When entering Switzerland, you must declare all goods and animals that you are carrying with you, as well as declare any repair and maintenance work carried out on the vehicle without being requested to do so.
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Key info
If you are only bringing goods which are exempt from customs duty and VAT, or that you have cleared through customs using the QuickZoll app, and are not subject to any restrictions or bans, you may proceed across the border without declaring anything.
N.B. Customs inspections may also be carried out in Switzerland itself. In the case of such an inspection, it will no longer be possible to carry out a customs declaration which should have been done beforehand. Consequently, you are committing a criminal offence if you do not declare or falsely declare prohibited or dutiable goods or ones that require authorisation.
Please retain the documents for the customs declaration made for at least one year.
Types of declarations
- Verbal customs declaration at manned border crossings: When the border crossing is manned by Customs staff, you can verbally declare all goods (including animals and repairs carried out abroad) that you are carrying with you.
- Customs declaration via app: Goods for your personal use or to be given as gifts can be declared for importation simply and easily with the QuickZoll app and any due taxes and duties can be paid directly - without stopping at the border.
- Written customs declaration (declaration box): In less frequented locations, there are border crossings that are manned only from time to time, or not at all. At border crossings such as these, so-called declaration boxes are partially available for you to declare your goods in writing.
- Train: You must also declare your goods to customs when crossing the border by train.
- At the airport (red/green channels): In airports, goods are declared by selecting the red or green channels.
Signage for unmanned border crossings
WITH written self-declaration:
You can use border crossings that bear this sign at all times, even if you are carrying declarable goods.
If Customs staff are present, you can declare your goods verbally.
Where Customs staff are not present, you must declare your goods using the QuickZoll app or in writing. If you are carrying goods that are subject to restrictions or authorisation, you must choose a manned border crossing.
WITHOUT possibility of written self-declaration:
You may use border crossings that bear this sign only if the following conditions are met:
The goods you are carrying:
- must be within the duty-free allowances and limits or have been cleared with the QuickZoll app;
- must not be subject to any restrictions or bans and must not require a certificate or authorisation. More
If you are carrying other goods, please use the nearest border crossing indicated on the sign.
