Sending items from China to Switzerland involves a series of customs regulations regarding documentation, item restrictions, packaging, and customs clearance.
Below, Weefreight will provide detailed instructions, hoping they will be helpful.
Import Document Requirements: The commercial invoice should include the name and address of the consignee, the full name of the goods, gross and net weights, the number of packages or pieces, the number of packages, shipping marks and numbers, instructions for packaging, the market value of the goods at the place of shipment, the total shipping cost and additional shipping costs, and the country of origin. Certain products, such as electrical equipment, pharmaceuticals, food, and precious metals, require commodity inspection by SGS, which will issue a valid commodity inspection certificate upon successful inspection.
Item Restrictions: Switzerland prohibits the transport of internationally prohibited items, including firearms and ammunition, flammable and explosive dangerous goods, live animals and poultry, valuable jewelry, pornographic materials, and psychotropic substances. Since July 1, 2007, non-EU passengers are prohibited from bringing into the country animal products such as meat, eggs, fish, honey, and dairy products. Each passenger is only allowed to bring in a daily supply of children’s food or medicine. Prescription medications require an import permit from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), and over-the-counter medications must be labeled with their ingredients. Devices containing lithium batteries must comply with international air transport standards (UN38.3 certification) and be individually packaged. Watches, jewelry, and other items exceeding a certain value (usually ≥ CHF 1,000) require additional proof of origin and brand authorization. Food and leather products require a quarantine certificate.
Packaging and Labeling Requirements: The taxable weight for specific duties is the net weight plus a percentage of the net weight. If the outer packaging exceeds the specified minimum tare weight, the actual weight will be taxed.
Customs Clearance Requirements: The recipient’s tax ID number is required. Swiss customs clearance is strict and complex, requiring very detailed information on the item name and details. Starting in 2023, a mandatory electronic customs declaration system will be implemented. Business users must transmit data in EDIFACT format, while individuals can complete declarations through the “MyCustoms” mobile app.
Tariff regulations: Switzerland adopts the EU’s unified tariff schedule, with commodity classification based on the Harmonized System of International Trade Nomenclature. Customs duties are levied based on the CIF value according to the HS Code. VAT is a uniform 7.7% (2023 standard), and handling fees are tiered based on package type. Switzerland has a duty-free allowance of €430 for personal luggage, but special items such as tobacco and alcohol still require declaration. If the declared value is 30% lower than the actual value, customs valuation procedures may be triggered. Switzerland is strictly cracking down on “split parcel tax evasion.” Multiple parcels from the same consignee within 30 days will be combined for tax calculation.
In addition, senders are required to provide information such as sender information and content information when electronically declaring goods. It is recommended to regularly check the Swiss Federal Customs Administration’s website for policy updates to ensure compliance with the latest regulations.
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