Horses: Import procedure in Switzerland

If a horse is intended to remain permanently in Switzerland, it requires a customs declaration with all necessary documentation. Import taxes include customs duties as well as VAT. Specific tariff conditions may influence customs costs, depending on the animal category and other features.

  • Commercial invoice or contract of sale
  • Equine passport

The import tax is comprised of import duty and VAT (2.6 % on the value including customs duty). The import duty is charged per animal and is as follows:

Tariff quota shares (3,822 shares) are allocated according to the order of acceptance of import customs declarations (i.e. first come, first served).

Information on temporary importation into Switzerland can be found at: Horses - Temporary importation.

Further information can be found on the website of the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO.

Once you have found all the necessary information, you...

  • can declare the horse electronically with the appropriate application; or
  • have it declared by a customs clearance agency/freight forwarder.

Our opening hours and addresses

Please note the customs office opening hours for the declaration (assessment) of merchandise. Declarations can be made from Monday to Friday during clearance hours; some customs offices are also open on Saturday mornings.

The detailed opening hours are available in the list of customs offices.