FAQ: Registration for the digital services of the Swiss Customs

Questions on step 1: Create a user account in ePortal

I have forgotten my ePortal password. What should I do?

Click on Log in in ePortal, enter your email address and click on Next. Click on "Forgotten password?" to set a new password. 

I have already registered in ePortal or with the FTA. Do I need to do this again for the FOCBS?

If you already have an ePortal user account, you can use it for FOCBS business partner management as well.

Note:
Two-factor authentication is used for FOCBS services. Make sure that you have activated this in your user account. If not, click on "My profile" in the "Settings" menu and click on "Modify registration data". Click on "Login & Security" and add either the "Authenticator app" or "Mobile number (mTAN)" as an additional authentication method. We recommend authentication via text message (mTAN).

I have not yet received a letter from the FOCBS. What should I do?

If you have not received a letter and would like to register for the services of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, follow the steps on our onboarding website www.bazg.admin.ch/onboarding or contact our Service Center directly: [e-mail]; [phone] (direct line); service hours Monday to Friday from 8am to 12 noon and 1pm to 5pm.

How can I add 2-factor authentication later on?

Click on "My profile" in the "Settings" menu and click on "Modify registration data". Click on "Login & Security" and add either the "Authenticator app" or "Mobile number (mTAN)" as an additional authentication method. We recommend authentication via text message (mTAN).

I receive too many emails and/or text messages from ePortal. How can I stop them?

ePortal generates many automatic notifications only at the beginning, during one-off registration. If you disable notifications, you will no longer be informed when something changes concerning your business partner.

Click on "My profile" in the ePortal "Settings" menu. You can enable or disable email and text message notifications under "Notification settings".

How can I modify my data (user and company profiles)?

Click on the "Settings" menu in ePortal and click on:

• "My profile" to display your personal settings
• "My permissions" to display your permissions
• "User management" to create invitation codes and manage released users
• "Manage business partner" to register new business partners or request new roles
  

How can I delete my account in ePortal?

You cannot delete your personal user profile in ePortal on your own. To do so, please call the ePortal hotline [phone] (direct line).

Questions on step 2: Enter your business relationship with the FOCBS

My company is already registered, what do I need to do?

Contact the administrator of the business partner for which you wish to act and request an invitation code for the corresponding FOCBS services. 

How can I find out who is the administrator in my company?

If you are unable to find out who is your business partner's administrator, please contact our Service Centre directly: [e-mail]; [phone] (direct line); service hours Monday to Friday from 8am to 12 noon and 1pm to 5pm.

Note:
To ensure data protection, no personal details are disclosed. The FOCBS Onboarding Service Centre can contact the administrator and explain your concerns.

The administrator has left the company. How do we get a new administrator?

If there is no way of contacting your business partner's administrator, please contact our Service Centre directly: [e-mail]; [phone] (direct line); service hours Monday to Friday from 8am to 12 noon and 1pm to 5pm.

What do I need to do if I want to register a branch with a BER number in ePortal?

Open FOCBS business partner management in ePortal and click on "Add business partner". Then choose your business partner type "Branch". Since February 2023, you can add a new business partner with the BER number. This step is only possible if the company's main UID has already been registered.

What can I do if I do not have a UID (or am a private individual or association) and would like to register as an FOCBS business partner?

Open FOCBS business partner management in ePortal and click on "Add business partner". Then choose your business partner type "Company", "Association" or "Private individual".

What should I do if, when registering my business partner, I notice that my company's automatically generated details are incorrect?

Contact the Federal Statistical Office FSO directly: [e-mail]; [phone] (direct line); service hours Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 11.30am and 2pm to 4pm.

Questions on step 3: Register as an administrator using the onboarding code

I have mislaid my onboarding code. Where can I order a new one?

Open FOCBS business partner management in ePortal. Under "Business partner" you can click on the letter icon to trigger a new onboarding code for your requested business partner with the status "under review".

My onboarding code does not work. What should I do?

If your onboarding code has expired, you can go to FOCBS business partner management to have a new letter sent to you. To do so, select the desired business partner with the status "under review" under "Business partner" and click on the letter symbol.

If the onboarding code was previously redeemed, contact your FOCBS business partner's administrator, who can grant you the necessary permissions by clicking on the "Settings" menu in ePortal and generating an invitation code under "User management".

What is the business partner ID (BP ID) and for what do I need it?

The BP ID is the unique code for your business partner relationship with the FOCBS. The BP ID is used in transit or customs procedures for the unique identification of your company as soon as you use the Passar service. 

Questions on step 4: Select the business partner role(s) of relevance for you

Which business partner role is the right one for me?

Your currently available roles are displayed in the old Customs client administration (ZKV) application. You can also request the same roles under FOCBS business partner management.

You will find a detailed role description on our website.

Which role do I need if the transit ends at the Swiss border?

If the transit ends at the border, you do not need a special business partner role. This is covered by the "Freight" business partner role.

Does the "Holder of transit procedure" role have to be ordered for each type in goods traffic?

No. The "Holder of transit procedure" is generally relevant in the context of the common transit procedure (CTP). This means that it applies only to transit and is not used for imports and exports. A transit procedure initiated in Switzerland can be carried out by any business partner with the "Freight" business partner role.

When adding business partner roles, the "Guarantor" role is missing. What should I do?

Users can no longer add the "Guarantor" business partner role in ePortal. You can now request the "Holder of transit procedure" role if you had the "Principal" role in the Customs client administration application. The FOCBS transfers the existing "Guarantor" role to you with the new "Holder of transit procedure" role.

Note:
The guarantee check is now carried out in the FOCBS service called "Garanzia" and applies only for transit procedures initiated in Switzerland. The FOCBS transfers the "Guarantor" role from the Customs client administration application to ePortal. The guarantee access codes remain identical.

In the acceptance report of my current "authorised consignee"/"authorised consignor" process, I have an "authorised location" code (AL code). Will this remain the case?

Yes, the AL codes for your authorised locations are linked by the FOCBS to the corresponding business partner role. The respective AL code remains identical. You do not need to do anything.

Questions on step 5: Set up a B2B connection

We work with a software provider's customs clearance software. What will change for us with the changeover to Passar and what do I need to do?

Carry out the onboarding steps indicated in the letter you received from the FOCBS. If you wish to access FOCBS services with your software, you will need to set up a B2B connection (Step 5: Set up a B2B connection).

Do I still need to install certificates for the new FOCBS services in order to use them?

No, you no longer need certificates to use the services in ePortal. Tokens are now used for accessing FOCBS services with commercial customs clearance software. You can obtain the tokens in ePortal by clicking on the API self-service tile after successfully completing the onboarding process.

Additional questions

I received an invitation code. What should I do?

Click on "Redeem invitation code" in ePortal, enter the code you received in the text field and click on "Redeem". You can then access the newly released FOCBS business partners and services.

How can I authorise someone outside my company?

Click on the "Settings" menu in ePortal and select "User management". Select one of your business partners and click on "Invite user". Select the roles you wish to share and click on "Create invitation". Copy the code and give it to the person to be authorised.

Note:
We recommend that you authorise external users only for user profiles. That will allow them to use the full range of services, but they will not have administrator rights. 

What do I need to do if I wish to act for several business partners (companies)?

Contact the administrator of the business partner for which you wish to act and request an invitation code for the corresponding FOCBS services.

How can I remove another user's permission(s)?

Click on the "Settings" menu in ePortal and then on "User management". Select the business partner concerned and click on "Manage users". Click on the desired user and remove the permissions or the user and confirm by clicking on "Save".