Swedish trains, buses and metros carry dogs, almost always for free. Getting on board is rarely the question. What matters is where in the vehicle the dog goes, and the few places where a ticket or a booking is needed.
When you need this
You’re planning a car-free trip across Sweden with a dog. Or you’re on a Stockholm platform wondering which car to board. Or you’ve booked a Malmö–Copenhagen train, need a taxi from the station, or travel with a guide dog and have just been met by a “no dogs” sign.
How the rules are organised
There is no national rule. Each of Sweden’s 21 regions runs its own buses, trams and local trains under its own travel terms. Long-distance trains are sold by competing companies, and each has its own pet policy.
In practice the rules look alike almost everywhere:
- Dogs are welcome and usually ride free.
- The dog is leashed or carried in a bag or cage.
- The dog stays on the floor, never on a seat.
- The dog rides in a marked part of the vehicle, so passengers with fur allergies have animal-free space.
The exception to every placement rule is the guide or assistance dog (ledarhund, assistanshund). It rides free and may sit anywhere.
Long-distance trains: SJ and Snälltåget
SJ, the main intercity operator, lets you bring two animals free. The condition is the booking: you must reserve a seat in the area where pets are allowed by choosing “Specific request”, then “Pets allowed”, while you book. You can’t add the dog on board. Book early on busy departures, because if the pets-allowed seats are gone, the dog can’t travel on that departure in the normal way.
Two details are reported by a third-party travel guide but not confirmed on SJ’s own pages. The first is that pet seats are in second class only. The second is that a larger dog costs a youth fare. Check both in the booking flow.
On couchette night trains, SJ allows animals only in two marked compartments per couchette car (djurkupé). You book the whole compartment at a fixed price. That rule comes from a 2015 SJ announcement, so confirm it when booking.
Guide-dog handlers can get a free extra seat for the dog on SJ. It is booked by phone, not online, and the dog may go anywhere on the train.
Snälltåget works differently: one pet per traveller, in a designated animal section, at the same price as a child ticket. Don’t assume one company’s terms apply on another’s train.
Stockholm, Gothenburg and Skåne
These are the three biggest regional systems. Each puts the dog somewhere different.
| System | Cost | Limit | Where the dog rides |
|---|---|---|---|
| SL (Stockholm) | Free | Two leashed animals per person | Newer metro trains: middle section of each car. Older trains and commuter trains: cars with a dog sticker at the doors |
| Västtrafik (Gothenburg region) | Free | Not stated | Very back of buses and trams; pet-allowed car on trains (first or last); starboard side on boats |
| Southern Sweden (Skånetrafiken and five other regions) | Free within Sweden | Two per traveller | Marked space or where staff direct; never on seats |
In Stockholm, a crossed-out dog sign marks a car kept animal-free for passengers with allergies. In western Sweden, pälsdjur (fur animals) go to the back of buses and trams, and Västtrafik asks you to keep the dog on the floor so fur doesn’t stay on the seats.
The southern terms are shared by Skånetrafiken, Blekingetrafiken, Hallandstrafiken, Jönköpings Länstrafik, Kalmar länstrafik and Länstrafiken Kronoberg. They add one condition worth knowing: a pet judged disruptive can be refused boarding or put off the vehicle, and you lose the rest of the trip.
Elsewhere in Sweden, the structure is similar but the terms are local. Look for the regional operator’s husdjur (pets) or djur (animals) page.
Crossing to Denmark on Öresundståg
The Öresundståg regional trains run by VR Sverige since 14 December 2025 follow the southern Swedish terms. Within Sweden a dog rides free. Crossing the bridge to Denmark changes the rules:
- A small pet in a carrier no larger than 100 × 60 × 30 cm travels free.
- A larger dog pays a child/youth single fare.
- Each traveller may bring only one dog.
If you’re heading to Copenhagen with two dogs, that limit decides the plan before the fare does.
Ferries
Long international crossings run on their own pet systems, covered in detail in our ferry guides:
- Kiel–Gothenburg (Stena Line): the pet cabin must be pre-booked, and the dog may not stay in the car. See ferries from Germany.
- Travemünde–Malmö (Finnlines): a cabin is compulsory when travelling with a pet.
- Helsingør–Helsingborg: dogs need no ticket and travel leashed. See ferries from Denmark.
- Gotland: the dog can stay in the car with one visit, or ride in the pet lounge or a pet cabin. See the Gotland ferry.
On Västtrafik’s local boats, pets stay on the starboard (styrbord) side.
Taxis and assistance dogs
Taxis are the one mode where a pet can simply be turned away. Taxi Stockholm welcomes animals but says some cars or drivers can’t take them, so tick “djur medföljer” (animal travelling) when you book in the app, online or by phone. A taxi you hail without warning may refuse. Other companies set their own practice. For how Swedish taxis work in general, see taxis in Sweden.
Assistance dogs are a different matter. Sweden’s Equality Ombudsman (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen, DO) says people who use guide or assistance dogs are protected by the Discrimination Act, and that the protection applies in public transport, färdtjänst (subsidised transport for people with disabilities) and taxis. In three 2023 cases DO found that a general dog ban cannot be applied to guide or assistance dog users. Those cases involved a supermarket, a café and a restaurant, not a taxi.
What about a driver with an allergy? DO says both handlers and allergic people have rights, and that the answer comes through planning and dialogue, not by refusing the passenger outright.
Muzzles, leashes and seats
None of the travel terms we read, from SL, Västtrafik, the southern regions, SJ and Snälltåget, requires a muzzle.
What the terms do require is consistent:
- A leash (koppel) or a bag or cage. Carry a leash even if you use a carrier.
- The dog on the floor. Southern terms forbid pets on seats, so bring a mat or towel.
- Good behavior. Staff can act on a disruptive animal.
Travelling off-peak helps, because small animal areas fill up. And remember the destination. From 1 March to 20 August Swedish law requires dogs to be kept from running loose where there is wildlife. That starts when you step off the train into the countryside — see the leash law.
Practical information
| Mode | Dog fare | Booking or condition |
|---|---|---|
| SL, Stockholm | Free | Two leashed animals per person; marked cars or sections |
| Västtrafik | Free | Back of bus/tram; pet-allowed train car |
| Skånetrafiken and southern regions (within Sweden) | Free | Two per traveller; marked space |
| Öresundståg to Denmark | Small pet in carrier free; larger dog a child/youth single | One dog per traveller |
| SJ day trains | Free, two animals | Seat booked under “Pets allowed” |
| SJ couchette | Whole compartment at a fixed price | Marked animal compartment |
| Snälltåget | Same as a child fare | One pet per traveller |
| Taxi Stockholm | Not stated | Tick “djur medföljer” when booking |
| Guide or assistance dog | Free | May sit anywhere |
FAQ
Can I take my dog on the Stockholm metro?
Yes, and it rides free. SL requires the dog to be leashed or carried in a bag or cage, with at most two animals on a leash per person. On newer metro trains stand in the middle section of each car; on older trains and commuter trains use a car marked with a dog sticker at the doors. Guide and assistance dogs may go anywhere.
Can dogs travel on SJ trains in Sweden?
Yes. SJ lets you bring two animals free, but you must reserve a seat in the pets-allowed area by choosing “Specific request”, then “Pets allowed”, when booking. On couchette night trains, animals are allowed only in marked compartments, and you book the whole compartment. Guide-dog handlers can phone SJ for a free extra seat anywhere on the train.
Do dogs need a ticket on buses in Sweden?
Usually not. SL, Västtrafik and the six southern regions, including Skånetrafiken, carry dogs free. Each region sets its own terms, so check the local operator. The exception to watch is Öresundståg into Denmark, where a larger dog pays a child or youth single fare and only one dog per traveller is allowed.
Does my dog need a muzzle on Swedish public transport?
None of the travel terms we read, from SL, Västtrafik, the southern regions, SJ and Snälltåget, requires a muzzle. What they require is a leash or a carrier, the dog on the floor rather than a seat, and good behavior: in southern Sweden staff may refuse a pet that disturbs other passengers.
Can a taxi refuse my dog in Sweden?
A pet, yes. Some taxis are kept animal-free and some drivers cannot take animals, which is why Taxi Stockholm asks you to tick “djur medföljer” when booking. An assistance dog is different: the Equality Ombudsman says disability-discrimination protection applies in taxis, and a driver’s allergy is to be solved through planning and dialogue, not by a blanket refusal.
Where should my dog sit on a bus or tram?
At the back. Västtrafik requires fur animals at the very back of buses and trams to give allergic passengers space, and asks you to keep the dog on the floor. In southern Sweden pets go in the marked space and never on seats. Guide and assistance dogs may sit anywhere.
Related guides
- Bringing your dog into Sweden — the chip, passport and customs registration come before any train.
- The leash law — what applies once you step off at the other end.
- Dog-friendly places to stay — where the journey ends.
- Ferries from Germany — pet cabins and why the dog can’t stay in the car.
- Getting around Sweden — the whole transport system, with or without a dog.
Facts verified 2026-09-24. Sources: SJ, SL, Västtrafik, the southern Swedish regions’ joint travel terms, Snälltåget, Taxi Stockholm and Diskrimineringsombudsmannen — full register in this topic’s source file. Operators change their terms; no fare amounts are published here. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.