Exhibiting animals to the public

If you run a facility where you exhibit animals to the public, you must apply for a permit from the County Administrative Board. If you want to exhibit wild animals, you may need additional permits. If you organise visitor activities with animals and expect more than three visits per year, you must notify the County Administrative Board.

When do you need a permit?

You must apply for a permit if you exhibit animals to the public for seven or more days per year. This applies to facilities such as:

• zoos
• petting zoos
• wildlife parks
• open-air museums with animals
• tropical houses
• city farms or 4H farms
• aviaries in public gardens
• aquariums in restaurants or other public spaces (unless you have three or fewer aquariums, each with a volume under 1,000 litres)

Apply for a permit to exhibit animals to the public

If you own or plan to start a facility where animals will be exhibited to the public, begin by reviewing the relevant sections of the Swedish Board of Agriculture’s regulations.

Read the first general chapter and the specific chapters that apply to the animal species in your facility. A species index at the end will help you find the correct chapters.

Regulations on animal husbandry in zoos, Swedish Board of Agriculture (in Swedish) External link.

The County Administrative Board will inspect your facility

Once you have submitted your application and paid the fee, the County Administrative Board will inspect your facility to assess whether it meets the requirements for exhibiting animals to the public. If approved, you will receive a permit that is valid indefinitely.

Exhibiting wild animals

If you want to exhibit wild animals, you need to apply for several additional permits, including:

• A permit under the Species Protection Ordinance to exhibit the animals.
• A permit under the Hunting Ordinance to keep wild animals in enclosures.
• A permit under the Environmental Code to establish wildlife enclosures.

Exhibiting wild animals under the Species Protection Ordinance

A permit under the Species Protection Ordinance applies to all wild animals, not just endangered species. We only grant permits for facilities that are also approved for public exhibition under the Animal Welfare Ordinance.

Cases where a permit is not required:

• Temporary exhibitions, such as at trade fairs (but you must notify the County Administrative Board at least four weeks in advance).
• Exhibiting up to seven non-mammal species in appropriate numbers, if the activity’s main purpose is not public exhibition.
• Exhibiting aquariums with up to three tanks (each <1,000 litres) of fish/molluscs.

Wild animals in game parks

If you wish to establish a game park or keep wild animals in enclosures, you must apply for a permit.

Game parks

Visitor activities with animals

If you organise visitor activities where the public has direct contact with animals, you must notify the County Administrative Board if you expect three or more visits per year. Examples of visitor activities include:

• riding schools
• farms that receive school groups
• 4H farms
• therapy dogs
• dogs in healthcare.

You may need both a notification for visitor activities and a permit for public exhibition, depending on the nature of your facility.

Hygiene requirements for visitor activities

Special hygiene rules apply to facilities where visitors have direct contact with animals. Among other things:

• Visitors must be able to wash and disinfect their hands near the animals.
• Information must be provided to visitors on how to reduce the risk of spreading infections between animals and humans.

These rules apply if you operate a facility with:

• food-producing animals
• horses
• other types of animal keeping
• care or therapy dogs.

The County Administrative Board conducts inspections to ensure compliance with hygiene regulations.