GE
Georgia
✈️
CH
Switzerland
Pet Transport Georgia to Switzerland: 2026 Field Guide
22-28 weeks
Typical preparation
None
Quarantine on arrival
High
Route complexity
✓ Managed
Full door-to-door service
In short:
Preparing to move a pet from Georgia to Switzerland
typically takes around 22-28 weeks.
There is no routine quarantine on arrival for compliant pets.
A rabies titre test is required, which adds a fixed waiting period, so start early.
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Overview
Getting a pet from Georgia to Switzerland is a step by step process, and each stage has its own timing. Allow about 22-28 weeks; the requirements are detailed but predictable once mapped out. Compliant pets are not held in quarantine on arrival.
This route requires a rabies titre test with a set waiting period, so do not leave it late. Start with the step by step process below and build your plan from there.
Step by step
The Georgia to Switzerland process
1
Before anything else. At least 3 weeks before planned travel. Apply via blv.admin.ch. The permission document must accompany your pet on travel day.
Apply for FSVO import permission from Switzerland
Responsible: Owner or IPATA-registered agent
2
First vet step after FSVO permission is secured.
Microchip (ISO 11784/11785) - before vaccination
Responsible: Veterinarian in Georgia
3
After microchipping. Wait 30 days before the titre test blood draw.
Rabies vaccination
Responsible: Veterinarian in Georgia
4
At least 30 days after vaccination. Blood drawn in Tbilisi, shipped cold internationally. Allow 2-4 weeks for results.
Titre test blood draw and international shipping to approved lab
Responsible: Georgian vet and approved laboratory
5
The 3-month wait starts from the blood draw date. Calculate your travel date from this point.
3-month wait from blood draw date
Responsible: N/A (waiting period)
6
During the waiting period. Confirm live animal cargo acceptance on specific flight dates.
Book cargo Tbilisi to Zurich or Geneva
Responsible: Owner or agent
7
Within 10 days of travel to Switzerland. Confirm with the NFA the exact format required by the FSVO.
NFA-endorsed health certificate in FSVO format
Responsible: NFA-authorised vet in Georgia
8
Travel day. Present FSVO permission, health certificate, titre test records, and vaccination documentation at the Swiss border.
Travel Tbilisi to Zurich or Geneva
Responsible: Airline cargo and owner
Checklist
Switzerland: entry requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Microchip | Required. ISO 11784/11785 (15-digit). Implanted before or on the same day as the first rabies vaccination. |
| Rabies vaccination | Required. Minimum age 12 weeks. 21-day wait after primary vaccination before blood draw. |
| Rabies titre test | Required. Georgia is classified as a country with present rabies risk by the Swiss FSVO. Titre test (FAVN or equivalent) at an approved laboratory. Minimum 0.5 IU/ml. Blood drawn at least 30 days after vaccination. 3-month waiting period from the blood draw date before entry into Switzerland is permitted. |
| Quarantine | No routine quarantine for compliant arrivals. |
| Import permit | FSVO advance import permission required for pets from high rabies risk countries, which includes Georgia. Apply at least 3 weeks before planned travel. The FSVO issues written authorisation that must accompany the pet. |
| Health certificate | Health certificate in FSVO-required format, issued by an official NFA vet in Georgia. Valid 10 days. The Swiss border vet inspects all documents. |
Leaving Georgia
Export requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Export permit | No formal export permit required for companion cats and dogs leaving Georgia. |
| Health certificate | Official export health certificate from an NFA-authorised vet in Georgia, endorsed by the National Food Agency (NFA, nfa.gov.ge). Switzerland is not EU so the format follows FSVO requirements. Issued within 10 days of travel to Switzerland. |
Costs
What this route typically costs
| 1 | FSVO import permission: no application fee for private non-commercial movements |
| 2 | Titre test: EUR 70-200 laboratory processing plus international courier from Tbilisi |
| 3 | NFA-endorsed health certificate: approximately GEL 150-400 (approximately EUR 50-140) |
| 4 | Cargo Tbilisi to Zurich/Geneva: EUR 500-1,600 depending on carrier and crate size |
| 5 | IATA-approved travel crate: EUR 80-350 |
| 6 | IPATA-registered agent (recommended for Swiss FSVO process): EUR 400-900 |
| 7 | Total typical range: EUR 1,100-3,200 over a 22-28 week preparation period |
Critical points
Read before you book
⚠ Switzerland is not an EU member. The standard EU AHC format does not automatically satisfy Swiss FSVO requirements. Confirm the exact certificate format required with the FSVO or your agent.
⚠ FSVO permission is specific to the individual animal, the planned entry date, and the entry point. If your travel plans change significantly, you may need to update the permission.
⚠ Georgia does not have EU-approved FAVN laboratories. Blood must be shipped internationally to an approved lab. Confirm your vet's experience with this process before booking the blood draw appointment.
⚠ The microchip must precede the rabies vaccination. Under both Swiss FSVO and EU-derived rules, the sequence is: chip first, then vaccination. Reversing this order invalidates the vaccination.
Carriers
Airlines on this route
Turkish Airlines
Tbilisi (TBS) to Istanbul (IST), then IST to Zurich (ZRH) or Geneva (GVA). Turkish Airlines Cargo handles live animals and is the most direct option for TBS-Switzerland pet cargo. Temperature embargoes apply in summer. Book through an approved cargo agent.
SWISS (Swiss International Air Lines)
SWISS Cargo serves Zurich (ZRH) as its main hub. For the Caucasus leg, routing via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines connecting to a SWISS segment, or via Frankfurt with Lufthansa, are both practical. SWISS Cargo at ZRH handles Swiss FSVO entry procedures for live animal imports.
Flydubai
Tbilisi to Dubai (DXB), then Emirates SkyCargo to Zurich or Geneva. Summer heat embargoes at DXB affect scheduling from June to September. A usable alternative outside summer peak.
How Switzerland handles incoming pets
Switzerland asks for several pieces of paperwork, and they all need to line up. A checklist and a clear timeline are your best tools here.
What experienced owners do
Check the airline’s crate size and labelling rules early. An undersized or wrongly labelled crate is a frequent reason pets are refused at check-in.
Ask about temperature embargoes for your travel window. Summer and winter cargo restrictions can rule out certain routes and dates entirely.
Book the titre test laboratory well ahead. Approved labs have limited slots and the sample takes time to process, so this is not something to leave to the final weeks.
Microchip before you vaccinate. The microchip must be in place before the rabies shot for the vaccination to count, and getting this order wrong is the most common and costly mistake.
FAQ
Common questions
Yes, in two ways. First, you need advance FSVO import permission for Switzerland, which EU countries do not require. Second, the health certificate must follow FSVO format rather than the EU AHC template. The core regulatory requirements (microchip before vaccination, titre test, 3-month wait) are similar to EU unlisted country rules, but the Swiss entry paperwork has its own format and the advance permission step is an additional requirement.
Allow 22-28 weeks from the first vet appointment in Tbilisi to clearing the Swiss border. FSVO permission, microchip, vaccination, titre test, 3-month wait, health certificate, and cargo booking together take this long when properly sequenced. Do not plan around the minimum.
Zurich (ZRH) is the main airport for live animal cargo imports into Switzerland. SWISS Cargo at ZRH handles FSVO entry documentation and has dedicated live animal facilities. Geneva (GVA) is a secondary option. Turkish Airlines connects Tbilisi to Zurich via Istanbul, making ZRH the practical choice for this routing.
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