Dog and cat in the move

Move with dog or cat in seven steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Check that the dog or cat is identification marked and registered with the Swedish Board of Agriculture. If it is missing, do it before the move.

   § 2 and 3 §§ of the law on supervision of dogs and cats (2007:1150), controlled 5 October 2026

2. 2

   Step 2: Read the rental agreement and the house rules in the new home and see what they say about pets. our advice

3. 3

   Step 3: Make the flyttanmälan to Skatteverket. The address in the cat register is then updated automatically.

4. 4

   Step 4: Log in to the dog register after the move and check that the address, phone and email are correct. our advice

5. 5

   Step 5: Change your phone number and email yourself in the register if they have been changed. They do not follow with flyttanmälan.

6. 6

   Step 6: Let the animal travel safely in the event of braking and never leave it alone in a car that can become warmer than 25 degrees or colder than minus 5 degrees.

7. 7

   Step 7: If you are moving abroad: get an EU passport and rabies vaccine in time, and deregister the animal from the Swedish register when it has left Sweden.

Source: Jordbruksverket: Mark and register cats, Jordbruksverket: Dog register, register and change information, Jordbruksverket: Transport dogs, Jordbruksverket: Transport cats, Jordbruksverket: Export dogs from Sweden. Step 2 and 4 are our tips.

How do I register my cat?

The cat must first be identified, with a chip or tattoo. Then you register as the owner in the Jordbruksverket's e-service Cat Register. It costs 40 kronor per cat and you pay with Swish or card. It may take up to an hour before the cat appears in the register. If you do not want to use the e-service, there is a form, which costs 100 kronor and is paid by invoice. Registration cannot be done by phone.

The cat must be marked and registered before it is four months old. The requirement applies to both indoor and outdoor cats, and also to cats that are already in a voluntary register with SVERAK or Svenska Kennelklubben. These registers are not transferred to Jordbruksverket.

Source: Swedish Board of Agriculture: Mark and register cats.

Since when do cats have to be registered?

Since 1 January 2023. Then the amendment to the law (2007:1150) on supervision of dogs and cats came into effect, which states that the owner of a dog or cat must have the animal marked permanently and register ownership with the Board of Agriculture. Cats born before 1 January 2008 are exempt. If you do not know how old the cat is, you can estimate it, preferably with the help of a veterinarian.

The County Administrative Board supervises the rules. If the cat is not marked or registered, the County Administrative Board informs the owner in the first instance, but it can also decide on an order with a fine.

Source: Law (2007:1150) on supervision of dogs and cats (riksdagen.se), Jordbruksverket: Mark and register cats. 2, 3 and 9 §§ and the transitional provisions to law (2022:186).

How do I register my dog?

The dog is marked with a microchip or tattoo before it is four months old, by a veterinarian or by someone who has completed an approved training in chip marking. If you buy an unmarked dog that is older than three months, it must be marked within four weeks. Then you register the dog in the Jordbruksverket's e-service Dog Register, for 40 kr with card or Swish, or with a form for 100 kr. The fee is paid once. If you have registered the dog with the Svenska Kennelklubben, it must still be in the Jordbruksverket's register.

Source: Jordbruksverket: Mark and register dogs, Jordbruksverket: Dog register, register and change information

Is my address changed in the register when I move?

For cats, yes. The Board of Agriculture writes that the address is updated automatically against Skatteverket and population registration information when you move. It assumes that you have made flyttanmälan to Skatteverket. If you change your phone number or email address, you change it yourself under My pages or through customer service.

For dogs, the Jordbruksverket says you should change the information in the dog register as soon as possible when circumstances change, for example a new phone number. In the e-service, you change the contact information yourself. Log in after the move and check that everything is correct.

Source: Jordbruksverket: Mark and register cats, Jordbruksverket: Mark and register dogs, Jordbruksverket: Dog register, register and change information.

How do I do an ownership change?

It is the new owner who registers the change of ownership, not the previous one. You need the animal's ID marking and the previous owner's personal identity number or organisation number. The change of ownership costs 40 kronor in the e-service and 100 kronor with a form. This applies to both cats and dogs and must be done within four weeks. If you lack the previous dog owner's personal identity number, you can write "previous owner unknown" on the form for change of ownership. It is only possible to register one owner per dog.

If you are separating and one of you takes the pet, it is not enough that the other moves out. The one keeping the pet must be registered as the owner.

Source: Jordbruksverket: Mark and register cats, Jordbruksverket: Mark and register dogs, Jordbruksverket: Dog register, register and change information.

Are pets allowed in a rental apartment?

The chapter on rental in jordabalken (the Swedish Land Code) does not mention pets. Therefore, read what your rental agreement and the house rules say before you move in with the animal, and ask the landlord if something is unclear.

The law sets requirements for you as a tenant regardless of what the agreement says. You should take care of the rental apartment well and compensate for damages that you or someone in the household causes. You should also ensure that the neighbours are not exposed to disturbances that they do not reasonably have to tolerate. In case of disturbances, the landlord should normally first ask you to ensure that they cease. If no correction is made without delay after the request, the rental apartment may be forfeited.

Source: Jordabalken, 12 chap. (riksdagen.se). 12 chap. 24, 25, 25 a and 42 §§ jordabalken.

What applies on moving day?

The animal must be secured in the event of sudden braking, for example in a transport cage or with a dog safety belt, and luggage must not be able to fall over it. Never leave the animal alone in the car if the temperature inside can exceed 25 degrees or drop below minus 5 degrees. A dog should be walked and given water at least every sixth hour during the journey and may stand in a stationary car for a maximum of three hours.

How the cat handles the actual move and the first weeks in the new home is in the post the cat after the move.

Source: Agriculture: Carrying dogs, Agriculture: Carrying cats

Move abroad with dog or cat

To another EU country, the animal must be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies and have an EU passport for pets from a veterinarian. The microchipping is done before vaccination, and the animal must be at least twelve weeks old. After the basic vaccination, you must wait 21 days before you travel. If the animal is microchipped on 22 April 2026 or later in Sweden, the chip must be approved by the Swedish Board of Agriculture.

Since 22 April 2026, Swedish passports can only be issued to those who are permanently resident in Sweden. Therefore, get your passport before you move. A passport that has already been issued is valid for the entire life of the animal. Some countries, such as Finland, Ireland, Malta, and Norway, require that dogs be dewormed against the fox tapeworm. Ask the veterinary authority in the country you are moving to in good time.

When the animal no longer lives in Sweden, you deregister it in the dog or cat register. The rest of the move, with notification to Skatteverket, is in the guide to moving abroad.

Source: Jordbruksverket: Exporting dogs from Sweden, Jordbruksverket: Exporting cats from Sweden, Jordbruksverket: New movement requirements for dogs, cats and ferrets (22 April 2026), Jordbruksverket: Dog register, register and change information, Jordbruksverket: Mark and register cats.

The law behind it

The sections summarised, with a link to the legal text on riksdagen.se.