Importing into Switzerland

Quick Tips  You must be present in Switzerland when your shipment arrives          Your Inventory must be accurate and show the total value of your shipment

All you need to know when shipping to Switzerland

Before importing your belongings into Switzerland, log into your account and complete our online documentation, which includes the following:

• An Inventory: to record each item in your shipment and to provide a total value of your entire shipment.
• Optional insurance to protect your items from unforeseen events.
• Customs forms: once all your documents are completed, we’ll email you an 18.44 Swiss customs form.  Simply print it, sign it by hand, and post it to our EU depot in Belgium as soon as you can. This is an essential step to ensure your shipment is cleared by Swiss Customs.
• Passport: upload colour scans of the shipment owner’s passport picture and signature pages.

If you do not hold a Swiss passport, please provide one of the following documents; 

• A Swiss residence permit.
• An official approval letter from the local immigration office.
• A “Zusicherung der Aufenthaltsbewilligung (Assurance of residence permit)”.
• An “Ermächtigung zur Visumerteilung (Autorisation to issue a visa)”. 
• A countersigned employment contract. 

Your documents must be submitted before shipping. We offer 2 weeks of free storage prior to shipping - additional storage beyond this period will incur a charge. 

Importing personal effects and household items tax and duty-free

You must be present in Switzerland when your shipment arrives.

Used personal items may be imported into Switzerland duty and tax-free provided they are for personal use only and not intended for resale. 

You must have owned all items for more than 6 months and lived in Switzerland for less than a year.

Swiss customs may request additional documents during clearance (e.g. work contract, deregistration from previous residence, etc.) 

You may import your wedding trousseaux duty-free if: 

• The shipment arrives within 6 months of your civil marriage
• The items will be used for at least 12 months 
• You can provide a marriage certificate and residence permits for both partners (if not Swiss citizens)

You may import inherited goods duty-free if: 

• The inheritor was resident in Switzerland at the time of the deceased’s death and the time of import 
• The items are used household goods 
• The items will be used for at least 12 months 
• You can provide a copy of the will confirming ownership, a death certificate or equivalent official record, and the inheritor's passport copy

You may import artwork if your inventory item description includes: 

• The artwork's name and year of production
• The artists name
• The artwork's value or estimated value