Traveling abroad with your dog is certainly doable, but it requires significant preparation. You need to be aware of regulations, paperwork, and diseases.
Before embarking on your journey, the first step is to find out the rules for bringing your dog to your destination, emphasizes Janina Pfalzer, press officer at the Swedish Kennel Club (SKK).
“It can really vary. If you’re planning stops along the way, you should check the rules there too. Regulations tend to change, so you should check every time you travel,” she says.
There may be rules about leash requirements, mandatory muzzles, or deworming. Pfalzer advises checking the Swedish Board of Agriculture’s website for information or contacting the relevant country’s embassy in Sweden.
Other countries have diseases that don’t exist in Sweden, so it’s important to find out which ones and whether your dog needs vaccinations or prophylactics.
Additionally, some breeds are not welcome even if they have all the necessary vaccinations and paperwork.
“Denmark, for example, has a list of 13 banned breeds, including the American Staffordshire Terrier, which is quite common in Sweden. There have been unfortunate legal cases where authorities have simply confiscated the dogs,” warns Janina Pfalzer.
A traveling dog must also be ID-marked, either with a chip or a tattoo. It must have a valid rabies vaccination and a valid passport.
“This can only be issued by a veterinarian, and you as the owner must sign it; otherwise, it is not valid.”
Before departure, consider the return trip. Even if the dog normally lives in Sweden, you must “declare” it when you come back, meaning you go through the red customs lane and show the passport with the rabies vaccination. You can pre-register the return with Swedish Customs, which may allow you to go through the green lane.
Janina Pfalzer emphasizes the importance of not being careless or assuming everything will work out on the spot.
“Say you set off and are not allowed into the country you’re traveling to – you must return to Sweden, and the same rules apply here. If you don’t have a passport or rabies vaccination, it’s quarantine or euthanasia at the border.”
But as long as you keep track of everything, you can travel smoothly. Dogs usually enjoy accompanying their owners on adventures.
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