AWC 2019: Moving to Finland with a pet? Here’s what to consider

The 2019 Agility World Championship in Finland is getting closer and the travel plans are becoming more concrete for one or another team. Due the geographical circumstances is the land almost only accessible by the ferry or plane. So it is a good idea to plan the travel as early as possible. But when you are traveling with the dog, there are one or the other important thing to consider before. Finnish airport operator Finavia, which operates almost every major and minor airport in the country, has published some important points to this issue.

Although traveling with animals is getting easier, especially within the European Union, there are still some points to consider from country to country. The most important point is the early gathering of information and clarification of the entry regulations of the respective country. In Finland it is regulated by Finnish customs. Attention! Sometimes there are deadlines which are strictly observed. Two of them are the issuance of the pet passport or the rabies vaccination.

Basically, there are the following entry requirements in Finland – but these can vary from case to case, which is why you should necessarily inform yourself personally.

• a pet passport and microchip identification
• a valid rabies vaccination (at least 21 days old)
• Dogs must be treated for tapeworms (Echinococcus) with praziquantel or epsiprantel 24 to 120 hours prior to entry (and the veterinarian must enter the time stamped in the pet passport). Echinococcus treatment is not necessary if the dog is traveling directly from England, Ireland, Norway or Malta.

There are also strict regulations which may vary depending on the airline and the type of aircraft. If the dog is transported in the cabin, then the animal and the box/container/bag must not exceed the total weight of 8 kilograms. In addition, the dog must be able to stand upright in the transport container. The container must fit under the front seat, as the hand luggage. If this is not possible, the animal must be carried in an air-conditioned cargo hold in an IATA compliant transport box. Due to the conditions and space, animals cannot be transported in all flights. Partly because the cargo hold is not level or because the plane is simply too small. This is one of the reasons why the airline must be notified in advance about the transport. This also counts for cabin flights.

Source: https://www.finavia.fi/en/newsroom/2016/moving-finland-pet-heres-what-consider