Importing a dog, cat or ferret from a non-listed country

A country outside the EU that does not have a functional rabies surveillance system is called a non-listed country. More extensive conditions apply for bringing an animal from one of these countries. Please note that the preparations take at least four and a half months.

You are only allowed to bring trade animals from non-listed countries that have a trade agreement with the EU. To see what countries that you are allowed to bring trade animals from, follow the link List of countries under More information.

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 animal 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.  Please note that not all of the rabies vaccines can be used on ferrets. Ask the vaccine manufacturer which vaccine is appropriate.

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. As the animal is vaccinated, the veterinarian fills in the data in the passport or the 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 that the animal must be revaccinated at the latest on the last date of validity stated in the passport or veterinary certificate.

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. This also means that a new blood sample for rabies antibodies is required.

3. The animal must have an approved level of antibodies against rabies

You have to make an appointment with a veterinarian to get a blood sample, in order to check that the animal has enough antibodies against rabies. The sample shall be collected by an authorised veterinarian when at least 30 days have passed after the latest rabies vaccination and not less than three months before the date of issuing the veterinary certificate. There are no exemptions from these time limits. As the three months waiting period is counted from the date of blood sampling, the period is not made shorter in case more than 30 days pass between the vaccination and the blood sampling.

If the vaccination scheme requires two shots as a primary vaccination, you have to wait until 30 days after the second vaccination before the blood sample may be collected.

Example: If the primary vaccination was given on 1 March and 1 April, the blood sample may be collected on 1 May at the earliest. The sample may also be collected later, but the vaccination must still be valid.

The blood sample is to be analysed by an approved laboratory, and must show a level of at least 0.5 IU/ml. You can find the list of approved laboratories in the right-hand column.

If the animal is revaccinated correctly after an approved antibody level has been recorded, repeated sampling is not required.

4. 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, a rabies vaccination certificate and the rabies antibody test result. These three 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.

Case in which the three-month waiting period does not apply

The three-month waiting period between the blood sampling and the issuing of the veterinary certificate is not required for EU animals returning from a non-listed third country, provided that the vaccination and the blood sampling was noted in the passport before the animal left the EU. The EU passport itself is not accepted as an import document for trade animals, but must be presented to the official veterinarian issuing the import certificate.

5. 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.