Spiders traveling to Sweden?

[Aline]

Hello,

I will soon be moving from Canada to Sweden and I would love to take my spiders with me if possible (I have 2 Ts and 2 jumpers). I have searched the Jordbruksverket (Swedish Board of Agriculture) website and they have information on importing other pets, but don't mention spiders at all :
https://djur.jordbruksverket.se/swe...als/import.4.6621c2fb1231eb917e680002950.html
They say that other animals would be considered trade, but don't offer much information on the "Trade" part of the website either.

Has anyone ever transported Ts from Canada to Sweden?

What about air travel? What companies allow spiders?

Any help would be great, thank you!

 

[Ian14]

What species are your tarantulas?
Some species are CITES listed which means you will need permits.

 

[Aline]

What species are your tarantulas?
Some species are CITES listed which means you will need permits.

I've checked and they are not in the CITES list. If I understand I still need some kind of permit though?

 

[Ian14]

I've checked and they are not in the CITES list. If I understand I still need some kind of permit though?

If they are not CITES Annex A or B/Appendix I or II then there is no permit needed unless the Swedes have some internal law.
The lists do change though.
The simplest way to get the answers you need will be to contact the relevant Swedish government department, find out what they require, and the same with the relevant Canadian department.
Also familiarise yourself with IATA requirements.

 

[Ian14]

I've checked and they are not in the CITES list. If I understand I still need some kind of permit though?

I've had a look and cannot see anything. Animal import controls are for two reasons.
1) disease control
2) conservation.

Inverts pose no threat disease-wise
Conservation is covered via CITES.
I can advise you on where you stand with CITES species, but without knowing what species you have i cant help.
There appears to be no Swedish specific permit just for importing animals.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Those kind of things are always a gray area, to say the least. Seems (to me, at least) that European nations doesn't bother too much when spiders and other bugs are packed and shipped from nation A to nation B (especially between EU nations, fast shipping, virtually no customs) - mostly because they don't bother to check, IMO - but travelling with those "as pets" may be another story.

The only option you have is to directly contact all of those Sweden offices etc because reading (and to trust in good faith what's written there) may not be enough for you, and for your spiders.

 

[Ian14]

Those kind of things are always a gray area, to say the least. Seems (to me, at least) that European nations doesn't bother too much when spiders and other bugs are packed and shipped from nation A to nation B (especially between EU nations, fast shipping, virtually no customs) - mostly because they don't bother to check, IMO - but travelling with those "as pets" may be another story.

The only option you have is to directly contact all of those Sweden offices etc because reading (and to trust in good faith what's written there) may not be enough for you, and for your spiders.

That's due to the borderless trade within the EU and free movement of goods. Once they are legally imported they can then be moved from one EU cou try to another.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

That's due to the borderless trade within the EU and free movement of goods. Once they are legally imported they can then be moved from one EU cou try to another.

But then, you have nations where to import spiders (legally or not) is not permitted, like here in Italy - after the 2003 arachnid's law. No matter if you import those from other EU nations or extra UE.
There's other EU nations where, simply, spiders import/keeping/trade may seem legal only because that isn't regulated at all (like the situation exactly was, in Italy, prior 2003). So you never know until 'you' scavenge well.

 

[Ian14]

But then, you have nations where to import spiders (legally or not) is not permitted, like here in Italy - after the 2003 arachnid's law. No matter if you import those from other EU nations or extra UE.
There's other EU nations where, simply, spiders import/keeping/trade may seem legal only because that isn't regulated at all (like the situation exactly was, in Italy, prior 2003). So you never know until 'you' scavenge well.

Thats a piece of domestic legislation, not part of an international treaty.
This is why i said from the off that the OP needs to contact the Swedish authorities.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Thats a piece of domestic legislation, not part of an international treaty.
This is why i said from the off that the OP needs to contact the Swedish authorities.

Domestic legislation, which is basically everything that matters when it comes to those issues.

You said "Once they are legally imported they can then be moved from one EU country to another." but this statement isn't true at all, as proved here in Italy. Now, sorry, but do you know every EU and extra EU European nations laws/regulations about importing spiders? I don't.

I'm with you when suggesting to contact Swedish authorities. I said that as well, above. Why? Because there's Sweden domestic legislations about to consider. An International treaty is, for instance, the CITES one, of course active here in Italy as well. But definitely not something like importing spiders, as pets, from nation A to nation B is.

In fact, there's a reason if a lot of online spiders sellers ship spiders (purchased legally, by the customers) into kinda "anonymous" (I mean, without spider drawings or something that may pinpoint spiders) sorta brownish marmalade box packages.
Why they do that, if there's no issues, if spiders are legally purchased and therefore, imported, like other goods?

 

[Ian14]

You said "Once they are legally imported they can then be moved from one EU country to another."
In terms of CITES yes. This is exactly the case.


I've just had a quick look and I cannot find anything that states that arachnids cannot be imported into Italy.
Perhaps you could provide a link to the relevant legislation that says otherwise?

 

[Aline]

I have written to the Swedish Agriculture bord, which seems to be in charge of animal import and that kind of thing, but still haven't had a reply. I'll probably try contacting the consulate. I've been told to try to get in touch with a shipping broker in Sweden, if all else fails.
I guess I'll probably just find new houses for me spiders here... I really love them but this seems very complicated. I have a /Hapalopus sp./ Columbia large, a /Grammostola rosea/ and 2 /Phiddipus audax/.
Thanks for all the info, Chris and Ian!

 

[Chris LXXIX]

You said "Once they are legally imported they can then be moved from one EU country to another."
In terms of CITES yes. This is exactly the case.

The CITES is an international agreement between nations, a treaty that as we know stands for the protection, at 360°, of various protected animals, plants etc basically against the smugglers/illegal trade of said CITES covered animals/plants. Enters also in the CB breeding of those, as well.
But CITES or not, if the CITES animal is an arachnid, first and foremost, in Italy, there's that law - an arachnid is an arachnid, so a CITES arachnid isn't exception.

The single nation, domestic law/s about. This, and only this, is what matters when it comes to import/bring with you (like this case) arachnids.

I've just had a quick look and I cannot find anything that states that arachnids cannot be imported into Italy.
Perhaps you could provide a link to the relevant legislation that says otherwise?

This is the official page about that law (law 213) of the Italian Parliament. Of course you will have to translate that.
What you want to read about importing/keeping etc is in red, here at: Art. 1 - Point 2.

L 213/2003

 

[Ian14]

The CITES is an international agreement between nations, a treaty that as we know stands for the protection, at 360°, of various protected animals, plants etc basically against the smugglers/illegal trade of said CITES covered animals/plants. Enters also in the CB breeding of those, as well.
But CITES or not, if the CITES animal is an arachnid, first and foremost, in Italy, there's that law - an arachnid is an arachnid, so a CITES arachnid isn't exception.

The single nation, domestic law/s about. This, and only this, is what matters when it comes to import/bring with you (like this case) arachnids.



This is the official page about that law (law 213) of the Italian Parliament. Of course you will have to translate that.
What you want to read about importing/keeping etc is in red, here at: Art. 1 - Point 2.

L 213/2003

View attachment 362200

Well that is very open. Such badly worded law! It says only species capable of fatal or disabling are prohibited. Many species are not disabling never mind fatal.
But how is "disabling" defined? In UK law, this would be given a very clear definition so that it was obvious if it was banned or not.
Then again we have the Dangerous Wild Animals Act that simply lists banned species. But if you get a licence, you can still keep them.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Well that is very open. Such badly worded law! It says only species capable of fatal or disabling are prohibited. Many species are not disabling never mind fatal.
But how is "disabling" defined? In UK law, this would be given a very clear definition so that it was obvious if it was banned or not.
Then again we have the Dangerous Wild Animals Act that simply lists banned species. But if you get a licence, you can still keep them.

England (and the whole UK) in my opinion have the best, keepers friendly, arachnids (and venomous animals in general) laws. Italy, prior 2003, was ok. But was ok simply because... existed no regulation at all which means basically, here in Italy = no one bothered to check and do something prior that date.

This lasted until 2003, when in Roma's airport, a container full of arachnids crushed and bugs went all over. This is what the major mainstream news told us. Still today I have yet to see a pic of that, but whatever. Anyway, the very next days they made that law. They banned the keeping (and import/export/whatever) of every arachnids. Every.

Only after a battle - that lasted a couple of years - made by the Italian arachnids association, they somewhat accepted to give again to keepers the right to keep non lethal arachnids (for non lethal I mean that potent venom OW's spiders are ok, but not the like of widows and so forth, more venomous).

Of course, that law basically destroyed, more than T's (no T's venom is lethal, at the end) the scorpions trade/hobby.

Funny detail, since 'pedes aren't arachnids, when harmless Grammostola rosea (and such) were banned, we had the right to keep the likes of Scolopendra subspinipes (ah ah ah) since, as non arachnids, they weren't part of that law.

Still today if someone is spotted into importing T's may face consequences, since that law wasn't disbanded. Which means: Keep T's at home (as those T's arrived at your place for magic) it's ok, but if the parcel from UK/Germany etc is spotted, it's a serious issue.

With that said, obviously, Italians are still into T's.

My point of this whole story, anyway, was that we never know what or which domestic law is in place in a single, specific, EU nation, about arachnids (and thus, the import of those etc).

For instance, here on this site, I've read from France users that similar restrictions exists in France. My opinion is that, in a lot of other nations, the whole hobby isn't regulated at all, like was here in Italy prior 2003.

Hands down to UK, for that it's pretty well, fair enough regulated there.

 

[Pana Lemontzis]

Hello,

I will soon be moving from Canada to Sweden and I would love to take my spiders with me if possible (I have 2 Ts and 2 jumpers). I have searched the Jordbruksverket (Swedish Board of Agriculture) website and they have information on importing other pets, but don't mention spiders at all :
https://djur.jordbruksverket.se/swe...als/import.4.6621c2fb1231eb917e680002950.html
They say that other animals would be considered trade, but don't offer much information on the "Trade" part of the website either.

Has anyone ever transported Ts from Canada to Sweden?

What about air travel? What companies allow spiders?

Any help would be great, thank you!

Hello. I am contacting to find out what you did. I am moving from canada to greece, did the whole thing go well?