Is the import of removal goods into Switzerland duty-free?

Yes, as resettlement goods : you move your residence to Switzerland, and the items have been used by you personally for at least six months and will continue to be used. Newly bought items do not meet this; they go on a separate list and are subject to duty. Later shipments are declared on a separate list at the time of the first import.

How long does a move to Zurich or Bern take?

From Berlin it is 856 km to Zurich and 959 km to Bern; a removal lorry needs approx. 13 hours to Zurich including breaks, approx. 14.5 hours to Bern. That exceeds the daily driving time, so plan for two driving days. Customs clearance only takes place during office hours, and lorries over 3.5 t may not drive in Switzerland on Sundays or at night.

What does a move to Switzerland cost on average?

There is no reliable average price. Fixed factors are route, driving days, LSVA and German toll; the rest is determined by volume, floors, access and additional services such as packing or assembly. After a free survey in Berlin we quote a fixed price . The starting prices by flat size are in the list above.

Which items am I not allowed to import into Switzerland?

Import restrictions apply to certain goods, such as weapons and alcoholic drinks; they are listed individually on the inventory list. Separate rules apply to narcotics, protected animal and plant species and food. Clarify doubtful cases before departure with the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG).

How do I register in Switzerland after the move?

As an EU citizen you register with the residents' registration office of your new municipality within 14 days of arrival and before starting work. With an employment contract you then receive your residence permit. You take out health insurance within three months of arrival and apply for the Swiss driving licence within twelve months.

Do you also offer shared loads for smaller moves to Switzerland?

Yes, for small volumes there is the shared load : your removal goods travel towards Switzerland with other consignments. You still need form 18.44 and a complete inventory list. Instead of a fixed date you get a time window; whether a shared load to your region is possible is something we clarify when you enquire.

How are my belongings protected?

For damage to your removal goods, the removal company is liable under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre of cargo space. For antiques, art or expensive electronics this may not be enough; in that case additional insurance is worthwhile. Take jewellery, cash and documents with you yourself; liability for them is excluded by law.

Can I plan my move to Switzerland at short notice?

At short notice, the papers are what make it tight: the inventory list, form 18.44 and proof of the change of residence must be ready before departure, and the lorry must arrive at the border on a working day during office hours. Call us on 01625978461; we will check which dates are still possible.

What special rules apply to an office move to Switzerland?

For an office move to Switzerland , the rules for private resettlement goods do not apply to business equipment and goods. Clarify the import in advance with the BAZG or a customs agent and remember the commercial register and taxes in Switzerland. We plan the transport of office furniture and files after a survey.

What should I look for when choosing a removal company?

Make sure the quote is drawn up after a survey and lists driving days, LSVA, customs clearance and additional services separately. Ask who handles the customs declaration at the border and how liability is arranged. Our scope of services is described under private move ; moves abroad are described on the page international moves .

STRESS-FREE MOVING

Moving to Switzerland: costs and planning

Q: Which documents do I need for customs when moving to Switzerland?

For the duty-free import of your household goods you need form 18.44 with an inventory list. Household items may be described in general terms there, for example as boxes of books; furniture, valuables and goods subject to import restrictions, such as alcoholic drinks, are listed individually. As an EU citizen you prove the change of residence with an employment or tenancy agreement or the deregistration certificate from Germany.

Q: What applies to the car when moving to Switzerland?

A car you have used abroad for at least six months counts as resettlement goods and is declared directly at the border. It must be registered in Switzerland no later than one year after the change of residence; the cantonal road traffic office is responsible. For the transport there is our vehicle transport .

Route, heavy vehicle charge, customs hours and driving bans: what a move to Switzerland costs and how long it takes.

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FROM BERLIN-MOABIT

From Berlin to Switzerland

Your <strong>move to Switzerland</strong> – costs and schedule calculated honestly

Plan for two driving days

Unsere Firma is based in Berlin-Moabit and plans the roughly 850 to 1,100 km to Switzerland around the customs window and driving times.

From Berlin, a move to Switzerland is a long journey: it is 856 road kilometres to Zurich, 867 to Basel, 959 to Bern and 1,116 to Geneva. A removal lorry needs approx. 13 hours to Zurich including breaks – more than a driver is allowed to drive in one day. That is why two driving days or two drivers are the rule. On top of this come costs that do not exist in Germany: the performance-related heavy vehicle charge (LSVA), which lorries over 3.5 tonnes pay on all roads in Switzerland.

The border also costs time: removal goods are cleared at a customs office for commercial goods, and only during office hours, usually Monday to Friday. In addition, lorries over 3.5 tonnes are not allowed to drive in Switzerland at night from 10 pm to 5 am or on Sundays. The schedule is therefore based on the customs window. We are based in Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21), carry out the survey in Berlin and then quote a fixed price; you can find the route to Zurich under moving Berlin – Zurich. Phone: 01625978461.

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PERSONAL CONSULTATION

Request a fixed price for your move to Switzerland

After a survey in Berlin – route, LSVA and customs window included

Get advice on your move to Switzerland and arrange a free survey in Berlin. After that we quote a fixed price in which the route, charges and additional services are listed separately. You can reach us by phone on 01625978461 or via the contact form.

Quotes available individually based on workload, scheduling and the desired scope of services.

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UNDERSTANDING THE COSTS

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What goes beyond a domestic move

A fixed price for a long-distance move to Switzerland covers more than kilometres: working time for loading, two driving days, LSVA, customs clearance and additional services. We are based in Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21), survey your flat in Berlin and then calculate a fixed price. Who handles the customs declaration with form 18.44 at the border is set out in the quote. For your removal goods we are liable under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre; additional insurance makes sense for valuable items.

Route and driving time

856 km to Zurich, lorry approx. 13 hrs incl. breaks: more than one day's shift. Expect two driving days or two drivers.

LSVA

Lorries over 3.5 t pay the heavy vehicle charge on all roads in Switzerland – in addition to the lorry toll on German motorways and federal roads.

Customs during office hours

Removal goods are only cleared during the customs offices' opening hours, usually Monday to Friday. Arrival at the border is timed accordingly.

Driving bans

In Switzerland, lorries over 3.5 t are subject to a night driving ban from 10 pm to 5 am and a Sunday driving ban. Departure and arrival are planned around this.

PLANNING

Schedule for the move to Switzerland

To make sure moving day fits the customs window, it pays to have a schedule that starts in Berlin and ends in your new municipality (Gemeinde). These six steps have proven themselves.

Give notice in Berlin

Give notice on your rented flat with a three-month notice period (§ 573c BGB) – only once the Swiss tenancy agreement or employment contract is signed.

Start the inventory list

Start the list for form 18.44 while sorting out: boxes in general terms, furniture and valuables individually.

Survey and fixed price

Six to eight weeks before: survey in Berlin, fixed price and a date set so that the lorry reaches the border on a working day.

Think of new items

Only items you have used for at least six months are duty-free. Newly bought furniture goes on the list of goods subject to duty.

Deregister in Berlin

If you keep no home in Germany, you deregister at the Bürgeramt within two weeks of moving out.

Register in Switzerland

At the municipality within 14 days of arrival; take out health insurance within three months.

FOR SMALL LOADS

Few household goods to Switzerland

Sharing cargo space on a long route

For one room, individual pieces of furniture or a small household, a shared load can be cheaper than a dedicated lorry. Even then the removal goods are cleared through customs with form 18.44 and an inventory list; instead of a fixed day there is a time window. Whether a tour is currently going to your region is something we clarify when you enquire.

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BERLIN – SWITZERLAND

Costs,
schedule, border

The three building blocks of planning

A move abroad to Switzerland can be split into three building blocks: the price from route, charges and volume, the schedule between giving notice in Berlin and arriving in the municipality, and the border with customs clearance. Which conditions apply to duty-free resettlement goods and which papers you need is covered in the guide customs, formalities and process. The more precisely volume and access are recorded during the survey, the more reliable the fixed price becomes.

Price: route and charges

Route, driving days, LSVA and German toll are largely fixed for a destination such as Zurich, Basel or Bern. The difference is made by volume, floors, lift and access at the new building. Send photos of these with your enquiry and we will calculate the long-distance move without extra charges later.

Time: notice and customs window

Notice three months before, survey six to eight weeks before, departure timed so that the lorry is at the border on a working day during office hours. A buffer day absorbs waiting times at customs and traffic jams; with storage, gaps between two tenancies can be bridged.

Border: form 18.44

Resettlement goods are duty-free if you move your residence to Switzerland and have used the items for at least six months. For this you need form 18.44, an inventory list and proof such as the employment or tenancy agreement.

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FAQ

Questions about costs and planning

Customs, duration, costs, car, import rules, insurance and office moves – answered briefly.

For the duty-free import of your household goods you need form 18.44 with an inventory list. Household items may be described in general terms there, for example as boxes of books; furniture, valuables and goods subject to import restrictions, such as alcoholic drinks, are listed individually. As an EU citizen you prove the change of residence with an employment or tenancy agreement or the deregistration certificate from Germany.

Customs and formalities at a glance

Switzerland is not part of the EU, so removal goods are declared at the border. They remain duty-free as resettlement goods if you move your residence to Switzerland and have personally used the items for at least six months and will continue to use them. You hand in form 18.44 with an inventory list at the customs office; EU citizens prove the move with an employment or tenancy agreement, for example, and do not need a residence permit in advance for this.

Anything that does not meet these conditions, such as newly bought furniture, goes on a separate list with a stated value and is subject to duty. A car you have used for at least six months also counts as resettlement goods; it is declared at the border and registered in Switzerland no later than one year after the move.

How the fixed price is set

The costs of a move to Switzerland depend on volume, route, floors and additional services. Fixed components are the driving days, the German toll and the LSVA in Switzerland. We survey your flat in Berlin, have the access at the new home shown to us and then quote a fixed price in which packing, assembly or storage are listed separately.

The process: survey, inventory list and form 18.44, dismantling and loading in Berlin, the drive with an overnight stop or change of driver, customs clearance at a customs office for commercial goods during office hours, unloading and reassembly at the new home. The starting prices by flat size are in the list below.

The biggest savings are in volume: whatever you sell or give away in Berlin does not have to be driven 850 km or written on the inventory list. Small volumes can travel as a shared load.

This is how our prices are made up

1-room: from €375 – ideal for students and singles
2-room: from €579 – for couples and small households
3-room: from €915 – for families
4-room: from €1,329 – for larger households
House/villa: individual quote as required
Long-distance move: from €3.80/km for longer distances

We are happy to discuss details during a free survey.

What influences the moving price?

The price of a move depends largely on the volume of your household goods and the distance, which is charged from €3.80/km. The floor, whether there is a lift and whether a parking restriction zone (Halteverbotszone) is needed also play a role. Additional services such as furniture assembly or a shared load can also affect the price.

Our moving services in detail

You can book these services individually for your move to Switzerland.

Service	Details
House clearance	House clearance including disposal and final cleaning.
Shared load	The shared load for smaller transport volumes.
Move with assembly	The move with assembly with an on-site assembly service.
Furniture transport	Furniture transport with suitable vehicle sizes.
Private move	The private move tailored individually to you.
Office move	The office move with minimal disruption to day-to-day business.

Moves from Berlin

We are based in Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21) and handle moves from Berlin to Switzerland; we do not have a location there. Routes from Berlin can be found under long-distance moves, further destinations in the locations overview.

Moving Abroad

Beste Umzug Redaktion

August 15, 2026

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Moving Abroad Long-Distance Move Switzerland