Travelling with pets
You can travel seamlessly with your cat or dog to Åland by boat. Make sure to read up on the rules in good time before embarking on your travels.
If you’re coming from another EU-country, the dog or cat needs to be dewormed and ID-chipped, vaccinated against rabies and hold a passport for domestic pets.
The rabies vaccine is valid for three years and is administered to dogs over 12 weeks. This is why it’s important to contact a veterinarian before travelling. When you book your trip it’s important that you also book a ticket for your pet, as travelling with pets requires a small additional fee.
Travelling between Sweden, Finland and Estonia
You are allowed to travel with your cat and dog between the countries when the pet is vaccinated against rabies has:
- an ID-chip
- certificate of deworming
- holds a passport for domesticated pets
Passports for cats and dogs can be acquired from a veterinarian. Contact your veterinarian in good time before your journey, preferably several months ahead. Many dogs need to be administered a vaccination for rabies well in advance before the journey.
After the pet receives its first rabies vaccination or if the period of validity has run out from the previous vaccination, there will be a 21 day waiting period before the pet is allowed to pass country borders. A rabies vaccination is valid for three years and is administered to dogs over the age of 12 weeks. The passport given to pets is unison throughout all of the EU.
Regulations regarding travelling with and export of other animals as well as regulations regarding to and from countries outside of the EU should be done in consensus with relevant authorities.
If you’re travelling with a dog from Sweden to Åland which is a part of Finland, you need to make sure that the dog is dewormed against dwarf tapeworm within the interval of 24-120 hours, one to five days previous entering the country.
The same goes for dogs from any other country outside of Finland. Deworming should be done with praziquantel or a similar substance, and must be administered by a veterinarian, who also shall mark the treatment in the dog’s passport.
If the dog is dewormed less than 24 hours before you arrive at the border, you have to wait until 24 hours has passed after the deworming before you may enter.
Take your dog onboard
You can easily take your cat or dog aboard most of the ferries with Viking Line and Tallink Silja. Travelling with a pet needs to be booked in beforehand and be paid for, only guide-dogs may travel for free.
When travelling with Eckerö Line pets travel for free and it’s not necessary to book them separately. Please observe that you are not permitted to take pets with you on cruises. The ship Cinderella which embarks from Sweden counts as a cruise-ship and does not allow pets onboard.
On longer journeys you can walk your dog outside on deck, where some ferries have designated dog-toilets. Make sure to use them to show respect to personnel as well as other passengers.
Book in good time so that you can arrange that both you and your dog travel as comfortably as possible. Make sure to let personnel know that you’re travelling with a dog.
The shipping companies do not recommend leaving your dog or other pets in your car on the car deck during the voyage. Please bear in mind that it is not permitted to visit a car deck during the voyage, except for emergencies.
Veterinaries in Åland
In case something happens to your pet during your stay on Åland, there are several veterinarians you can contact for help.
Zoodiaken-smådjurskliniken is operated by the Ålands miljö- och hälsoskyddsmyndighet-authority.
Norragatan 17, Mariehamn
Telephone +358 18 21 000.
amhm.ax/smadjurskliniken
Ålands smådjursklinik in Godby solves most common issues with dogs and cats. There are also shops available
with both regular and special pet foods.
Långkallesgränd 2, Godby (ca. 15 km north of Mariehamn)
or
Östernäsvägen 23, Mariehamn
Telephone +358 18 38961.
smadjurskliniken.ax
ARRiVET helps you with issues big and small. They also specialize in horse-care.
Elverksgatan 1, Mariehamn
Telephone +358 18 23 900 (phone hours between 8–9, otherwise upon availability until 16:00)
arrivet.ax.
Responsible authorities in Sweden:
Jordbruksverket
551 82 Jönköping
Växel: 036-15 50 00
Fax: 036-19 05 46
E-post: [email protected]
jordbruksverket.se
Responsible authorities in Finland:
Elintarviketurvallisuusvirasto Evira
Mustialankatu 3
00790 Helsinki
Växel +358 029 530 0400
Site updated 19.4.2021
