Dogs & pets
Dogs and cats can travel to Sweden with you. What the country requires and what applies on the ships of TT-Line and Stena Line is here.
- Microchip, rabies vaccination, EU pet passport
- Registration with Swedish Customs
- TT-Line: dog on a short lead on board
Table of Contents
Travelling to Sweden with a dog or cat is straightforward once the paperwork is right. On board, it's the ferry company that decides where your pet spends the roughly six hours: with TT-Line, at your side; with Stena Line, in a pet cabin or in the car.
What Sweden requires
For dogs, cats and ferrets coming from Germany and other EU countries, these rules from the Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket) apply on entry to Sweden:
- Identification: the animal carries a microchip.
- Rabies vaccination: valid at the time of entry and recorded in the pet passport.
- EU pet passport: it travels with the animal for the whole journey.
- Registration with Customs: you always register the arrival with Swedish Customs, even when all the papers are complete.
Sweden doesn't require tapeworm treatment for animals from the EU. New EU rules on pet movement have applied since 22 April 2026; for travel from Germany to Sweden, this changes little. Anyone travelling with more than five animals must meet additional rules.
If papers are missing or the vaccination isn't valid, Sweden can refuse entry, place the animal in quarantine, or have it put down. Stena Line additionally requires the rabies vaccination to have been given at least 21 days before travel. Have your vet check the pet passport before you leave.
On board with TT-Line
TT-Line is the dog owners' ferry company on this route. Your dog can join you on a short lead in all public areas on board, every restaurant has its own dog zone, and there's a dog toilet on one outside deck. For the night ferry, book a pet cabin, which holds up to two animals; the number of these cabins is limited.
Register animals when booking; at most two travel per booking. Dogs of listed breeds wear a muzzle on board.
On board with Stena Line
With Stena Line, animals aren't allowed in the public areas on board, assistance dogs excepted. Your pet either travels in a pet-friendly cabin, available on the M/S Skåne and the M/S Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, or stays in the car. You register either option when booking. For the six-hour day crossing, the pet cabin is the better choice if you don't want your dog left alone in the car.
Which ferry company to choose with a dog
For most dog owners, TT-Line is the more relaxed choice, because the dog can join you in the restaurant and on deck. Stena Line makes sense if you're booking a cabin anyway or the departure time suits you better. If you booked a departure of the M/S Skåne or the M/S Mecklenburg-Vorpommern through TT-Line, Stena Line's rules apply. Which ferry company sails when is shown in the timetable; the full comparison is on the Ferry companies compared page.
Customs and arrival
Register with Swedish Customs through their e-service. Have the pet passport ready on arrival in Trelleborg, along with your own ID.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about dogs and pets
Does my dog need worming treatment for Sweden? +
No. For dogs coming from Germany, Sweden doesn't require tapeworm treatment. What's required is a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and the EU pet passport, plus registration with Swedish Customs.
Can my dog join me in the restaurant on board? +
With TT-Line, yes: every restaurant has a dog zone, and your dog can join you on a short lead in all public areas. With Stena Line, animals aren't allowed in the public areas, assistance dogs excepted.
How many animals can I bring? +
With TT-Line, at most two animals per booking and two per pet cabin. For more than five animals, additional rules apply on entry to Sweden.
What happens if papers are missing? +
Sweden can refuse entry, place the animal in quarantine, or in the worst case have it put down. So check the pet passport before you leave, especially the date of the rabies vaccination.
Travelling to Sweden with a dog
Both ferry companies' departures for your date are in the timetable; with TT-Line, pet cabins are limited, so book early.