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Exit guide

Taking a dog or cat out of Finland

Exit rules verifiedLimited official guidanceChecked 2026-10-10Authority: Finnish Food Authority

The steps the authorities in Finland require before your pet leaves, mostly the health certificate and who has to sign or endorse it. The destination adds its own requirements on top: pick it below, or make a dated plan.

Limited official guidance. Finnish Food Authority publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. Ruokavirasto's page gives no deadline, fee or booking route for the certificate: the destination's conditions decide, and the municipal or city vet issues the official certificate.

The steps

  1. Official stamp

    Health certificate for the trip, official one from a municipal or city vet

    Applies when: you do not travel to any EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City

    Almost always your pet must travel with a certificate about its health. It can be free-form or follow the exact model the destination sets, and, depending on the destination, it can be issued by an official vet or a private vet. An official certificate is always issued by a municipal or city vet, who must be able to confirm where the pet comes from and know the conditions for taking it to the destination.

    Details and the official words

    Ruokavirasto's page gives no deadline for how recent the certificate must be: the destination's own requirements decide.

    “Virallisen todistuksen myöntää aina kunnan- tai kaupungineläinlääkäri”

    “Voidakseen myöntää virallisen todistuksen, kunnan- tai kaupungineläinlääkärin on pystyttävä varmistumaan lemmikin alkuperästä ja tiedettävä ehdot, joilla lemmikki voidaan viedä kohdemaahan.”

Good to know

  • Destination countries, and any countries you pass through, almost always set conditions for bringing a pet in or through. Under Finland's Animal Disease Act, whoever takes the pet out of Finland is responsible for finding out those conditions and for meeting them.When: You do not travel to any EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City
  • Learn the conditions well and early, so that all the vaccinations and their waiting times are done before the trip.When: You do not travel to any EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City
  • If the conditions of the destination or a transit country are not met, the pet may have to be sent back to Finland, held in isolation for a set period or put down, depending on the country. The person travelling with the pet, or the recipient in the destination, pays the costs.When: You do not travel to any EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City
  • Some destinations accept the EU pet passport as proof of the animal's health, and Ruokavirasto recommends getting one for every travelling pet.When: You do not travel to any EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City
  • Planning to bring your pet back to the EU? After a short stay in a non-EU country you can skip the 3-month wait after the rabies blood test, but only if, before you leave the EU, your pet was vaccinated against rabies, passed a successful titer test, and your vet recorded both in its EU pet passport. So do the blood test before you go.When: You do not travel to any EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City

Where are you taking your pet?

Routes from Finland where we cover both sides.