- Arriving in Finland with a pet
- Where to stay with quarantined pets?
- Free veterinary services
- Where to buy pet food?
- Useful links
Pets traveling with owners from Ukraine are authorized to enter Finland without a prior application or permit. However, owners or representatives should contact Finnish Customs at the border as animals arriving from Ukraine require special care/quarantine for the first 30 days in Finland and may have to quarantine.
Arriving in Finland with a pet
- Register with Customs immediately at the Finnish border. You can get more information at the border crossing from the Finnish Immigration Service, the Police, and the Border Guard.
Walk the red line at customs
Speak with a customs officer
- If your dog has not been treated against Echinococcus multilocularis-tapeworm before entering Finland, the customs officer will provide you the treatment tablet for you to give to your dog under customs supervision. Collect the dog’s feces for 24 hours and dispose of it as general waste.
- Contact a local veterinarian within three days after arriving in Finland. If your dog, cat, or ferret does not have a microchip and/or does not have a rabies vaccination, the veterinarian will place a microchip on the pet and vaccinate the pet against rabies. The veterinarian will also take a blood sample to determine antibodies to rabies.
- You need to keep your pet isolated from other animals and humans for 30 days after vaccination. The isolation time is 30 days also when the vaccination has been given before entering Finland. Contact with other animals and humans should be minimized. Pets can be walked on a leash during isolation.
Where to stay with quarantined pets?
The Riihimäki reception center (Riihimäen vastaanottokeskus) accepts refugees with animals.
There is also a Facebook group Home Accommodation Network (in Finnish) for those who come with pets. The coordinator of the group is Viivi Viuha. Contact her and she will give you more information: +358 40 3380107.
Free veterinary services
Pups 'n Pets
Pups' n Pets Veterinary Clinic in Helsinki offers Ukrainian refugees a health review of their pets, vaccinations, microchips, and deworming. These services will be free! More information here.
Helsinki supervising veterinarians
You can treat your pet with supervising veterinarians in Helsinki. If you wish to bring your pet to the City of Helsinki’s supervising veterinarians for treatment, you should book an appointment. The city’s supervising veterinarians can also visit reception centers upon request if several animals need treatment.
The office of the City of Helsinki’s supervising veterinarians is located in the Helsinki district of Kalasatama at Tukkutorinkuja 3 C. Appointments and consultations are available on weekdays as follows:
- By email from 08:15-16:00 (kymp.elainsuojelu@hel.fi)
- By phone from 09:00-10:00 (09 310 31531)
Veterinary Teaching Hospital
In Helsinki, you can also contact Yliopistollinen eläinsairaala at Koetilantie 2. It is always open, and services to Ukrainian migrants are free. We recommend booking your time in advance by calling one of the phone numbers on their website.
Veterinary Clinic of Espoo
Parasite control and rabies vaccination are free of charge by appointment at the Espoo Veterinary Clinic. You can make an appointment by calling 09 8168 4458. More details here.
Where to buy pet food?
Lidl, Prisma, K-Citymarket, Tokmanni, Musti & Mirri, Ihmeotus.
