This article certainly does not aim to give bad advice. On the contrary. It is a confession, a retrospective realization of a mistake and at the same time a warning for anyone who is planning to go to Norway with a dog.
Our dog Ibo was prepared for the trip in every way. He had a valid European passport, a microchip, rabies vaccination, was dewormed and had been treated in Slovakia with a drug against the tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis). Everything we should have done as responsible dog owners, we did.
And yet we made a crucial mistake.
Schengen ≠ European Union
Norway is part of the Schengen Area, but at the same time is not a member of the European Union. And that’s where our mistaken assumption arose. We automatically assumed that when crossing a border within Schengen, the rules would be the same as when moving a dog between EU member states. They are not.
When entering Norway with a dog from an EU country it is mandatory to undergo customs control and present the dog and its documents to the Norwegian customs authorities. It is not enough to have everything in order “on paper”. The decisive moment is when you register at the border and officially declare the dog.
Crossing the border
We enter Norway by car via road E6, specifically over the Svinesundsbron bridge on the Norway–Sweden border. It’s exactly the kind of border where you feel like nothing is really happening. No barriers, no police, just a bridge and the motorway continuing.
A little past the bridge, on the right – just before the first exit from the motorway – there is an administrative building clearly marked Toll / Customs. I jokingly ask Iva if we have anything to declare. Of course she smiles. And we go on.
At that moment it doesn’t even occur to us that we should have stopped, turned in and declared our dog to the customs authorities. We had no idea that we had just violated Norway’s animal entry rules.
Three weeks unaware
We then travel around Norway for almost three weeks. Camping, hiking, fjords, mountains, long drives by car, silence, space and incredible nature. Ibo is with us everywhere, exactly as we had dreamed.
No one checks us anymore, no police or other officials. Apart from one parking fine, which we eventually got overturned, we didn’t encounter any checks during our entire stay. No one even asks for the dog’s documents, whether at hotels, cable cars or on ferries. And so we lived convinced that everything was in order.
Until the day, long after our return home, when I begin preparing this article and look into the entry requirements for dogs to Norway in more detail.
Then it hits me. Our dog had been in the country for three weeks something like an illegal migrant.
Possible consequences
In hindsight I realize we took a relatively large risk – albeit unintentionally. If we had been checked during our stay, situations could have arisen that would have immediately ended the holiday:
- a heavy financial fine,
- an order to immediately leave the country,
- quarantine of the dog at our expense.
All just because when entering the country by car we did not choose the red customs lane and did not declare the dog.
Why we are writing about this
We are not writing this article to feel sorry for ourselves or to play heroes. We write it because we are exactly the kind of travelers who would benefit from this information before a trip – and it might save a lot of problems.
Norway is a beautiful country and very dog-friendly. It would be such a shame if someone’s trip was ruined by a trivial administrative error.
If you are from Slovakia (or another EU country) and planning a trip to Norway with a dog, remember that having all the documents is not enough. You must officially declare the dog at customs when entering Norway.
We were lucky. You shouldn’t rely on it.
Veterinary entry requirements for dogs entering Norway from the EU
If you travel with a dog from an EU member state to Norway, the dog must meet all veterinary requirements and be properly declared at customs. In practice, these are the basic requirements:
- Microchip – the dog must be microchipped with an ISO-compliant microchip that is readable during inspection.
- European pet passport – issued by a veterinarian in the EU, with properly completed details.
- Valid rabies vaccination – the vaccination must be carried out after the dog is microchipped and is valid only after at least 21 days have passed since the initial vaccination.
- Treatment against the tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) – mandatory for all dogs entering Norway:
- the drug must contain praziquantel or another approved active substance,
- the treatment must be done 24 to 120 hours (1–5 days) before entering the country,
- the treatment must be confirmed by a veterinarian in the dog’s passport.
- Customs control on entry – when entering Norway you are required to choose the red customs channel (Toll / Customs) and officially declare the dog together with its documents.
Failure to meet any of these conditions – or skipping customs control – may lead to a fine, quarantine of the dog at the owner’s expense, or an order to immediately leave the country.
Although Norway is very dog-friendly, it takes entry rules extremely seriously. Compliance with them is entirely the responsibility of the dog owner.