Getting a Swiss hunting licence

Switzerland has no single federal hunting licence: granting a hunting authorisation is a cantonal responsibility, within the framework set by the Federal Act of 20 June 1986 on Hunting and the Protection of Wild Mammals and Birds (Hunting Act, SR 922.0) and its implementing ordinance (SR 922.01). The general path nonetheless follows a broadly similar logic across the country. A candidate first completes hunter training, provided by the canton or by recognised organisations, covering applicable legislation, knowledge of wildlife and its habitats, firearm handling and safety, and shooting and tracking practice. This training leads to a cantonal hunting aptitude examination, which must be passed before an authorisation can be granted. Art. 4 para. 3 of the Hunting Act nonetheless allows cantons to issue short-term authorisations, in particular for candidates still in training or for guest hunters. The precise content, organisation and timing of this examination are set by each canton and can vary considerably from one region to another, so it is always advisable to contact the relevant cantonal hunting authority for the current arrangements. Once the examination has been passed, two authorisation systems coexist depending on the canton: in licence cantons, the hunter receives an individual authorisation, renewable subject to the conditions being met; in leasehold cantons, hunting grounds are instead leased to hunting associations, whose members then exercise the right to hunt on that ground. Geneva is a special case: private hunting has been prohibited there since a popular vote, and wildlife management is carried out by cantonal game wardens. In every case, the Confederation, through the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), sets the framework for species protection and coordinates federal hunting policy, but does not itself issue individual permits. Anyone wishing to obtain a hunting licence should therefore enquire directly with the canton in which they intend to hunt, since admission conditions, required documents and any equivalence for hunters already trained in another canton or abroad are governed by cantonal law.

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