DACHSER & KOLB

Full-Service Moving with Pet Expertise

DACHSER & KOLB is a German moving company offering international relocation services, with a dedicated practice in moving pets to Switzerland. The firm provides consulting, process planning, and coordination with professional animal transport specialists. The company addresses what most general movers ignore: the complex prerequisites, documentation, and timing required to move a pet across the Swiss border.

For expatriates relocating from Germany or other EU countries to Switzerland with dogs, cats, or other animals, DACHSER & KOLB combines the standard moving logistics (household goods, furniture, storage) with expert knowledge of Swiss animal import rules. The firm publishes one of the most comprehensive pet-relocation guides available online, suggesting deep familiarity with the process.

What DACHSER & KOLB Delivers

The firm takes on five areas. Consulting covers the specific regulations and timeline for the pet's relocation. Document pre-check confirms that the animal has the required health certificates, microchip records, and vaccination history before departure. Route and border planning ensures crossing at a staffed border crossing during customs hours and coordinates with customs officials. Coordination with special transport services arranges specialist carriers if needed. Onboarding after arrival includes registration with the local cantonal veterinary office and the Swiss national AMICUS database for dogs.

The company operates in German and English, addressing the common language needs of relocating families. The site offers an online price calculator for moving quotes, though pet-specific pricing is not available through the calculator and requires a quote request.

Swiss Entry Requirements: The Detailed Prerequisites

DACHSER & KOLB's value lies in clarifying rules that are scattered across multiple Swiss cantons and federal sources. The pet must meet four non-negotiable requirements before entering Switzerland.

Microchipping. The animal must have an ISO standard 11784/11785 microchip implanted. Critically, the microchip must be implanted before or on the same day as the rabies vaccination. Older animals with tattoos are accepted only if the tattoo predates July 3, 2011.

Rabies vaccination. Dogs, cats, and ferrets must have current rabies vaccination. The vaccination must be completed at least 21 days before crossing the Swiss border. Young animals under 12 weeks of age are generally not permitted entry; those aged 12 to 16 weeks may enter only with strict additional documentation. This creates a hard constraint on the timeline: a family with a puppy born during the relocation cannot bring it across the border immediately.

EU pet passport. The animal requires a valid EU pet passport issued by a veterinarian. The passport must document the microchip number, valid rabies vaccination, and owner information.

Special circumstances. Animals originating from rabies-risk countries require an additional antibody titer test completed at least 3 months before travel. Protected or exotic species require CITES import/export permits checked against current regulations.

The Timeline and Paperwork Flow

DACHSER & KOLB recommends beginning arrangements 6 to 8 weeks before the intended entry date. The early phase consists of three steps. First, ensure the pet has an ISO microchip or verify an existing tattoo against the 2011 cutoff. Second, complete rabies vaccination, which must happen before the 21-day countdown to border crossing begins. Third, have a veterinarian issue or verify the EU pet passport. Families should set the travel date only after confirming that at least 21 days will elapse between vaccination and crossing, and should register the pet with the local cantonal veterinary office and the Swiss AMICUS database (for dogs) in advance.

Upon entry, the pet must be declared to customs, though the site notes that verbal declaration is usually sufficient. Entry is permitted only via a staffed border crossing operating during customs assessment hours; crossing at unmanned roads is not allowed. The limit is five non-commercial pets; anything beyond that triggers trade regulations. The family must present the animal, EU pet passport, microchip proof, and valid rabies vaccination certificate at the border.

Upon arrival in Switzerland, dogs must be registered with the local authority in the AMICUS system (which veterinarians typically handle). Families must check cantonal regulations for leash and muzzle requirements, as certain dog breeds are restricted in some cantons, including Zurich, Geneva, and Valais. Dog liability insurance is mandatory in most cantons and should be confirmed before arrival. The family must update their address in the AMICUS database if they move within Switzerland.

What DACHSER & KOLB Does Not Address

The firm's guide covers Swiss regulations but leaves some questions open to individual circumstance. The site does not specify whether DACHSER & KOLB itself arranges the quarantine or animal transport, or whether it coordinates with external specialists. Costs for the firm's pet-relocation service are not published. The site does not detail which airlines or transport companies the firm partners with. Processing time for a full consultation is not stated. The firm does not cover non-EU origin countries, so animals from outside Europe must follow different protocols (the site notes this but does not elaborate). Cantonal regulations for dog breeds vary, and while the site mentions that certain cantons (Zurich, Geneva, Valais) have breed restrictions, it does not list the full set of restricted breeds in each canton or explain the implications of a move to a restricted canton.

Who This Service Suits

DACHSER & KOLB is an ideal fit for German or EU expatriates relocating to Switzerland with pets, particularly those moving household goods as well. The firm's combination of full moving services and pet expertise removes the complexity of coordinating two separate vendors. The comprehensive published guide is useful even without engaging the firm, and it suggests that the company understands the regulatory landscape deeply.

The service is less relevant for air-based relocations from distant countries (where a specialist like Across The Pond Pets is more efficient) or for ground moves from immediate neighbors where procedures are simpler. The firm does not offer boarding, veterinary services, or post-arrival pet care, so families should arrange housing and a local veterinarian before arrival.

The firm's value is in removing uncertainty. Swiss pet import rules are real, multi-layered, and enforced; a family that missteps on timing or documentation can face border refusal, quarantine costs, or in extreme cases, repatriation. DACHSER & KOLB specializes in ensuring none of that happens.