From A to Z

Can't say I blame you, he is awful cute.  Making sure we did the right things to get our dogs into Switzerland topped the list of my major concerns.  There is plenty of information out there, mainly on line.  Not all Vet offices are created equal though so I wouldn't rely solely on them for your information. Fortunately we were blessed with a very knowledgeable staff at our Vet's office to fill in the blanks.  


This is an invaluable tool before starting the process: http://bvet.bytix.com/plus/dbr/default.aspx?lang=en
Simply fill in the blanks and you will get a list of requirements mandated by the Swiss government.



Please don't yawn, I know I am not showing you cool pictures with bees and stuff...but animals are important.

So I can only speak for importing a dog from the US to Switzerland and there are 11 very important steps.

Step 1: Check with your normal vet office and make sure your dog's rabies vaccination is current.  A valid rabies vaccination should have been administered no more that 364 days prior to your travel dates and no less than 21 days before.  If your dog requires a rabies vaccination, this will add a step (I will call it step 1.B) and remember to wait 21 days before going to Step 2.

Step 2: Once your dog has a valid rabies vaccination, your vet will fill out the L 358 Form. This three page form is also known as the Veterinary Certificate for domestic animals entering the European community.  While Switzerland isn't EU, they follow EU practices for importing domestic animals. Your vet will fill in owner, animal description, microchip number and rabies vaccination information.

Step 3: Make an appointment with your local USDA Veterinary office.  I use the term "local" loosely.  It can be a bit of a drive and they are busy, so make the appointment sooner than later.

Step 4: The USDA appointment is quite painless, you bring the paperwork your Vet filled out and then they sign and notarize it.  You do not have to bring your animals.

Step 5: Get your dog chipped with an EU compatible microchip.  US microchips will not work as the frequency they use to scan them is different.

Step 6: Bring your dog to a vet that has an EU scanner to verify the chip works.  Your regular vet will likely not have this scanner so be prepared to call around.  This step is not mandatory, but it alleviated a lot of my insane fears of the chip not working.

Step 7: Make an appointment to see your regular Vet within 10 days of your travel date.  At this appointment, your dog will be examined to make sure they are healthy enough to fly.  Your Vet will then fill in the mandatory International Certificate of Health which airlines require at time of check in.  You must do this within 10 days of travel.


Step 8: Ask your Vet for copies of all health records and stock up on flea and heartworm meds.  Everything here can cost double what you paid in the US.

Step 9: Keep all of your paperwork in one place and plan to pack it in your carry on luggage for easy access.

Step 10: Try to calm your "did I do everything right" anxiety with a drink.

Step 11: Call your airline to let them know you are bringing your pet.  Most airlines have a limit for cabin pet travel and you will want to reserve a spot for Spot.  Ha.

If you do all of these things, you shouldn't have a problem.  I do want to issue a disclaimer that I am not personally responsible for the successful or unsuccessful import of your pet.  It is up to you to verify you are taking all of the appropriate steps.  I did this by emailing the folks at www.bvet.ch.  This is the Swiss version of the USDA and they will tell you if you have everything in order.  I highly advise you print their email response out and have it with you should you have any problems.  If you do not hear back from them via email, CALL.

A couple things of note:

1. I eluded to this above, but if your pet is under a certain weight (weight requirements can vary from airline to airline), they can travel with you in the cabin.  Both of our dogs traveled with us and it was a relief knowing they weren't in the cargo portion of the plane.  As with anything there are fees...we paid our fee for bringing our dudes at check in.  Your airline can advise you how and when to pay this fee.

2. Should your pet be too large for the cabin, there are certain months they can't travel in the cargo section due to extreme temperatures.  We met an Expat couple who is still waiting the arrival of their pet because Delta didn't allow pets in cargo during the summer months in Atlanta. This means you may fly over before your pet which will inevitably add an extra wrinkle coordinating your paperwork and pet transfer.  You may want to consider using a professional pet import company if this situation applies to you.

3. Get an airline approved crate for both in cabin travel and cargo travel.  Crate requirements are typically located on the airline's website.  The same Expat couple who is waiting for their dog also had to get a special crate made...but they do own a small horse (Great Dane).

4. Do not drug your animal.  It can slow down their breathing and could potentially harm them while in the air.

5. When you exit the airport in Switzerland be aware that you must clear your animal/s.  The officers who checked our paperwork were in the "Items to Declare" area near the exit (mind you this is Zurich, could be different elsewhere).  They stamped our paperwork and collected $88 dollars for some reason...maybe to offset the cost of the ink used to stamp our paperwork, who knows.  I do not think they take credit card, so be sure to have cash just in case.
  
All the work was worth it and it really wasn't that bad.  Soon enough you will be in Switzerland, hanging out with something that looks like this: