Can anyone advise me on the rules regarding travel to Switzerland via France. We would like to bring an 8 week old puppy home from the U.k. and planned to drive via the Eurotunnel through France. I understand that a puppy over 56 weeks can travel without its mum and must be vaccinated against rabies as long as it has proof from a vet that it has lived in one residence. However, I am now concerned about the journey through France. DO the rules in France apply if we are just travelling through?

Don't quote me but I think you'll find it much easier over 12 weeks - not sure vets will do a rabies jab under that age anyway

Plus he needs to have a passport and be chipped. Make sure that you have both.

Have the regulation changed already. I thought you had to have a full 6 months before the rabies vaccination and travel.

When you get to the Tunnel on your return, you have to go to the right of entrance to the Pet/Animals checking office. They will check the microchip and that it matches the number in the passport. They will check that the passport's details are all correct and filled in properly- and they are absolute sticklers with dates and times. A vet has to check the health of the dog, administer worming and flea//tick treatment him/herself, check the passport and microchip, a minimum of 24hrs before and maximum 48hrs. We once got there 5 mins early and they sent us away to return on time! We also witnessed a family being refused entry with their dog as the chip they had could not be read by their machine- and refused them the right to have it re-chipped as they could not prove the dog was THE dog in the passport. They were from Poland and had to return to their country or abandon the dog - we never knew the outcome, and I still think about them, crying their eyes out in Calais.

I am really not sure a vet will agree to to the rabies and other treatments at his age- and unless the law as now changed, you have to wait 6 months anyway. Sorry. It is very easy to take a dog out of the UK, no checks made, and they won't bother you at the French/Swiss border normally, the difficulty is taking a dog BACK into the UK- so you really have to do everything properly as the last thing you want is your puppy being refused back - and you stuck in Calais with him having to put him in quarantine, etc.

Are you coming to live here or just on hols? If it is for hols, much better to leave him at home with good friends or in kennels. If you are moving here, it is not a problem. Remember the dog has to be booked in on your Tunnel ticket.

OK, here are the new regs from the Defra website:

Entry rules for pets entering the UK from the EU and listed non-EU countries:
What has to be done Now From 1 January 2012 Microchip Yes Yes Rabies vaccination Yes Yes Documentation (pet passport or third country certificate) Yes Yes Blood test (dogs and cats) Yes No Pre-entry waiting period Yes Yes Length of waiting period before entry to the UK 6 months from date sample taken for blood test 21 days after vaccination against rabies Tick treatment Yes (24-48 hours before embarkation) No Tapeworm treatment Yes (as for ticks) Under consideration at European level Entry rules for pets entering the UK from unlisted non-EU countries:
What has to be done Now From 1 January 2012 Microchip All pets from unlisted third countries are licensed into quarantine for 6 months and vaccinated against rabies on arrival Yes Rabies vaccination Yes Blood test Yes. Blood sample taken at least 30 days after vaccination. Documentation ( third country certificate) Yes Pre-entry waiting period Yes Length of waiting period before entry to the UK 3 months after blood sample date Tick treatment No Tapeworm treatment Under consideration at European level

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Page published: 30 June 2011
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Tags: animal welfare, Caroline Spelman, Defra, pets

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Everything you need to know about bringing animals into Switzerland:
http://bvet.bytix.com/plus/dbr/default.aspx?lang=en

Be sure to follow the 'under three months old' rules.

For transit through France:

A quick google says says 3 months old or traveling with the mother; you should contact the Ministry of Agriculture ( http://agriculture.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/m...e_10-06-11.pdf ) for clarification.


Oh, and when you get to Switzerland, you have 10 days to register your pup with ANIS - only a vet can do this, so you'll need to make an appointment soon. You will also need to register your dog with your Gemeinde, pay the dog tax. And, you will need to take the SKN courses. If you are a first time dog owner you will need the theory course. (As in, you have never owned another dog registered in your name in Switzerland. If you have owned a dog outside of Switzerland, contyact the cantonal vet office with proof of ownership to determine if you need to do the SKN theory course, or not.) Regardless of your previous experience you and the pup will need to do the SKN practical course within the first 12 months.

Database of certified SKN trainers:
http://bvet.bytix.com/plus/trainer/

All the best as your pup settles in to life in Switzerland.


Odile, the 6 months' waiting time was only for entry into the UK - when leaving the UK, you only need to follow the rules of the country of your destination. And yes, as of January 2012 the UK PETS rules will be relaxed to follow EU norms.

ETA: Sorry, just saw your subsequent post, Odile

ETA2: Twiglet, I just saw that you are in Basel. What breed is your pup? Be aware that Basel enforces BSL - some breeds face further restrictions.

ETA3: I'm sure you've already thought of this, but... as your pup is so young, you'll need to plan your (frequent!) piddle stops carefully, as well as your overnight accomodation.

I have a related question...

I haven't taken my dogs out of Switzerland since I got here. If I do... should I just make sure that I have their pet passports and they're current on rabies?

What would I expect from Customs at the border when I return (if anything)? Do they tend to just wave you through or do they always stop you and ask to see the pet passport?

We've never ever been asked about our dog's papers when going over to France and back- even though she does not like uniforms and bark at them.

Perhaps could be more of a problem if you have a breed that is on a dangerous list.

Most of the time we have been waved on through the checkpoint without stopping at all - despite the fact that the collie chorus was usually in full voice, so I obviously had a herd o' mutts in the car.

I've only been stopped a few times, and then usually just get a cursory glance at my passport, the dogs are ignored.

Once, however, I dutifully handed over the dogs' passports, in which I have copies of various papers including the pedigrees of those of my dogs who have them. Hooligan, sheltie, check. Haifisch, sheltie, check. Melon: no pedigree.

Madame, il est un pitbull! C'est interdit!

Erm, officer, he's not a pitbull - he's a collie. (Melon was a dead ringer for Lassie.)

Mais Madame - can you prove that he is not a pitbull?

Erm...

At which point the other officer came over, told his buddy to stop being a jerk and wished the 'Lassie' a nice stay in France.

I'm sure the first officer wasn't being serious - I think he was just looking for a way to liven up a few minutes of a boring day.

.

Just checked the Defra site - have they deleted the Eurotunnel as a route from 1 Jan?

same here, although I take the papers just in case.

Now looking forward to them being accused of being pirbulls, even though one looks like a golden retriever and the other like a blond hovawart. yes, how do I prove they are not pitbulls, DNA testing I guess?

Our dog's passport says husky mix - and when we registered her, we said "husky mix". We have no idea what she is, but husky mix seems to be good enough. I think whatever your pet passport says is probably good enough. As for "papers," since we adopted her from a shelter in the US, she doesn't really have papers. Come to think of it, I wonder if I still have her original adoption papers....hmmm.

When I brought me then 8 weeks old puppy from Portugal to here, the customs required a passport, a microchip and a written note from the vet certifying the pup was in good health and had not been exposed to the rabies, as she was too young for the vaccine.

take a copy of The Complete Dog Book (which doesn't even have "Pit Bull" in it) and ask the Customs officer to prove that your non-pit is a Pit.

I'm fortunate in that, I have official pedigrees and AKC and CKC registration certificates for both of my dogs. How I've managed not to lose them is a miracle in its own right. But so glad I do have these documents!

I never felt I needed any papers to prove Melon's ancestry:


Me: What's that, boy, Timmy fell down the well?

Melon: Woof!

Me: Down by Old Wilson's farm?

Melon: Woof woof!

Me: Let's go, boy!

Melon: Woof woof woof!



(Not much of a trick, I know. Melon only had two brain cells to rub together, and I often wondered if both were firing at the same time. Best dog in the whole wide world, though.)


But back on topic...

Have you made a decision Twiglet? As said, the main problem would be with returning to the UK.

Legalities aside, do be aware that puppies that young are very very prone to being car sick. Speak to your breeder about how to mitigate motion sickness.

The breeder should have some tips/remedies. My breeder recommended Similaan (which can be bought from any apotheke here). Depending on the size/breed, you can give them a little bit of those 30 minutes before a trip to minimise car sickness. Alternatively, speak to your breeder about bringing the puppy for regular short car rides prior to the big trip in order to let him/her get used to the moving motion of the car rather than being stressed out for approx 9-12 hours.

Good luck with the trip!

Just rang the helpline and the Eurotunnel has NOT been deleted as a route - they've just managed to omit it as a route from their PDF

I'm too tired to find the ref' on the cumbersome DEFRA site, but this confirms my thoughts that a rabbies vacc' will not be given before 12 weeks of age.
http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/Vaccination-against-rabies, and without that you won't get a passport.
Then there is 21 days after vaccination before the pup can travel between EU countries (http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pet...s/vaccination/), so that would be 15 weeks of age

Thank-you to everyone for taking the time to reply. It is much appreciated.
We have now organised our travel arrangements and I now need to learn to relax and stop double/treble checking everything.
We are going to fly him back with Swissair. They will allow him in the cabin with me (unlike many airlines) and will also allow him to travel under 12 weeks. B.A. minimum age is 10 weeks.
I fly into Zurich and then catch the train into Basel. We have also organised a pet friendly hotel the night before so we can at least bond a little.
Our breeder's vet will not do the rabies jab before 12 weeks (I am glad) but will issue the pet passport and a letter for the swiss customs stating that he hasn't been in contact with wild animals etc.
I would like to think I have everything covered but as I found my car keys in the fridge once again, please let me know if there is anything I have not considered.
We are so excited to welcome our little boy to Switzerland. Just need to enjoy Christmas & then get the journey over as safely and smoothly as possible
Thank-you once again to all who replied