Add organization

Do you need to declare your pet at customs when entering Norway?

Red lane, the Sweden exception and entry points for pets.

Answered at: Checked at:

Short answer

Yes, anyone arriving in Norway from abroad with a dog, cat or other pet must use the red lane and show the animal and its papers to Customs. A dog, cat or ferret coming directly from Sweden with papers in order may use the green lane, but not if it arrives by plane or was bought in Sweden for import.

Travelling to Norway with a pet a dog with a leash sitting next to a small moose silhouette and a vet cross

Why

  1. Norwegian Customs (Tolletaten) requires everyone who arrives with an animal from abroad to go through the red lane and show both the animal and its documents.
  2. If you come directly from a country outside the EU and EEA, you can only enter with a pet through Oslo Airport Gardermoen or Storskog near Kirkenes.
  3. If Customs finds that the health rules are not met, it contacts Mattilsynet, which decides what happens next, and the owner pays any costs.

Details

The health requirements themselves, such as microchip, pet passport, rabies vaccination and tapeworm treatment for dogs, are set by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet). The private travel rules only cover your own animals; one trip can include at most five dogs, cats and ferrets. When you move to Norway after living abroad for at least a year, you pay no customs duty or VAT on a pet you have owned.

Tip

Keep the pet passport or health certificate at hand, not in checked luggage, so you can show it in the red lane straight away.

What may differ

If the pet has already entered the EU or EEA through an approved border control post in another country, you can cross into Norway at other border crossings than Gardermoen and Storskog. Birds, rodents and rabbits follow separate rules.

Common misconception

Pets coming from an EU country can always use the green lane.

What actually happens

Tolletaten requires the red lane for animals arriving from abroad, also from EU countries. The exception is a dog, cat or ferret coming directly from Sweden with papers in order, and even then not by plane.

People also ask

  • Do I have to use the red lane at customs with a pet in Norway?

Sources

This answer is for reference only. Rules can change, so check Mattilsynet and Tolletaten before you travel.

Travelling to Norway with a pet

  • Are emotional support animals recognised in Norway?

    Emotional support animals do not count as service dogs in Norway, as NAV does not provide service dogs for psychological challenges and SAS carries them as pets.

    Checked at:

  • How do you find a dog sitter, dog daycare or kennel in Oslo?

    One way to find a dog sitter in Oslo is Pawshake, an online service that connects dog owners with local sitters for dog walks, day care and overnight stays.

    Checked at:

  • Why are there no stray dogs in Norway?

    Nearly 90 percent of the homeless animals helped by Dyrebeskyttelsen Norge are cats, while dogs are often ID-marked and easy to trace to a responsible owner.

    Checked at:

  • How do you adopt a dog or a cat in Norway?

    You can adopt a dog or cat in Norway through the 25 local branches of Dyrebeskyttelsen Norge, which take in homeless animals and find them new homes.

    Checked at:
Help