Switzerland
Bringing a Labrador puppy home to Switzerland
We are twenty minutes from the border and several Swiss families have taken a puppy from us. There is one thing that is often told wrongly, and it changes your plans for the better:a puppy can enter Switzerland at 60 days old, without a rabies vaccination. It is not a loophole: it is written in the instructions of the FSVO (Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office).
In Italy a puppy may leave the breeder at 60 days. Switzerland prohibits entry under 56 days without the mother and, up to 12 weeks (84 days), does not require the rabies vaccination: a microchip, an EU pet passport and a declaration signed by you are enough. So the puppy can go home with you at 60 days.If you would rather come later, it stays here at no cost.
The three mandatory conditions
To bring a dog into Switzerland from a European Union country you need three things. If one is missing, the dog stays at the border.
- 01
Microchip
We fit it ourselves in the first weeks and register it with the Italian dog registry. If a rabies vaccination were ever needed, it must be given after the microchip, otherwise it is not valid.
- 02
EU pet passport
Issued by an authorised vet, it records the microchip, the vaccinations and the keeper’s details. It is the document customs check at the border crossing.
- 03
A declaration, or the rabies vaccination
Up to 12 weeks (84 days) no rabies vaccination is needed: the FSVO declaration that the puppy has had no contact with wild animals since birth is enough. Between 12 and 16 weeks the vaccination is required but, with the same declaration, without the 21-day wait. Over 16 weeks: vaccination and 21 days.
The real timeline, day by day
This is the part worth reading before you fall in love with a photo: it tells you when the puppy will actually be in your home.
Day 0
Birth
The puppy is born in the whelping room and stays with its mother.
56 days
Minimum age for Switzerland
Under 56 days, entry without the mother is prohibited. From this point on it is possible, with the declaration.
60 days
Minimum age to leave the breeder in Italy
The puppy can go home with you: microchip, EU pet passport and signed declaration. No rabies vaccination.
12 weeks (84 days)
From here the rabies vaccination is required
If the puppy leaves after 12 weeks we vaccinate it beforehand. Up to 16 weeks the declaration spares you the 21-day wait.
16 weeks (112 days)
From here the full rule applies
Vaccination plus a 21-day wait, as for an adult dog.
With you it is a pet; shipped, it is goods
You will often read that a newly bought puppy must follow the rules for commercial imports, with a veterinary certificate and compulsory vaccination. The FSVO instructions say otherwise: the simplified conditions for pets also applywhen the animal is accompanied by another person at the owner’s request. What matters is how the puppy travels, not the fact that you have just paid for it.
It becomes a commercial import when the puppy isshipped by a courier or a transport company, or when there are more than five animals. In that case you need the official veterinary certificate, the electronic TRACES notification to the cantonal authority and an authorised transporter. That route exists, but it is not yours.
That is why we ask you to collect the puppy in person, or to send someone you trust with your written authorisation. It is not only so that we can meet you.
If someone offers to have a puppy delivered to you in Switzerland by courier, they are offering you a commercial import without the documents it requires. If you are checked, the risk is yours.
At the border and afterwards
- A staffed border crossing, during office hours
- The dog must be declared in person and customs must be able to check the animal and its documents on the spot. No green lane.
- CHF 300 allowance
- Above that threshold you pay Swiss VAT at 8.1% on the whole value — purchase price plus all costs up to the border — not just on the part above the allowance.
- AMICUS within 10 days
- Your vet checks the identification and registers the dog in the national database. It is compulsory, and it has to be done straight away.
- No more than five animals per vehicle
- The limit for private movements, counting dogs, cats and ferrets together.
Who does what
We take care of the veterinary procedures and the paperwork. You cross the border, because Swiss law allows no alternative.
What we do
- Microchip and registration with the Italian dog registry
- EU pet passport and complete health record
- ENCI/FCI pedigree (ENCI = Italian Kennel Club) and sale contract
- The FSVO declaration form for the rabies vaccination exemption, filled in together on the day you collect the puppy
- Rabies vaccination before departure, only if the puppy leaves after 12 weeks
- Keeping the puppy here, free of charge, if you would rather collect it later
What you do
- Collecting the puppy in person, or sending someone you trust with your written authorisation: this is what makes the crossing a pet movement
- Signing the declaration and using a staffed border crossing, during the customs office’s opening hours
- Taking the puppy to your vet within 10 days for registration in AMICUS
FAQ
Questions from Swiss families
If your question isn't answered here, write to us: you'll get a reply from us, not a call centre.
- How old must a puppy be to enter Switzerland?
- 60 days is enough. Switzerland prohibits entry under 56 days without the mother; in Italy puppies may leave the breeder from 60 days. Up to 12 weeks (84 days) no rabies vaccination is needed: a microchip, an EU pet passport and a declaration that the puppy has had no contact with wild animals since birth are enough. If the puppy leaves between 12 and 16 weeks it must be vaccinated, but the declaration spares you the 21-day wait. Over 16 weeks the full rule applies: vaccination and 21 days.
- Does the rabies vaccination exemption still apply if I have bought the puppy?
- Yes. The FSVO instructions state that the simplified conditions for pets also apply when the animal is accompanied by another person at the owner’s request: what matters is how the puppy travels, not the fact that it has just been bought. The puppy becomes a commercial import, with a veterinary certificate, TRACES notification and an authorised transporter, if it is sent by a courier or a transport company, or if there are more than five animals. That is why we ask you to collect it yourselves.
- How much VAT do I pay at Swiss customs?
- The value allowance is CHF 300. Above that threshold you pay Swiss VAT at 8.1% on the whole value, not just on the amount over the allowance: the value includes the purchase price plus all costs incurred up to the border. For a pedigree puppy you should therefore always budget for it.
- Can you send the puppy to me in Switzerland?
- Not across the border: Swiss customs require the animal to be declared in person, so that the dog and its documents can be checked on the spot. In any case we prefer handing puppies over at our home, because we like to meet the people taking one of our puppies home.
- What do I need to do once I am home?
- Within 10 days of import you must take the dog to your vet, who checks its identification and registers it in the AMICUS database. It is a legal obligation, not a formality: without registration the dog does not officially exist in Switzerland.
- How many dogs can I bring in at once?
- No more than five pets in total, whether dogs, cats or ferrets, in a single private vehicle. Above that number the import follows different rules.
Where this information comes from
We did not write it from memory. Every figure on this page comes from the official Swiss sources below, checked on 13 September 2026. Rules change: check again before you travel, and if in doubt, just ask us.
- FSVO — Travelling with dogs, cats and ferrets
Microchip, passport, rabies vaccination from 12 weeks and validity after 21 days, exemption for puppies with a declaration, five-animal limit
- FOCBS (Swiss customs) — Advice on importing dogs and cats (page in Italian)
Puppies under 12 weeks without rabies vaccination with a declaration, ban under 56 days without the mother, what counts as a commercial import, staffed border crossing, CHF 300 allowance, VAT at 8.1%, AMICUS within 10 days
- FSVO — Conditions for bringing dogs, cats and ferrets into Switzerland from EU countries (F 2014-09-22/3) (page in Italian)
Full text: puppies up to 12 weeks without vaccination with a declaration, 12–16 weeks without the wait, ban under 56 days, simplified conditions also with an authorised companion, when the commercial regime applies
Living in Switzerland and want to know the timing?
Write to us: we will tell you when the next litter is due, which date is the first possible day for the border and what to prepare. No commitment. Writing works better than calling: Enrico replies in English with the help of a translator.
Comabbio (VA) · 45 minutes from Milan, 20 from the Swiss border.