Getting a dog in Switzerland means navigating AMICUS, a rabies vaccine, liability insurance, an annual control mark, and dog tax. Most of it is straightforward once you know the order. If your breeder is Swiss, they'll handle most of the early registration for you.
The paperwork isn't the fun part, but skipping any of it can cause real problems. Here's the full rundown all in one place.
What is AMICUS ?
AMICUS is Switzerland's national dog database. Every dog in the country gets a microchip number that links it to an owner ID in the system. If you're buying from a local Swiss breeder, good news: the dog is almost certainly already microchipped and registered. Your breeder will ask for your ID so they can transfer the dog to your AMICUS number before you pick it up. Once they do, you'll need to confirm the transfer on your end to complete it.
The 10-day clock: Once the breeder initiates the transfer, you have 10 days to log in to Amicus and click "Accept." If you don't, the dog stays in "digital limbo".
If you've never owned a dog in Switzerland before, you won't have an AMICUS ID yet. Head to your local city hall (Mairie) to get one. Your breeder needs that number to complete the transfer, so don't leave it until the last minute.
Each dog has its own microchip number, but all your dogs connect to the same AMICUS ID. So if you get a second dog down the road, they'll link to the same account.
If you're importing a dog from abroad, you still need to get your AMICUS ID at city hall. Your vet will then register your dog's existing microchip to your ID. Our vet charged us 84 CHF for that service.
As of January 2026, Switzerland has largely transitioned to the ePetCard. Instead of a physical plastic ID card for the dog, you can now use the animundo app.
After bringing a puppy home
Once your dog is home, there are three things to sort out, roughly in this order.
First, your puppy needs a rabies vaccine no later than 5 months old.
Second, you need civil liability insurance that covers your dog. A lot of people already have this without realizing it. Check your existing household or personal liability policy, it may include dog coverage. If not, head to comparis.ch to compare options, or just call your current insurer. This insurance covers damage or injury your dog causes to other people or their property.
Third, from the age of 6 months and every April thereafter, you need to get a control mark from your city hall. This is an annual requirement in Geneva and it's proof that your dog is vaccinated against rabies, is in the AMICUS database, and is covered by liability insurance. Check your cityhall's website to know what documents to bring.
Behavior test?
If your dog is expected to grow past 25 kg and 56 cm at the withers, you're required to complete a TMC (comportement du chien) behavior test before your dog turns 18 months old. You can take the test with a recognized dog educator.
How much is the dog tax?
The dog tax arrives in the mail automatically as a QR invoice each year, so you don't need to chase it down. How much you pay depends on where you live and how many dogs you have.
The Canton of Geneva sets a base rate:
- 1st dog: ~50 CHF
- 2nd dog: ~70 CHF
- 3rd dog and beyond: ~100 CHF each
On top of that, your commune adds a percentage called centimes additionnels. Every commune sets its own rate, which is why your neighbor in Cologny might pay a different amount than you do in Carouge. You can check your commune's rate here. We paid 80 CHF total for our dog, which tracks with those numbers.
You'll also see a couple of small flat fees on the bill:
- Fonds des épizooties (disease fund contribution): 4 CHF per dog
- Stray dog insurance (for damage caused by stray dogs): 1 CHF per dog
None of this is as complicated as it looks on paper. Do the AMICUS step before pickup, get the rabies vaccine sorted by 5 months, and the rest follows naturally. Most of it just renews automatically each year after that.