Moving with a Dog: What Changes

A move brings extra administrative steps for dog owners. Besides your personal change of address, you also need to sort out the dog and its tax.

Moving within the same municipality

If your municipality stays the same, dog tax liability generally doesn't change.

Moving to another municipality — same canton

You need to re-register as a dog owner in the new municipality. Since amounts can vary even within the same canton, it's worth checking the new rate.

Moving to another canton

When changing cantons, the dog tax amount can vary considerably. You must re-register within the deadline in your new home municipality and usually also update AMICUS.

Checklist for moving with a dog

• Old municipality: deregister the dog in time, request a pro-rata refund
• New municipality: register the dog within the deadline
• Update your address in AMICUS
• Check the new amount with our dog tax calculator

What to do when you move within Switzerland

When you move to a new municipality within Switzerland, you must update your dog's AMICUS registration within 10 days of your move. Contact the new municipality to register your dog there, and remember to deregister at the old municipality to avoid being billed double for dog tax. Most municipalities allow online updates.

Moving from abroad to Switzerland

If you are moving to Switzerland from abroad with your dog, you must register in AMICUS within 10 days of arrival. If your dog was already chipped in the country of origin, the chip number will be transferred to AMICUS. You will also need to register with your Swiss municipality and arrange Swiss liability insurance if required in your canton.

Dog tax when moving cantons

Dog tax is billed annually by the municipality of residence at the start of the calendar year. If you move mid-year, some municipalities will prorate the tax; others will charge for the full year. Check with both your old and new municipality to avoid double billing or missed payments.