Bringing fish home: the export document, packing, airline rules

Checked on 05.10.2026. The quota and document rules below were read on the official pages linked in each paragraph. Airline rules were not confirmed, so for those we tell you what to ask instead of what to expect.

Catching the fish is half of it. Getting it home legally and cold is the other half. This guide covers the quota, the document, the packing and the questions for your airline. For the other rules of the trip see fishing in Norway 2026.

The export quota

In 2026 the export quota is 15 kg of fish or fish product per person. You can use it up to two times per year. You must be 12 or older. The fish must come from a trip with a registered tourist fishing business where you also stayed. Our camp is a registered tourist fishing business. Source: Fiskeridirektoratet

Trophy fish count inside the quota, not on top of it. A big halibut fillet eats into your 15 kg (2026) like any other. The rules do not cover salmon, trout, char or freshwater fish. Source: Fiskeridirektoratet

What counts toward the kilograms

The quota speaks of «fish or fish product», so fillets count. The customs page adds that the quota includes processed products such as fish fillet and the like. Source: Tolletaten

How round weight converts to fillet weight is not stated on the page, so we give no conversion. Weigh what you actually pack. Every traveller uses their own quota, and you cannot carry a friend's share.

The export document

You must be able to show that the fishing took place with a registered tourist fishing business. The document is individual, one per person, never for a group. The person named on it must travel with the fish. It carries your name, date of birth and home address, the business name, visit address and organisation number, the stay and fishing period, the date of issue, and the name, contact and signature of a responsible person at the camp. Source: Fiskeridirektoratet

Our camp issues the document. It can do so only after your catch has been reported, because the camp reports every trip each day. Source: Fiskeridirektoratet So tell us what you landed and released after every trip, and ask for your document the day before you leave, not on the morning of departure. Keep it with the fish in your hand luggage or in the box, wherever you can reach it.

The change on 1 January 2027

From 1 January 2027 the export quota is 10 kg per person, still up to two times per year. The other conditions stay the same. If you book for 2027, pack for 10 kg. Source: Fiskeridirektoratet Source: Lovdata

Filleting and packing, in general terms

We have a fish house where you clean and cut your catch. Do it on the last full day, not the morning you fly. The principles are the same for every trip:

• Fillet, trim and rinse the fish, then keep it cold from the first minute.
• Pack fillets flat in sealed bags, so they stack well and stay cold.
• Use a sturdy insulated box with a lid that closes, and tape it shut.
• Put your name and the document reference on the box.
• Weigh the full box against the quota, then check the weight against your airline's limit.
• Do not pack fish you cannot name. Know which fillet is which.

If you need cold storage between filleting and departure, ask us what is available before you travel.

Airline rules: ask before you fly

We do not publish airline rules, because we have not confirmed them and they change. Write to your airline before you fly.

Ask these questions:

1. May I carry fresh or frozen fish in checked baggage, and on which fares?
2. What is the weight limit for one piece, and what does a box cost to add?
3. What box or crate type do you accept? Is a styrofoam box with tape enough?
4. May I use dry ice, and how much? Is it allowed at all on my aircraft?
5. Does the rule differ on the connecting flight or with another carrier?
6. Do I need to be at the desk earlier to check a box of fish?

Write the answers down and bring them. A short mail with the answer is better than a promise at the airport. Check the airline's own baggage page the week you travel.

Plan the whole trip

If you are not yet booked, see what a week at Vikran looks like and the price list. The fishing itself and the seasons are on the fishing page.