Dog tax in Switzerland: CHF 70 to 320. Your dog's address decides
Same dog, same breed: in Bellinzona you pay CHF 70, in Uster 200. Move 15 kilometres across a municipal border and your tax triples, or halves. Switzerland has no unified system: 26 cantons and over 2,000 municipalities set their own rates. Here is the complete overview, with a calculator for your municipality.
🐕 What is the dog tax, and why does every municipality charge differently?
The dog tax (« Hundesteuer » in German-speaking Switzerland, « taxe sur les chiens » in the French-speaking part) is an annual levy for every dog aged three months or more. Unlike the federal tax, it is not levied by the Confederation but by the municipalities. Based on the respective cantonal dog law. That is exactly why there is no unified system: the amount depends on the municipality where your dog is registered.
Only identification is regulated at federal level: every dog must be microchipped and registered in AMICUS. Everything else, the amount of the tax, exemptions, additional fees, is set by the canton and municipality. As a result, identical dogs cost very different amounts depending on the postcode.
In most cantons the dog tax is not earmarked. That means the municipality does not have to spend the money on dogs. It can use the revenue elsewhere.
🏆 The ConvivaPlus Index: cities in direct comparison
We compiled the dog tax of Switzerland's largest cities from the official municipal regulations. The result shows in black and white how decisive your address is: the most expensive place charges almost triple the cheapest, for exactly the same dog.
According to the ConvivaPlus Dog Tax Index (as of July 2026, sources: official municipal regulations), the tax for the first dog ranges from CHF 70 (Bellinzona) to CHF 200 (Uster); a second dog costs the most in Basel-Stadt at CHF 320.
| Municipality | 1st dog | 2nd dog | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uster (ZH) | 200 | 200 | Most expensive municipality, incl. CHF 30 cantonal share; high because of the Greifensee recreation area |
| Zürich Stadt (ZH) | 160 | 160 | Cut to CHF 140 demanded, city council refuses (« 160 is appropriate ») |
| Basel (BS) | 160 | 320 | 2nd dog costs double; supplementary benefits/social aid minus 70 % (1st dog only) |
| Riehen (BS) | 150 | 300 | Part of Basel-Stadt; 2nd dog also double |
| Bern Stadt (BE) | 150 | 150 | Raised in 2024 from 115 to CHF 150; taxable from 6 months |
| St. Gallen (SG) | 130 | 130 | Range CHF 60–200; cantonal share max. CHF 10 per dog |
| Luzern Stadt (LU) | 120 | 120 | Farm dogs only CHF 40, guard dogs CHF 60 |
| Aargau (ganzer Kanton) (AG) | 120 | 120 | Uniform across the canton (max. CHF 150 by law); moving within AG changes nothing |
| Bettingen (BS) | 120 | 240 | Part of Basel-Stadt; cheapest of the three BS municipalities |
| Genf Stadt (GE) | 105 | 125 | Two-tier: 50 cantonal + municipal surcharges + CHF 5 fees |
| Bellinzona (TI) | 70 | 70 | Cheapest large city in Switzerland |
1st dog = rate for the first dog per owner. 2nd dog = amount for an additional dog. As of July 2026, sources: official municipal regulations (uster.ch, bs.ch, bern.ch, stadtluzern.ch, ag.ch, ge.ch).
🧮 Calculator: how much do you pay in your municipality?
Indicative value based on official municipal rates (as of July 2026). The 3rd dog is calculated at the 2nd dog's rate; from 3 dogs some municipalities also require a permit. Reductions (farm dog, benefits) are not included.
Test your dog tax knowledge
2 questions – test your knowledge
1.How much does the tax for the same dog differ between Bellinzona and Uster?
2.Within what deadline must you register your new dog with the municipality?
🗺️ The cantons compared: uniform, range or their own path
Some cantons set the tax uniformly, others only provide a framework and let the municipalities decide. A few go their own way, from Geneva's two-tier system to Solothurn's brand-new surcharge.
| Canton | Range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Zurich | CHF 70–200 | Framework in the cantonal law; mandatory dog training for new owners since 1 June 2025 |
| St. Gallen | CHF 60–200 | Municipalities set the rate; cantonal share max. CHF 10 per dog |
| Aargau | CHF 120 fixed | Only canton with a uniform tax (max. CHF 150 by law) |
| Basel-Stadt | CHF 140–160 | The second dog costs double; 70 % reduction with supplementary benefits/social aid |
| Bern | CHF 75–200 | Large town/country differences; cantonal cap |
| Geneva | from ~CHF 105 | Two-tier: CHF 50 cantonal + municipal surcharges + CHF 5 fees |
| Solothurn | CHF 50–200 + 35 | Since 2025 an additional cantonal dog tax of CHF 35 (popular vote May 2025) |
✅ Who is exempt from the dog tax?
Most cantons have exemptions and reductions. Fully exempt are mainly dogs that perform a social role. For reductions, the dog's function or the owner's financial situation often matters.
📝 Registering your dog: AMICUS, chip and the 10-day deadline
Anyone taking over a dog or moving to Switzerland with a dog must act fast. Identification is governed by federal law (Animal Diseases Ordinance), registration with the municipality by the canton. Here is the step-by-step process:
The dog is identified with a microchip at the vet, no later than 3 months after birth (imported dogs before entry).
Entry in the national dog database AMICUS. If ownership changes, the former owner reports the change and the new one takes over the dog. Within 10 days.
Registration with the municipality's dog control, also within 10 days. This is where the tax is set.
In many cantons liability insurance is mandatory (in Bern, for example, with coverage of at least CHF 3 million).
10 days, the deadline many miss
Both the change of owner in AMICUS and the registration with the municipality must happen within 10 days. Miss the deadline and you risk a fine, and in Aargau they can be « steep ».
🆕 New in 2025/2026: Solothurn's surcharge and Zurich's course requirement
A lot is moving on the dog tax right now. Two changes affect particularly many owners:
On 18 May 2025, 66 % of Solothurn voters said yes to a cantonal dog tax of CHF 35. On top of the municipal tax (CHF 50–200). It replaces a control-mark fee ruled unlawful in 2023 and helps fund the veterinary service with around CHF 725,000 per year. Newly exempt: epilepsy alert and autism assistance dogs.
Anyone acquiring a dog from June 2025 in the canton of Zurich, or moving there with one, must take courses: a theory course with an exam for new owners, and a practical course of at least 6 lessons for everyone (from the 6th month, within 12 months). Exception: dogs over 10 years old at the time of acquisition.
It's not the dog that sets the price, but its postcode.
ConvivaPlus Dog Tax Index
🚚 Dog tax when you move: what to watch out for
A change of address can noticeably change your tax, up or down. These points save you trouble and sometimes money:
Register within 10 days in the new municipality. Its tax applies immediately, use the calculator above first to avoid surprises.
Your change of address must also be updated in AMICUS, otherwise the dog control's data won't match.
When leaving, deregister the dog in the old municipality. Some refund the tax pro rata, others bill per quarter. Ask actively.
Because Aargau charges CHF 120 across the whole canton, a move within the canton doesn't change the amount.
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Frequently asked questions about the dog tax
The key answers on costs, registration, exemptions and moving.
People also ask
Related questions from our magazine
The dog tax is one of the last examples of genuine fiscal federalism in everyday life: no federal law, no unified amount, 26 cantonal logics and over 2,000 municipal decisions. For owners this means, concretely: a look at the municipal regulation can be worth more than CHF 100 per year. And before a planned move, the comparison is worth it before the removal van rolls.
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ConvivaPlus Editorial
Taxes & municipalityResearched and verified. Facts, not opinions.
Last updated:
All information without guarantee. Found an error? → support@conviva-plus.ch
Aargau is the only canton with a fixed tax across the whole canton: CHF 120 everywhere. A move from Aarau to Baden therefore changes nothing, elsewhere the same move can double the amount.
Discussion
4 voices from the community
Seit der Abstimmung zahlen wir jetzt noch 35 Franken extra an den Kanton. Immerhin sind Assistenzhunde neu befreit.
Der zweite Hund kostet bei uns wirklich das Doppelte, 320 Franken. Wusste nicht, dass es mit EL eine Reduktion gibt, werde ich abklären.
200 Franken für einen kleinen Dackel. Und mein Kollege in Bellinzona zahlt 70. Der Index hier zeigts endlich mal schwarz auf weiss. Danke!
Danke, Reto! Genau darum haben wir den Index gebaut. Uster begründet den Spitzenwert mit dem Greifensee-Erholungsgebiet, ein schwacher Trost für den Dackel.
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All information without guarantee. Your municipality's regulation or the cantonal dog law is decisive. As of: July 2026.