Travelling home with your French Bulldog puppy from Sweden
Families outside Sweden often ask the same two questions: when can the puppy travel, and how does it get here? This guide walks through the timeline, the ways to travel and what the day itself looks like.
Updated · 5 min read
When a puppy is old enough to travel
In Sweden a puppy may leave its mother from eight weeks. Crossing a border takes longer, because almost every destination asks for a rabies vaccination, and that vaccination can only be given from 12 weeks of age.
Within the EU the vaccination becomes valid 21 days after it is given. That makes about 15 weeks the earliest realistic age for a puppy to travel to another EU country. Some destinations ask for more, such as a blood test or a higher minimum age, which pushes the date further out.
- 8 weeks: earliest homecoming within Sweden.
- 12 weeks: earliest rabies vaccination.
- About 15 weeks: earliest travel within the EU (12 weeks + 21 days).
- 6 months or more: some destinations, for example the US, currently set a higher minimum age.
Those extra weeks are not lost. The puppy stays with its mother and littermates, keeps its routines and continues its socialisation at home with us until the day it leaves.
Ways to bring your puppy home
There are three ways a puppy usually leaves Stockholm. Which one suits you depends on where you live and on the rules of your country.
- Collection in Stockholm. Visits to our home in Stockholm are by appointment once your application has been approved, and many families combine collection with that visit.
- By car within Scandinavia. A calm car journey with regular stops is often the gentlest option for nearby destinations.
- Flight nanny. An experienced escort flies with the puppy in the cabin to your nearest international airport. Read how a flight nanny works.
We do not send French Bulldogs in the cargo hold. Snub-nosed breeds breathe less efficiently, and many airlines restrict them in the hold for that reason. The options on our delivery page are the ones we use.
An overview by region
Every country has its own rules, and they change. The overview below is meant to show you what to expect, not to replace the official source. The full paperwork is explained in our guide to importing a French Bulldog from Sweden.
European Union. A microchip, an EU pet passport and a valid rabies vaccination are the base. Because a puppy changes owner, the move is usually treated as a commercial movement, which adds an official health certificate. Finland and Ireland also require a tapeworm treatment shortly before arrival, and so does Norway outside the EU.
United Kingdom. Since Brexit, Great Britain has its own import rules with an official health certificate, rabies vaccination and tapeworm treatment. The UK has also moved to raise the minimum age for imported puppies, so check the current age limit early.
United States. The US currently requires dogs entering the country to be at least six months old, microchipped and registered with an import form before travel. In practice that means a later homecoming than within Europe.
UAE and the Gulf. An import permit is issued before travel, and a rabies antibody blood test may be needed in addition to the vaccination. Each Gulf country sets its own rules, and airlines on these routes have their own policies for snub-nosed breeds.
Rules change. Before you plan dates, check the current requirements with your country's official authority and the airline. We confirm the details with you for your destination.
What happens before the journey
Once your puppy has been offered to you from the waitlist and the contract has been signed, we plan the journey together. We prepare the documents that start in Sweden: microchip, vaccinations, passport and the veterinary health certificate. You take care of anything that has to be applied for in your own country, such as an import permit or a registration form.
In the final weeks you receive updates on how the puppy is doing, and we agree on the travel date, the airport or meeting point and who will be there to receive the puppy.
What the travel day looks like
On the day of travel the puppy has a light meal a few hours before departure, a last walk in the garden and a calm start. We hand over the documents together with the puppy, and you get a message when it leaves and when it lands.
- Light meal and a short play session at home in the morning.
- Documents checked one last time against the destination's list.
- Departure by car or to Stockholm Arlanda with the escort.
- Water and short rests during the journey, kept quiet and cool.
- Handover to you at the arrival hall or at your door.
Bring a soft blanket, a bowl and some of the food the puppy is used to. Plan a quiet drive home rather than an afternoon of visits.
The first days after arrival
A journey is tiring even for a calm puppy. Let it sleep, offer water and a small meal, and keep the first evening quiet. Book a check-up with your own vet within the first week and register the microchip in your country if that is required.
For routines, house training and socialising, read the first weeks with your puppy.
Frequently asked questions
How old is the puppy when it travels abroad?
Within the EU usually from about 15 weeks, after the rabies vaccination at 12 weeks and the 21-day waiting period. Some countries, such as the US, currently require an older age.
Does the puppy fly in the cargo hold?
No. We do not send French Bulldogs in the hold. They travel in the cabin with a flight nanny, by car or are collected in Stockholm.
Can I collect my puppy in Stockholm myself?
Yes. Visits to our home in Stockholm are by appointment once your application has been approved, and collection can be arranged the same way.
Who prepares the travel documents?
We prepare the Swedish side: microchip, vaccinations, passport and health certificate. You apply for anything your own country issues, such as an import permit.
