Pet Microchip

The first step to prepare your dog, cat or ferret to enter Finland is to have your pet microchipped with an ISO 11784/11785 compliant 15 digit pet microchip.

If your pet currently has a microchip that is not ISO 11784/11785 compliant, then you have 3 choices:

• You can bring your own microchip scanner.
• You can contact the officials at the Border Inspection Post where you will enter the EU and inquire as to whether they have scanners that can read your pet's chip.
• If your pet's current microchip can still be read, your veterinarian can implant compliant chip. The number and implant dates of both microchips must be documented on the EU Health Certificate (see step #5).

A tattoo is an acceptable form of identification as long as it was given prior to July 3, 2011, is clearly visible and your pet was vaccinated for rabies after the tattoo was applied.

Vaccinations

All dogs, cats and ferrets must have proof of a current rabies vaccination administered after a microchip was implanted to enter Finland.

The first rabies vaccination after the microchip is implanted is called the primary vaccination and it should be a one year vaccine unless manufacturer specifications permit its use as a primary vaccination. If your pet's previous rabies vaccination had expired before being revaccinated, the next vaccination becomes the primary vaccination.

All vaccinations that are administered after the primary vaccination are called booster vaccinations.

If your pet is entering Finland from a rabies-free (click here) or rabies-controlled country (click here), the primary rabies vaccination must be administered no sooner than 21 days before entering Finland.

There is no waiting period after booster vaccinations as long as:

• the previous vaccination was administered after a microchip was implanted AND
• the booster vaccination was administered before the previous vaccination had expired.

Finland does honor the 3 year rabies vaccination for dogs, cats and ferrets; however, it should only be administered as a booster, not as a primary vaccination. You can speak to your veterinarian about this.

Once your pet has entered Finland, a 21 day waiting period is not required for subsequent visits, provided rabies boosters are kept up to date, and the other entry requirements are met.

If your pet is entering Finland from a high-rabies country, it must wait for a minimum of 30 days after the primary or booster vaccination before receiving a rabies titer test (see step #3).

Rabies Titer Test

If your pet is entering Finland from a high-rabies country (click here), your pet must be microchipped, then vaccinated for rabies (in that order). After waiting a minimum of 30 days after primary or booster vaccinations, a rabies titer test (FAVN) must be administered. (Have your veterinarian scan your pet's microchip prior to the titer test.)

Samples must be processed at approved laboratories. Assuming test results are within acceptable limits, your pet can enter Finland no sooner than 3 calendar months after the date the blood was drawn and avoid quarantine. This step is not required unless entering Finland from a high-rabies country (click here).

Tapeworm Treatment - Dogs Only

Before your dog can enter Finland, it must be treated against certain tapeworms one to five days prior to entering the country unless your pet is entering directly from the Northern Ireland, Ireland, Malta or Norway.

Health Certificate

The type of health certificate required for your pet depends on whether or not your pet's transport is accompanied OR it involves a purchase, sale or transfer of ownership. Choose from two options below.

Non-Commercial Transport: the owner is traveling with or within 5 days of the pet AND the transport does not involve purchase, sale or transfer of ownership.

Non-Commercial Transport to Finland from a country outside of the EU:

Regulations in steps 1 and 2 apply. If entering Finland from a high-rabies country, step 3 applies as well.

A licensed veterinarian in the originating country must complete the non-commercial EU health certificate for Finland. Endorsement by a government veterinarian must occur within 10 days of arrival.

If your pet is traveling from the United States, the veterinarian must be accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the health certificate must be endorsed by a State USDA office unless the certificate is completed by a military Veterinary Corps Officer or GS-0701 series civilian government veterinarian employed by the military.

If your pet is traveling from Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency must endorse forms issued by Canadian veterinarians.

If your pet is traveling to Finland from another country, then the forms must be endorsed by the government agency responsible for the import and export of animals.

This form is good for transports of 5 or less dogs, cats or ferrets. (see item 6 if you are traveling with more than 5 pets). The form is good for 4 months of travel within the EU as long as the rabies vaccination documented on it does not expire.

Non-Commercial Transport to Finland from another EU Member State:

Regulations in steps 1 and 2 apply. Step 3 does not apply.

Have your veterinarian update an EU Pet Passport for your pet. An EU health certificate is not required for pets traveling to Austria from another EU Member State unless a rabies booster was administered by a veterinarian outside of the EU at any time after your pet received its microchip.

No matter what country you are entering Finland from, you or your representative must sign a Declaration of Non-Commercial Transport stating that your pet's transport does not involve the sale or transfer of ownership of your pet.

Commercial Transport: the owner is not traveling with or within 5 days of the pet OR the purpose of the transport involves a sale or transfer of ownership OR more than 5 dogs, cats or ferrets are traveling with or without their owner.

Commercial pet transport to Finland from a country outside the EU:

A licensed veterinarian in the originating country must complete the the bi-lingual version of the commercial EU health certificate for Finland. The certificate must be issued and endorsed within 48 hours of travel.

If your pet is traveling from the United States, the certificate must be endorsed by the local USDA office unless the certificate is completed by a military Veterinary Corps Officer or GS-0701 series civilian government veterinarian employed by the military.

If your pet is traveling from Canada, the form must be endorsed by the local CFIA office.

If traveling to Finland from another country, then the forms must be endorsed by the government agency responsible for the import and export of animals.

This form is good for transports of 5 or less dogs, cats or ferrets. It is valid for 4 months of travel within the EU as long as your pet's rabies vaccination does not expire.

Your pet must enter through an approved Border Inspection Post (BIP) at an international airport in Helsinki. Notice must be given at least 24 hours prior to arrival. 

All dogs must be vaccinated against distemper.

Commercial Transport to Finland from high-rabies countries outside the EU:

Dogs, cats and ferrets can only enter Finland from these high-rabies countries. Pets must conform to all rules above and also have a titer test according to step 3 above.

Commercial pet transport to Finland from another EU Member State (including Norway and Switzerland).

Regulations in steps 1 and 2 apply.

Your pet must travel from a licensed premises which is registered with the governing authority in your EU country responsible for the import and export of animals.

Your veterinarian must obtain and update an EU Pet Passport for your pet.

Your pet's veterinarian must issue an Intratrade health certificate completed within 48 hours of entry.

Your pet's transport must be entered into the TRACES system.

Traveling with more than 5 pets

If you are traveling with 6 or more cats, dogs or ferrets, in order to transport them under non-commercial regulations, they must be 6 months or older and attending or training for a competition, show or sporting event. If this is not the case, your pets must meet the requirements for commercial transport. (see step #5)

Entering Finland from Malaysia & Australia

If your pet is entering Finland from peninsular Malaysia, the following conditions must be met:

1. Your pet has had no contact with pigs during at least the past 60 days prior to export.
2. Your pet has not lived in a place where cases of Nipah disease have been confirmed during the past 60 days.
3. Your pet has been tested with negative a result to an IgG capture ELISA test carried out in a laboratory approved for testing for Nipah disease viruses within 10 days of export.

Cats may only enter Finland from Australia under the condition that they have not lived in areas where cases of Hendra disease have been confirmed during the past 60 days.

Entering Finland

Pets entering by air from non-EU countries must do so at the Border Inspection Post at Helsinki. Pets entering by road must do so at the Border Inspection Post on Vaalimaa Road from Russia .

Pets should enter Finland directly or transit through another EU Member State. If your pet transits through a high-rabies country, then a Transit Declaration will be required stating that your pet has had no contact with rabies-carrying animals and remained secured within the airplane or airport.

All domestic dogs and cats must be free of evidence of disease communicable to humans when examined at the port of entry to Finland. If your dog or cat is not in apparent good health, further examination by a licensed veterinarian may be required at your expense.

Pets can enter Finland in the cabin, as checked baggage or air cargo. There are no quarantine facilities in Finland. Pets not meeting requirements will need to arrange for quarantine in offical quarantine facilities in other EU Member States.

Puppies and Kittens

Puppies and kittens who are either:

-under 12 weeks of age and not vaccinated for rabies or
-over 12 weeks of age, vaccinated for rabies but cannot meet the 21 day wait requirement.

are permitted to enter Finland from another EU Member State. Your puppy, kitten or ferret must be accompanied by an EU Pet Passport, microchipped, and treated for tapeworm as per step 4 above (puppies only).

It must also be accompanied by either:

- a declaration of the owner attached to its passport stating that, from birth until the time of import, your pet has not left its place of birth and has had no contact with wild animals that could carry rabies or

- their mother whose passport indicates that she was currently vaccinated for rabies at the time she gave birth.

Unaccompanied puppies and kittens will need to be microchipped and follow the steps outlined above for unaccompanied transport from a non-EU country. The transport must be tracked through the Community Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES).

Rabies vaccinations must not be administered prior to 12 weeks of age and there is a 21 day wait for puppies and kittens arriving from EU Member States or rabies-controlled countries. The minimum age for entering Finland from high-rabies countries is 7 months of age.

Banned Breeds

Finland does not restrict the import of any dog breeds except those crossed with wild breeds such as wolves. Cats are also banned if crossed with those breeds classified as wild such as Bengal or Savannah cats.

Exporting Pets Living in Finland

All dogs, cats and ferrets leaving Finland for another EU Member State must be microchipped, vaccinated for rabies (in that order) and wait 21 days before leaving Finland.  If you are planning to take your pet on a trip to a country with a high incidence of rabies, your veterinarian should do a Blood Titer Test at least 3 months before you leave Finland. Export permits may be required for non-accompanied transports.

Other Animals

All birds entering Finland from other EU Member States and rabies-free and rabies-controlled countries must meet the following requirements:

- they must be pets
- they must be accompanied by their owner or legal representative
- they must be less than 5 in number
- they must not intended for sale or transfer of ownership
- they must be marked with either a closed leg-ring or a microchip
- they must have lived in the country of export for at least 30 days before travel.
- they must originate from an area which is not subject to bans or restrictions for infectious bird diseases
- they must not have been vaccinated against Newcastle disease or avian influenza
- they must be free of any symptoms of infectious diseases when inspected.
- they must be accompanied by an original health certificate.
- the Border Inspection Post (Helsinki-Vantaa airport and the Vaalimaa road crossing point) must be notified of arrival in advance.

If your bird is entering Finland from the following countries, your bird must have been confined on a premises under official supervision (your veterinarian will attest for this) for at least 30 days prior to dispatch and effectively protected from contact with other birds: Canada, United States, Switzerland, Chile, Greenland, Iceland, Montenegro, Macedonia, New Zealand, St Pierre and Miquelon, Servia or Russia.

If your bird is entering Finland from another OIE member country, Either your bird must have been vaccinated against avian influenza at least 2 times between 6 months and 60 days prior to travel in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions for a H5 vaccine approved in the country or origin

or

Your bird must have been isolated for at least 10 days immediately prior to travel and have been subjected to a test for the detection of H5N1 antigen or genome after the 3rd day of isolation.

Note that Finland does not have quarantine facilities, so quarantine must be served in the originating country, if required.

Cockatiels, undulates, rose-ringed parakeets (also known as the ring-necked parakeet) and rosy-faced lovebirds are subject to CITES requirements.

The import of rabbits, rodents, tortoises, amphibians and reptiles from other EU Member States including Norway and Switzerland does not require any import permits or health certificates as long as these pets are accompanied by their owner or owner's representative. CITES regulations may apply; see step 12. Commercial imports of dogs, cats and ferrets, birds, hares, rabbits or other rodents from Cameroon are not permitted due to the number of pet scams originating from that country.

Other invertebrates, tropical fish, reptiles, amphibia and mammals are not subject to requirements of rabies vaccination, but may have to meet other requirements and should have a health certificate to enter Finland. Mammals will need parasite treatment prior to entering Finland.

CITES

If your pet is not a dog, cat or ferret, and especially if it is a turtle or parrot, you should verify that it is not protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).  You will need to apply for additional permits if this is the case. Over 180 countries participate and enforce CITES regulations.

Need More Assistance?

To the best of our ability, we ensure that recommendations given on PetTravel.com reflect the current regulations. We cannot predict how a given country may enforce these regulations. Noncompliance may result in the need to make arrangements to put your pet into quarantine at your expense, return your pet to the country of origin, or euthanize your pet. We suggest that you minimize the disruptions that may occur by following the rules of the country you are visiting.

Further detail on import permits, costs, tests and procedures are available at minimal cost at PetTravelStore.com. We also stock all the equipment and accessories you will need for traveling with your pet. Same day shipping Monday through Friday until 4:00 PM EST.

 

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