Traveling with pets from Svalbard to the Norwegian mainland

Published

19.02.2025

Export of pets from Svalbard to the mainland is regulated by the Regulation on the non-commercial movement of pet animals (forskrift om ikke-kommersiell forflytning av kjæledyr, hereafter called the Pets Regulation). The animal’s owner is responsible for following the regulation, including notifying The Norwegian Food Safety Authority in advance of importation.

You must travel via specific airports or seaports

In accordance with the Pets Regulation § 9, the import of non-commercial pets from Svalbard must go through Oslo Airport or Storskog. In addition, import of pets from Svalbard can go through Tromsø Airport, Tromsø Harbor, and Bodø Harbor.

You must give notice before you travel to Norway

You should give notice of animals that will be imported to Norway via Tromsø to GK_Tromso@mattilsynet.no or call 22 40 00 00 no later than two whole business days before departure. When the Authority receives such advance notification, the documentation may be checked and corrected if necessary. This will help you avoid the risk of your pet not being allowed to accompany you on your journey.

The notification must contain information about

• the dog’s microchip number
• the owner’s name
• time of departure

You cannot travel if there is not a veterinarian on Svalbard

There will be periods when there is no veterinarian on Svalbard. You must be aware that you may not be able to bring your dog back to the Norwegian mainland or other places in the EU/EEA area during these periods. The reason is that a veterinarian must administer the necessary treatment against parasites and ensure that the animal has all the necessary documentation ready before departure.

The following requirements must be met before you travel

• Dogs must be ID-marked. This is usually done with a microchip.
• Passport and/or health certificate
  • • Dogs traveling to and from Norway with an EU/EEA passport (pet passport), that do not need to renew their rabies vaccine while they are on Svalbard and have a result of a rabies antibody titration test that complies with the validity requirements entered in their pet passport, only need a pet passport to travel.
    • Dogs that are born on Svalbard and are to travel to Norway must be accompanied by a health certificate. The health certificate can be issued at the same time as the dog is presented for a clinical exam and parasite treatment by a veterinarian on Svalbard, 24-120 hours before arrival on the Norwegian mainland.
    • Dogs travelling with pet passport that remain on Svalbard long enough to require a booster of the rabies vaccine, must travel with a health certificate in addition to the pet passport.
    • Dogs that have a valid vaccine entered in their pet passport but have not had a valid rabies titer entered in the pet passport, can travel to the Norwegian mainland with a pet passport and an original copy of the test result for the rabies titer. All dogs that travel to Svalbard are required to have a registered valid titer test entered in their pet passport before travel to Svalbard, as of June 21st, 2021.

• Valid vaccination for rabies and a rabies blood titer to prove that the vaccine was effective
  • • The veterinarians on Svalbard are outside of the EU/EEA area and are not authorized to enter rabies vaccines or rabies titer results into EU/EEA passports.
    • Rabies titer tests taken from dogs on Svalbard mandate a 90-day waiting period from the time the test was taken, with adequate results, before the dog can travel to the mainland. The earliest a rabies titer can be taken is 30 days after the rabies vaccine is given.
    • The original blood test results (titer) must always accompany the pet passport/health certificate.

• Treatment against Echniococcus multilocularis (the fox tapeworm)
  • • Veterinarians on Svalbard are authorized to enter deworming treatments for fox tapeworm into a dog’s pet passport.

• Requirements for import of rabbits, rodents, and birds are that the animals be accompanied by an identification document and a health certificate or declaration. The health certificate can be issued by The Norwegian Food Safety Authority at the same time as the animal is given a clinical exam by a veterinarian on Svalbard. The health certificate cannot be more than 10 days old at the time of travel.
• Requirements for import of reptiles are that the animal be accompanied by a species and origin document for exotic animals as well as a CITES permit.

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority works with Svalbard Airport in Longyearbyen, and travelers with pets must arrive at the airport at least an hour before departure. All required documents and the pet must be available for inspection after check-in and at arrival at the toll. Pets inspected at check-in do not require a new inspection in Tromsø when traveling on to Oslo Airport.

If The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has not received advance notification for travel to or through Tromsø, the owner should expect a longer waiting time in Longyearbyen and may risk missing their flight. Pets that are not inspected or do not meet the requirements for travel may not board the plane to Tromsø. Further housing on Svalbard will be the owner’s responsibility.

If you fail to meet the requirements

If you do not meet the requirements for travel from Svalbard, you must either return to Svalbard with the animal or pay for housing (in a dog boarding kennel or similar).

Consequences for traveling to Norway without the proper documentation (information in norwegian).

Reasoning behind the regulations

Rabies is periodically detected on Svalbard. To prevent rabies from spreading to Norway (or other EU/EEA countries), it is required that dogs traveling from Svalbard are vaccinated for rabies and have taken a blood test to document that the dog is sufficiently protected against the disease (titer test).

Rabies on Svalbard (information in norwegian)

Echinococcus multilocularis (the fox tapeworm) is present on Svalbard, while mainland Norway is free of the parasite. A simple deworming can prevent the parasite from establishing itself on the mainland. It is therefore required by law that all who travel with their dog ensure that the animal receives the correct treatment for the fox tapeworm.

Echinococcus multilocularis - the fox tapeworm (information in norwegian)