9 minute read 1. What are the entry conditions for a pet in Switzerland?
To enter Switzerland from the European Union, a dog, cat or ferret must meet three mandatory requirements: a microchip, a valid rabies vaccine and an EU pet passport. Switzerland applies the same basic rules as the European Union, but its checks are particularly rigorous.
A. The microchip: the very first step
Your animal must be identified with a microchip compliant with the ISO 11784/11785 standard before any other step, and in particular before the rabies vaccination. Order matters: a vaccine given before the chip is implanted is not recognised. Tattoos are only accepted if they were done before 3 July 2011 and remain perfectly legible.
B. The rabies vaccine: the 21-day rule
Rabies vaccination is mandatory for all animals entering Switzerland. Key point: if this is the animal's first vaccination, you must wait 21 days after the injection before crossing the Swiss border. For a booster given within the validity period, this waiting time does not apply. Plan this step several weeks ahead of your move.
C. The EU pet passport
This official document, filled in by your vet in your country of origin (France, Germany, Italy, etc.), certifies the animal's identity, its microchip number and the validity of its vaccinations. It is the document Swiss customs officers may ask you to present at the border.
2. How do you declare your pet to Swiss customs?
Your pets are part of your "removal goods" and must be declared to customs on the day you cross the border. Imported as part of a change of residence, they are exempt from VAT and customs duties, but failing to declare them is heavily penalised.
The exact procedure at the border crossing
When crossing the border, take the "Goods to declare" lane (often marked in red) or report to the customs office. As animals that already belong to you and are imported during a change of residence, they appear on form 18.44 for removal goods, which exempts them from VAT and customs duties.
Failing to declare an animal to Swiss customs can result in a heavy fine and, in some cases, the confiscation of the animal. This customs-declaration logic is the same as for other removal goods: it is detailed for vehicles in our guide on importing your vehicle into Switzerland.
3. What is the AMICUS database and who must register?
AMICUS is the Swiss national database that records every dog in the country. Every dog owner must have their animal registered by a Swiss vet within 10 days of arrival. It is the step most often overlooked by newcomers, yet it is mandatory — for dogs only.
A. The 10-day deadline at the Swiss vet
Within 10 days of your arrival in Switzerland, you must visit a Swiss vet with your dog. The vet checks the microchip and vaccinations, then registers the animal in the AMICUS database. This registration is what makes ownership of your dog compliant with Swiss law.
B. The parallel municipal step
Alongside the vet visit, you must register with your municipality of residence (Residents' Registration Office) as a dog owner. The municipality creates an owner profile linked to an AMICUS ID, which the vet then uses to link your dog to your file. This dual step — veterinary and municipal — is part of the arrival formalities we detail in our complete administrative checklist for settling in Switzerland.
4. What are the cantonal rules (breeds, tax)?
Switzerland is a confederation: dog-ownership laws vary widely from one canton to another. Banned breeds, special permits and the annual tax fall under cantonal and municipal authority. Before choosing your canton of residence, check its legislation carefully.
A. Banned breeds or breeds requiring a permit
The canton of Geneva strictly bans the import and ownership of around a dozen breeds deemed dangerous (Pitbull, American Staffordshire Terrier, Rottweiler, Dogo Argentino, among others). The canton of Vaud requires a special permit for certain breeds, such as the Rottweiler type. A dog that is perfectly legal in your country of origin may therefore be banned in your future Swiss canton: this check must come before your move.
B. The municipal dog tax
In Switzerland, owning a dog is subject to an annual tax levied by your municipality of residence. The amount generally ranges between CHF 100 and CHF 200 per year and per dog, depending on the municipality and sometimes on the size or breed. There is no equivalent tax on cats.
C. The case of mutilations (cropped tails and ears)
Importing dogs with cropped ears or docked tails is in principle banned in Switzerland. An exception exists for animals imported as removal goods, but you will need to prove that the animal belonged to you before your decision to move to Switzerland (passport, vet invoices, earlier certificates).
5. How do you fund your pet's settling-in costs?
Moving with a pet generates immediate costs from your very first days in Switzerland: the AMICUS registration vet visit, the municipal tax, possible pet health insurance. These bills are paid in Swiss francs, while your savings are often still in euros — hence the importance of optimising your exchange rate.
A. First bills in Swiss francs
Newcomers often have to pay these first costs in CHF while their savings are in EUR. Paying these expenses with a foreign bank card or a traditional transfer entails high exchange fees: the margin applied by conventional banks is often between 1.5% and 3% of the converted amount, on top of any fixed fees.
B. The ibani approach: convert at the real rate
By opening an ibani account from the very start of your moving project, you transfer your euro savings to Switzerland at the real market exchange rate (for example EUR 1 = CHF 0.96), with no hidden margin. You then immediately have Swiss francs available to pay your deposits, your municipal and veterinary registration fees, or your rent guarantee.
To cover CHF 800 of arrival costs (AMICUS vet visit, municipal dog tax, first pet-insurance premium), ibani converts the exact amount from your euros at the real market rate. Where a bank applying a 2% margin would make you lose the equivalent of around CHF 16 on this single conversion, you keep your full budget for your pet. Across all the expenses of settling in, the gap quickly becomes significant.
To manage blocking your deposit from abroad, see our guide on the Swiss rent guarantee, and discover our full offer for expats.
💡 The ibani solution: convert your euros into Swiss francs at the real rate, with no hidden margin, to fund your pet's settling-in and your first expenses in Switzerland.
Open an accountibani SA is a Geneva-based fintech company, a financial intermediary affiliated with SO-FIT, a self-regulatory organisation (SRO) recognised by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).