after you, with a person you have authorised in writing. If you take the dog along to sell it, it does not count as private travel.

Travel often? The 28-day rule

If you cross the border often, for example on day trips to Sweden, the dog can follow the 28-day rule instead of being treated before every return:

1. The dog starts with two treatments. At least 24 hours must have passed since the first treatment before it crosses the border.
2. After that, it must be treated at least every 28 days.
3. The scheme ends with a treatment in Norway.

The vet must write the time of day in the passport. The rule only applies to travel from EEA countries. For a day trip to Sweden, the dog must be treated under the 28-day rule.

Sweden

From Norway to Sweden: The dog needs a microchip and passport, but Sweden requires neither rabies vaccination nor worm treatment. If you travel yourself with your own dog that has a chip and passport, you do not need to declare it at Swedish customs. If the dog is changing owner, travelling without you, or you have more than five dogs, the EU rules apply, including rabies vaccination.

From Sweden to Norway: If the dog has only been in Sweden, it does not need a rabies vaccination. Microchip, passport and tapeworm treatment by a Swedish vet still apply. If all requirements are met, you can use the green channel or an unstaffed border crossing.

Denmark and other EU countries

The country you travel to sets the requirements for entry. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority writes that the biggest difference between countries is that some require worm treatment. Denmark also has its own list of banned dog breeds. Check it with the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration before you go.

Countries outside the EU

United Kingdom and USA

The United Kingdom and the USA are on an EU list that means the dog does not need a rabies blood test to come home to Norway. It needs:

• a rabies vaccination, and 21 days of waiting after the first vaccination
• tapeworm treatment 24–120 hours before it arrives in Norway
• a health certificate, or an EU pet passport when the vaccine was given in an EU or EEA country

The dog must enter Norway through Oslo Airport or Storskog. The exception is when the dog has already been checked at an approved point of entry in another EU country. A direct flight from London to Bergen is therefore not enough. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority recommends that you notify it at least two working days before you arrive.

The country you are travelling to has its own entry requirements. Check them with the authorities there before you book.

Countries not on the list, for example Thailand

From countries that are not on the EU list, the dog must also have a blood test showing that the rabies vaccine works:

• The sample is taken at the earliest 30 days after vaccination and must show at least 0.5 IU/ml.
• It must be analysed by an EU-approved laboratory. Norway has no such laboratory, so the sample is sent abroad.
• If the sample is taken in the country you are visiting, you must wait at least three months before the dog can enter Norway.
• If the vaccination and the sample are done in Norway before you leave, you do not need to wait three months.
• If the dog is revaccinated abroad, it needs an EU health certificate, because vets there cannot record the vaccine in the passport.

You will find the entry requirements for the country you are going to with that country's authorities. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority recommends contacting the country's embassy.

Home through customs

• When you arrive in Norway with a dog from abroad, the main rule is to use the red channel.
• If you come from Sweden and the dog has only been there, you can use the green channel or an unstaffed border crossing when all requirements are met.
• If you arrive by air, you must always use the red channel.
• If you bought the dog abroad, you must always use the red channel. Dogs are duty-free, but you pay 25 percent VAT when the value is above the limit: NOK 3,000 if you have been away for less than 24 hours, and NOK 6,000 for longer stays.

If Norwegian Customs finds a breach of the animal health rules, it contacts the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. You pay the costs.

By ferry

Color Line writes that pets are not allowed in public areas or cabins on board. This is how it works on the routes, according to their page read on 9 October 2026:

Dogs cannot join the two-day cruise to Kiel. If you are flying, each airline has its own rules for animals. Check them with the airline before you book.

New rules have been proposed, not adopted

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has sent a proposal for new pet regulations out for consultation. The deadline for comments is 23 October 2026. The rules are only proposed. Everything above still applies. No date has been set for when new rules might apply. The regulations are to apply once new EU rules have been incorporated into the EEA Agreement. In July 2026 the Norwegian government wrote that the EU rules were still under assessment.

These are among the proposals:

• No more than five animals in a private car, however many owners are travelling. Public transport is exempt.
• The pet passport must be issued in the country where the owner usually lives. Passports issued before the new rules apply can still be used.
• The rabies exemption between Norway and Sweden continues.
• The 28-day rule continues for EEA countries. The first two treatments must be at least 24 hours apart, and the last one must be given in Norway after the last entry.
• From countries outside the EU, the health certificate would be valid for six months instead of four as today.

Checklist before you travel

If your dog is not coming with you, you can compare prices and terms in the guide to dog and cat boarding.

Frequently asked questions

Does my dog need a rabies vaccination to travel to Sweden?

No. Sweden does not require rabies vaccination for dogs from Norway, and the dog does not need it to come home either if it has only been in Sweden. It needs a microchip, passport and tapeworm treatment by a Swedish vet before the trip home.

Can the dog get the tapeworm treatment in Norway before we leave?

No. The treatment must be given by a vet in the country you are travelling from, 24–120 hours before the dog arrives in Norway. If you travel often, the 28-day rule may suit you better.

Does my dog need tapeworm treatment coming from Finland?

No, not when you come directly from Finland to Norway.

How many dogs can I bring?

Up to five, and only your own.

What happens if the dog is missing something at the border?

The dog can be sent back, isolated until the requirements are met, or put down. You pay the costs.

Have the rules changed in 2026?

No. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has proposed new rules, and the consultation deadline is 23 October 2026. No date has been set for when they might apply.