Federal Veterinary Office
Schwarzenburgerstrasse 161
3097 Liebfeld-Berne
+41 (0)31 323 85 02
www.bvet.admin.ch

All countries regulate the importation of animals in some shape or form. Swiss regulations are fairly flexible, due to the small territory and the large number of foreign visitors.

Quarantine
As a general rule, animals are not quarantined upon their arrival to Switzerland. However, if you are returning to a country that applies this treatment, even after a few hours on Swiss soil, your animal will be quarantined.

Vaccination certificates
A veterinary rabies vaccination certificate is compulsory, stating that the vaccination took place at least 30 days and no longer than one year before crossing the border. The 30-day waiting period need not be observed if there is proof of revaccination.

The certificate must be written in either German, French, Italian or English and contain the following information:
Name and address of animal owner
Description of the animal (breed, sex, age, color)
Confirmation that the animal was submitted to a veterinary examination prior to vaccination and found in good health
Date of rabies vaccination, type of vaccine used, name of manufacturer and batch number
Signature of the veterinarian.

Certificates issued in languages other than those stipulated must be accompanied by a legal translation.

Exceptions
Certain animals can be imported without a rabies vaccination certificate:

Puppies and kittens up to five months of age from the United States, with a veterinary health certificate stating the animal’s age.

The importation of dogs with clipped ears and/or cropped tails is prohibited if the animals are less than five months old. Young dogs belonging to foreign owners, however, are admitted for temporary importation.

Other animals
Guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, mice, aquarium fish and canaries can be imported without a veterinary certificate.

An import permit and veterinary certificate are required for certain domestic animals such as horses, parrots, turtles and ferrets. Requests for permits must be submitted to the Federal Veterinary Office (FVO) three to four weeks in advance. You can download forms from the FVO site.