Pet travel route
Dog or cat from Switzerland to the Dominican Republic
Possible. With nothing done yet, start at least 4 weeks ahead. The main steps: rabies vaccination (inactivated vaccine) from 90 days old, at least 30 days before departure, rabies vaccination within the 12 months before departure and vet examination within 72 hours before departure and 2 more.
Rules checked up to 12 October 2026From 2 official pages
In short
- On this route: parasite treatment before travel.
- No rabies blood test, import permit or quarantine on this route for a pet that meets the rules.
- Coming back to Switzerland? 3 steps have to happen before your pet leaves.
We’re re-checking these rules. An official source they rely on has changed since we last verified them, so something here may be out of date. Before you book or travel, confirm the details with the official authority.
- Travelling with dogs, cats and ferrets · page changed, noticed 13 Oct 2026
Limited official guidance. The authority for leaving Switzerland publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. FSVO's page says only that the destination's rules apply when you leave Switzerland, and that the certificate comes from your cantonal veterinary service. It gives no deadline or fee: deadlines and fees differ between the 26 cantons, so ask yours.
Limited official guidance. The authority for entering the Dominican Republic publishes little for this route. Everything it does say is here, with its wording. DIGEGA's page lists what the health certificate must state, but it doesn't say what happens when your pet arrives (inspection, fees), whether a pet travelling as cargo or without its owner needs anything more, or which vaccinations other than rabies are expected. Ask DIGEGA (809-535-9689) before you travel if any of these apply to you.
At a glance
The rules on this route are the same for dogs and cats.
How early to start
4 weeks
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet
Set by: Rabies vaccination (inactivated vaccine) from 90 days old, at least 30 days before departure (at least 30 days before the departure date)
No official wait
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
The least time the official waiting periods allow. Vet, lab and paperwork appointments come on top.
On this route
- No rabies blood test
- No import permit
- No quarantine
- Parasite treatment before travel
Rule-change alertsChecked daily
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Rule change for pets travelling from Switzerland to the Dominican Republic
Government fees, quoted from official pages, for 28 countries. Tap to see what changed.
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Switzerland → Dominican Republic
What your pet needs
In the order you do them. Each step says whether Switzerland (leaving) or the Dominican Republic (entering) asks for it.
Get ready
VaccinationEntering the Dominican Republic
Rabies vaccination (inactivated vaccine) from 90 days old, at least 30 days before departure
Your pet is vaccinated against rabies with an inactivated-virus vaccine, given at least 90 days after birth. After a first vaccination, wait 30 days before travelling: the vaccination must be at least 30 days before the departure date.
Details and the official words
“La vacuna debe ser de virus inactivado y administrada no más de 12 meses ni menos de 30 días antes de la fecha de salida.”
“Los cachorros deben haber recibido la vacuna contra la rabia al menos 90 días después del nacimiento (3 meses o 12 semanas) y esperar 30 días después de la vacunación antes de viajar.”
VaccinationEntering the Dominican Republic
Rabies vaccination within the 12 months before departure
The rabies vaccination on the certificate must be no more than 12 months before the departure date, even if your pet's vaccine is valid for longer. If your pet's last shot will be older, give a booster before you travel. An adult dog with a history of rabies vaccination and boosters doesn't need to wait 30 days after the booster; a cat does.
Details and the official words
Add the date of your pet's most recent rabies shot to check this.
DIGEGA's exemption from the 30-day wait names adult dogs only, so we apply the 30 days to every cat's vaccination.
“La vacuna debe ser de virus inactivado y administrada no más de 12 meses ni menos de 30 días antes de la fecha de salida.”
“Los perros adultos con antecedentes de vacunación contra la rabia y dosis de refuerzo no necesitan esperar 30 días después de la vacunación.”
In the days before you travel
Vet examEntering the Dominican Republic
Vet examination within 72 hours before departure
A vet examines your pet within the 72 hours before the departure date and finds it free of infectious or contagious diseases. By then it must already have been treated against internal and external parasites.
Details and the official words
“El animal fue examinado dentro de las 72 horas previas a la fecha de salida. Se determinó que no padecía enfermedades infecciosas o contagiosas y que había recibido tratamiento contra parásitos externos e internos.”
TreatmentEntering the Dominican Republic
Internal and external parasite treatment before the vet examination
Your pet is treated against internal and external parasites before the vet examines it. The certificate names the dewormers with their manufacturer and active ingredients. DIGEGA gives no time window: ask your vet.
Details and the official words
“El animal fue examinado dentro de las 72 horas previas a la fecha de salida. Se determinó que no padecía enfermedades infecciosas o contagiosas y que había recibido tratamiento contra parásitos externos e internos.”
“El certificado debe especificar: las vacunas administradas y el control de parásitos internos y externos (los desparasitantes deben especificar el fabricante y los principios activos).”
PaperworkSwitzerland and the Dominican Republic
Vet's health certificate, endorsed by an official vet at the port of embarkation
A vet issues and signs a health certificate after the examination, and an official vet at the port of embarkation endorses and stamps it. It gives the name and address in the Dominican Republic of the person accompanying the pet, the pet's full identification (name, breed, sex, colour, date of birth, microchip and/or tattoo), the vaccinations given and the parasite treatments. Attach the vaccination record with the vaccine labels (batch number, manufacture and expiry dates).
Details and the official words
DIGEGA's page places the official endorsement at the port of embarkation. In many countries the official vet endorses certificates before you go to the airport (in the US, USDA APHIS): ask your country's official veterinary service how it endorses a certificate for the Dominican Republic.
Veterinary certificate from your cantonal veterinary service: You can obtain the veterinary certificate for leaving Switzerland from the cantonal veterinary service responsible for where you live. The destination decides what the certificate must say and when it must be issued.
FSVO's page gives no deadline or fee. Contact your cantonal veterinary service early.
“Los animales deben ir acompañados de un certificado sanitario expedido y firmado por un veterinario. Este certificado debe ser refrendado y sellado por un veterinario oficial en el puerto de embarque.”
“El certificado debe contener el nombre y la dirección de la persona que acompaña al animal en la República Dominicana y la identificación completa del animal (nombre, raza, sexo, color, fecha de nacimiento, microchip y/o tatuaje).”
“Debe ir acompañado de un registro de vacunación con las etiquetas de las vacunas, incluyendo el número de lote, la fecha de fabricación y la fecha de caducidad.”
“You can obtain a veterinary certificate for leaving Switzerland from the responsible cantonal veterinary service”
Good to know
- FSVO's page is short on this: when you leave Switzerland the rules of the destination country apply, and to bring your pet back the conditions for re-entering Switzerland must be met. It names the cantonal veterinary service as the place to get the certificate. Ask them about timing early.
Money
What it costs
Government fees exactly as the official pages state them, and what vets and labs in Switzerland publish for the steps above. The two are never added together.
Government fees on this route
No government fee is published on the official pages we use for this trip. That doesn’t always mean it’s free: ask the authority.
What vets and labs charge Not official figures
Vet examinationyour vet · for: vet examination within 72 hours before departure42–58 CHF
Switzerland: 3 published prices
- Monnard Vétérinaire: Consultation for a dog (VAT 8.1% included)42 CHF · per consultation · read 2026-10-13
- Tierarztpraxis Schauenberg (Elgg, ZH): First consultation for a dog during regular opening hours45 CHF · per consultation · read 2026-10-13
- Médi-Vet (Lausanne area, VD): Consultation for a dog (2026 prices)58 CHF · per consultation · read 2026-10-13
Rabies vaccinationyour vet · for: rabies vaccination (inactivated vaccine) from 90 days old, at least 30 days before departure, rabies vaccination within the 12 months before departure68–73 CHF
Switzerland: 2 published prices
- Estavet (Estavayer-le-Lac, FR): Rabies vaccine, consultation included68 CHF · per vaccination · read 2026-10-13
- Tierarztpraxis Schauenberg (Elgg, ZH): Rabies vaccination including consultation (listed under 'Impfungen, inkl. Kons.')73 CHF · per vaccination · read 2026-10-13
Health certificate (vet’s fee)your vet · for: vet's health certificate, endorsed by an official vet at the port of embarkation30 CHF
Switzerland: 1 published price
- Vétérinaires sur la Route (Geneva region, home visits): International certificate of good health (listed under animal documentation, 2026 price list); home-visit practice30 CHF · per certificate · read 2026-10-13
No published prices yet for Switzerland: parasite treatment.
Prices that businesses publish on their own pages, quoted as we read them; yours can differ. Ranges are the lowest to highest of these examples, never our estimate. How we collect prices
Airline fees aren’t included: check your airline’s pet page.
Round trip
Coming back to Switzerland
Do before your pet leaves Switzerland (dogs)
- Microchip
- Rabies vaccination
- Rabies antibody blood test (titer)
Their timing rules put them before the outbound trip, for a three-month stay.
The trip back asks for 7 steps: microchip, rabies vaccination, rabies antibody blood test (titer) and FSVO import authorisation (flying in from a rabies-risk country) and more.
Do before your pet leaves Switzerland (cats)
- Microchip
- Rabies vaccination
- Rabies antibody blood test (titer)
Their timing rules put them before the outbound trip, for a three-month stay.
The trip back asks for 7 steps: microchip, rabies vaccination, rabies antibody blood test (titer) and FSVO import authorisation (flying in from a rabies-risk country) and more.
Nearby routes
Other routes
Where this comes from
Official sources
- Permisología para la Importación / Exportación de Perros y Gatos (DIGEGA)
- Travelling with dogs, cats and ferrets
Last checked against the official pages: 2026-10-12.
Questions owners ask
Does my dog or cat need a rabies blood test to go from Switzerland to the Dominican Republic?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for a rabies blood test.
Do I need an import permit to bring my dog or cat into the Dominican Republic?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for an import permit.
Will my dog or cat be quarantined in the Dominican Republic?
Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.
How early should I start preparing my pet for Switzerland to the Dominican Republic?
With nothing done yet, start at least 4 weeks ahead. The main steps: rabies vaccination (inactivated vaccine) from 90 days old, at least 30 days before departure, rabies vaccination within the 12 months before departure and vet examination within 72 hours before departure and 2 more.
Every rule here is quoted from the official page and checked word for word; not legal advice. How we verify · Report a mistake
Read next
Turn this into dates for your pet
Where from, where to, when. You get every step with its deadline and the official page it comes from.