Permits for import

For the import of animals, plants and products from protected species, depending on the consignment, CITES certificates or import permits may be required, or special exemption provisions may apply. Find out about the applicable requirements here.

CITES certificate from the country of origin

For species listed in the CITES appendices, a CITES certificate from the country of origin is required for every import into Switzerland. The supplier applies for this from the responsible CITES authority. The original certificate must accompany the consignment, must not have expired when the consignment crosses the border, and is generally valid for six months.

You can find the contact details of all CITES authorities on the following page:

CITES: National CITES authorities

Import permit from the FSVO

Article 7 of the Federal CITES Act sets out which consignments must be accompanied by an import permit when they are imported. An import permit from the FSVO is not only compulsory for all CITES species, but also for all live specimens of non-domesticated mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians (with a few exceptions).

For species that are protected under the Hunting Act (JSG), a certificate is also required from the responsible hunting and nature conservation authority in the country of origin. This applies both to live specimens and to products derived from them and confirms their legal origin.

For the import of certain non-native fish and crustaceans, including their eggs, an import permit is also necessary under the Federal Act on Fishing (BGF). The FSVO issues this, if the FOEN confirms that the conditions are met.

The completed application form must be submitted to the FSVO in good time before the import. Please allow at least five working days for processing.

Forms:

The permit is valid for three months, is free of charge, and is only issued electronically. On import, a print-out of the permit, or at least the permit number, must be presented to customs. For private imports, the accompanying document sent with the import permit must also be presented.

Permanent permit from the FSVO

Commercial importers who trade in products derived from CITES-listed species may apply for a permanent permit for certain categories of goods. The permissible categories are listed in Annex 4 to the CITES Control Ordinance:

  • Furs from animal species included in CITES Appendices II and III and products derived from them;
  • Skins from animal species included in CITES Appendices II and III;
  • Reagents and medicines containing snake venom;
  • Tissue, cell and blood samples from species listed in CITES Appendices I-III exclusively for research purposes at universities;
  • Red corals, black corals and pearls from the queen conch (Strombus gigas) as listed in CITES Appendices II and III;
  • Wood and wood products from Dalbergia spp. and Guibourtia demeusei, G. pellegriniana and G. tessmannii. No permanent permits are issued for Dalbergia nigra, Dalbergia cochinchinensis or the Mexican population of Dalbergia spp.

The permanent permit is valid for all corresponding imports over a two-year period and costs CHF 50. It replaces individual permits for each import.

The application form and, if available, an inventory list as well as a list of outlets, must be submitted to the FSVO before the first import.

Forms:

Travel permits

For travel, special travel permits exist for clearly defined cases.

More information:

Travel permits

Exemptions from the permit requirement

Exemptions to the CITES permit requirement exist for certain, clearly defined cases.

Special case re-import with Swiss CITES certificate

Under certain conditions, re-import into Switzerland is possible with a Swiss CITES certificate. The detailed regulations can be found in the fact sheet: