There is no direct DS-to-Switch transfer documented in the official instructions covered here. The verified later-generation route is Pokémon Bank → Pokémon HOME → a compatible Switch game, but that does not by itself explain how Pokémon from a particular DS game reach Bank. Check that missing step for your exact game before starting; moving Pokémon from Bank to HOME is one-way.
What transfer route is documented?
The official instructions establish a route from Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME, then from HOME to a supported Switch game. They do not establish the earlier steps from every Nintendo DS Pokémon game into Bank. Because that first leg depends on the specific older game and its required transfer method, it would be misleading to promise that any Pokémon from any DS title can reach a Switch game through this route.
Pokémon HOME supports only certain Switch games, and a Pokémon can enter only a destination game in which that species appears. Before transferring, check the supported-games list in Pokémon HOME and confirm that the particular Pokémon is compatible with your intended title. The Pokémon Company’s Pokémon HOME instructions, “Move Pokémon to Pokémon HOME,” explain the one-way Bank transfer and destination-game limitation.
What you need for the verified Bank-to-HOME step
- Pokémon Bank: The Pokémon must already be stored there. This article does not verify how to move Pokémon from a specific DS game into Bank.
- Pokémon HOME Premium: Pokémon Support says Premium is required to move Pokémon from Bank to HOME.
- A Nintendo 3DS, or linked accounts for the no-3DS method: The 3DS method lets you choose Bank boxes. Without a 3DS, HOME can start a move if the Nintendo Account used with HOME is linked to the Nintendo Network ID used with Bank; this route transfers everything in Bank together.
- No Nintendo Switch Online membership is required for HOME connectivity, according to Pokémon Support’s HOME instructions.
Choose the Bank-to-HOME method
| Method | Console access | What moves | Account or pairing requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using a 3DS | A 3DS with Pokémon Bank | You select the Bank boxes to move. | Enter the Moving Key shown in HOME. The key expires after three minutes. |
| Without a 3DS | No 3DS is needed to initiate this documented method. | All Pokémon in Bank move together; you cannot select boxes in this flow. | The Nintendo Account associated with HOME must be linked to the Nintendo Network ID associated with Bank. |
These are two ways to transfer Pokémon that are already in Bank; neither supplies the unverified DS-game-to-Bank instructions.
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Transfer Pokémon already in Bank to HOME
With a 3DS
- Open Pokémon Bank and choose “Move Pokémon to Pokémon HOME.”
- Select the boxes you want to move.
- In Pokémon HOME, display a Moving Key, then enter it in Bank before it expires. The key is valid for three minutes.
- Complete the transfer. Pokémon moved from Bank into HOME cannot be returned to Bank.
Without a 3DS
- Make sure the Nintendo Account associated with HOME and the Nintendo Network ID associated with Bank are linked.
- Start the Bank move from Pokémon HOME using its no-3DS option.
- Confirm the move knowing that this method transfers all Pokémon in Bank together, rather than selected boxes.
Move Pokémon from HOME into a Switch game
Use the Nintendo Switch version of Pokémon HOME to connect to a supported Switch game. Check the exact destination title and species compatibility before moving anything: Pokémon can enter only games in which they appear. The supported-games list in HOME is the practical check for the title you plan to use.
Important: Bank-to-HOME transfers have an announced end date
In a notice dated August 18, 2026, Pokémon Support said Pokémon Bank service and transfers from Bank to HOME are scheduled to end on February 26, 2027, at 03:00 UTC. The notice says transfers will no longer be possible after that point. If your Pokémon are already in Bank and you want them in HOME, complete the transfer before the announced end time. This deadline does not resolve whether a particular DS game can still transfer Pokémon into Bank; verify that route separately.
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Does Pokémon GO provide another way to import DS Pokémon?
No such shortcut is documented in the official instructions cited here. Pokémon GO has its own path through GO Transporter and a linked Nintendo Account, but those instructions do not describe importing Pokémon from a DS game. GO-origin Pokémon also cannot be sent back to GO after transfer.
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Before you start
- Identify the exact DS Pokémon game and verify its route into Pokémon Bank, including any required utility and whether that route is currently available.
- Confirm the Pokémon is already in Bank before following the Bank-to-HOME steps.
- Check the Switch destination’s supported-game list and the species’ compatibility.
- Choose the 3DS method if you need to select boxes; use the no-3DS method only if the required accounts are linked and moving all Bank contents together is acceptable.
- Remember that Bank-to-HOME is irreversible, and observe the announced transfer end date.
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