Movement of horses from EEA countries
Rules for moving horses and other equines, including ponies and donkeys within the EEA-area (EU- and EFTA-states). There are different rules for registered and unregistered horses.
For registered horses (horses with a studbook)
Registered horses are equine animals registered in a studbook according to the published guidelines.
1. Registration of importers
Before the horse is imported into Norway, the importer and first recipient must be registered with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. This is done via the Authority’s forms service, Mattilsynets skjematjenester, on the form “New importer of live animals, breeding products and live aquatic animals”. You can find the form on the “other forms” tab, after logging in to the forms service. Here you enter information about the importer, first recipient and tariff number. Questions about tariff numbers and fees can be addressed to Norwegian Customs (toll.no)
You log in to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s forms service via AltInn (altinn.no). Anyone without a Norwegian social security number, and companies not entered in the Central Register of Legal Entities, cannot use the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s forms service. They must notify the Norwegian Food Safety Authority by e-mail or letter.
Only the importer and the first recipient have to be registered; there is no requirement (for the importer and the first recipient) to send an import notice before the horse arrives in Norway.
2. Health certificate and equine passport
Horses that are brought to Norway must be examined by an official veterinarian in the country of dispatch. The horse must be accompanied by an approved health certificate (TRACES or equivalent) in the original, completed by an official veterinarian in the country of dispatch. One certificate per horse must be issued, and the health certificate must be issued during the last two days/last working day before departure and is valid for ten days.
There is no requirement for an official veterinarian in the country of dispatch to send the health certificate to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority electronically via TRACES.
There is also a requirement that the horse is accompanied by an identification document (equine passport) issued in accordance to EU-legislation.
Exceptions for horses for competition
The Norwegian authorities have an agreement on simplified border crossing procedures for horses for competition between Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway. The agreement states that horses can be moved temporarly between the mentioned Nordic countries for participation in competitions without a health certificate under certain conditions.
The agreement and conditions on simplified border crossing procedures for horses for competition is attached at the bottom of the page.
Exceptions for horses in border areas between Norway and Sweden
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority may grant exemption from the requirement for a health certificate for horses that cross the border for sporting and cultural events, as well as work and grazing in border areas.
3. Border crossing
The horse and import documents must be shown unprompted to the customs officers at the border crossing.
4. Transfer from the destination
The horse may not be moved from the holding of destination in the first two days after arrival. Registered horses imported temporarily for competitions etc. are exempt from this requirement.
5. Register
The importer/first recipient must keep a register of horses received. This, and the health certificates, must be retained for at least ten years. The recipient is required to notify the Norwegian Food Safety Authority if the identity of the horse does not match the import documents. Registers and health certificates must be presented to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority on request.
6. Additional registration in case of permanent import
If the horse is imported permanently (kept in Norway for more than 90 days), identity details of the horse must be registered with a Norwegian passport-issuing body for the relevant category of horse (see list of passport-issuing bodies under Equine passports and health cards (Norwegian) - Web-page in Norwegian only). This is done by submitting the equine passport to the relevant passport issuing body.
Exceptions to this requirement are temporary stays for stallions during the covering season, horses staying at a veterinary clinic for medical reasons, and horses slaughtered no later than 10 days after importation.
See also: Information on customs regulations for the import of horses (toll.no).
For unregistered horses (horses without a studbook)
Unregistered horses are equine animals not entered in a studbook, and are referred to in the regulations as equidae for breeding and production or equidae for slaughter.
1. Registration of importers
Before the horse is imported into Norway, the importer and first recipient must be registered with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. This is done via the Authority’s forms service, Mattilsynets skjematjenester, on the form “New importer of live animals, breeding products and live aquatic animals”. You can find the form on the “other forms” tab, after logging in to the forms service. Here you enter information about the importer, first recipient and tariff.
You log in to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s forms service via AltInn (altinn.no). Anyone without a Norwegian social security number, and companies not entered in the Central Register of Legal Entities, cannot use the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s forms service. They must notify the Norwegian Food Safety Authority by e-mail or letter.
2. Notification of import
The importer must notify the Norwegian Food Safety Authority of the import no later than 24 hours before the horse reaches the first recipient. This is done via the Authority’s forms service, Mattilsynets skjematjenester, on the form “New importer of live animals, breeding products and live aquatic animals”. To access the form, you must be registered as an importer of live animals. The form can then be found under "Current" when you log in to the forms service.
The acknowledgement sent to you when you have submitted the form is your proof that you have notified the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. The acknowledgement can be printed, and you can also find it again under “My closed cases”. You will not receive any other feedback from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority unless we wish to carry out an inspection in connection with the import.
3. Health certificate and equine passport
The horse must be accompanied by an approved health certificate (TRACES) in the original, completed by an offficial veterinarian in the country of dispatch. One health certificate per shipment may be issued if several horses are travelling together from the point of departure to the receiving point. The health certificate must be issued during the last two days/last working day before departure and is valid for ten days.
The official veterinarian in the country of dispatch shall also send the health certificate electronically via the European reporting system TRACES to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s branch office at the destination.
The equine must be accompanied by an identification document (horse passport) issued in accordance to the EU-legislation.
4. Border crossing
The horse and import documents must be shown unprompted to the customs officers at the border crossing.
5. Transfer from the destination
The horse may not be moved from the destination in the first two days after arrival. This is because the Norwegian Food Safety Authority must be able to inspect horses and documents.
6. Register
The importer/first recipient must keep a register of horses received. This, and the health certificates, must be retained for at least ten years. The recipient is required to notify the Norwegian Food Safety Authority if the identity of the horse does not match the import documents. Registers and health certificates must be presented to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority on request.
7. Additional registration in case of permanent import
If the horse is imported permanently (kept in Norway for more than 90 days), identity details of the horse must also be registered with the Norwegian passport-issuing body for the relevant category of horse (see list of passport-issuing bodies under Equine passports and health cards (Norwegian)) This is done by sending the equine passport to the relevant passport-issuing body no later than 30 days after the customs procedure has been completed.
Exceptions to this requirement are temporary stays for stallions during the covering season, horses staying at a veterinary clinic for medical reasons, and horses slaughtered no later than 10 days after importation.
See also: Information on customs regulations for the import of horses.