I am bringing my dog home with me to Switzerland and i hope someone on here can help me with information on how much it '' will roughly '' coast to bring her over here. So far i know these are the only coasts but if anyone can help me with information on this please share.

Rabies Shot and Health Certificate ( roughly ) 100$
European Certificate ( Dont know how to get it or how much it coats )
Airline fees ( However much they charge )

More information is needed to give even a rough guess. And we can only guess - you should go directly to the sources.

The cost of flying can range from several hundred to several thousand - depending from where you are flying, on how you fly (in cabin, if your dog plus crate are under 8kg) to cargo (all other dogs) depending on size - and whether you fly the dog yourself or use a shipping agent.

I always fly using a professional shipper, and budget a couple of thousand. If you DIY, it will cost less.

Call your airline to get an exact quote.

As for the cost of rabies and the health certificate, these are done by your vet - so ask him directly.

There are many threads on this subject, do a bit of searching; some may be several years old but should give you a ballpark idea.

Good luck with your trip.


By the way, the documentation/process needed to bring your dog can be found here using this app from the BVet:
http://bvet.bytix.com/plus/dbr/default.aspx?lang=en

http://www.swiss.com/web/en/services...s/animals.aspx

This link will give you some idea of what is involved and the cost. On the "Animals in Hold" tab they give an idea of prices.

My wife and flew back from Japan with our three dogs on Swiss and it was painless. It's just important to make sure that the paperwork is in order and that you are well organised.

United charges 125$ in cargo or in the cabin. just did this last week so prices are valid. United has a pretty good description of what paperwork you need. (basically only dogpassport and chip) everytime I have flown with a dog NOBODY has checked any papers (3 different dogs on 3 different occasions)

Good question:

Has anybody had their paper work ever checked? Never happen to me.

We flew our Anatolian Shepherd Dog from Atlanta on Delta to Zurich direct and they checked her paper work. She was flown as cargo due to her size - 100+ pounds not including weight of the crate. This was in Dec 2010
Cheers
Sue

I guess I meant to ask if the paper work (vet certificate, vaccinations, chip) had been check upon arrival.

When we brought our two bullies in from Chicago as baggage in crates, all customs was concerned with was collecting a fee. The paperwork was needed to register in Zurich and was reviewed by our new Vet here. As others have stated depending on size, you might be paying as little as $150 as an extra bag charge. I would think flying direct would be best for you'd dog's sake, so check out Swiss. Good luck!

Our dogs' paperwork was checked when we flew back from Japan. The customs official commented on how the Japanese forms were always filled out flawlessly. However, in the excitement he forgot to call the border vet to check our cockatoo...

Yes- this was all checked upon arrival in Zürich

I flew a dog to Switzerland in November. It cost me roughly $200 for all of the vet visits (rabies, microchipping, checkup) and paperwork (vet certificate, USDA export certificate). I paid $825 to fly the dog alone in the cargo carrier on American Airlines from NC to Zurich, and then another CHF225 or so in import/handling fees at the airport here. Customs did not charge me anything, perhaps because we were moving here permanently.

I still have three cats to get over here in a few months, so I'll be looking for a cheaper alternative.

I love hearing stories of those highly paid executives who transfer their cat for around $3,000 etc..

There is no need to pay high amounts of money if you do your homework and your research.

We moved one cat and a dog, the shots and preparations was way under $100. We had to call Swiss Air in advance to lock in the cargo space for their kennel/cage. Once this was done we paid for the animals at check in which costs around $200 for the cat and approx $400 for the dog (He is approx 12kg). Luckily my job paid for the dog, we paid for the cat.

We prefer direct flights as its easier on the animals.

The whole process seems extremely difficult as those who do it usually whine and make it look intimidating to others.

Do your HW in your home country for exports, then do your homework in CH, once you figure out the demands/needs your good to go. The Swiss Vet website has great info and an easy to use tool to help you know what you need.

Dont stress it, proper planning will make life easier.

edit: We paid (I think) 75chf upon arrival and had all paper work ready to be stamped (was easy), so total cost to import cat was around $300 and dog around $480.

Flew with one dog to Finland some years ago. The Customs in Finland examined the paperwork closely but clearly did not understand one word.

On our return nobody checked the paperwork in Zurich.

I described our experience in 2011 flying a golden retriever using Delta airlines in this thread:

Our experience importing our dog from the US to Switzerland

Good luck!

My pup made the trip over (Toronto to Zurich, Air Canada) about 18 months ago in cargo in a very large crate (over 60 kg) and the cost of the flight alone was over $3000 CAD (plus pet relocation agency fees). The paperwork was checked thoroughly upon arrival.

my sister-in-law travels twice a year between the US and Switzerland with her 2kg dog. It costs about $100 as the dog fits in a soft carrier "under" the seat.

I've done a 23kg dog from the US to here.you're more likely to have the paperwork checked when leaving than arriving.

Be thankful that a compliant crate is cheaper anywhere but Switzerland. If your dog is larger and needs one then fact that into your costs too.

I do have to agree that it was a simple, straight forward process. Just do the research. Search the many threads here ... it cost us a lot b/c our dog weighed over 50 kg and had to go as cargo ... I wouldn't spend the money on a "professional" transport agency. Just my $0.02.