Pets
Pets are animals which are kept as companions, imported under escort and not sold. They may be imported duty free as relocation goods (see Customs) and without authorisation. Protective measures against epidemics remain reserved.
The following are considered as pets: dogs, cats, guinea pigs, hamsters, canaries, aquarium fish, dwarf rabbits, rabbits, tortoises, parrots, snakes and the like but not horses, donkeys, mules, cattle, sheep, goats or pigs.
There are special regulations for dogs, cats, ferrets: they must be vaccinated against rabies (vaccination certificate) and marked (microchip or tattoo). An additional authorisation is required from the police authorities for animals which come from a high-risk rabies country and are imported via a Swiss airport. The importation of dogs with cropped ears and/or docked tails is forbidden unless they can be considered as household effects (see Customs).
A veterinary certificate is required for birds from non-European countries and not more than 5 animals may be imported. These provisions are subject to importation restrictions regarding the protection of species (CITES Agreement).
You are advised to first consult the website of the Federal Veterinary Office.
Other animals
On presentation of the relevant proof (e.g. horse passport, invoice from a veterinary surgeon or animal home), other animals (e.g. horses) may also be imported under relocation goods (see Customs).
A border veterinary control is not required for animals imported from EU/EFTA countries. For wild animals there are additional regulations on the protection of species (IMES Convention on international trading in threatened species).
You are advised to first consult the website of the Federal Veterinary Office.
Plants and vegetable products
The majority of plants imported for your own personal use may be imported to Switzerland from the EU/EFTA without being subjected to a phytosanitary control. At present only the importation of cotoneaster and stranvaesia is prohibited from these countries.
Living plants or partial plants as well as bulbs destined for planting, garden earth and compost imported from countries other than the EU/EFTA are, in contrast, subject to a phytosanitary control or are completely prohibited.
The importation of plants to Switzerland is exempt from duty. It is, however, subject to the payment of a value-added tax of 2.4 % or 7.6 % for certain cultivated products. The presentation of a receipt will facilitate customs clearance.
For any further information on this subject, we advise you to consult one of the customs administrations listed below:
Northern Switzerland
Directorate General of Customs Basel
Elisabethenstrasse 31
4010 Basel
Tel +41 (0)61 287 11 11
Fax +41 (0)61 287 13 13
Email: kdbs.zentrale(at)ezv.admin.ch
Eastern Switzerland
Directorate General of Customs Schaffhausen
Bahnhofstrasse 62
8200 Schaffhausen
Tel +41 (0)52 633 11 11
Fax +41 (0)52 633 11 99
Email: kdsh.zentrale(at)ezv.admin.ch
Western Switzerland
Directorate General of Customs Geneva
Av. Louis-Casaï 84
1216 Cointrin
Tel +41 (0)22 747 72 72
Fax +41 (0)22 747 72 73
Email: kdge.zentrale(at)ezv.admin.ch
Southern Switzerland
Directorate General of Customs Lugano
Via Pioda 10
6900 Lugano
Tel +41 (0)91 910 48 11
Fax +41 (0)91 923 14 15
Email: kdti.zentrale(at)ezv.admin.ch
(Source: www.swissemigration.ch)
