Germinal producs from the EU

The term germinal products applies to semen, embryos or egg cells. The semen of many animal species may only be sourced from approved centres, while embryos and egg cells must have been obtained by approved collection teams.

The veterinary provisions applicable to the import of germinal products (semen, embryos and egg cells) from the EU are the same as those that apply to their movement within the EU.

Import license

An import licence from the veterinary health authority is not required if standard import provisions exist. If there are no standard provisions, or if they cannot be fulfilled in a specific case, the FSVO must be contacted in good time before the import takes place.

TRACES

Commercial imports must be handled using the TRACES system.

Additional guarantees

Germinal products  may only be imported from bluetongue restriction zones under special conditions. Before importing these products you should contact the Cantonal Veterinary Office responsible for the destination for information about any control measures and additional guarantees that may be required.

Animal breeding, quotas and general import permit

The Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) is responsible for regulations governing animal breeding and quotas. It also issues the general import permit required for certain farmed animals and their genetic material. Importers should also consider the customs aspects.

Species conservation

Certain animal species are additionally subject to species conservation provisions. Please check the conservation status in the CITES species list and submit an import application where necessary. If an import license is required, the species conservation control must be performed after the animals have been imported. The shipment must be notified to the
customs authority and presented to the chosen species conservation control office within 48 hours (two working days) (see "More information"). The fee for the species protection inspection will be collected in advance by the customs authority.

Detailed information about the individual animal species and the applicable import provisions is available under the corresponding search option under Import.

More information

Last modification 24.01.2022

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