Switzerland is a country in Europe and is surrounded by countries from the European Union (EU), but it is not a part of the European Union. Receiving a package from Switzerland? Then you pay import duties, known as import tax, because Switzerland is not a member of the EU. Read everything you need to know about sending a package to Switzerland here. Wondering about the amount of import duties for packages from Switzerland and who pays them? You can find it on this page.
Chantal has been writing about logistics topics for almost two decades and has worked for major international carriers.
Switzerland is a country in Europe and is surrounded by countries from the European Union (EU), but it is not a part of the European Union. Receiving a package from Switzerland? Then you pay import duties, known as import tax, because Switzerland is not a member of the EU.
When shipping goods to Switzerland, understanding import duties Switzerland is essential to avoid unexpected costs. Import taxes and customs fees depend on factors like product type, value, and trade agreements. By correctly calculating import duties Switzerland, shipments can clear customs smoothly and efficiently. Stay informed and ensure hassle-free imports!
Curious about import duties for Switzerland? For example, which documents do you need for countries outside the European Union? We answer here your most important questions about import duties and sending a package to Switzerland.
You only pay import duties if the value is €150 or more. In addition, you always pay VAT for the goods. If you want to calculate the exact amount of import duties for Switzerland, it is challenging. It is not easy to calculate the amount in advance yourself. There are online tools that give you an indication of import duties, but the final amount is determined at the time of import by customs.
Receive an estimate of the import duties, VAT, and clearance costs of your shipment within 10 seconds. At ParcelParcel, we think it's important that everyone can send internationally easily! We notice that many of our customers want to have an estimate of the import duties, VAT, and clearance costs.
Here's how it works:
The HS code is always important, especially for countries outside the EU. You can prevent paying too much in import duties or additional costs. A correct goods code, also called HS code, on the customs invoice ensures that your shipment is processed correctly. Customs can determine how much import duties and other import taxes you pay over the import based on this code. We have created a tool in MyParcelParcel with which you can easily look up HS codes based on a description. You need an account to use our HS code tool, but you can register for free.
Because Switzerland is not an EU country, all goods you want to import from Switzerland must first be cleared by customs. Want to import from Switzerland to Belgium or the Netherlands? It's actually quite simple. When you want to import a package, you fill it in the shipping tool. At the fields "pick up in" and "deliver in" you click on the icon "reverse".
Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). On the website of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, you can find more information about export rules for Switzerland. For example, about rules for temporary import. If you send a shipment via ParcelParcel, we will also create a customs invoice for you next to the shipping labels.
If you have any questions about import duties, VAT, or the clearance process, please feel free to contact us via Live Chat (working days 08:00-17:30 hours). Our support specialists are happy to help you with your questions. You can also contact us by phone or e-mail.
You can instantly check the shipping costs through our rate calculator. Enter the weight, dimensions, and destination country of your shipment, and you will see all available shipping options along with their respective delivery times. The calculator can be used to compare shipping rates for both export and import shipments.
If you need help calculating a shipping rate, watch the video below. Click on the 
button to play the video and the 
icon to view the video in fullscreen.
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Shipping costs are calculated based on dimensions (LxWxH in cm), weight (in kg), and the destination country. Both the actual weight (as shown on the scale) and the volumetric weight are considered.
The volumetric weight is the weight calculated based on the space your shipment occupies in the plane. The higher of the two weights (volumetric or actual weight) is used to calculate the shipping rate. You don't need to calculate this yourself; our calculator does it for you.
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You can use the discount code PP10 for 10% discount on the transportation costs of your first shipment. You can apply the discount code during the checkout process (instructions).
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Whether additional costs apply depends on whether your shipment stays within the European Union or is sent to/from a country outside the European Union. Below, you can see the additional costs for each situation.
Within the European Union
If, for example, you send a shipment from the Netherlands to Italy (within the EU), there will be an additional 21% VAT on the shipping costs.
Furthermore, if your shipment stays within the European Union, you won't have to deal with any import duties or customs clearance fees because your shipment doesn't go through customs. Please note that the European Union is not the same as Europe.
View here all the countries that are part of the European Union. For example, Switzerland is part of Europe but not part of the European Union.
Outside the European Union
If, for example, you send a shipment from the Netherlands to the United States, there will be no VAT (0%) applied to the displayed shipping rates.
However, there might be import duties levied by customs in the destination country if you send a shipment to/from a country outside the European Union. Typically, customs costs are charged to the recipient. This is known as Delivered At Place (DAP) in logistics terminology.
Customs is a government agency that levies import duties in certain cases to protect the local market. As a company, you can also ship using Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), which means any customs costs will be charged to you as the sender.
If you have any questions about this topic, feel free to contact us. Additionally, you can read everything about import duties, VAT, and the customs clearance process in this blog.
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A customs invoice is a form where all the goods you want to ship are specified. This invoice includes an English description of the goods, along with their corresponding value and weight.
The contents of your shipment must be specified per type of product you're sending to avoid delays at customs. A customs invoice is always prepared in quadruplicate in accordance with customs guidelines.
When is a customs invoice required?
A customs invoice is only required for shipments to/from countries outside the European Union (e.g., Netherlands - United States). If your shipment stays within the European Union (e.g., Netherlands - Italy), your shipment will not go through customs, and therefore, a customs invoice is not required.
Additionally, document shipments are not subject to customs, so if you're sending a document to a country within/outside the European Union, no customs invoice is needed.
Please note that not all goods can be shipped to every country. You can find a list of goods that cannot be sent via ParcelParcel on this page.
Do I need to create a customs invoice myself?
If you're sending a shipment to/from a country outside the European Union, it's mandatory to include a customs invoice with the shipment. We provide free support in creating a customs invoice.
You can easily generate a customs invoice through our shipping platform. The customs invoice will be automatically generated based on the content you specified during your booking.
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You can import just as easily as export via ParcelParcel.
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You can find a list of goods that cannot be shipped via ParcelParcel on this page.
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