Pet travel route
Taking a dog or cat from Switzerland → the United States
What the official rules ask for on this route, for a family pet travelling with its owner. Enter your travel date and your pet’s details to turn it into a dated checklist.
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.
How early to start
No fixed wait
if your pet has no microchip or rabies vaccination yet (the least time the official waiting periods allow)
No fixed wait
if it is already microchipped and vaccinated
Counted only from the officially fixed waiting periods. Vet, lab and paperwork appointment times are on top, so start earlier.
Which rules apply to you
Switzerland is in the group “Dog rabies-free or low-risk” in the United States’s published list.See every group
Headlines for the United States
- Rabies blood test for some origins
- Designated entry point for some trips
What your dog needs
Dogs
Paperwork
CDC Dog Import Form
Fill in the free CDC Dog Import Form online (one per dog) and keep the emailed receipt to show on arrival. You can submit it up to the day of travel; the receipt is valid for 6 months unless your dog visits another country in that time.
Details and the official words
The receipt stops being valid if your dog visits a high-risk country, or a different low-risk country, during those 6 months — then you need a new form.
If your travel date or port of entry changes, submit a new form.
“the receipt is valid for 6 months from when it's issued unless the dog visits a high-risk country or a different dog rabies-free or low-risk country during that time”
Age rule
Dog at least 6 months old
Dogs must be at least 6 months old when they enter or return to the U.S.
Details and the official words
“Dogs must be at least 6 months old at time of entry or return to the U.S.”
Identification
Microchip
Your dog must have a microchip that a universal scanner can detect. If it has been in a high-risk country, the chip must have been implanted before the rabies vaccine.
Details and the official words
“Dogs must have a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner to identify them.”
“The microchip must be implanted before getting the rabies vaccine, or else the vaccine will be invalid.”
Official stamp
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.
Details and the official words
FSVO's page gives no deadline or fee. Contact your cantonal veterinary service early.
“You can obtain a veterinary certificate for leaving Switzerland from the responsible cantonal veterinary service”
Good to know
- Your destination state may have its own rules (for example a rabies vaccination or health certificate). Check with the state veterinarian before you travel.
- If your dog comes from a region affected by screwworm, USDA requires a certificate from a full-time salaried government vet confirming a screwworm inspection within 5 days before shipment. Check USDA's list of affected regions.
- 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.
What your cat needs
Cats
On arrival
Cat appears healthy on arrival
Cats must appear healthy on arrival and may be inspected. No federal proof of rabies vaccination is required, but CDC recommends it and your destination state may require it.
Details and the official words
“Cats are not required to have proof of rabies vaccination for importation into the United States.”
“APHIS Veterinary Services does not have any animal health requirements related to bringing (importing) a pet cat”
Official stamp
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.
Details and the official words
FSVO's page gives no deadline or fee. Contact your cantonal veterinary service early.
“You can obtain a veterinary certificate for leaving Switzerland from the responsible cantonal veterinary service”
Good to know
- Your destination state may have its own rules (for example a rabies vaccination or health certificate). Check with the state veterinarian before you travel.
- 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.
Common questions
Does my dog need a rabies blood test to go from Switzerland to the United States?
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 into the United States?
No. The official rules we have verified for this route don't ask for an import permit.
Will my dog be quarantined in the United States?
Not on the routes we have verified: the official rules list no quarantine for a pet that meets the requirements.
Does my dog need a microchip?
Yes: Your dog must have a microchip that a universal scanner can detect.