The short answer
Moving your home from Denmark to Switzerland? Your used household effects can enter Switzerland free of duty when you declare them on the Swiss form 18.44, application for clearance of household effects. The form needs your original signature (copies and PDFs are not accepted) and a list of the goods. The Swiss customs office states that the goods must have been used by you personally for at least 6 months abroad and that you will keep using them in Switzerland. They should be imported close to the time you move.
Checklist
- Form 18.44, completed and signed by hand (original signature)
- A list of the goods in the shipment (our shipping data sheet produces it for you)
- Your Swiss residence permit, if you move from outside the EU and EFTA
- Goods you have used yourself for at least 6 months and will keep using
- Any further document Swiss customs asks for during clearance
Before you book
New goods, goods for sale and goods you have used for less than 6 months do not count as household effects and can be charged duty and Swiss VAT. Describe every item in plain words on the list, for example “used wooden dining table”, so customs can match the goods with the declaration.
How Get It All Service ApS helps
We collect your boxes, furniture or pallets at your door anywhere in Denmark and ship them to your Swiss address. Our shipping data sheet asks the Switzerland questions and turns your answers into the list of goods. Basic transport insurance is included. See also shipping belongings abroad from Denmark, our international freight service, and shipping new Danish purchases to Switzerland.
Questions
Which customs form do I need to move my belongings to Switzerland?
Form 18.44, the application for clearance of household effects, with your original signature and a list of the goods.
Do I pay duty on my used furniture when I move to Switzerland?
Not when the goods qualify as household effects: you have used them personally for at least 6 months abroad, you keep using them in Switzerland, and you declare them on form 18.44 close to the time you move.
Can I send a scanned copy of form 18.44?
No. Swiss customs requires the original signature; copies and PDFs are not accepted.
Do I need a residence permit?
If you move from outside the EU and EFTA, the Swiss residence permit is part of the documents. Customs can ask for further documents during clearance.
Sources
- Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG): Form 18.44, household effects
- Swiss customs: Moving to Switzerland, household effects
This page explains general rules. It is not legal or tax advice, and customs decides each case. Check the official sources before you ship.