Mandatory Dog Registration

According to the law on keeping dogs, the city police are obliged to keep a register of all dogs kept in the city of Zurich. In any case, every dog from the 3rd month of life must be registered with the dog control within 10 days. All dogs must be chipped and registered with the Amicus dog database (www.amicus.ch).

Contact: Hundekontrolle der Stadt Zürich (Zurich City Dog Control), +41 44 411 72 68, Hohenbühlstrasse 15, 8032 Zurich, email: stp-hundekontrolle@zuerich.ch

If you have never owned a dog and want to adopt a dog, the registration procedure is a two-step process. The same applies if you move to Switzerland from abroad. Before entering the country, make sure that your dog has a valid pet passport with all the documents required for entry into Switzerland (microchip implantation, valid rabies vaccination, possibly a health certificate - if you are not traveling from a country with urban rabies). Always declare your dog at the appropriate customs office the first time you cross the border into Switzerland.

If your personal data is already recorded by AMICUS, the first step of the registration process is not necessary:

1. Collection of your personal data:

1.1. You go to your municipality of residence, which collects all the necessary data about you and records you in AMICUS. When your data is recorded in AMICUS, you will be assigned a personal ID, which AMICUS will send you within a few days together with a password.

2. Registration of the dog to be taken over:

2.1. The dog is not registered in the central database: The initial registration can be carried out by a veterinarian only. To do this, make an appointment in our practice on +41 44 481 64 64 and bring your dog along with your pet passport and your personal ID to the consultation. We look forward to getting to know you and your (new) four-legged companion.

2.2. The dog is already registered in the central database: As soon as another dog owner gives you the dog, you can add the dog as your own dogs by pressing the "Accept" button on the AMICUS website.

Note: Issuing a personal ID means that a dog can only be registered to one person.