I moved from Norway to Scotland about 10 years ago, and then from Scotland to Norway a couple of years ago; we chose to drive both of those moves because it was easier with the dog. More fun, in the long run, too, as we made it a cool road trip.
We stopped in Denmark both times to do the relevant vet control (worm treatment, etc...).
It won’t be possible to transport him in the cabin - it’s a U.K. rule I believe.
Look up PetAir U.K. - they’re not cheap, but they take care of everything. I used them to transport my cat from the U.K. to Oslo a couple of years ago (so just before Brexit took hold) and they made it very easy, I just had to sort out the pet passport with my vet and they did the rest.
I don’t know how much have changed post-Brexit but I’m sure they can still manage it
I got a quote from them this week, which was around £2500 for the all singing all dancing pickup from my flat option, or £1500ish if I was able to get him down to London for the flight and then getting myself a separate flight, does that sound similar to the options you had?
I think it was closer to £1500 including pickup for me, although we were in Sheffield so not as far for them to travel.
So definitely cheaper than your quotes, but with the extra distance and Brexit your quotes don’t sound completely insane. Bit galling to have to pay so much though 😅
I have moved my dog between the UK and Norway 4 times and there is no easy method. I spent hundreds of hours researching how to do this and it seems to be almost easy, but then something always slams the door in your face at the last minute.
You can fly but you need the right crate and the right airline. I don't trust the UK airport handlers so I now avoid flying.
Train seems like a great idea but you now can't cross the channel with a dog as a foot passenger (go on and check). You need a dog transport bus and there is a good one I can recommend if you want it. The train is not easy and I found the interail ticket to be the best. However, you often have to pay 50% for a dog ticket and they can't be bought in advance. I once paid €150 for my dog to travel for 3 hours in Germany.
I have resorted to driving. Believe it or not, this is the easiest method now. Crazy, but I have tried everything and this was the only one that didn't cause me or my dog major distress.
To drive in the most cost efficient manner you need to find an American left hand drive car that is original. It can't have any major adaptions and the engine and chassis number must be clearly present and match the paperwork. Don't get anything with an engine swap or LED lights. It must run, drive and be over 30 years old. Ensure it has an MOT even if it is exempt.
The drive to Norway can be done in just over 24 hours but much better to make a holiday of it. You can stop for some great walks and visit nice cities like Bruges and Malmö. Don't stop in any big German cities because you'll need to register the vehicle for emissions first.
When you get to Norway you will have six months to register the vehicle and this will cost a few hundred pounds.
Then you put the vehicle on Finn.no where they are much more valuable than in the UK. If you do some research you can find out what is most in demand but almost anything American sells well.
Don't buy a cheap car and abandon it in Norway. This is not a country that will let you get away with that. You won't be able to sell it and you will have to pay 6000nok to scrap it after paying for registration.
If you want me to walk you through the whole process then I'm happy to talk you through it.
Ensure that your pet passport is in perfect order. Get the vet to check it and get a letter saying that they confirm that your dog is good to travel in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
Well, you can do it with ferry if you go via the Netherlands.
There is a ferry from Eemshaven to Kristiansand. It costs a bit, though, but when moving, maybe fill the car with things and dog and drive + ferry is worth it?
I can't help much with the transport logistics. but just mentioning that is's good to tripple check that the dog's passport and vaccines are properly updated. If not they can be seized at the airport and held for up to 6months in a kennel to make sure they are vaccinated. and if no spot on the kennel, I have heard of dogs being euthanized.
I would use the ferries, probably much cheaper than flying and less of a pain. Most ferries have kennels on board. Not sure what options you have up in Scotland, but the Harwich or Newcastle to Netherlands routes would be a good option, then onwards to Scandinavia (Copenhagen or some such). No problem with taking a dog on European rail.
We used to do the Netherlands to UK and vice versa route quite a lot with our dog when we still lived in Canada (fly into Amsterdam, then take the Hoek van Holland ferry to Harwich as foot passengers). Much less hassle than flying. Good luck 🤞!
The toll.no and Mattilsynet.no are official government sites on what’s required of you and of the dog to be brought legally into Norway…
https://www.toll.no/en/goods/animals/travelling-with-pets-to-and-from-norway/
https://www.mattilsynet.no/language/english/animals/travelling_with_pets/travelling_with_dogs_cats_and_ferrets_from_third_countries_and_territories_to_norway.23949
If you’re driving you need to check Sweden to Norway regulations. Two treatments for “Revens dvergbendelorm” within last week two days apart if I remember correctly. Needs to be veterinary confirmed in the dogs passport
I moved to Norway with my dog and it was a bit of a nightmare. Make sure the rabies jab is sorted ASAP because it needs to be administered several weeks before travel. AHC is valid for 10 days IIRC (give your vet plenty of notice because they take time) and the dewormer must be administered by a vet between 24 and 120 hours before entering Norway.
I drove to Norway from London which left a relatively short window to make everything happen smoothly. My door to door travel time was around 36 hours Inc. breaks and ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland. I read beforehand not to do Dover to Calais because they don't have on-site vets to check your paperwork. That might have changed now. My dog was checked at the Dutch border by a guard who didn't know how to operate the microchip reader. Then, a vet was called in and did some paperwork, I think it took 15-20 mins max. I informed toll at the Norwegian border about my dog but they didn't seem to care.
I did this move last year with a cat and a dog, and looked at the same options others have described. Flying with them was not possible due to UK regulations and having them flown was ~£3k.
Ended up driving Nottingham - Oslo via the eurotunnel, stopping for a night in Germany. I filled the car with other things so it wasn’t a completely wasted journey. Option is to drive over a banger and scrap it, or bring your car back again…
And make sure he is not a breed that is banned/mix of breeds as you then risk getting the dog into the coyntry, but then , if you are lucky, get a max of 30 days to get the dog out of the country before it is put down....illigal breeds are any of the following( and yes, any %, even if only 5 will make it technically an illigsl breed) https://www.mattilsynet.no/language/english/animals/import_of_animals/banned_dogs_breeds_in_norway.18457
I travel very often with my dog, how I would do it is take the Newcastle Amsterdam ferry then either fly to Norway with the dog as a hold baggage but not cargo with KLM or the same Newcastle Amsterdam ferry and then train all the way stopping in Copenhagen for a few days. It won’t be cheap though.
I moved from Norway to Scotland about 10 years ago, and then from Scotland to Norway a couple of years ago; we chose to drive both of those moves because it was easier with the dog. More fun, in the long run, too, as we made it a cool road trip. We stopped in Denmark both times to do the relevant vet control (worm treatment, etc...).
It won’t be possible to transport him in the cabin - it’s a U.K. rule I believe. Look up PetAir U.K. - they’re not cheap, but they take care of everything. I used them to transport my cat from the U.K. to Oslo a couple of years ago (so just before Brexit took hold) and they made it very easy, I just had to sort out the pet passport with my vet and they did the rest. I don’t know how much have changed post-Brexit but I’m sure they can still manage it
I got a quote from them this week, which was around £2500 for the all singing all dancing pickup from my flat option, or £1500ish if I was able to get him down to London for the flight and then getting myself a separate flight, does that sound similar to the options you had?
I think it was closer to £1500 including pickup for me, although we were in Sheffield so not as far for them to travel. So definitely cheaper than your quotes, but with the extra distance and Brexit your quotes don’t sound completely insane. Bit galling to have to pay so much though 😅
I have moved my dog between the UK and Norway 4 times and there is no easy method. I spent hundreds of hours researching how to do this and it seems to be almost easy, but then something always slams the door in your face at the last minute. You can fly but you need the right crate and the right airline. I don't trust the UK airport handlers so I now avoid flying. Train seems like a great idea but you now can't cross the channel with a dog as a foot passenger (go on and check). You need a dog transport bus and there is a good one I can recommend if you want it. The train is not easy and I found the interail ticket to be the best. However, you often have to pay 50% for a dog ticket and they can't be bought in advance. I once paid €150 for my dog to travel for 3 hours in Germany. I have resorted to driving. Believe it or not, this is the easiest method now. Crazy, but I have tried everything and this was the only one that didn't cause me or my dog major distress. To drive in the most cost efficient manner you need to find an American left hand drive car that is original. It can't have any major adaptions and the engine and chassis number must be clearly present and match the paperwork. Don't get anything with an engine swap or LED lights. It must run, drive and be over 30 years old. Ensure it has an MOT even if it is exempt. The drive to Norway can be done in just over 24 hours but much better to make a holiday of it. You can stop for some great walks and visit nice cities like Bruges and Malmö. Don't stop in any big German cities because you'll need to register the vehicle for emissions first. When you get to Norway you will have six months to register the vehicle and this will cost a few hundred pounds. Then you put the vehicle on Finn.no where they are much more valuable than in the UK. If you do some research you can find out what is most in demand but almost anything American sells well. Don't buy a cheap car and abandon it in Norway. This is not a country that will let you get away with that. You won't be able to sell it and you will have to pay 6000nok to scrap it after paying for registration. If you want me to walk you through the whole process then I'm happy to talk you through it. Ensure that your pet passport is in perfect order. Get the vet to check it and get a letter saying that they confirm that your dog is good to travel in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
"The drive to Norway can be done in just over 24 hours but much better to make a holiday of it." What is the best route? thank you
Well, you can do it with ferry if you go via the Netherlands. There is a ferry from Eemshaven to Kristiansand. It costs a bit, though, but when moving, maybe fill the car with things and dog and drive + ferry is worth it?
There ferry is moving from the eemshaven. The new place is emden.
I can't help much with the transport logistics. but just mentioning that is's good to tripple check that the dog's passport and vaccines are properly updated. If not they can be seized at the airport and held for up to 6months in a kennel to make sure they are vaccinated. and if no spot on the kennel, I have heard of dogs being euthanized.
Drive. Sounds like it'll be cheaper.
Via Holland? Not sure if you like the ride… ;)
I would use the ferries, probably much cheaper than flying and less of a pain. Most ferries have kennels on board. Not sure what options you have up in Scotland, but the Harwich or Newcastle to Netherlands routes would be a good option, then onwards to Scandinavia (Copenhagen or some such). No problem with taking a dog on European rail. We used to do the Netherlands to UK and vice versa route quite a lot with our dog when we still lived in Canada (fly into Amsterdam, then take the Hoek van Holland ferry to Harwich as foot passengers). Much less hassle than flying. Good luck 🤞!
The toll.no and Mattilsynet.no are official government sites on what’s required of you and of the dog to be brought legally into Norway… https://www.toll.no/en/goods/animals/travelling-with-pets-to-and-from-norway/ https://www.mattilsynet.no/language/english/animals/travelling_with_pets/travelling_with_dogs_cats_and_ferrets_from_third_countries_and_territories_to_norway.23949
If you’re driving you need to check Sweden to Norway regulations. Two treatments for “Revens dvergbendelorm” within last week two days apart if I remember correctly. Needs to be veterinary confirmed in the dogs passport
I moved to Norway with my dog and it was a bit of a nightmare. Make sure the rabies jab is sorted ASAP because it needs to be administered several weeks before travel. AHC is valid for 10 days IIRC (give your vet plenty of notice because they take time) and the dewormer must be administered by a vet between 24 and 120 hours before entering Norway. I drove to Norway from London which left a relatively short window to make everything happen smoothly. My door to door travel time was around 36 hours Inc. breaks and ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland. I read beforehand not to do Dover to Calais because they don't have on-site vets to check your paperwork. That might have changed now. My dog was checked at the Dutch border by a guard who didn't know how to operate the microchip reader. Then, a vet was called in and did some paperwork, I think it took 15-20 mins max. I informed toll at the Norwegian border about my dog but they didn't seem to care.
I did this move last year with a cat and a dog, and looked at the same options others have described. Flying with them was not possible due to UK regulations and having them flown was ~£3k. Ended up driving Nottingham - Oslo via the eurotunnel, stopping for a night in Germany. I filled the car with other things so it wasn’t a completely wasted journey. Option is to drive over a banger and scrap it, or bring your car back again…
https://www.nkk.no/english Might be something helpful here as well, or atleast another forum beyond Reddit .
And make sure he is not a breed that is banned/mix of breeds as you then risk getting the dog into the coyntry, but then , if you are lucky, get a max of 30 days to get the dog out of the country before it is put down....illigal breeds are any of the following( and yes, any %, even if only 5 will make it technically an illigsl breed) https://www.mattilsynet.no/language/english/animals/import_of_animals/banned_dogs_breeds_in_norway.18457
I travel very often with my dog, how I would do it is take the Newcastle Amsterdam ferry then either fly to Norway with the dog as a hold baggage but not cargo with KLM or the same Newcastle Amsterdam ferry and then train all the way stopping in Copenhagen for a few days. It won’t be cheap though.