Travelling with dogs, cats and ferrets from third countries and territories to Norway
These requirements concern only non-commercial movement of dogs, cats or ferrets from third countries and territories to Norway. Third countries and territories mean all countries and territories outside the European Economic Area (EEA), including Svalbard, Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Looking for a checklist for bringing you pets to Norway? Please try our Guide: Travelling with pets to Norway
What is non-commercial movement?
The movement of dogs, cats or ferrets is considered non-commercial if the animals accompany their owner or a natural person responsible for them on behalf of the owner and the animals are not intended to be sold or transferred to another owner. The movement of the animals must be caused by the owners need to move and may take place up to five days before or after the movement of the owner.
If the movement of the animals cannot take place at the same time as the movement of the owner, but within the time limits mentioned above, the movement of the animals must take place under the responsibility of a natural person authorised by the owner to move the animal on his/her behalf. The authorisation must be in writing and accompany the animals during their movement. Pet owners are welcome to use the model for authorisation which can be downloaded below. On request from the competent authorities the owner must document that the movement of the animals is a part of his/her movement. Proper documentation can be hotel reservations or invoices, boarding passes, flight or train tickets etc. which clearly indicates that the movement of the animals is caused by the movement of the owner.
Please be aware of the tough requirements for the import of former stray dogs and cats to Norway.
Checklist
1. ID-marking
The animal must be identified by a microchip or clearly readable tattoo.
The microchip has to comply with the ISO 11784 standard and it has to utilize HDX or FDX-B technology. The microchip can be read with a microchip reader complying with the ISO 11785 standard. If the microchip does not comply with the standard requirements, the owner has to provide a microchip reader capable of reading the microchip. As of 3 July 2011, only a microchip will be approved as identification. Tattooing is accepted as a method of identification if it was done before 3 July 2011.
The animal must be identified before the rabies vaccination.
2. Anti-rabies vaccination
The animal must have a valid anti-rabies vaccination.
The vaccine must either be an inactivated vaccine of at least one antigenic unit per dose (recommendation from the World Health Organisation) or a recombinant vaccine expressing the immunising glycoprotein of the rabies virus in a live virus vector. If administered in a country or territory outside the EEA, the vaccine must have been granted an approval or a licence by the competent authority and meet at least the requirements laid down in the relevant part of the Chapter concerning rabies in the Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals of the World Organisation for Animal Health.
The vaccine must be administered by an authorised veterinarian.
The animal must be at least 12 weeks old when the vaccine is administered. The date of administration shall be indicated in the appropriate section of the identification document. The animal must be identified before the rabies vaccination.
The period of validity starts not less than 21 days from the completion of the vaccination protocol required by the manufacturer for a primary vaccination. A revaccination has no 21-day waiting period if performed within the period of validity of the previous vaccination.
The period of validity shall be indicated by the authorised veterinarian or an official veterinarian in the appropriate section of the identification document. A revaccination is considered a primary vaccination if it is not carried out within the period of validity of the previous vaccination.
Read more about validity requirements for anti-rabies vaccinations in Annex III to Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 (europa.eu).
3. Rabies antibody titration test
The animal must have undergone a valid rabies antibody test.
The test must have been carried out on a blood sample collected at least 30 days after the date of vaccination and not less than three months prior to entering Norway.
The collection of the blood sample must be carried out and documented by an authorised veterinarian in the appropriate section of the health certificate or the pet passport.
The test must measure a level of neutralising antibody to rabies virus in serum equal to or greater than 0,5 IU/ml and using a method prescribed in the relevant part of the Chapter concerning rabies in the Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals of the World Organisation for Animal Health.
The test must be performed in an approved laboratory.
An original report or a certified copy of the report from the approved laboratory on the results of the rabies antibody test shall be attached to the certificate and accompany the dog.
The test does not have to be renewed following a satisfactory result provided that the pet animal is revaccinated within the period of validity of the previous vaccination.
Read more about validity requirements for the rabies antibody titration test in Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 576/2013 (europa.eu).
A valid rabies antibody test is NOT required for:
- animals coming from third countries or territories listed in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 (europa.eu).
- animals from EEA-countries or third countries or territories listed in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 which are transited through not listed third countries or territories provided that the owner or authorised person provides a signed declaration that during such transit the pet animals have had no contact with animals susceptible to rabies and remain secured within a means of transport or within the perimeter of an international airport. Pet owners and authorised persons are welcome to use the model for declaration which can be downloaded below.
4. Anti-echinococcus treatment
An anti-echinococcus treatment is required for dogs, including puppies. Cats or ferrets do not need to be medicated.
The treatments shall be administered by a veterinarian and shall consist of a medicine containing praziquantel or pharmacologically active substances, which alone or in combination, have been proven to reduce the burden of mature and immature intestinal forms of the Echinococcus multilocularis parasite in the host species concerned.
The treatment must be administered 24 – 120 hours prior to entering Norway.
The treatment shall be certified by an official veterinarian in the relevant section of the health certificate or the pet passport.
More about anti-echinococcosis treatment of dogs imported to Norway
5. Identification document
The animal must be accompanied by an identification document.
As the main rule, the identification document must be in the format of an animal health certificate complying with the model laid down in Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 (europa.eu).
As an alternative, animals coming from Andorra, Switzerland, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican City State may be accompanied by a pet passport complying with the model laid down in Part 3 of Annex III to Regulation (EU) No 577/2013.
As another alternative, animals returning to Norway (or another EEA-country), may be accompanied by their pet passport as long as the animal received the anti-rabies vaccination and underwent the rabies antibody titration test (if necessary) before the pet left the EEA and were entered into the passport by an authorised veterinarian within the EEA. From 29 December 2014 pet passports issued in an EU-country must comply with the model laid down in Part 1 of Annex III to Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 (europa.eu). Pet passports issued in Norway must comply with the same model (with some national adaptations on the cover) from 1 June 2016. Pet passports issued in an EU-country before 29 December 2014 or in Norway before 1 June 2016 must comply with the model laid down in Decision 2003/803/EC.
6. Travellers' point of entry
Animals from Andorra, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City State may be brought into Norway through all border crossings. It is not necessary to contact the Norwegian Food Safety Authority when entering the country. The owner or the authorised must nevertheless be prepared to show the animals and present the necessary documentation for checking.
Animals from other third countries or territories must be brought into Norway only through Oslo Airport or Storskog. Animals from Svalbard may additionally enter through Tromsø Airport, Port of Tromsø or Port of Bodø. The owner or the authorised person must contact the Norwegian Food Safety Authority at the point of entry and present the animals and the necessary documentation for checking. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority should be notified at least 48 hours before arrival in order to avoid a long waiting time before the check can be carried out.
Gardermoen (Oslo) (airport)
Tel.: (+ 47) 22 77 79 00
BIP-gardermoen@mattilsynet.no
Storskog (Kirkenes) (road)
Tel.: (+ 47) 78 97 00 40 / (+ 47) 95 77 91 21
BIP-Storskog@mattilsynet.no
Tromsø (port and airport) and Bodø (port)
Tel.: (+ 47) 22 40 00 00
postmottak@mattilsynet.no
7. Safeguard measures
Prior to the movement, the owner should contact the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to check whether any safeguard measures apply to the country of dispatch.
Travelling with more than five animals
The maximum number of dogs, cats or ferrets which may accompany the owner or an authorised person during a single non-commercial movement shall not exceed five. Otherwise the movement is considered commercial.
The maximum number may only exceed five if the purpose of the trip is to attend a competition, show, sporting event or training related to these types of events. The owner or the authorised person has to provide written evidence that the animals are registered either to attend such an event or with an association organising such events and the animals must be over six months old.