Are emotional support animals recognised in Norway?
Support animals, guide dogs and service dogs in Norway, and how they travel.
Short answer
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. NAV says trained guide dogs and service dogs have access to places such as restaurants, accommodation, grocery shops and taxis. Service dogs must pass an approval test with their owner.
Why
- NAV provides service dogs to people with physical impairments and states that you cannot get a service dog to help with psychological challenges.
- Guide dogs from NAV are for people who are blind or have very low vision, with visual acuity of 3/60 or lower after correction.
- SAS states that emotional support animals and other comfort animals must travel as pets and may not travel as service animals.
Details
On SAS flights, a trained service dog flies free in the cabin, but you need documents such as a medical certificate and a certificate from a certified service dog trainer. A pet in the SAS cabin may weigh up to 8 kg including the carrier. On Ruter's buses, trams and metro in Oslo, dogs and guide dogs travel free.
Tip
If you fly with a support animal, book it as a pet with the airline in good time and check the size and weight limits for the cabin.
What may differ
On flights to the United States, SAS asks service dog users for two extra US forms in addition to the usual documents.
Common misconception
A letter from a therapist gives an emotional support animal the same rights as a service dog.
What actually happens
NAV does not provide service dogs for psychological challenges, and SAS says comfort animals must travel as pets.
People also ask
- Do emotional support animals have any rights in Norway?
Sources
- NAV: Service dogChecked at:
- NAV: Guide dogChecked at:
- SAS: Service dogsChecked at:
- SAS: Pets in the cabinChecked at:
- Ruter: Travelling with dogs and guide dogsChecked at:
This answer is for reference only. Rules can change, so check NAV and your airline before you travel.
Travelling to Norway with a petRelated questions
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Where are the dog parks in Oslo?
Oslo kommune runs ten dog parks where dogs may run off the lead, including Hundejordet in Frognerparken, Styggedalen at Bogstad and Ola Narr at Tøyen.