Bringing a dog or cat to Switzerland
From easy to hard, depending on which of the authority's 3 origin groups your pet starts in.
Requirements
It depends on where you're coming from. Pick your country, or compare the origin groups the authority itself uses below.
Dog from Germany (EU passport states): 6 requirements
Open as my dated checklist- 01MicrochipISO 11784/11785 microchip (HDX or FDX-B) implanted before the rabies vaccination; with another chip type the owner must bring a reader. A readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011 is accepted instead.
- On or before the rabies vaccination — before the rabies vaccination (and before any titer test)
- 02Rabies vaccinationInactivated (≥1 IU) or recombinant rabies vaccine, given after the microchip and at 12 weeks of age or older. A primary vaccination is valid from the 21st day after the vaccination protocol is completed; a booster given within the manufacturer's validity period is valid immediately. Validity as stated by the manufacturer and entered in the passport by the vet — otherwise one year.
- At least 21 days before arrival — primary vaccination valid from the 21st day after completing the protocol; no wait after an in-date booster
- 03EU pet passportPet passport on the EU model (Swiss, Liechtenstein or EU passport, or the passport of another state in this list), with the microchip and rabies vaccination entered by an authorised vet. Documents must be in a Swiss official language or English, or come with a translation.
- 04Non-commercial limitsAt most five dogs, cats or ferrets per trip; more only with an FSVO permit for temporary stays to attend or train for competitions, shows or sporting events (animals registered for the event and at least six months old), otherwise the commercial import rules apply to all animals. If an authorised person travels with the pet instead of the owner, the owner must travel within five days before or after and a written owner's declaration must accompany the passport.
- 05Condition of the animalDogs with cropped ears or a docked tail are refused at the border. Exceptions: (1) cropped/docked for medical reasons or a naturally short tail — Swiss residents must obtain an FSVO confirmation before import (file at least 3 weeks ahead: photo, passport copy, vet certificate, authority confirmation; X-rays or a gene test for natural bobtails); (2) the dog moves with its owner as household effects (customs relocation conditions); (3) owners living abroad bring the dog for holidays or short stays against a customs deposit. Such dogs may not be shown, advertised or sold in Switzerland.
- 06Customs declarationEnter through a manned customs office during the opening hours for tourist traffic and present the pet with its documents to the officers; not every border crossing admits animals (see the entry points). A pet bought abroad is duty-free but subject to 8.1% VAT on its value — bring the receipt. A pet moving with its owner can be declared as household effects (form 18.44) if it has been owned and used for at least six months.
Dog from Germany: 6 requirements.
In short: Microchip, valid rabies vaccination and a Swiss/EU pet passport; no certificate, no titer test, no permit. Enter through a manned customs office during tourist-traffic hours. Dogs must be registered with a Swiss vet in AMICUS within 10 days if they stay.
Always confirm with the destination's official authority and your airline before travelling.
Compare by origin group
The groups are the authority's own lists. Pick a cell to see that group's checklist above.
| From | Dog | Cat |
|---|---|---|
EU passport states 50 placesAndorra, Austria, Azores, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Ceuta, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madeira, Malta, Martinique, Mayotte, Melilla, Monaco, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Réunion, Romania, Saint Martin, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican City | ||
Low rabies risk 52 placesAmerican Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Ascension Island, Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Caribbean Netherlands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Curaçao, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Montserrat, New Caledonia, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Serbia, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, U.S. Virgin Islands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna | ||
Rabies risk (every country not listed elsewhere) |
Quarantine
No quarantine when the paperwork is in order
If the pet does not meet the rules: No quarantine regime exists for compliant pets. A non-compliant pet arriving by air from a third country is refused by the border veterinary service; if it cannot be sent back at once it is isolated at the owner's risk and may be seized and destroyed if not re-exported within ten days. At land borders the cantonal veterinary authority may order return, seizure or destruction. The owner pays all costs..
Official fees
The researched rules name no official fee for this route. Vet, airline and courier prices are not part of the rules.
Going back to Germany
Returning to Germany from Switzerland: 0 weeks; a rabies antibody test is needed. Timing set by: Rabies antibody (titer) test.
Germany guideApproved entry points
Airports: ZRH, GVA, BSL
3 notes on this list
Unaccompanied pets (air cargo) and pets needing a border veterinary check can only use Zurich or Geneva, where the border control posts are.
The FSVO's list of border control posts names only Zurich Airport (TRACES CHZRH4) and Geneva Airport (CHGVA4) for live animals.
Direct flights from third countries only; a pet that had a full border-veterinary check in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Northern Ireland may then continue to Switzerland by any route.
List as of 25 Sep 2026Any port of entry.
2 notes on this list
Not every crossing admits animals; the FOCBS keeps the list of customs offices.
No customs checks in the customs-exclusion areas (Samnaun, Sampuoir).
List as of 25 Sep 2026
Breed bans
- Banned to own (import not refused by this rule) in CH-ZH · dogs
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- Bull Terrier
- American Bull Terrier
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- American Pit Bull Terrier
- Pit Bull Terrier
- Bandog
- Basicdog
- Rottweiler
Crosses of these breeds included.
Exceptions: temporary keeping for at most 30 days per calendar year (leash and muzzle in public); holders with a cantonal keeping permit issued under the transitional rules.
Acquiring, breeding and moving into the canton with such dogs is banned by the cantonal Dog Act.
Keeping is banned except for at most 30 days per calendar year or with a keeping permit; leash and muzzle apply in public.
Rottweilers were added on 1 January 2025; the Veterinary Office also names American Bully variants, Swiss Blue Bully and Swiss Champagner Bully as banned (list "not complete").
You cannot move to the canton of Zurich with such a dog; no test or assessment can lift the ban.
- Banned to own (import not refused by this rule) in CH-GE · dogs
- Am'staff (American Staffordshire Terrier)
- Boerbull
- Cane corso
- Dogue argentin
- Fila brasileiro
- Mastiff
- Mâtin espagnol
- Mâtin napolitain
- Pitbull
- Presa canario
- Rottweiler
- Tosa
- Dogue de Bordeaux
- Bullmastiff
- Thaï Ridgeback Dog
Crosses of these breeds included.
Exceptions: dogs already in the canton with a keeping permit when their breed was listed; exceptional derogation for owners moving to Geneva who meet all conditions of art. 23 al. 3 LChiens (owned ≥2 years, neutered within 6 months, behaviour test within 30 days, no other dog, no prior sanctions).
The list of "chiens listés" in the implementing regulation (art. 17 RChiens).
Derogation for owners moving to Geneva with a listed dog — all conditions must be met.
- Banned to own (import not refused by this rule) in CH-VS · dogs
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- Bull Terrier
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Pit Bull Terrier
- Doberman
- Dogue argentin
- Fila Brasileiro
- Tosa
- Rottweiler
- Mastiff
- Mâtin napolitain
- Mâtin espagnol
- American Bully
Crosses of these breeds included.
Exceptions: visits of at most 30 days per year (holidays) with leash and muzzle outside the private sphere.
If found: dog turned back or seized; prosecution under art. 53 ss LALPA.
Legal basis — the Council of State may list breeds whose keeping is banned in Valais.
Short stays of up to 30 days a year are tolerated with leash and muzzle; offenders' dogs are turned back or seized.
- Banned to own (import not refused by this rule) in CH-FR · dogs
- pitbull type
Crosses of these breeds included.
Exceptions: temporary stay of at most 90 days, on a leash and muzzled.
Temporary stays of up to 90 days are allowed with leash and muzzle.
Transit through Switzerland
Airside transit by direct air: the destination country's rules apply. Pets that land in Switzerland and continue by another means of transport, or that cross Switzerland by land, must meet the Swiss import rules.
Leaving Switzerland with your pet
The destination country's rules apply; a veterinary certificate for export is issued by the cantonal veterinary service. Check the re-entry conditions before leaving — in particular the titer test before a trip to a rabies-risk country.
Source:Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO (opens official site: Travelling with dogs, cats and ferrets)· checked 04 Oct 2026Export to EU states, Iceland and Norway follows the same rules as import (passport, chip, vaccination) plus any extra requirements of the destination.
Rule changes
No dated change in the researched rules of Switzerland. Tell us if you know of one.
Good to know
The import area covered by these rules is Switzerland including the customs-exclusion areas Samnaun and Sampuoir and the customs-union areas Liechtenstein and Büsingen. Pets entering Liechtenstein follow the Swiss rules.
These rules are for people travelling or moving with their own pet (non-commercial movement: the pet accompanies its owner or an authorised person and is not going to change owner). Pets bought abroad and sent to a new owner, or more than five dogs/cats/ferrets, fall under the commercial import ordinances.
Dogs with cropped ears or a docked tail may not be imported. Exceptions: dogs cropped/docked for medical reasons (FSVO confirmation needed before import), dogs imported as household effects when the owner moves to Switzerland, and short visits (holidays) by owners living abroad — see the step on the animal's condition.
Source:Swiss Federal Council (Fedlex) (opens official site: Tierschutzverordnung (TSchV), SR 455.1 — Art. 22, 76a–76c)· checked 04 Oct 2026Switzerland applies the EU pet-travel regime through Annex 11 to the EU–Switzerland Agriculture Agreement. The Joint Veterinary Committee Decision No 1/2026 (applies from 1 September 2026) lists Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 (as amended before 31 December 2025) and Regulation (EU) 2016/429 with the acts based on its Part VI on the EU side, and the EDAV-Ht plus Art. 76b of the Animal Protection Ordinance on the Swiss side. The FSVO pages link Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705 as the legal framework.
Dogs that stay in Switzerland (not holiday visits) must have their microchip checked by a Swiss vet within 10 days of import and be registered in the national dog database AMICUS; the person importing the dog must register with the canton of residence beforehand.
Several cantons ban or require a permit for certain dog breeds (see the breed bans for Zurich, Geneva, Valais and Fribourg). The FSVO refers owners to the cantonal veterinary service of their canton of residence.
Pets of protected species and wild-animal hybrids (certain Savannah and Bengal cats, wolf hybrids) need CITES documents and a cantonal keeping permit in addition to the pet rules — not covered here.
Questions about Switzerland
Answered in plain words from the authorities' own pages, each linked to the page it comes from. Confirm with the authority before travelling.
01Can I bring a dog with a cropped tail or ears into Switzerland?
Importing dogs with cropped ears or tails is generally forbidden, though exceptions exist for medical reasons or relocation.
02What if my dog has a naturally short tail?
If your dog has a naturally short tail, you must get confirmation from the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (BLV) before entry. You must prove the dog is not a cropped dog.
03Do I need documents for a French Bulldog with a short tail?
No documents are required for French Bulldogs because the tails of all individuals of this breed are naturally short.
04What if my dog's tail or ears were removed for medical reasons?
For medical amputations, you must provide the BLV with the dog's medical history, a photo showing the injury or disease before the surgery, and a vet certificate confirming the medical indication.
05Can I bring a cropped dog to Switzerland for a vacation?
Owners living abroad can bring cropped dogs to Switzerland for holidays or other short stays by leaving a deposit at the customs office.
06What is the deadline for submitting documents to the BLV for a short-tailed dog?
You must submit the required documents to the BLV at least 3 weeks before the dog's planned entry.
07What language must the veterinary certificates be in?
Veterinary certificates and proof of license must be in English or a Swiss national language. Otherwise, you must provide a certified translation.
08Can a cropped dog participate in dog shows in Switzerland?
Cropped dogs are not allowed to participate in exhibitions in Switzerland, regardless of whether they were imported legally or illegally.
09What happens if I import a cropped dog illegally?
If you import a cropped dog illegally and pay a fine, the dog is only 'tolerated' and remains an 'illegally imported dog.' This means you cannot take the dog abroad and return to Switzerland.
10What specific X-rays are needed for dogs with naturally short tails?
For certain breeds or dogs of unknown origin, you must provide high-quality X-rays showing the tail vertebrae or end of the spine. These must include one lateral and one dorsoventral view, both marked with the microchip number.
Checklists to Switzerland
Step-by-step route pages for the origins people move from most, dated timeline and all.
No traveller reports for Switzerland yet. If you have made this trip, tell the next person what was actually checked at the border.
Share your tripEvery official page behind this guide, with the last day its text was confirmed unchanged.
- Merkblatt: Heimtierpässe – Tiere auf Reisen (information sheet for vets issuing Swiss pet passports) (opens official site)BLV, Internationales · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Fragen und Antworten zu Hunden mit kurzer Rute oder beschnittenen Ohren (FAQ on cropped/docked dogs) (opens official site)BLV, Tiergesundheit und Tierschutz · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Hunde (BLV page on dog keeping, registration and cantonal rules) (opens official site)Bundesamt für Lebensmittelsicherheit und Veterinärwesen BLV · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Loi d'application de la loi fédérale sur la protection des animaux (LALPA), RS/VS 455.1 — art. 1, 37 (opens official site)Canton du Valais (lex.vs.ch) · checked 25 Sep 2026
- Information : chiens de race interdite en Valais — Directives aux communes (opens official site)Canton du Valais, Service de la consommation et affaires vétérinaires · checked 04 Oct 2026
Show all 28 sources
- Sécurité publique — Races interdites en Valais (opens official site)Canton du Valais, Service de la consommation et affaires vétérinaires · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Loi sur la détention des chiens (LDCh), RSF 725.3 (Fribourg) — art. 20 (opens official site)Etat de Fribourg (bdlf.fr.ch) · checked 25 Sep 2026
- Preparing to travel with pets (opens official site)Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Travelling with dogs, cats and ferrets (opens official site)Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Dogs, cats, domestic animals (Swiss customs) (opens official site)Federal Office for Customs and Border Security FOCBS · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Moving to Switzerland: Procedure (household effects) (opens official site)Federal Office for Customs and Border Security FOCBS · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Relocation: Horses and pets (opens official site)Federal Office for Customs and Border Security FOCBS · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Application form for the entry or re-entry with a dog, cat or ferret from a rabies risk country (EDAV-Ht Art. 14(4)) (opens official site)FSVO · checked 25 Sep 2026
- Health certificate and additional documents – non-commercial movements of pet dogs, pet cats, pet ferrets (EU 2026/705 model, FSVO copy) (opens official site)FSVO (reproducing OJ L, 27.3.2026) · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Animal health and food safety protection measures by country (opens official site)FSVO, International Affairs · checked 25 Sep 2026
- Application form 07/23: permit to import dogs, cats or ferrets from the EU, Iceland, Northern Ireland or Norway without a valid rabies vaccination (opens official site)FSVO, International Affairs · checked 04 Oct 2026
- List of countries with their status regarding rabies – dogs, cats, ferrets (status 06.2026) (opens official site)FSVO, International Affairs · checked 04 Oct 2026
- List of Swiss Border Control Posts (opens official site)FSVO, International Affairs · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Hundegesetz (HuG) des Kantons Zürich, LS 554.5 — § 8, § 30 (opens official site)Kanton Zürich (Zürcher Gesetzessammlung) · checked 25 Sep 2026
- Hundeverordnung (HuV) des Kantons Zürich, LS 554.51 — § 5, § 6 (opens official site)Kanton Zürich (Zürcher Gesetzessammlung) · checked 25 Sep 2026
- Verbotene Hunderassen (Veterinäramt des Kantons Zürich) (opens official site)Kanton Zürich, Veterinäramt · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Decision No 1/2026 of the EU–Switzerland Joint Veterinary Committee (OJ L 2026/1887) — Appendix 2 section IV, non-commercial movements of pet animals (opens official site)Publications Office of the European Union · checked 25 Sep 2026
- Loi sur les chiens (LChiens), rs/GE M 3 45 — art. 22–26 (opens official site)République et canton de Genève (SILGENEVE) · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Règlement d'application de la loi sur les chiens (RChiens), rs/GE M 3 45.01 — art. 16–18 (opens official site)République et canton de Genève (SILGENEVE) · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Tierschutzverordnung (TSchV), SR 455.1 — Art. 22, 76a–76c (opens official site)Swiss Federal Council (Fedlex) · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Tierseuchenverordnung (TSV), SR 916.401 — Art. 16–17d (dog registration) (opens official site)Swiss Federal Council (Fedlex) · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Verordnung über die Ein-, Durch- und Ausfuhr von Heimtieren (EDAV-Ht), SR 916.443.14 (opens official site)Swiss Federal Council (Fedlex) · checked 04 Oct 2026
- Verordnung über die Gebühren des BLV (GebV-BLV), SR 916.472 — Art. 17b, 18 (opens official site)Swiss Federal Council (Fedlex) · checked 04 Oct 2026