Shipping from Germany to Switzerland: auction purchases, art and parts, door to door.
Switzerland is next door and outside the EU customs union, so every shipment from Germany is an export with an import on the Swiss side. The good news: since 2024 Switzerland charges no customs duty on industrial goods, art or antiques at all. You pay Swiss import VAT of 8.1 % to the carrier, and the German VAT comes back to you with our export documents.
Shipping to Switzerland: what to expect.
Next working day with DHL Express or UPS, 2 to 3 days by road, plus clearance.
0 %. Switzerland abolished all industrial tariffs on 1 January 2024; chapter 97 art, antiques and collectors' items are free as well, whatever the origin.
8.1 % standard rate on the value plus freight; 2.6 % for books. No reduced rate for art bought at auction. State-minted gold coins and investment gold are VAT-exempt.
Import VAT is waived only when the tax comes to CHF 5 or less, i.e. goods worth roughly CHF 62. Practically every auction purchase is taxed.
The carrier advances the VAT to the Swiss customs office and bills you with its clearance fee. Swiss VAT-registered companies deduct it as input tax.
Private buyers: nothing. Companies: their UID number for the declaration. No proof of origin is needed since duties are zero.
Facts checked October 2026. Rates and thresholds are set by Swiss authorities and can change; your quote states what applies on the day.
From the hammer or the supplier to your door in Switzerland.
Auction purchases
Paintings, prints, sculptures, porcelain, glass, clocks, watches, coins, books and collectors' items from German auction houses. We collect with your authorisation, photograph the condition and pack each piece for its own risk.
Antiques and furniture
Chests, chairs, mirrors, small furniture and decorative objects up to about 1.3 m and a few hundred kilograms, in made-to-measure wooden crates from our workshop. Larger pieces we route to a specialist forwarder and tell you so in advance.
Spare parts and industrial goods
Machine parts, components, samples and small equipment from German suppliers, collected, consolidated, export-packed and shipped with commercial invoice, packing list and the origin statement where a trade agreement saves you duty.
Four steps from Germany to Switzerland.
- You write to us
Auction house and lot number, or supplier and order, plus your delivery address in Switzerland. We reply within one working day with a quote that covers collection, packing, export documents and transport.
- We collect
With your authorisation at the auction house, or at the supplier, across northwest Germany. Items are photographed on arrival in Hannover.
- We pack and declare
Made-to-measure packing or a wooden crate, export declaration with EU exit confirmation, commercial invoice with the right HS codes for Swiss customs. You pay our invoice after packing, by card or PayPal.
- Delivery to your door
DHL Express, UPS or FedEx with tracking, insured on request for the value you name. Import duty and tax are collected by the carrier on arrival; this page tells you what to expect.
Importing into Switzerland: duties, VAT and rules.
General information for buyers and importers, not tax or legal advice. Duties and taxes are assessed by the customs authority of Switzerland on the day of import and collected by the carrier; we prepare the documents so that assessment goes smoothly. Checked October 2026; sources at the end of this page.
No customs duty since 2024
On 1 January 2024 Switzerland abolished customs duties on all industrial products, chapters 25 to 97 of the tariff. That covers machine parts, equipment and samples as well as paintings, sculptures, prints, collectors' items and antiques. Proof of EU origin is no longer needed for goods that stay in Switzerland. The only charge on arrival is import VAT.
Import VAT at 8.1 %
Swiss customs levies 8.1 % on the value of the goods plus transport and insurance; books carry 2.6 %. The exemption for works of art applies only when the artist personally imports his or her own work, so auction purchases and dealer sales are taxed at the full rate. State-minted gold coins and investment gold of 995 fineness or higher are exempt; silver and other collector coins are not. The carrier pays the VAT to the customs office and bills you with its clearance fee before delivery. The CHF 5 minimum means that only goods worth about CHF 62 or less pass tax-free.
German VAT refund
German auction houses and suppliers charge German VAT unless the goods are exported. Our export declaration with the EU exit confirmation, issued at the German-Swiss border, is the document the seller needs to refund the German VAT to you. We send it as soon as the shipment has cleared.
Cultural property declaration
Since 1 January 2026 the revised Swiss cultural property ordinance requires a detailed declaration for cultural goods at import: object type, place of manufacture or discovery, dating and dimensions. We prepare this from the auction catalogue entry so the shipment is not held at the border. Items containing ivory, tortoiseshell or other CITES materials need the German CITES export permit and the authorisation of the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office; ask us before you bid.
Restricted items
We do not ship weapons or militaria. Precious-metal articles must carry recognised hallmarks.
Frequently asked questions.
Is there customs duty on a painting or antique shipped from Germany to Switzerland?
No. Since 2024 Switzerland charges no customs duty on art, antiques or any other industrial goods. You pay 8.1 % import VAT on the value plus transport, collected by the carrier.
Can I avoid paying VAT twice?
Yes. The German seller refunds the German VAT against our export declaration with the EU exit confirmation, and you pay only the Swiss import VAT. We handle the documents; the refund itself comes from the seller.
How long does it take from Hannover to Zurich or Geneva?
Express next working day after dispatch, road freight 2 to 3 working days, plus clearance, which for Switzerland is usually same day.
Do I need to register with Swiss customs?
No. The carrier clears the shipment in your name. Companies give their UID number so the import VAT can be deducted as input tax.
Does the cultural property rule affect my auction purchase?
Possibly. Since 2026 cultural goods must be declared in detail at import. We take the details from the catalogue entry and put them on the declaration, so it usually costs you nothing but a question or two from us.
Can you ship machine parts from a German supplier to our plant in Switzerland?
Yes. Zero duty, 8.1 % VAT, next-day express or pallet by road. We collect at the supplier, pack for transport and issue the export declaration.
Question not listed?
Ask us directlySources and date checked
- SECO, abolition of industrial tariffs from 1 January 2024
- Swiss customs (BAZG), receiving letters and parcels, VAT and the CHF 5 minimum
- BAZG, works of art and exhibition objects
- BAZG, guideline R-69-02 on VAT exemptions (art imported by the artist)
- Federal Office of Culture, import, transit and export of cultural property
- BAZG, CITES species protection
Shipping from Germany, question by question
Practical answers for companies buying in Hannover and northwest Germany: spare parts, suppliers who do not export, packing, customs, trade fairs, industrial auctions.
Other destinations
Country pages with the same facts for the other countries we ship to.
Something to ship from Germany?
Tell us what needs shipping, where it is now and where it is going. A photo or a catalogue link helps. You receive a personal quote by email from the person who will handle your shipment.
Thank you, we have your request.
We will reply by email within one working day.
Or message us directly on Telegram:
BFF Logistics is the international shipping service of BFF Business Services GmbH (HRB 209217, Amtsgericht Hannover). We run Mail Boxes Etc. centre 0051 in Hannover, which is why our email address ends in @mbe.de.
Your contact: Michael Leikine, Managing Director. We reply within one working day, in your language: write to us in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese or Arabic.
Günther-Wagner-Allee 13-17, 30177 Hannover, Germany.