Carry-On Rules for Nordic Countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark

Scandinavia has five main carriers operating within and between Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. Each has different weight limits, and — critically — each has fare types that exclude a carry-on bag entirely. Getting this wrong means paying a gate fee that can cost more than the ticket itself. Here is the complete picture.

Norwegian Air Shuttle

Norwegian LowFare includes a 40×30×20 cm underseat bag up to 10 kg. LowFare+ adds a 55×40×23 cm main bag with 10 kg combined; Flex allows 15 kg combined. Confirm the purchased fare.

SAS (Scandinavian Airlines)

SAS permits a 55×40×23 cm main bag up to 8 kg per piece and a 40×30×15 cm underseat bag (maximum 18 litres). Economy Light within Europe includes only the small bag unless a main bag is purchased; outside Europe Light includes one main bag. Standard/Flex include one. Premium/Business include one within Europe and two outside Europe. Check the ticket; no enforcement tolerance or universal 18 kg allowance is assumed.

Finnair

Finnair Economy Light/Classic/Flex includes one 55×40×23 cm main bag plus one 40×30×15 cm small bag, sharing 8 kg. Superlight includes only the small bag; Business includes one main and one small bag sharing 12 kg.

The small bag counts towards the total, as do airport purchases. Finnair Plus Silver/Gold/Platinum/Platinum Lumo members receive a main bag with European Superlight tickets. Otherwise check the price of adding one before travel. Excess or unentitled baggage collected at the gate is put in the hold for €60.

At Helsinki departures, liquids may total 2 litres in containers up to 100 ml. Helsinki transfer security uses one 1-litre bag with containers up to 100 ml. Check every airport; do not assume a connection time or a waived inspection.

Wideroe

Wideroe is Norway's regional carrier, connecting smaller Norwegian cities on Bombardier Dash 8 turboprop aircraft. These planes impose hard constraints that larger jets do not.

• Weight limit: 8 kg
• Dimension limit: 45 × 35 × 25 cm — significantly smaller than standard

A bag that passes on a Norwegian or SAS Boeing 737 will not fit in a Wideroe Dash 8 overhead bin. If you are connecting from a Norwegian or SAS trunk route to a Wideroe regional hop (Bergen to Bodø, for example, or Stavanger to Sogndal), you must pack to the Wideroe limit for the full itinerary. Gate-checking a carry-on bag at a small Norwegian regional airport is inconvenient and adds time.

Check the aircraft type on your Wideroe booking. Dash 8 routes require the 45 × 35 × 25 cm limit. ATR and Embraer routes use standard-size bins.

Flyr

Do not use historical carrier names as evidence of a current bookable service. Check the operating airline and its current allowance for every leg.

Airport Guide

Copenhagen CPH: The most efficient major Nordic hub. Security lanes are well-staffed and organised. Terminal 2 is the main international departure hall. CPH consistently ranks among Europe's best-run airports.

Oslo Gardermoen OSL: A well-designed modern airport serving as the main Norwegian hub for SAS, Norwegian, and Wideroe connections. Peak morning and early afternoon are busiest — arrive 75–90 minutes before departure for international flights.

Stockholm Arlanda ARN: Two main terminal clusters (Terminal 2/3/4 and Terminal 5) with Sky City in between. Walking distances can be long. Check your terminal carefully before arriving. SAS and most Scandinavian carriers use Terminal 5; budget carriers typically use Terminal 2/3.

Helsinki HEL: Check the airport’s current security guidance and your airline’s arrival recommendation. Departure and transfer liquid rules differ.

Northern Lights Trip: The Heavy Clothing Challenge

A carry-on trip to the Norwegian Arctic (Tromsø, Longyearbyen) or Finnish Lapland presents a specific packing challenge: thermal layers and proper cold-weather gear are heavy. A down jacket, thermal base layer, heavyweight wool mid-layer, and waterproof shell can fill half your 10 kg allowance before you add anything else.

Practical strategies:

• Wear the heaviest items on the plane (down jacket, thermal base layer, wool socks)
• Rent outer gear locally — Tromsø has numerous rental shops for snowsuits and boots for northern lights tours
• Pack mid-layers that double as evening wear
• Choose merino wool base layers — heavier but wearable multiple days without washing

Renting a snowsuit and boots at the destination strips 1.5–2 kg from your bag and means you're not dragging bulk through three airport connections.

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