🇨🇭 Moving from the US to Switzerland: Logistics, Customs & Relocation Guide.
Switzerland sits outside the EU customs union, so your shipment clears under Swiss federal rules: Form 18.44 presented at the border with a precisely valued inventory secures duty-free entry of household effects.
Average shipping cost
from $5,100
Door-to-door, 20ft FCL entry point
Transit timeline
4–6 weeks
Ocean freight 14–26 days to Rotterdam or Antwerp, then bonded road transit inland
Major ports of entry
Rotterdam (transit)
Rotterdam (transit) · Antwerp (transit) · Basel (inland terminal)
Switzerland customs & Transfer of Residence: step by step
Required registration: Cantonal permit + Form 18.44
- 1
Secure your cantonal residence permit
B and C permits are issued by the canton, not the federation. Customs will not release household effects without the permit or an employer attestation.
- 2
Complete Form 18.44 before the border crossing
The Declaration/Application for Clearance of Household Effects lists all goods with used-market values in CHF and is presented at the entry office.
- 3
Provide a precise inventory valuation
Swiss officers verify values line by line. Undervalued inventories trigger reassessment, penalties and multi-day holds at the bonded warehouse.
- 4
Plan bonded transit from an EU port
Containers discharge at Rotterdam or Antwerp and travel under T1 bond to Basel or your canton, adding 4–7 days to the schedule.
Import VAT avoided with relief
8.1%
Filed with Swiss Federal Office for Customs and Border Security via Form 18.44 — Declaration for Clearance of Household Effects.
Primary visa pathways
- • Executive work permit (B)
- • Settlement permit (C)
- • Tax agreement residency
Economic stability, banking security, high compensation, premium infrastructure.
Importing a vehicle into Switzerland
Form 13.20A at the border, then cantonal Strassenverkehrsamt inspection within one year. Duty is assessed by vehicle weight rather than value when relief does not apply.
Calculate landed vehicle taxesPopular expat destinations in Switzerland
| City | Profile | Cost index |
|---|---|---|
| Zurich | Banking and tech, highest salaries, strictest moving-day permits | $$$$ |
| Geneva | UN and NGO sector, francophone, large US community | $$$$ |
| Basel | Pharma corridor, inland terminal shortens transit | $$$ |
| Zug | Low-tax canton, crypto and commodities firms | $$$$ |