Moving your pet from Switzerland to Japan?

The Switzerland–Japan route requires quarantine on arrival, so planning well ahead matters. In plain terms, this is a very_high route, meaning the requirements are relatively straightforward compared to many international moves.

Most owners start the process around 36-42 weeks before the flight date. That window is not arbitrary — it accounts for vaccination waiting periods, titre test processing, and document endorsement.

Here is how the preparation unfolds from start to travel day:

Costs vary considerably depending on your pet's size, the airline, and whether you use a pet relocation agent. The main factors to price up are:

• Cargo fees Zurich to Tokyo (two-leg routing -- approximately CHF 900-2,500 depending on pet size)
• FAVN titre test laboratory fee (CHF 80-200)
• Cantonal veterinary office or FSVO endorsement fee
• AQS inspection fee at arrival
• IATA-compliant crate meeting Japan AQS specifications
• Pet transport agent fee (strongly recommended)

Microchip: Required (ISO 11784/11785). Must be implanted before any rabies vaccinations.

Rabies vaccination: Two vaccinations required. Both given after microchip implantation.

Titre test: Required. FAVN titre test at a MAFF-approved laboratory. Blood drawn at least 30 days after second vaccination. Result must be at least 0.5 IU/ml. 180-day wait starts from blood draw date.

Health certificate: MAFF-format certificate endorsed by Swiss cantonal veterinary office or FSVO.

Import permit: Advance import notification required at least 40 days before arrival to Japan AQS.

Quarantine: Up to 12 hours at Japan AQS on arrival if all documentation is complete. Up to 180 days facility quarantine if non-compliant.

Export permit: {'required': False}

Export health certificate: Required for Japan. Issued by an FSVO-authorised veterinarian and endorsed by the cantonal veterinary office or FSVO. Must conform to MAFF-specified format.

Several airlines serve routes between Switzerland and Japan, each with different policies on pets in cabin versus cargo hold:

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) controls all pet imports via the Animal Quarantine Service (AQS). The full protocol for a dog or cat from Switzerland requires: ISO microchip (implanted first, before any vaccination); two rabies vaccinations (both after the microchip); a titre test at a MAFF-approved laboratory with blood drawn at least 30 days after the second vaccination; a result of 0.5 IU/ml or greater; a 180-day wait from the blood draw date; an advance import notification submitted to AQS at least 40 days before arrival; and a MAFF-format health certificate endorsed by Swiss authorities.

The 180-day wait is non-negotiable. It begins on the exact date the blood sample was drawn. Your earliest possible travel date is the 181st day after that date.

Switzerland is not on Japan’s designated country list (which allows a faster process). This means the full protocol applies with no shortcuts.

Source: Japan Animal Quarantine Service, maff.go.jp.

No airline operates a non-stop Zurich to Tokyo service. Your pet will travel on a two-leg cargo journey.

Lufthansa via Frankfurt is the most common routing and the one most pet transport agents recommend from Switzerland. The Zurich to Frankfurt sector is short and well-managed. Lufthansa Cargo’s Frankfurt operation has extensive experience with Japan-bound animal cargo and MAFF compliance documentation.

For a small pet, you may be able to fly in the cabin from Zurich to Frankfurt and transfer your pet to cargo for the Tokyo leg. Speak to Lufthansa’s cargo division to arrange through-booking.

Air France via Paris CDG is another option. The routing adds slightly more transit time but Air France Cargo handles Japan-bound pets from CDG.

ANA and JAL do not serve Zurich directly but their cargo arms handle the Japan leg efficiently once your pet arrives at a connecting hub.

Switzerland’s Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) is the competent authority for certifying animal health documents for international export. For Japan, the health certificate must follow the MAFF-specified format – a document that MAFF provides templates for.

Your Swiss veterinarian prepares the certificate. The cantonal veterinary office (Kantonale Veterinäramt) endorses it. In some cantons, this may go through the cantonal authority to FSVO for final endorsement.

Allow at least one week for the endorsement process. The certificate must be issued within 10 days of your pet’s departure date and remain valid on arrival in Japan.

Do not confuse the Swiss pet passport with the MAFF health certificate. Japan requires the MAFF document, not the Swiss passport.

• Pet Transport Japan to Switzerland