Shipping to Switzerland Customs: Guide for Business Customers

Anyone shipping goods from Germany to Switzerland must declare each shipment fully and truthfully on the customs declaration form CN 23 and provide a copy of the invoice or other documentation. Attach proof of valueIf information is missing, the shipment enters an administrative review process, which can significantly delay delivery and result in storage costs or refusal of acceptance. Therefore, business customers should automatically calculate landed costs before shipping and activate document creation in the platform before handing the order over to the parcel service.

Key point for shipping teams: Complete declaration, correct value of goods, invoice attached. Automated checks of these three points avoid the most common causes of delays in imports to Switzerland.

Pro tip: In your shipping platform, set up mandatory field validations that only release a shipment for collection when the CN 23, invoice and HS code are fully entered.

Table of Contents

• What mandatory documents do you need for correct customs clearance?
• How do you calculate landed costs, and what do Incoterms regulate?
• When will preferential certificates of origin reduce your tariffs?
• Which customs procedures are worthwhile for regular B2B shippers?
• How does a shipment to Switzerland work, and where do delays occur?
• How does automation simplify your customs processes for Switzerland?
• Operational checklist: 10 steps before pickup
• What are the most common mistakes when shipping to Switzerland?
• Key insights
• Paket-international automates your shipping to Switzerland
• Official sources for your shipping team

What mandatory documents do you need for correct customs clearance?

Every commercial shipment to Switzerland requires a defined set of documents. The following table shows which documents are mandatory and what information each record must contain.

Documents	Mandatory information
Customs declaration CN 23	Product description, HS tariff number, quantity, unit weight, gross weight, value of goods, currency, Incoterm
Commercial invoice	Sender, recipient, invoice number, product description, unit price, total value, currency, delivery terms
delivery note	Item list, quantities, weights, reference number
Proof of origin	Country of origin, preference declaration, signature/stamp of the exporter
Special receipts (depending on the goods)	Safety data sheet (dangerous goods), VOC content information (chemical products), import permit

For platform integration, this means: structured mandatory fields for HS code, goods value and recipient data, automatic validation before label generation, and file attachments for invoice and proof of origin. Shipping documents are managed automatically., reduces manual errors at the most common source of error in the customs process.

How do you calculate landed costs, and what do Incoterms regulate?

Landed costs include all expenses incurred up to the point of arrival at the recipient: the value of the goods, freight costs, Swiss VAT, customs duties based on gross weight or commodity tariff, and the customs clearance fees charged by the service provider. The latter are not regulated by the government and vary considerably between service providers, which is why a realistic cost estimate requires tariff profiles from several partners.

Incoterms determine who bears these costs:

• DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): The sender covers all customs duties, VAT, and customs clearance fees. The recipient pays nothing. This is the safest option for B2B customers with fixed price lists.
• DAP (Delivered at Place): Customs duties and VAT are the responsibility of the recipient. This often leads to unexpected costs and refusals of acceptance.
• EXW (Ex Works): The buyer bears all transport and customs costs from the factory. This only makes sense if the recipient has their own customs expertise.

Calculation formula for a rough estimate: Base value = goods value + shipping costs. VAT is calculated on this base value, including any applicable customs duties. Customs duties are based on gross weight or tariff. Customs clearance fees charged by the service provider are added separately. Transparent Landed Costs upfront Reduce complaints and increase the conversion rate in B2B business. Who hidden shipping surcharges Those who know better calculate more realistically.

When will preferential certificates of origin reduce your tariffs?

Preferential tariffs apply if the goods meet the rules of origin of a free trade agreement, such as the agreement between the EU and Switzerland. A prerequisite is that the exporter documents the origin of the goods and indicates this on the invoice or a separate certificate of origin.

Depending on the case, the following forms and information are required:

• Declaration of origin on the invoice for shipments up to EUR 6.000 (authorized exporters can also declare higher amounts)
• EUR.1 movement certificate for larger shipments without authorization status
• Supplier declarations from upstream suppliers as proof of origin of intermediate products

The BAZG provides checklists for preferential treatment procedures to guide exporters through the preliminary clarifications.

Pro tip: Store supplier declarations and upstream supplier certificates directly in the platform and link them to the respective item master data. This way, the documentation is automatically available for every shipment, without manual searching.

Which customs procedures are worthwhile for regular B2B shippers?

For companies with high shipment volumes to Switzerland, there are special import procedures that can speed up processes and reduce costs.

Process	Requirements	Advantage
Authorized recipient	Approval by BAZG, bookkeeping obligation	Simplified processing, less waiting time at the border
Temporary import	Proof of re-export, security deposit	No customs duties on temporary imports (e.g., trade fairs, repairs)
Repair and processing traffic	Authorization, proof of processing or manufacturing	Customs exemption for goods imported for repair and then re-exported
Bonded warehouse	Warehouse registration with the BAZG, ongoing bookkeeping	Customs duties and taxes are only due upon release for free circulation.

Which procedure is suitable depends on shipment frequency, type of goods, and internal capacities. All procedures require meticulous record-keeping and regular documentation for the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (BAZG). Export documents are managed automatically., fulfills these requirements without additional manual effort.

How does a shipment to Switzerland work, and where do delays occur?

The typical process for a shipment from Germany to Switzerland follows a fixed sequence. At any handover point, incomplete information can halt the process.

1. Order entry: Shipment data, recipient address, merchandise value and HS code are recorded and validated.
2. Label and customs data creation: Shipping label, CN 23 and commercial invoice are generated and included with the shipment.
3. Collection by the parcel service: DHL, UPS, FedEx, DPD or DB Schenker will pick up the shipment.
4. Transport inspection: The service provider checks the completeness of the documents before crossing the border.
5. Customs declaration: The shipment will be registered with the BAZG; electronic pre-registration speeds up the process.
6. Customs inspection: The BAZG checks the declaration, the value of the goods, and their origin. In cases of uncertainty, an investigation process begins.
7. Delivery: Delivery to the recipient takes place after approval and payment of customs fees.

Typical causes of delays include missing or incorrect HS codes, incomplete product descriptions, missing certificates of origin, unpaid customs duties, and missing VOC information for chemical products. Automated workflows should include checkpoints with escalation notifications at steps 1, 2, and 5.

How does automation simplify your customs processes for Switzerland?

Platforms like Paket-international intervene at the points where manual processes most frequently fail. Automatic HS code completion prevents incorrect tariff numbers. Mandatory field validations ensure that no label is generated without complete customs data. Invoice upload and proof of origin management are directly integrated into the shipment workflow.

Measurable benefits for business customers: faster customs clearance thanks to correct documents on the first attempt, lower customs clearance costs through service provider comparison on the platform, and transparency for the recipient through upfront displayed landed costs. Paket-international states that companies can reduce their manual effort by up to 80%. Export analysis function It also shows where there is potential for savings in the shipping process.

Operational checklist: 10 steps before pickup

1. HS code validated for each item and stored in the platform
2. Commercial invoice prepared with all mandatory information and attached as a file attachment
3. Proof of origin verified and assigned to the shipment
4. VOC content for chemical products declared (missing information leads to calculation on a gross weight basis)
5. Incoterm confirmed and coordinated with invoicing
6. Recipient details in full: name, address, Swiss VAT number (if applicable).
7. Gross weight and dimensions correctly recorded (basis for customs and freight calculation)
8. Landed costs are automatically calculated and communicated to the recipient.
9. Shipping label and CN 23 printed and attached to the outside of the package
10. Platform access granted: all required fields green, pickup confirmed

Steps 1, 3, 4, and 8 can be fully automated. Steps 5 and 6 require a one-time manual check per customer relationship; after that, they can be stored as default values.

What are the most common mistakes when shipping to Switzerland?

Inaccurate product descriptions are the most common cause of customs delays. "Various goods" or "gift" are insufficient; customs expects a specific, commercially available description. Incorrect HS codes lead to incorrect customs duties and, in the worst case, to additional charges or confiscation.

Other typical mistakes and their countermeasures:

• Missing invoice: Required field on the platform; technically block sending without attachments.
• Incorrect Incoterms: Set the default value DDP for all shipments to Switzerland; have any deviations confirmed manually.
• Missing VOC information: Mark product categories with VOC relevance in the article database; automatic query when creating the shipment.
• Incomplete recipient data: Enable address validation before label generation

Warning signs that should trigger a manual review include: goods value below market price (under-invoicing), HS code not matching the product description, country of origin missing for preferential goods. A well-configured platform automatically flags these cases and holds the shipment until the issue is resolved.

Pro tip: For frequently shipped items, create standard texts for product names and HS codes in the platform. This saves time and prevents typos during manual entry.

Key insights

Complete customs declaration, correct HS codes and pre-calculated landed costs are the three prerequisites for smooth shipping to Switzerland without delays.

Theme	Details
Required documents	The CN 23, commercial invoice and proof of origin must be complete and correct before the shipment is collected.
Landed Costs	VAT is calculated on the value of goods plus freight costs; customs clearance fees charged by service providers vary and must be calculated separately.
Incoterms	DDP protects against refusals of acceptance; DAP and EXW shift customs costs to the recipient.
Proof of preferential origin	Correct documentation of origin enables preferential customs duties under the EU-Switzerland agreement.
International package	It automates document creation, HS code validation and landed cost calculation, reducing manual effort by up to 80% according to the vendor.

Paket-international automates your shipping to Switzerland

Those who regularly ship to Switzerland no longer need to deal with manual customs procedures. Paket-international calculates the costs. guaranteed total cost Before shipping, the platform automatically generates CN forms and commercial invoices and validates HS codes directly when the shipment is created. It compares DHL, UPS, FedEx, DPD, and DB Schenker in real time and selects the most economical rate for each shipment.

For technical decision-makers: Paket-international offers API and plugin integrations For ERP systems and online shops, customs data is transferred directly from the order process without manual intervention. Certificates of origin, export documents, and shipment history are centrally accessible in the dashboard. Now Compare customs clearance and switch the shipping to Switzerland to automated processes.

Official sources for your shipping team

The following official bodies provide binding guidelines for customs regulations, forms and procedures:

• BAZG: Importing into Switzerland for companies — checklists, procedure overviews, preferential arrangements and special import procedures
• BAZG: Postal services, online shopping, courier services — obligations for commercial shipments, declaration requirements
• BAZG: General information on imports — Calculation examples for customs duties and value added tax
• Swiss Post: Import customs clearance — basic prices, surcharges and maximum customs clearance prices of the Post Office
• Swiss Post: Customs and taxes for shipments to Switzerland — VOC duties, VAT calculation, practical examples

The CN-23 form is available as a template from Deutsche Post and all major parcel service providers. Commercial invoices and declarations of origin can be generated and archived directly via Paket-international.

Note: This article contains general information on customs and shipping procedures. For binding information regarding your specific case, please contact the Federal Office for Customs and Border Protection (BAZG) or an authorized customs service provider.

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