Customs documents for moving to Switzerland
Moving household goods from the UK to Switzerland needs 9 customs documents: the 6 required for any European destination, plus 3 specific to Switzerland — Swiss customs Form 18.44, Swiss residence permit or confirmation of application, Swiss lease or property title. Switzerland sits outside the EU customs union, so clearance is more involved than an EU move.
Read this first. Swiss customs Form 18.44 — original, wet-signed must be the physical original with an ink signature. Swiss customs reject scans and PDFs, and the form has to travel with your shipment — so allow a week of post in each direction.
Specific to Switzerland
On top of the 6 needed for any European move.
Swiss customs Form 18.44 — original, wet-signed
We send itOriginal by postSwitzerland is outside the EU customs union. Swiss customs require the physical original with a genuine ink signature. A scan, photo or PDF will be rejected and your goods will be held.
How to get it: We post the form to you. Sign it in pen and post the original back to us — it has to physically travel with your shipment. Allow a week for post in each direction.
Swiss residence permit or confirmation of application
Swiss customs want evidence of your right to live there before granting relief on your belongings.
How to get it: Your permit, or the written confirmation that your application has been submitted, from the cantonal migration office.
Swiss lease or property title
Separate proof of the address your goods are going to.
How to get it: The signed lease or the property title deed.
Needed for any European move
Two of these we produce for you.
Passport photo page
Customs need to see who is claiming relief. A clear photo of the page with your picture and details is enough.
How to get it: Photograph or scan the page — make sure all four corners and the machine-readable lines at the bottom are visible.
Itemised valued inventory
We make thisEvery customs authority requires a full list of what you are shipping with a replacement value against each line. It is the legal basis of your declaration.
How to get it: We build this from the inventory you already entered for your quote. Add a rough replacement value per item in your portal and we generate the signed document for you.
Proof you lived in the UK for 12 months
Relief is only granted if you lived outside the EU for twelve continuous months immediately before the move. Customs want documents that cover that whole period.
How to get it: A P60, council tax bills, or utility bills. One document rarely covers a full year — two or three spanning the twelve months is normal and expected.
Proof of your new address
Evidence that the move is genuine and that you will actually be living there.
How to get it: A signed rental contract, property deeds, or a notaire's certificate of ownership.
Authorisation for our destination agent
We send itLets our customs agent in your destination country file the declaration on your behalf, so you do not have to attend in person.
How to get it: We send it to you pre-filled — read it, sign it, upload it back.
Ownership and use declaration
We send itConfirms you have owned and used these goods for at least six months, which is one of the conditions for duty-free entry.
How to get it: We send it pre-filled from your inventory — check it, sign it, upload it back.
Only if they apply to you
Our checker asks the questions that decide these, so you are never handed a list of things you do not need.
Proof you lived in the UK for 12 months
Relief is only granted if you lived outside the EU for twelve continuous months immediately before the move. Customs want documents that cover that whole period.
How to get it: A P60, council tax bills, or utility bills. One document rarely covers a full year — two or three spanning the twelve months is normal and expected.
Ownership and use declaration
We send itConfirms you have owned and used these goods for at least six months, which is one of the conditions for duty-free entry.
How to get it: We send it pre-filled from your inventory — check it, sign it, upload it back.
Second-home move — duty and VAT will apply
We send itTransfer of residence relief only covers a move of your main home. For a second home, customs will assess duty and import VAT on the declared value of your goods. We need you to acknowledge this before we ship.
How to get it: Your coordinator will talk you through the likely cost and send an acknowledgement to sign.
V5C logbook and purchase invoice
A vehicle is a separate customs entry from your household goods and needs its own paperwork.
How to get it: Your V5C registration document and the original purchase invoice. If the vehicle is financed you will also need a letter of no interest from the lender.
Proof of inheritance
Inherited goods are relieved under a different provision from a normal household move, and need evidence of the bequest.
How to get it: The death certificate plus the will, grant of probate, or a solicitor's letter confirming the bequest.
Proof of income or pension
Where there is no employment contract at the destination, customs may ask how you are supporting yourself. This substitutes for it.
How to get it: A pension statement, or recent bank statements showing regular income.
Get your exact list
Five questions. It removes what does not apply to you and tells you what to do about each document that does.
Where are you moving to?
Each country asks for something different.
Questions about Switzerland customs
What customs documents do I need to move to Switzerland from the UK?
Moving household goods from the UK to Switzerland needs 9 customs documents: the 6 required for any European destination, plus 3 specific to Switzerland — Swiss customs Form 18.44, Swiss residence permit or confirmation of application, Swiss lease or property title. Switzerland sits outside the EU customs union, so clearance is more involved than an EU move.
Do I pay duty moving household goods to Switzerland?
Not if you qualify for transfer of residence relief: the goods must have been owned and used for at least six months, and you must have lived outside the EU for the previous 12 continuous months while moving your main home. Switzerland is not in the EU. You need Swiss customs Form 18.44 (Effets de déménagement), a signed valued inventory in duplicate, a residence permit or confirmation of application, and a rental contract. Clearance is handled by our Swiss agent at Basel or Geneva.
Why does Switzerland need swiss customs form 18.44 — original, wet-signed?
Switzerland is outside the EU customs union. Swiss customs require the physical original with a genuine ink signature. A scan, photo or PDF will be rejected and your goods will be held. We post the form to you. Sign it in pen and post the original back to us — it has to physically travel with your shipment. Allow a week for post in each direction.
Why does Switzerland need swiss residence permit or confirmation of application?
Swiss customs want evidence of your right to live there before granting relief on your belongings. Your permit, or the written confirmation that your application has been submitted, from the cantonal migration office.
Why does Switzerland need swiss lease or property title?
Separate proof of the address your goods are going to. The signed lease or the property title deed.
How long does customs clearance take for Switzerland?
Transit to Switzerland is 4–8 days. Clearance itself is usually a day or two once the paperwork is complete and correct — delays almost always come from a missing document rather than the customs authority.
General guidance compiled from published customs information, not legal advice. Requirements change and vary by circumstance — your coordinator confirms the exact list for your move.
We handle the paperwork for Switzerland
Book with us and your documents live in one place, with us telling you what is needed and chasing anything missing before it holds up a lorry.