Do I have to pay customs duty on my household goods?

No, if it is resettlement goods : a change of residence to Switzerland and at least six months of personal use. Anything that is new or has been used for a shorter time goes on the list of goods subject to duty and is charged accordingly. Alcoholic drinks are also subject to restrictions and must be listed individually.

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 is on the road for approx. 13 to 14.5 hours including breaks. That is more than one day's driving time, so plan for two driving days. On top of that comes clearance, which only takes place during the customs office's office hours.

What does a move to Switzerland cost?

The costs depend on volume, route, floors and additional services; on top come driving days and the heavy vehicle charge LSVA. After the survey in Berlin we quote a fixed price , which also states who handles the customs declaration. The guide on costs and planning explains this in detail.

As an EU citizen, do I need a residence permit beforehand?

No. EU citizens with an employment contract register with the municipality within 14 days of arrival and before starting work, and receive the residence permit afterwards. For customs, the employment or tenancy agreement is sufficient as proof of the change of residence. Those coming from a non-EU country, on the other hand, need an assurance of a permit.

How are my belongings protected?

The removal company is liable under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre of cargo space. For art, antiques or expensive appliances, additional insurance is worthwhile. Transport jewellery, cash and documents yourself; liability for them is excluded under § 451d HGB.

Can I take my car to Switzerland as well?

Yes. If you have used the car for at least six months, it counts as resettlement goods and is declared directly at the border. No later than one year after the change of residence, you register it with Swiss number plates at the cantonal road traffic office. Cars used for a shorter time need a customs permit.

What is special about a move to Switzerland compared with EU countries?

Within the EU, household goods are not declared; for Switzerland they are. You need form 18.44 and an inventory list, clearance only takes place during office hours, and lorries over 3.5 t are subject to night and Sunday driving bans as well as the LSVA. Registering with the municipality, on the other hand, is about as straightforward as in EU countries.

Do you also offer shared loads to Switzerland?

Yes, for small volumes a shared load to Switzerland is possible. Your removal goods travel with other consignments but still need their own customs papers: form 18.44, an inventory list and proof of the change of residence. Instead of a fixed day you get a time window.

How do I register my residence in Switzerland?

At the residents' registration office of your new municipality, within 14 days of arrival and before starting work. You should bring your passport or ID card, tenancy agreement and employment contract; the canton sets out the details. You take out health insurance within three months.

What happens to new or unused items?

Items you have not used for at least six months are not resettlement goods. They go on a separate list, “goods subject to duty”, with a stated value and are charged accordingly. Goods for trade or items used commercially are declared separately. If anything is unclear, the information centre of the BAZG can help.

How can I plan a move to Switzerland with Beste Umzug Unternehmen?

Call us on 01625978461 or see our scope of services under private move . After the survey in Berlin we quote a fixed price and set the driving day so that the lorry is at the border during office hours. You prepare form 18.44 and the inventory list; we go through them with you.

STRESS-FREE MOVING

Moving to Switzerland: customs formalities and process

Q: Which customs papers do I need for the move to Switzerland?

You need form 18.44 (customs clearance of resettlement goods), an inventory list and proof that you are moving your residence to Switzerland – such as an employment contract, tenancy agreement or deregistration certificate. A declaration of value for every item is not necessary; values are only given for goods that are subject to duty.

Form 18.44, inventory list, customs hours, car and municipality: the formalities for your move to Switzerland in the right order.

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Swiss customs

Resettlement goods: when your household goods enter Switzerland duty-free

Formalities step by step

Unsere Firma is based in Berlin-Moabit and drives your resettlement goods to the border – we plan the papers and customs window together.

Because Switzerland is not part of the EU, all household goods are declared at the border when moving to Switzerland. They remain duty-free as resettlement goods if two conditions are met: you move your residence to Switzerland, and you have personally used the items for at least six months and will continue to use them. How long you previously lived abroad plays no role – what counts is the use of the items. Newly bought furniture or appliances do not meet the condition and are subject to duty.

For the declaration you need form 18.44, an inventory list and proof of the change of residence; as an EU citizen, the employment or tenancy agreement or the deregistration certificate from Germany is sufficient, for example. Clearance takes place at a customs office for commercial goods and only during its opening hours, usually Monday to Friday. We are based in Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21) and set the driving day so that the lorry arrives within this window; who handles the customs declaration is stated in the quote. More under international moves.

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Quote for your move to Switzerland

Fixed price after a survey in Berlin

Call us on 01625978461 and arrange a free survey for your move to Switzerland. After that we quote a fixed price and clarify when the lorry will be at the border and who handles the customs declaration. You prepare form 18.44 and the inventory list; we go through both with you during the survey.

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

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RESETTLEMENT GOODS

Four conditions for duty-free removal goods

What Swiss customs checks

Whether your household goods remain duty-free is decided at the border by the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG). It checks the change of residence, the period of use, the inventory list and form 18.44. We are based in Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21), handle dismantling, transport and reassembly and plan the arrival for the customs office's opening hours. We quote the fixed price after the survey. For your removal goods we are liable under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre; for valuable items additional insurance makes sense.

Residence in Switzerland

Moving your residence is the most important condition. EU citizens prove it with an employment or tenancy agreement or the deregistration certificate.

Used for six months

Every item must have been used by you personally for at least six months and continue to be used. New items are subject to duty.

Form 18.44

You present the customs declaration for resettlement goods at the customs office of entry – together with the inventory list and proof of the change of residence.

Office hours

Clearance takes place at customs offices for commercial goods during opening hours, mostly Monday to Friday. At night and on Sundays nothing happens.

INVENTORY LIST

How to write the inventory list

The inventory list may be written on ordinary paper; customs does not require a declaration of value for every item. You only give values and weights where they are asked for, and you may estimate them – the insured value is a good guide.

Boxes in general terms

Ordinary household goods may be grouped together: ten boxes of books, six boxes of clothes, crockery. This keeps the list clear.

Furniture and appliances individually

List furniture, valuables and larger appliances individually and in more detail, such as sofa, dining table, washing machine, television.

Restricted goods

Goods subject to import restrictions, such as alcoholic drinks or weapons, appear separately and precisely on the list.

Goods subject to duty

Anything that does not meet the conditions, such as new items used for less than six months, goes on a separate list with a stated value.

Later shipments

Anything that follows later must already be declared at the first import on a separate list – otherwise the exemption is at risk.

The car

A car belongs on the list and is declared directly at the border; it is registered in Switzerland no later than one year after the move.

FOR SMALL LOADS

Small volumes to Switzerland

Still with 18.44 and an inventory list

For one room or individual pieces of furniture, a shared load to Switzerland can be cheaper than a dedicated lorry. This does not change the customs rules: form 18.44, the inventory list and proof of the change of residence go with the consignment. Instead of a fixed day there is a time window.

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STEP BY STEP

Before,
at the border, afterwards

The process in three phases

A move to Switzerland requires formalities on both sides of the border: in Berlin you deregister and put the papers together, at the border form 18.44 is checked, and in Switzerland the municipality, residence permit, health insurance and driving licence follow. What the move costs and how to set the schedule is covered in the guide costs and planning; a list for the first months is in the emigration checklist for Switzerland.

Before departure

Write the inventory list, fill in form 18.44, have proof of the change of residence ready, list later shipments. If you keep no home in Germany, you deregister at the registration office (Bürgeramt) within two weeks of moving out.

At the border

The lorry goes to a customs office for commercial goods, on a working day during office hours. There the form, list and load are checked; goods that do not meet the conditions are subject to duty. Then the long-distance move continues to the new address.

In Switzerland

Registration with the municipality within 14 days and before starting work, health insurance within three months, driving licence within twelve months, car with Swiss number plates after one year at the latest.

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FAQ

Questions about customs, formalities and process

Customs papers, duties, permits, car, later shipments and municipality – answered briefly.

You need form 18.44 (customs clearance of resettlement goods), an inventory list and proof that you are moving your residence to Switzerland – such as an employment contract, tenancy agreement or deregistration certificate. A declaration of value for every item is not necessary; values are only given for goods that are subject to duty.

Customs and import regulations for resettlement goods

No customs duties are charged on resettlement goods if you move your residence to Switzerland and have personally used the items for at least six months. What matters is therefore how long the items have been used, not how long you previously lived abroad. The removal goods are declared with form 18.44 and an inventory list at the customs office of entry.

Later shipments must already be declared on a separate list at the first import. A car you have used for less than six months is not resettlement goods; with a customs permit (form 15.30) it may be used free of duty for up to two years, after which it is either cleared through customs or exported.

Process: from Berlin to the municipality

The process of a move to Switzerland starts with a flat and employment contract in Switzerland, followed by giving notice in Berlin, the survey and the inventory list. EU citizens do not need a residence permit before the move: they register with the municipality within 14 days of arrival and receive the permit afterwards.

On moving day we dismantle and load in Berlin; after the drive and customs clearance during office hours, everything is unloaded and reassembled at the new home. How long the route takes depends on the destination – Zurich is 856 km from Berlin. Details on the route are under long-distance moves.

What a move costs with us

Our prices are fair and transparent. For a 1-room flat we charge from €339, for a 2-room flat from €605. Larger moves, such as a 3-room flat, start from €894, a 4-room flat from €1,324. For a house or villa we will of course prepare an individual quote to suit your wishes. If you are planning a long-distance move, a price per kilometre from €3.95 applies. Feel free to arrange a free survey to clarify all the details.

Transparent price factors for your move

We calculate transparently by volume, distance (from €3.95/km), floor and lift. A required parking restriction zone (Halteverbotszone) is also included in the price. Additional services such as furniture assembly and a shared load are shown separately.

Our service portfolio

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

Move with assembly: complete dismantling and reassembly of your furniture. Move with assembly
Shared load: the affordable option for smaller transports. Shared load
House clearance: quick and clean clearance. House clearance
Office move: moves for offices, practices and businesses. Office move
Furniture transport: transported reliably and with care. Furniture transport
Private move: your home move in good hands. Private move

Moves from Berlin

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

Moving Abroad

Beste Umzug Redaktion

August 14, 2026

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Moving Abroad Long-Distance Move Switzerland