How We Brought Our Dog to Norway. The Real Cost. The Real Process.

A lot of you have asked. So here we go.

It was easy. But it wasn’t.

When we took a dog to Korea years ago…read about it here, we paid a service to handle most of it for us. When we brought a dog back to the US from Korea… we literally just brought her back. I feel like I should go read that blog post myself because I honestly don’t remember how that worked. here is that blog

This time was different. We did a lot of research. We actually changed our travel plans more than once because of the rules of different countries and their entry policies.

For Norway specifically, we used this form to start figuring out what we needed.

Then we called our vet.

She told us she wasn’t qualified to do International Health Certificates for dogs and that we needed to contact Overland Park Veterinarian Center.

A smiling veterinary staff member with short blonde and black hair and glasses holds a fluffy golden Cavapoo dog at Overland Park Veterinary Center. — Q at Overland Park Veterinary Center. She answered every question, walked us through every step, and loved on Poppy the whole time. We could not have done this without her.

Q was incredible. She spoke with me multiple times to help sort through all of the paperwork. The biggest roadblock we ran into? The USDA no longer has a phone number for vet offices to call with questions. They can only email now. Every document for Poppy had to be signed and cleared by the State Vet. I didn’t even know that was a thing.

No less than 24 hours before landing in the new country and no more than 120 hours out. That was the window. Within that window, Poppy had to be treated for tapeworm and seen by the vet at OPVC. They checked her rabies vaccine, scanned her microchip, confirmed her other vaccines, and uploaded everything to the state. Then the USDA State Vet had to approve everything, stamp it, and overnight it back to us in time for our trip.

The paperwork, tapeworm treatment, and overnight shipping came to $693.92.

The real price of bringing your dog to Europe. Worth every penny.
Alt text: Invoice from Overland Park Veterinary Center totaling $693.92 for Poppy’s international health certificate, injectable deworming, Bordetella vaccine, FedEx overnight label, and related services.

Poppy’s seat on the plane was $200.

On our Delta flight, she was shaking the whole time. A wreck. So I did what any dog mom would do and tucked her in between Avilene and I. She slept the whole flight.

On the second flight. The big international one. She slept under my blanket, in my arms, almost the entire time.

Nicole and her daughter Avilene smile for a selfie on a Delta flight with a small golden Cavapoo tucked under a blanket between them. — Shaking at takeoff. Sound asleep by cruising altitude. She figured it out.

About 15 minutes before landing, a flight attendant told me she had to be in her kennel. I did mention that she had been sleeping peacefully the whole flight and we only had 15 minutes left… She just said “I’m just doing my job” and walked away.

Now here’s where it gets interesting.

When we boarded the KLM flight, there was the sweetest card waiting on our seat. See the photo below. It set the expectations right from the start. The flight attendants were incredibly kind. I did exactly as they asked. And I wouldn’t have thought twice about it.

A handwritten KLM notecard addressed to Nicole Damiano welcoming her and her dog on board, kindly asking that the dog remain in the travel kennel during the flight, and wishing them a wonderful flight to Oslo. Signed by Hilde from KLM with a hand drawn paw print. — This was waiting on our seat when we boarded. A handwritten note addressed to Mrs. Damiano and her four legged traveler. That is how you do it.

A small golden Cavapoo visible through the mesh window of a gray Texsens pet carrier placed under an airplane seat. — This was waiting on our seat when we boarded. A handwritten note addressed to Mrs. Damiano and her four legged traveler. That is how you do it.

Two very different ways to handle the exact same situation. And the only difference was setting expectations ahead of time.

I know some of you might say allergies. Poppy is hypoallergenic and doesn’t shed at all. The people sitting around us were cuddling with her too. So.

We were told that when we arrived in Amsterdam, customs would stamp her paperwork there.

But at 6am, customs wasn’t open yet. The immigration officers told us they only handle people passports. While they played with Poppy. While dance music played in the background.

It was awesome.

I immediately emailed the Mattilsynet in Norway to let them know she hadn’t cleared customs in Amsterdam. Once we landed in Oslo, we walked over to customs and the airport vet was already waiting for us. She scanned Poppy’s microchip, signed the paperwork, was incredibly pleasant about the whole thing, and sent us on our way.

Those documents are good for 4 months. Before they expire, she’ll need to get an official EU dog passport to travel between countries going forward.

The minute we got to the car, she hopped right into her car seat and rode all the way south to Arendal like it was nothing.

Poppy the Cavapoo curled up and sleeping in her gray car seat in the front seat console area while a child sleeps in the backseat and Nicole drives south toward Arendal Norway. — The moment we got to the car she hopped right in. Didn’t miss a beat. Kids were out cold. Poppy was unbothered. This is her happy place.

We could not have made this move if we’d had to leave her behind. We know how lucky we are to have such a small, good girl by our side.

Poppy the Cavapoo lying flat and exhausted on a blue couch in Arendal Norway still wearing her teal harness and small dog backpack after her first international travel day. — Still in her harness. Still wearing her little backpack. Fully done. Same girl, same.

Have questions about traveling internationally with a dog? Drop them below. Happy to share what we learned.

Your Questions, Answered

What breed is Poppy? She’s a Cavapoo. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle mix. Hypoallergenic, doesn’t shed, and apparently charming enough to win over immigration officers and flight attendants alike.

How far in advance do you need to start the paperwork? More than you think. The timing window for the tapeworm treatment is tight (no earlier than 120 hours before landing, no later than 24 hours). But getting your vet lined up, finding a vet who is qualified to do the International Health Certificate, and waiting on the USDA State Vet to approve and return documents all takes time. Give yourself several weeks minimum. More if you can.

Can any vet do this? No. And this caught us off guard. Our regular vet was not qualified to issue an International Health Certificate. We had to find a vet who was. For us, that was Overland Park Veterinarian Center. If you’re in the KC area, ask for Q. She is the best.

What does it cost? For us, the paperwork, tapeworm treatment, and overnight shipping of documents was $693.92. Her seat on the plane was $200. So just under $900 total to get her there legally and safely.

Can she travel between countries in Europe now? For the next 4 months, yes, with her current paperwork. After that, she will need an official EU dog passport. We will get that sorted before the documents expire.

What airline did you use? We flew Delta for the first leg and KLM for the international flight. KLM left a card on our seat welcoming Poppy. Delta’s flight attendant told us to put her away 15 minutes before landing. You can guess which experience we preferred.

Was it worth it? Without question. We could not have done this without her.