The import provisions apply to horses including other equidae such as zebras or donkeys and their cross-breeds.
Equidae require an official horse passport for import. If they remain in Switzerland longer than 30 days, they must be registered in the Swiss stock movement database.
Registered equidae must be accompanied by a certificate issued by a veterinary officer in accordance with Annex II of Directive 2009/156/EC (as amended most recently by Implementing Decision 2016/1840/EU) . This document is valid for (multiple) journeys between EU Member States and Switzerland during a period of up to 10 days.
Non-registered equidae and all slaughter animals must be notified in TRACES and the animals must be accompanied by a certificate in accordance with Annex III of Directive 2009/156/EC.
Switzerland does not require a certificate (or a TRACES notification for non-registered horses) for animals imported temporarily (for a maximum of 7 days) from the EU (except for Romania) or for the re-entry of Swiss horses following a brief (up to 7 days) stay abroad. Please note, however, that a re-export certificate can only be issued following a brief stay in Switzerland if a prior certificate containing the required health guarantees is available.
The protective measures in force on the day of import apply in all cases.
It is forbidden to import equidae from Romania.
Please note that it is not possible to import all categories of animals and goods into Switzerland at all border crossing points. The customs authorities have full autonomy in determining the responsibilities of each customs post. The customs service provides information on the exact procedures involved in import, in particular electronic declaration and the allocation of tariff quotas (see "More information").
Equidae may be subject to species protection legislation. Please check their protection status in the CITES species checklist (see “More information”) and contact the FSVO if necessary.
Circus animals may be subject to the special conditions applicable to circus animals.
Animals intended for direct slaughter must additionally be accompanied by confirmation 06/04 of the animals' health status and use of medication completed by the establishment operator (see health certificate / TRACES). The document must be handed to the veterinary meat inspector at the slaughterhouse of destination before the animals for slaughter are examined.