Importing a dog, cat or ferret from a listed country

A country outside the EU with a functional rabies surveillance system is called a listed third country. There are common basic requirements for import dogs, cats or ferrets to the EU from a listed third country. A table over the listed third countries is found on your right. Please observe that there are additional requirements for bringing a dog or cat from Malaysia and for bringing a cat from Australia.

The trade requirements described below apply to

• Animals with the purpose of being sold or brought to a new owner. As long as the animal moves to reach its new owner, the requirements of trade apply. This is regardless of whether the transaction has been performed or not.
• Animals which travel to the same destination as the owner but cannot travel within 5 days before or after the owner. Independent of whether this movement is conducted through a handling agent or as freight.
• Groups of more than five animals which are not going to take part in shows, competitions or sports events, or train for such events, or are less than six months old.

1. The animal must be id-marked

You must start with having the animal id-marked with an ISO-microchip, which may also be called a Euro-chip.  However, if your animals was tattooed already before 3 July 2011, it does not need to be microchipped.

If the animal is checked at the border and the id-number cannot be read, the animal may be rejected.

2. The animal must have a valid vaccination against rabies

Primary vaccination

The animal must have a valid rabies vaccination. The very first vaccination which builds up the defence is called a primary vaccination and consists of one or two shots. The animal must be id-marked and at least twelve weeks old to have its primary vaccination. You must use an approved rabies vaccine. To the right, you will find a list of approved rabies vaccines.

After the primary vaccination you must wait 21 days before you are allowed to travel with your animal.

Example: Vaccination with one shot on 1 January = the animal may travel on 22 January.
Example: Vaccination with two shots on 1 January and February 1 = the animal may travel on 22 February.

Revaccination

If you want to travel more than once, you will need to revaccinate your animal regularly. How often your animal needs to be revaccinated varies between the vaccine brand and how it is registered in different countries. When the animal is vaccinated, the veterinarian fills in the data in the passport or veterinary certificate and notes the validity time registered in the country where the vaccination is given. You must follow the revaccination intervals registered in the passport or veterinary certificate, which means you must have the animal revaccinated at the latest on the last date of validity stated in the passport or veterinary certificate. If the animal is vaccinated within the validity period, the waiting period of 21 days between vaccination and travel does not apply.

Delayed revaccination

If an animal is revaccinated after last validity date of the latest rabies vaccination, the revaccination will be equal to a primary vaccination. In this case a new waiting period of 21 days applies before the animal is allowed to travel again.

3. The animal must be examined and have a veterinary certificate for import

Clinical examination

The animal must be examined by veterinarian within 48 hours before dispatch. The examination may be performed by any authorised veterinarian. The most convenient solutions is however to ask an official veterinarian to both examine the animal and issue the certificate at the same time.

Veterinary certificate on form E9.209 (or an equal form)

You need to get an official veterinarian to issue the veterinary certificate for the import of dogs, cats and ferrets on form E9.209, which is found in the right-hand column. An official veterinarian is a veterinarian appointed by the government to issue export certificates. If the country has no official veterinarians, you may instead let an ordinary veterinarian issue the certificate and then have it endorsed by the central veterinary authority. In that case, please contact the veterinary authority in the country of export well before departure and ask about the correct procedure.

If the exporting country does not accept forms from other countries, the country may create its own certificate from the template available in the EU decision. Contact the Swedish Board of Agriculture's Customer Service and you will get a link to the relevant decision via email.

You need to present the veterinarian with these documents in original: a certificate concerning identification marking and a rabies vaccination certificate. These documents are then to be attached to the veterinary certificate for import. All pages need to be numbered (for instance 1 (6), which would mean page one of a total of six pages), and the reference number given by the central competent authority and printed in the top right corner of the veterinary certificate shall be noted on each page. Finally, the veterinarian is to stamp and sign every page.

Once the certificate has been issued, you have ten days to travel to an EU Entry Point.

4. The animal must be reported for border control at an EU border inspection post.

An animal that comes from a non-EU country must be checked by a border veterinarian at the first EU border inspection post (please see the list in the right-hand column). Two Entry Points are available for animals that are brought directly to Sweden from a non-EU country: Arlanda airport in Stockholm, and Landvetter airport in Gothenburg. You need to notify the border inspection veterinarian of the arrival of the animal at least one working day in advance.

An animal which is brought into the EU via an entry Point must be checked there and before travelling onward to Sweden. Once the border inspection veterinarian has stamped the certificate and issued a CVED (Common Veterinary Entry Document) the animal is allowed to continue. The animal may then be brought into Sweden through any customs location listed in the right hand column, where you are to report the animal to the customs authority

When the animal is in Sweden

If you buy a dog from a third country you must remember to register your dog in the central dog registry at the latest four weeks after import.

If you buy an animal that has been brought in from another country, the import documents that are mentioned on these pages should accompany the animal. You should therefore be given all the necessary original documents at the same time as the ownership and the responsibility of the animal is transferred to you. This is important to be able to show that the animal has been brought into Sweden according to legislation, among other things.