regulations
Bringing dogs to Sweden and the AWC 2025
Planning on bringing your dog to Sweden and the AWC 2025? You'll find practical information on this page about the requirements for traveling with dogs and for the veterinary checks at the championships.
Dogs must meet certain conditions to be allowed to enter Sweden, and also to be let into the AWC arena Hatstore Arena.
Traveling with dogs to Sweden
You will find useful and up-to-date information on bringing dogs to Sweden at Jordbruksverket's website (The Swedish Board of Agriculture) on necessary documents and vaccinations needed.
· Movement of dogs, cats or ferrets to Sweden – both travel and trade - Jordbruksverket.se
Border control on bringing a dog into Sweden
When bringing a dog into Sweden, customs should be notified when crossing the border. Detailed regulations can be found at the Swedish Customs website (Tullverket), www.tullverket.se.
Please note that:
· It is prohibited to keep or own wolf hybrids in Sweden
· It is prohibited to keep or breed dogs particularly prone to aggression.
Bringing dogs to AWC 2025 and Hatstore Arena
AWC 2025 is an international championship following FCI anti-doping regulations. In addition, all dogs and dog sports in Sweden are controlled by Jordbruksverkets (The Swedish Board of Agriculture) legislation for the well-being of dogs in addition to general Swedish legislation.
All dogs must pass the veterinary check to enter the venue. Only dogs competing and dogs with special permission may enter the arena. Everybody at the championships therefore must follow doping and animal welfare legislations according to:
- FCI rules and legislation Doping (fci.be)
- The Swedish Agriculture legislation - Jordbruksverkets föreskrifter Animals - Jordbruksverket.se
- Swedish general legislation
For details of regulations regarding prohibited treatments and measures, and for information about waiting periods following medical treatment, please contact Svenska Kennelklubben on e-mail to: doping@skk.se.
According to FCI rules and legislation Doping (fci.be)
Doping and other inappropriate measures
Participating of ill or injured dogs is not permitted. Furthermore, the dog must not be affected in any forbidden way, i.e., been subjected to measures aimed at inappropriately altering their appearance, performance or reactions/character, or intended to conceal signs of injury or illness.
It is the obligation of the person responsible for a dog to ascertain how a specific treatment or other measure may affect the eligibility of that dog to take part in a trial, competition or show.
A dopingtest can be carried out. If the management for the show decides to take a sample for the investigation of possible doping or other, inappropriate measures, the person responsible for the dog is obliged to make the dog in question available for testing and for any further examination resulting from the test.
Vaccinations
A vaccination check is carried out during the veterinary control. As a competitor, you are responsible for making sure that the competing dog has received the necessary vaccinations:
Canine distemper: Dogs competing in Sweden must be vaccinated as follows against canine distemper: Dogs less than one year of age – at a minimum of 10 weeks. Dogs older than one year – at a minimum of 10 months or older, however, no more than 4 years ago. The so-called first vaccination may not be carried out less than 14 days prior to exhibition day.
Parvovirus Infection: The Swedish kennel club - Svenska Kennelklubben recommends that the dog is vaccinated against Parvo. For those recommendations which apply for the different Parvo vaccines, please consult your veterinarian.
Rabies: Any dog brought into Sweden against the current import regulations will be banned from the AWC arena.
Each dog is submitted to a veterinary control before the competition starts. The inoculation certificate against rabies is checked. Dogs coming from or going to a rabies-infected region must also have a valid health certificate issued by their veterinary surgeon.
Deworming and travel certificates
Book an appointment with the veterinarian to sign travel documents through competition management. Bring your own tablets for deworming the dog. Any form necessary to travel or enter other countries on your way back home you need to bring together with the dog. Contact info for booking will be updated at a later date.
Docked tail or ear cropping
It is illegal to crop ears or dock tails on dogs in Sweden.
For a dog with docked tail or born in another country there are restrictions on what trials, competition and mental descriptions the dog is allowed to participate in.
Ear-cropped or tail docked dogs, born in a country where it was allowed when it was done has the right to participate in tests, competitions or mental descriptions. Dogs docked due to medical reasons or not born with naturally long tail, are also allowed at tests, competitions or mental descriptions.