I have a vague recollection of someone bringing their pet dog in from Italy and there were problems at the border. Can’t remember what happened about it though, whether the dog was impounded or sent back or what.
"Failure to comply with these regulations will mean that your pet may be refused entry and the relevant authority in consultation with an authorized veterinarian can decide to return the pet home, or place the pet in quarantine at the expense of the owner or natural person responsible for pet, or as a last resort, without financial compensation, put the pet down where the return trip home or quarantine cannot be arranged.
All other pets (birds, invertebrates, tropical fish, reptiles, amphibia, mammals such as rodents and rabbits) are not subject to the regulations in respect of the anti-rabies vaccination but may have to meet other requirements as to a limit on the number of animals and a certificate to accompany them in respect of other diseases. Pet owners are strongly advised to seek further information from the relevant authority of their country and/or that of the country of destination."
Dogs and cats have to be microchipped for travel in Europe with a pet passport and details will be recorded in the paperwork so officials can check the chip and make sure it’s the same animal.
I brought my dog over here last september and all he needed was the passport, the microchip and up-to-date vaccinations. But it depends on what country the dog comes from.
I guess since he already got accepted in the swiss "high-class" society it should not be a problem to travel to the surrounding countries.
Considering a fair number of Americans come here with their pets, yes. Find me a link that says otherwise. I can’t find anything on the Swiss vet site about what happens if the requirements aren’t met.
"If you enter Switzerland directly by air, you have to undergo a customs inspection at the airport. A fee of CHF 88 is charged by Customs for this inspection.
If the animals do not meet the import regulations, they are confiscated by the border veterinary service and must be returned to their country of origin immediately at the expense of the person importing the animals. If a return journey is not possible within 10 days, the animals must be put down."
The above info was obtained by following this link, assuming one dog, older than 7 months, brought from the United States.
We brought two Jack Russells with us from the US. We had a complete dossier of paperwork from the veterinarian, and both had current rabies shots & ISO chips. When we got to Swiss customs, the guards never even glanced at their crates, and didn't look at the paperwork. Of course, you never what kind of personality you'll run into at customs... I would strongly recommend you have all paperwork complete and in hand just in case.
By the way, we were never asked to pay the CHF 88 inspection fee.
Yes, from RO. my parents brought him when they came to visit. They came via Swiss airline. the cost of the transport was 150chf because he is a small dog. if you have a larger one it would cost 300chf. you have to call the airline to make a reservation though...a big hassle. At the border no one asked for any paperwork...but then again i honestly think that they wanted my dog out of the airport as soon as possible he is a very loud one my furry friend
We brought our cats in by air last year from the UK. They both had their PETS passport which were checked on arrival (breifly). No problems. We weren't asked to pay the inspection fee either.
Lists info on Pet passports for EU and non-EU countries. I'd check with your local vet just to be sure. I did the same in the UK as they have slightly different regulations and it's best just to be safe.
During the summer hols I'm looking at taking my tortoise for his holiday to my inlaws in Germany. Anyone able to tell me if I'm able just to take the little fella with me, or is there something special that needs to be done?
Check with the Swiss and German veterinary offices to make sure, but I can’t find anything specific about tortoises travelling in Europe. May depend if it’s one on the endangered species list in which case you may need a licence or something to bring it into Germany and back out again to Switzerland.
Hopefully a tortoise expert will come along... But until then:
Taking a quick look at the BLV site on 'Ausfuhr von Tiere in die EU' I was surprised to see that reptiles are not discussed. The site suggests for pet species not mentioned one should contact the cantonal Veterinäramt for instructions. You might have to do the same with the German counterpart.
And of course, do make sure you understand re-importation rules (if any.)
"Bei den meisten Schildkrötenarten braucht es für den Transport von der Schweiz in die EU und zurück eine Tier-Besitzurkunde. Dies, weil viele Schildkrötenarten geschützt sind und dem Washingtoner Artenschutzabkommen (CITES) unterliegen."
He's only a little Horsfield/Russian tortoise, fairly common and not on the endangered list. I've got a feeling the German authorities maybe more strict with these things than the Swiss...