Import of veterinary medicines

If veterinary medicines are not available in Switzerland, vets can import preparations from abroad under certain conditions. Every import must be reported electronically and in some cases a licence is required.

Notification and authorisation requirement

If a veterinary medicine is not available in Switzerland and there are no alternatives, vets may under certain circumstances import a suitable product from abroad.

In such cases, they must notify the FSVO electronically of the import in advance. They must indicate which medicinal product they wish to import in what quantity and for what reason.

Depending on the product, its origin and field of use, an import licence may also be required from the FSVO, for example for immunological veterinary medicinal products.

Notification procedure for vets

Once they have registered in IS ABV, vets can access the notification form ‘TAM-Import’, which is only available electronically. They can use it to enter notifications and apply for import licences.

IS ABV web application

You can find more detailed information on the process here:

The electronic notification procedure is designed to provide vets with the simplest and most timely possible access to appropriate veterinary medicinal products – for example, if they are not licensed in Switzerland or if there are shortages. At the same time, the notifications provide important data to identify supply gaps in the Swiss veterinary medicine market and to put in place appropriate measures to ensure supply of veterinary medicinal products. It is also used to check that the import of relevant veterinary medicines is carried out legally.