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 operates a tiered fare structure where the cheapest option includes no carry-on at all.

• LowFare: one small personal item only (under the seat, no size stated but approximately 40 × 30 × 15 cm in practice)
• LowFare+: 10 kg carry-on bag, maximum 55 × 40 × 23 cm
• Flex: 10 kg carry-on plus 20 kg checked bag

If you book LowFare and arrive at the gate with an overhead-sized bag, Norwegian will charge a fee that is typically higher than the pre-paid bag add-on cost. Check your fare type in the booking confirmation before you fly.

Norwegian's long-haul routes to the USA or Asia fall under slightly different rules — verify the cabin allowance on your specific booking for transatlantic routes.

SAS (Scandinavian Airlines)

SAS also uses fare-based carry-on access, with the cheapest fare excluding overhead bags.

• SAS Go Light: personal item only (no overhead bag)
• SAS Go: 10 kg carry-on (55 × 40 × 23 cm) plus personal item
• SAS Go Plus / SAS Business: carry-on plus checked allowance

SAS is a Star Alliance member, so elite status with United, Lufthansa, or other Star Alliance partners may grant additional baggage allowances depending on tier.

Finnair

Finnair allows 8 kg and 55 × 40 × 23 cm on most fares. The Finnair Light fare includes only a personal item under the seat.

• Finnair Light: personal item only
• Finnair Classic / Flex / Business: 8 kg carry-on plus personal item

Finnair's hub at Helsinki HEL is thorough at security — allow time. The airport is modern but methodical, and security staff are strict about the liquids rule and electronic devices.

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

Flyr allows 10 kg in the cabin (55 × 40 × 23 cm) on its Norwegian domestic and Nordic international routes. Flyr operates Boeing 737 aircraft — standard overhead bins, no regional constraints.

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: Finnair's home hub. Security is thorough and methodical — staff follow procedure carefully, which means longer queues during busy periods. The airport has good infrastructure but don't underestimate security time for early-morning long-haul departures.

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.