SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) lets small dogs and cats fly in the cabin and carries larger dogs and cats in the hold. A cabin pet and its carrier can weigh up to 8 kg, but the carrier itself must be small: 40 x 25 x 23 cm, one of the tightest size limits among major airlines. Between Scandinavia and the US, the fee is USD 105 for a cabin pet and USD 370 for the hold, per container, one way. Pets in the hold can weigh up to 50 kg with the crate. SAS will not carry pets as baggage to or from the United Kingdom, and since April 2025 it refuses dogs flying to the US if they have been in a high-risk rabies country within the previous six months.
This guide follows SAS's pet in cabin page and its pets in the hold page as read in October 2026. Check the current rules with SAS before you fly.
SAS pet rules at a glance
The table brings the main limits and fees together.
| Rule | Cabin | Hold |
|---|---|---|
| Animals accepted | Small dogs and cats over 8 weeks | Dogs and cats only |
| Weight limit | 8 kg including pet | 50 kg including pet |
| Container | Soft carrier, max 40 x 25 x 23 cm | IATA escape-proof crate; max size depends on aircraft |
| Fee: domestic Scandinavia | USD 60 | USD 100 |
| Fee: Scandinavia, Europe, Middle East | USD 80 (EUR 75) | USD 195 (EUR 169) |
| Fee: Asia, Canada, US | USD 105 (EUR 99) | USD 370 (EUR 340) |
| Fee: China | USD 159 | USD 775 |
| Booking | At booking or up to 24 hours before, in My trips | Through SAS Customer Service, up to 24 hours before |
Flying with a pet in the SAS cabin
You can bring a small dog or cat older than 8 weeks in the cabin if it fits in an approved carrier under the seat in front of you. Each traveler can bring one carrier, holding up to two healthy pets of the same species. The carrier counts as your carry-on bag, so plan your own cabin luggage around it.
The pet must be fully weaned, and every pet under 14 weeks needs a veterinarian's certificate. It must stay inside the carrier for the whole flight and be able to stand, turn around and lie down comfortably in it. Arrive at least two hours before departure to check in and clear security.
The carrier must be soft-sided, fully closeable, well ventilated, and bite-proof and leak-proof, with a maximum size of 40 x 25 x 23 cm and a maximum weight of 8 kg with the pet inside. That footprint is noticeably smaller than the 55 x 40 x 23 cm many European airlines allow. A carrier that is fine on Lufthansa or SWISS may be too big for SAS, so measure before you buy. SAS warns that a pet that does not meet the requirements may be denied boarding.
Pets are not allowed in the cabin in SAS Business on flights to or from North America and Asia, or on SAS charter flights. For more on preparing a cat, see our guide to flying with a cat in the cabin.
How to book a cabin pet
SAS limits the number of pets on each flight, so request the pet when you book or at the latest 24 hours before departure, under My trips. If SAS can carry the pet, you will see an option to book it online. If you cannot add the pet online within 24 hours of buying your ticket, contact SAS Customer Service.
Flying with a pet in the SAS hold
Pets that do not meet the cabin rules travel in the hold. SAS carries only dogs and cats there, and you cannot visit the pet during the flight. To book, contact SAS Customer Service when you book or up to 24 hours before departure, subject to availability. If the pet is confirmed, fill out SAS's Certificate for Transportation of Animals and bring two copies to the airport. That form is not required on domestic flights within Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
If your hold request is denied within 24 hours of booking and you rebook your flight, SAS waives the rebooking fee, though you still pay any fare difference.
The crate must be escape-proof and meet IATA regulations; SAS says a non-compliant crate may be refused at check-in. The total weight limit is 50 kg including the pet, and the maximum crate size depends on the aircraft type, so ask Customer Service for the limits on your specific flights. Our guide on choosing a pet transport crate explains IATA sizing.
Cabin or hold: which to choose
If your pet fits the 8 kg limit and the small SAS carrier, the cabin is usually the better choice. It costs less than a third of the hold fee on US routes (USD 105 against USD 370), the pet stays with you, and there is no crate to buy. The catch is the carrier size. A cat or a small dog that is comfortable in a 40 x 25 x 23 cm bag is fine; a pet that is under 8 kg but long-bodied, like a Dachshund, may not be able to stand and turn around in it, and SAS can refuse it at the gate. In that case the hold is the honest answer, with a crate sized to the pet.
For dogs over 8 kg the hold is the only passenger option. Check the crate size against the aircraft on every leg, including any regional connection, before booking. Our comparison of cargo and in-cabin travel covers the trade-offs in more detail.
Before you buy the ticket
- Weigh the pet in its carrier or crate.
- Measure the carrier against 40 x 25 x 23 cm.
- Confirm the travel class allows a cabin pet on your route.
- For the US, confirm the dog's age, microchip and travel history for the last six months.
- Check whether any destination on the route accepts pets only as cargo.
- Book soon after buying the ticket, since pet spaces per flight are limited.
Sharing a crate
Up to two adult pets of similar size, each up to 14 kg, can share one crate, but not on flights to the US. Up to three pets aged 6 months or less from the same litter can also share. If you are moving two dogs to the US on SAS, plan on two crates and two fees.
Snub-nosed breeds
Some flat-faced dogs, such as Bulldogs, Pugs, Pekingese and their crossbreeds, cannot travel in the SAS hold for health reasons. Other snub-nosed dogs and cats may travel in the hold if the crate is large enough and the door has open bars from top to bottom for extra ventilation. That is a more flexible approach than airlines that refuse every flat-faced breed, but the decision on a borderline breed sits with SAS, so ask before booking. Small flat-faced pets can fly in the cabin if they fit the 8 kg limit and the carrier size. Our guide to snub-nosed breeds and flying explains the health risk.
SAS pet fees
Fees are charged per pet container, per one-way flight, and vary by route:
- Cabin, domestic: 420 DKK, 550 NOK, 550 SEK, 55 EUR or 60 USD.
- Cabin, Scandinavia, Europe and the Middle East: 550 DKK, 750 NOK, 750 SEK, 75 EUR or 80 USD.
- Cabin, Asia, Canada and the US: 740 DKK, 990 NOK, 990 SEK, 99 EUR or 105 USD.
- Cabin, China: 1,100 DKK, 1,540 NOK, 1,540 SEK, 149 EUR or 159 USD.
- Hold, domestic: 680 DKK, 950 NOK, 950 SEK, 90 EUR or 100 USD.
- Hold, Scandinavia, Europe and the Middle East: 1,250 DKK, 1,740 NOK, 1,740 SEK, 169 EUR or 195 USD.
- Hold, Asia, Canada and the US: 2,500 DKK, 3,500 NOK, 3,500 SEK, 340 EUR or 370 USD.
- Hold, China: 5,400 DKK, 7,600 NOK, 7,600 SEK, 725 EUR or 775 USD.
Service dogs travel free in the cabin. Because fees are per flight, a connecting trip such as New York to Copenhagen to Helsinki adds a second fee for the intra-Europe leg.
Dogs flying to the US on SAS
For flights departing from April 22, 2025, SAS applies the CDC dog import rules to every dog flying to the US, including service dogs. The dog must be at least 6 months old and have a microchip, and you must complete the CDC Dog Import Form and bring it to the airport. SAS adds its own restriction: if the dog has been in a high-risk rabies country within the last six months, it cannot fly with SAS to the US at all, even though the CDC allows such dogs in through certain routes with extra paperwork. Dogs that do not comply are denied boarding.
The CDC dog import page sets out the federal rules, and our guide to importing a dog into the US covers the form, the microchip and the high-risk country list.
The UK, Greenland, Svalbard and Iceland
SAS does not accept pets in the cabin or as checked baggage on flights to and from the United Kingdom; pets must go as cargo. Certified service animals can still fly in the cabin. Our guide to pet transport to the UK explains the cargo process.
Greenland requires special permission from the Greenlandic Representation to bring in a pet. Svalbard requires permission from the Norwegian animal health authority for a dog, and cats are not allowed there at all. Iceland requires an import licence from the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority. Note that Icelandair no longer carries pets on international flights, which makes SAS one of the routes people look at; see our Icelandair pet policy guide for the Iceland import rules.
Flying into Scandinavia from the US
Denmark, Sweden and Finland follow EU pet travel rules, and Norway applies the same framework as an EEA country. A dog or cat from the US needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination given after the microchip and an EU animal health certificate completed by a USDA-accredited vet and endorsed by APHIS. Some destinations add requirements, such as tapeworm treatment for dogs entering Norway and Finland, so check the country page before travel. The European Commission's pet movement page has the EU rules.
Pets in SAS lounges
Service animals and small cats and dogs are welcome in SAS lounges as long as they stay in their carriers and with their owners, except in Norway. Plan for that on long layovers in Copenhagen or Stockholm. A pet traveling in the hold will not be with you in the lounge, and you cannot reach it until arrival. If you have a long connection with a cabin pet, find the airport's pet relief area before you settle in, and bring absorbent pads in your carry-on in case the pet needs to go during the trip.
Emotional support animals
SAS does not accept emotional support animals as service animals. An emotional support dog or cat can still travel as a pet under the cabin or hold rules and fees. Only trained service dogs fly free in the cabin.
A sample plan: a cat from Chicago to Copenhagen
Say you are moving to Copenhagen with a 4 kg cat. Measure your carrier against the 40 x 25 x 23 cm limit first, because many standard airline carriers are larger. Buy a ticket in Economy or Premium, not Business, since Business on North America routes does not allow cabin pets. Add the cat in My trips right after booking; if the option does not appear within 24 hours, call Customer Service. Get the EU health certificate from a USDA-accredited vet and have it endorsed by APHIS in the window the rules allow. On the day, arrive two hours early with the carrier and documents. The fee is USD 105 one way.
Common mistakes
- Bringing a 55 cm carrier that exceeds the SAS 40 x 25 x 23 cm limit.
- Booking Business on a transatlantic flight with a cabin pet.
- Planning to put two dogs in one crate on a US flight.
- Booking a dog to the US that has been in a high-risk rabies country within six months.
- Forgetting the two copies of the animal transport certificate for a hold pet.