Probably not. The moving company is just doing things by the book. It's not unusual that this is the official policy. We have to even write the serial numbers of every electric item when we moved to Argentina. Well, not everything we didn't list electric razors, toaster, or electric tooth brushes, ie small domestics we didn't list. Just the bigger stuff, TV, DVD, desktop & screens, microwave. The laptops, camera, mobile phones came with us on our person so those were not listed.

Best to just make the list as requested as best you can. If you have full service move they should be doing this for you.

Yes, I did that. I wrote serial numbers for everything I could access (as I started on the list after I had packed a bunch of my stuff already), for the rest I just named the brand and what it was... it was fine. I think that, as long as you make a reasonable effort, it shouldn't cause a problem.

Yes.

We rented a van and made the move ourselves. We labelled every box with a number and had a list detailing what was in each box. We were too late at Basel and the officials had gone to bed for the night - except one who took CHF200 off us and put a lead seal on the lock of the van door.

Next day we got our money back in Zurich at the duty-free warehouse. We ran into trouble with our bar and detailing about 20 half drunk bottles of various concoctions. The officer could believe we had bothered to bring the bottles. It took about 30 minutes to persuade him. But he never even looked at anything we brought and never left his office - except to remove the lead seal...

Thanks, that makes at least some sense. Of course it's possible to list everything but at some point it becomes ridiculous. And I really couldn't understand why they feel they need to know the brand names.

@weejeem, thanks for your vote of confidence! Yes I'm sure we'll survive but I've heard very contradictory reports, some people just come across with a carfull / vanfull of stuff, and never get asked any questions at all, and some people produce a professional categorized and cross-referenced report. Of course I don't want to pay tax+duty on everything we own but if I take my shaver and camera from Switzerland to Germany for the weekend, I don't produce an itemized list of electronic equipment including brand names for submission at the border when I come back - that's why to me it seems inconsistent, and I can't think of any reason why they need so much detail. I've not heard of needing serial numbers too, that sounds crazy.

I apologize if to you it feels completely normal for the border police to have a detailed list of everything you own with no indication what they'll do with that list or why they need it.

It keeps Switzerland's unemployment figures down...

...
like the last few threads there ...
I like the idea of presenting yourself to the customs... like do a dance ... no seriously
I wouldn't bother me, let the transport guys deal with all the paperwork.
Like I said before , just go check in with the local Geminde.
Here's a good example , the change in the Laws mean that I can now drive the
outside broadcast unit back and forth from Canes to Mulhouse via Bellinzona...
loaded with several million franks of broadcast equipment...
NOTHING
YAHOOOO!
Just road tax.
Simon

Kind of. Except that you can only bring in tax free items that are less than 300CHF in value. And you can only bring in personal goods (more than six months old) tax free, once.

I will be importing some new furniture from Munich, Germany this saturday worth around 1500 Euros.
I think will arrive at the Bregenz Border around 15:00.

Can anyone please advise if this border will be open at this time for importing stuff...customs declaration..paying Vat etc.

Or can you please advise which border customs office is open longer on Saturday?

Thanks

Hi,

We are landing in Zurich on Sunday and I understand customs will be closed.
We are bringing one laptop and one desktop in our hand-luggage plus clothes.

Could I just walk out of the airport and go to a customs office the next day to declare?

Thanks,
cla

customs at the airport will be open It's the road crossings that are only open for clearance at certain times.

On their website, they say it will be closed on Sunday...


any clue on what could I do?

Thanks,
cla

Congratulations on doing your research....however, the office information you have found is for the Import/Export of freight, precious metals, animals etc. It's not clear from their website. However I visited them when trying to register my car import (the car import office of the airport is at Embrach for anyone else wondering!). These offices are outside the main terminal in the freight area

The regular customs for checking people who have just got off a plane is open on a Sunday...the regular red/green channels, and also an office available from the land-side.

What is 'it'?
It look to me as if commercially imported goods not be 'handled' on a Sunday. I hardly think they will let all the travellers arriving by plane get away with entering with anything they fancy.

This confuses me a little. Because usually, when you travel overseas for business or holiday, you take your mobile phone with you. A lot of phones are worth more than 300CHF these days, and often you need to take them with you when they are less than six months old. So technically, a lot of people traveling over the border with their mobile phone should be declaring it and paying tax on it? Same goes for laptops...

Must be something I'm missing...

They are talking about NEW goods that you bought outside the country and are bringing into the country. Not used items. And certainly not anything you bought in Switzerland, used for a while then took out again when you went traveling.

So, I just walk through the red channel and hand out my 18.44 form plus all other documents? (job contract, rental contract, etc.)

I do understand there will be a customs officer checking people.
I was just thinking that somehow they do not handle relocation paperwork on Sunday and was wondering what to do. This might sound dumb... but I am just trying to figure out how Switzerland works from far away

Thanks for your replies,
cla

If you have very little luggage, then you really won't need to declair anything, they won't be interested. You might want to ask imigration to stamp your passport when you arrive.

they will not care about rental agreements etc. Have your paperwork with you anyway for future ref.

The guys in the customs channel will assist you with anything you need and they are friendly.

just relax.