Everything we are
asked before an order.

Yes. The $800 de-minimis exemption was suspended for all countries on 29 August 2025, so duty applies from the first franc of declared value. This is the single biggest change to US importing in a decade, and it is why a CHF 60 order that was free to import in 2024 now carries duty today. We include it in the quote so nothing arrives collect.

Swiss retail prices include 8.1% VAT. On export that VAT is reclaimed and credited back to you, so the declared customs value is the net figure. It is lower legitimately, it is documented on the commercial invoice, and it also reduces the duty and tax calculated on top.

We re-check the rate on the morning of purchase and again at export clearance. If it falls, we refund the difference. If it rises, we absorb it on orders already paid — that risk is ours, and it is priced into the service fee.

Yes, on request. We ship DDP by default because one payment and no surprise bill is what most customers want. Businesses reclaiming their own duty, or anyone with a customs broker already engaged, can ask for DAP and we will hand the entry over.

It will carry the manufacturer's international warranty, registered to your name at the point of sale. Some brands restrict servicing to the region of purchase — we tell you which before you buy, because it is the most common regret in this category.

Not directly. Switzerland runs 230 V and Japan runs 100 V, so a Swiss coffee machine, kettle or hairdryer needs a rated step-up transformer — not a plug adapter, which changes the pin shape and nothing else. We quote the correct transformer as a line item, or source the Japan-voltage variant where the manufacturer makes one. This is the single most common reason people regret buying an appliance abroad.

By having the consignment properly certified as Swiss originating under the EPA. It is not applied automatically and Japan Customs will charge the full MFN rate without it. We assess originating status per line and issue the declaration as part of the export file at no extra charge.

Usually, and the gap is widest on models Japanese authorised dealers price above Swiss retail. The 8.1% Swiss VAT refund alone often covers most of our fee. We show you both figures in the quote so you can decide rather than take our word for it.

Yes, with insulated packing and a cold pack, and we will say plainly when a product simply will not travel. Fresh cream fillings such as Luxemburgerli do not survive the transit at any time of year. Solid pralines and bars are reliable year round.

Consignments with a customs value below ¥10,000 are generally released without duty or consumption tax. It is genuinely useful for small gifts and stationery. It does nothing for a watch or an appliance, and splitting one order into several parcels to stay underneath it is treated as evasion — we will not do it.

On most industrial goods, yes — once Swiss origin is declared under the Canada–EFTA agreement. We quote the MFN rate rather than zero, file the origin declaration with the entry, and refund the difference when it clears. That way a rejected declaration is our problem rather than a surprise on your doorstep. Food and dairy are outside the agreement and never reach zero.

Canada's CAD 20 threshold is among the lowest in the OECD and has not moved in decades. The higher CAD 40 and CAD 150 figures you may have read about come from CUSMA and apply to goods shipped from the United States and Mexico — not to a parcel from Switzerland. Assume duty and tax apply from the first dollar.

CBSA collects 5% GST everywhere. In the harmonised provinces — Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island — it collects the full HST instead, so 13% or 15%. In British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec the provincial portion is generally not collected at the border on personal imports. We quote 5% and tell you if your address changes that.

Not to Canada, no. Dairy is excluded from the Canada–EFTA agreement and governed by supply management, with over-quota rates past 245%. A CHF 40 cheese order would arrive with a three-figure tariff bill, assuming CFIA admitted it at all. We would rather tell you now than take the order.

Standard models are admissible. Canada prohibits automatic-opening knives, and CBSA has seized one-hand-opening folders under the same prohibition, so the model matters more here than in most destinations. We check the blade and lock against the current CBSA guidance before purchase and offer an alternative model if there is any doubt.

No. Alcohol in any concentration is prohibited, and that includes liqueur fillings, kirsch centres and alcohol-based flavour extracts. We check the ingredient declaration on every confectionery line before purchase and offer an alcohol-free equivalent instead. A single non-compliant praline can cause the whole consignment to be held.

On the CIF value — goods plus freight plus insurance — not on the goods alone. VAT is then charged at 5% on that duty-inclusive figure. Our calculator applies both in that order, which is why the total is slightly higher than 10% of the product price.

Yes, and it is one of our most common requests here. Several hundred units, bespoke wrapping, individual gift cards and a fixed delivery date. Order six weeks ahead for anything requiring custom packaging or engraving.

Yes. Free zone entry has different documentation and often different tax treatment. Tell us the zone at quote stage — it can change the landed cost materially.

Correct. Since January 2023 GST applies to imported goods of any value, and the rate rose to 9% in January 2024. A S$20 order and a S$20,000 order are both taxed. There is no threshold to plan around, which at least makes quoting straightforward.

Yes, directly. Both run 230 V at 50 Hz, so a Swiss coffee machine works out of the box. You will need a plug adapter for the socket shape — Singapore uses the UK-style Type G — but no transformer. This is a real advantage over shipping the same machine to the US or Japan.

More than in most markets. Because duty is zero, tax does not scale with the freight you save, so every franc taken off the shipping cost is a franc off your total. Ordering from three Swiss retailers in one week and shipping once typically saves more than the CHF 15 consolidation fee several times over.

On watches the Swiss retail price plus our landed cost is often below Singapore authorised-dealer pricing, largely because of the 8.1% VAT refund. We show both figures in the quote. On fast-moving consumer goods the gap is usually not worth the freight, and we will say so.

Because biosecurity refusals are usually handled by destruction rather than return — sending the risk back out of the country is itself a movement of risk goods, and return freight generally costs more than the contents. This is why we screen composition before purchase and decline orders we expect to fail, rather than taking your money and hoping.

No. It means duty is waived below A$1,000. GST at 10% has applied to imported goods of any value since July 2018, so a A$40 order is still taxed. Our quote shows both lines separately so you can see which applies.

Yes. Australia runs 230 V at 50 Hz, the same as Switzerland, so no transformer is needed — just a Type I plug adapter. This is a genuine advantage over the US and Japan, where the same machine needs a rated step-up transformer.

Usually yes. Importing a standard folding pocket knife is generally lawful, but individual states restrict possession of particular lock mechanisms and blade types, and the rules differ between them. Tell us your state and we will check the specific model before purchase rather than after seizure.

No, and this is the most common misunderstanding on this route. VAT at 20% is due on imported goods from the first pound. The £135 figure only determines who collects it — below that, the seller collects at the point of sale; above it, it is collected at the border. We include VAT in the quote and remit it either way, so nothing is charged on delivery.

Through proof that the goods are Swiss originating under the UK–Switzerland agreement. It is not automatic, and without a valid origin declaration the full UK Global Tariff rate applies instead. We issue the declaration with the export file as standard.

On watches and Swiss-exclusive goods, usually yes — the 8.1% Swiss VAT refund plus duty-free entry often more than covers our fee. On mainstream products stocked in the UK, usually not, and we will tell you so rather than take the order.

Yes. The UK runs 230 V at 50 Hz, the same as Switzerland, so only a Type G plug adapter is needed — no transformer. Manuals may be in German or French, and we will translate them if you want.

On most industrial goods, no — the 1972 free trade agreement takes duty on Swiss-origin goods to zero, provided origin is declared on the invoice. We file that declaration. Food, agricultural goods and anything not of Swiss origin fall outside it.

Import VAT. Einfuhrumsatzsteuer is 19% on goods plus freight plus any duty, and it applies from the first euro since the EU abolished the small-consignment exemption in July 2021. Against that, the 8.1% Swiss VAT is reclaimed on export and credited back to you, so the net effect is roughly 11%.

Duty only. Below EUR 150 no customs duty is assessed regardless of origin. VAT is unaffected — a EUR 30 parcel and a EUR 3 000 parcel both carry 19%.

One to two working days by road from Crissier. Germany is the fastest destination we serve, and the only one where air freight is usually the wrong choice.

Yes. Switzerland is outside the EU customs union, so any consignment crossing the border is a formal import regardless of distance. The personal allowance you use when driving across yourself does not apply to a shipped parcel.

Duty is zero on most Swiss industrial goods once origin is declared. TVA at 20% applies to goods plus freight plus any duty, from the first euro. Against that, 8.1% Swiss VAT is reclaimed on export and credited to you.

For duty, yes — below it no customs duty is assessed. For TVA, no: it applies at every value since July 2021.

Most Swiss retailers will not deliver to a French address or accept a French card. We are the Swiss customer they expect, and we issue the export paperwork French customs wants.

On many goods, no — the China–Switzerland free trade agreement has phased tariffs on most Swiss industrial goods to zero, provided origin is declared. Import VAT at 13% applies regardless, and luxury goods including watches carry consumption tax on top.

A simplified regime for parcels treated as personal articles: a flat rate instead of duty plus VAT, with a low value ceiling. It is cheaper, but whether it applies is decided at the border, not by us. We quote the commercial figure so the number you see is the worst case rather than the best.

We will, but expect it to be assessed commercially. Multiple identical units are the clearest signal of resale intent and are treated accordingly.

Frequently, yes — Swiss retail against Chinese retail on the same reference, with 8.1% VAT reclaimed on export. Consumption tax applies on arrival and we quote it. What you also get is documented provenance from an authorised dealer.

Because the taxes compound. Basic customs duty applies to the CIF value, a social welfare surcharge applies to that duty, and IGST at 18% applies to the whole duty-paid value. Each sits on a base containing the previous one.

Gift relief, and it is narrow: bona fide gifts between individuals, not commercial consignments and not purchasing-agent shipments. Assume it does not apply to your order.

Indian customs requires the courier to hold identity documentation for the consignee before release. We collect what is needed before the parcel ships, because a shipment held for KYC can sit for weeks.

For high-value, low-weight goods, frequently yes. A Swiss watch at the Swiss price with 8.1% VAT reclaimed, plus Indian import tax, often still lands below Indian retail on the same reference. For low-value goods the tax stack usually makes it uneconomic, and we will tell you so.

5% GCC common external tariff on the CIF value, then 15% VAT on the duty-paid total. Against that, 8.1% Swiss VAT is reclaimed on export and credited back to you.

It was introduced at 5% in January 2018 and raised to 15% in July 2020. That is the single largest line on most quotes to this destination, and it has not moved since.

Frequently, yes. Most fine fragrance is alcohol-based, and alcohol content is what triggers refusal rather than the product category. We check the formulation before purchase and will tell you plainly if a specific fragrance cannot arrive.

It is destroyed, not returned. That is why we screen content before buying rather than after shipping, and why we would rather decline an order than gamble with it.

On originating Swiss goods, yes — the EFTA–Korea agreement takes them to zero against an origin declaration, which we file on every shipment. Without it the MFN rate of around 8% applies, which is why the declaration is not optional.

A personal customs clearance code, issued by Korea Customs Service to individuals. It is required for personal imports and takes a few minutes to obtain online. We ask for it before shipping because a parcel without one is held at the border.

10% on the duty-paid value including freight. Against that, 8.1% Swiss VAT is reclaimed on export and credited to you, so the net tax effect is small.

For electronics with a switching power supply, no. For anything with a motor or a timer — appliances, some kitchen equipment — it can affect performance. We flag it on the quote rather than leaving you to discover it.

Because there is no free trade agreement between Switzerland and South Africa. The origin declaration that takes duty to zero for Japan, Korea or the EU has no counterpart here, so the ordinary MFN rate applies.

South African VAT on imports is assessed on the customs value plus duty plus a notional 10% of the customs value. It is written into the VAT Act and applies to every import. It is why our figure is higher than a calculator that simply applies 15%.

Rarely. It is low enough that most orders sit above it, and it waives duty rather than VAT.

Six to nine working days door to door on express, and materially longer on the postal channel. South African clearance is thorough rather than fast, and we would rather quote the real figure than the optimistic one.

Yes, and it is one of the more useful ones. Below NZD 1 000 duty is not collected at the border. GST is collected either by the supplier at the point of sale or at the border, depending on how the consignment is handled.

Duty is assessed on the goods value alone, without freight and insurance. On a route this long that is a real saving compared with a CIF destination, where you would pay duty on your own shipping cost.

There is no free trade agreement between Switzerland and New Zealand, so the general tariff applies. It is modest at around 5%, and the threshold means many orders never reach it.

Very. Declarations are checked and inspections are common. We repack in compliant materials and ship no food of animal origin, which removes the usual causes of a hold.

Because the levies cascade. Import duty at 20% on the CIF value, then IPI, PIS and COFINS, then state ICMS at 17 to 20% — each assessed on a base containing the ones before it. The total is well above the sum of the rates.

Almost never. It applies to consignments between private individuals, not to purchases through an agent. Assume duty and tax from the first franc.

No, it varies by state, typically between 17% and 20%. We quote 17% and tell you if your address puts it higher.

High-value, low-weight goods, mainly watches and precision instruments. Local retail carries the same tax burden plus margin, so the Swiss price with the VAT reclaimed can still win. For low-value goods we will tell you it is not worth it.

Not with the right packing, and we do it as standard rather than as an upsell. From May to September chocolate ships in an insulated liner with cold packs at no extra charge, and we will time dispatch to avoid an arrival that sits over a weekend. What no packing can save is fresh cream confectionery — Luxemburgerli and similar have a few days of life and we will tell you so rather than take the order.

Yes, and it is one of our most common bulk requests. Several hundred boxes, bespoke wrapping, individual cards, one consolidated shipment to one address or many. Allow six weeks for anything with custom packaging or printing, and expect us to send photographs of a sample before the full run.

The ones your recipient cannot already buy. Lindt is sold worldwide; Frey, Cailler, Läderach and the regional chocolatiers largely are not. We will happily assemble a box across several makers, which is something no single Swiss retailer sells.

At roughly 54 CHF per kilo of value, chocolate carries a higher freight share than most things we ship — usually somewhere around a fifth of the goods value. On a realistic order of twenty boxes it lands around a quarter of the goods value. Well worth it for a gift or something unobtainable locally, poor economics for a bar you can buy at home, and consolidating it with something denser fixes most of the gap.

Usually, and the reason is the VAT refund rather than the sticker price. Swiss retail includes 8.1% VAT which is reclaimed on export and credited back to you — on a CHF 1,890 watch that is about CHF 142, which more than covers our fee. Whether it beats your local dealer depends on their pricing, and we show both figures in the quote instead of asking you to take our word for it.

It will carry the manufacturer's international warranty, registered in your name at the point of sale. A few brands restrict servicing to the region of purchase, which matters more than the warranty card itself. We tell you which brands do this before you commit, because it is the most common thing people regret afterwards.

Sometimes, and honestly not always. A Swiss purchasing office with standing dealer relationships gets onto lists a foreign walk-in cannot, but constrained references still involve a wait of weeks to months and no one can promise otherwise. We will tell you where you realistically stand rather than take a deposit and go quiet.

At the price actually paid, with the dealer invoice attached. Under-declaring a watch is fraud, it voids the insurance, and it is exactly the kind of consignment customs examines. We declare honestly, insure to full value, and prepay the duty so nothing is demanded at your door.

No, and this is the clearest refusal on the site. Australian biosecurity treats dairy as a risk good, refusals are usually handled by destruction rather than return, and the value of the goods has nothing to do with the decision. Rather than take your money and hope, we decline. If you are in Australia and want something Swiss and edible, chocolate and shelf-stable groceries are genuinely fine.

A US requirement that cheese made from unpasteurised milk be aged at least sixty days before import. Most Swiss hard cheeses — Gruyère, Emmentaler, Sbrinz — are aged far longer and pass comfortably. Soft and young raw-milk cheeses do not, and no packaging or paperwork changes that. We check the specific wheel and its age before buying.

Cut to your quantity and vacuum-sealed at the affineur, chilled, then shipped express in an insulated box. We do not ship this category by economy services at all — the entire risk in cheese is time, and saving CHF 60 on freight to add four days is a bad trade every time.

Honestly, only in quantity. At roughly 30 CHF per kilo of value, cheese is the least freight-efficient thing we handle, and a single 400 g piece costs more to fly than to buy. Even on a six-piece order the freight is well over half the goods value, and no quantity fixes that entirely. Consolidating it into a parcel with something denser is the only thing that genuinely helps.

If you are on 230 V — most of Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the Gulf and much of Asia — yes, with only a plug adapter. If you are on 100–120 V, as in the US, Canada and Japan, it needs a rated step-up transformer. That is not a travel adapter; it is a heavy box that costs real money and has to stay plugged in permanently. We quote it honestly, and we will often recommend the local-voltage model instead.

Because it inverts the economics. A machine is 15 kg of chargeable weight for one item; a part is 400 grams. And the Swiss parts desk genuinely carries revisions and older stock the export network has dropped, so it is frequently the only place the part still exists. Send the serial number from the plate underneath the machine — the part number depends on it.

Yes. Every machine is unboxed, connected, run through a cycle and photographed as part of the standard inspection. Discovering a fault while the machine is still in Switzerland turns an impossible international return into a simple domestic one.

It depends on the market and the manufacturer. Warranty is usually administered by a regional subsidiary and cross-border service is inconsistent. We tell you what will and will not be covered before you buy, and for anyone who expects to need regular servicing we generally recommend buying into the local network instead.

It depends on the destination and it is counted per product type rather than per parcel. Japan caps personal cosmetic imports at 24 items of each product type, which is the tightest limit among our common markets. Twelve of one serum and twelve of a different cream are normally two separate counts, not one of twenty-four. Tell us your list and destination and we will tell you where it sits.

No. Structuring shipments to stay under an import threshold is evasion, and it puts your goods and our licence at risk for the sake of a duty saving. If you need more than personal quantities, the honest route is a licensed importer in your country, and we will say so.

On the premium Swiss brands, often yes — La Prairie and Valmont are frequently priced well above Swiss retail in Asian and Middle Eastern markets, and the 8.1% VAT refund widens the gap further. On mass-market products it is rarely worth it, and we will tell you so rather than quote something we know is a poor purchase.

Some formulations, yes — certain emulsions and actives dislike heat as much as chocolate does. We flag the ones that matter and pack them accordingly. At this value density the express service is worth taking anyway, which keeps the exposure short.

Because air freight is charged on the greater of actual and volumetric weight, and outdoor equipment is mostly air. A 1.8 kg rucksack occupies enough space to be billed at about 4.2 kg. This is normal and it is not us adding margin — the carrier charges the same way. Our repacking removes retail cardboard and compresses soft goods, which frequently drops it a size band at no charge to you.

No. Compressed and flammable gas cannot travel on air services, and that includes the small screw-top canisters. Buy the stove from us and the fuel where you will use it. The same applies to avalanche airbag cylinders — we ship the pack, you source the cylinder locally.

Yes, and more than in most categories. Swiss mountain retailers carry depth in ski touring, alpine climbing and avalanche safety that general outdoor shops elsewhere do not, and Mammut and Ortovox both release fits and colourways domestically that never reach export distribution. Seasonality helps too — Swiss winter stock lands in the southern hemisphere's summer, which is exactly when Australian and New Zealand customers are planning.

Yes. Transceivers operate on the international 457 kHz standard, so a Swiss unit is compatible everywhere. We ship it with the batteries removed, which is both a carriage requirement and better for the device.

A laptop, yes — modern power supplies handle 100–240 V and only the plug shape differs. A coffee machine, a hair dryer or anything with a heating element or a motor, no: those are built for 230 V at 50 Hz. We flag the voltage on the quote and offer the local-voltage variant or a rated transformer where one exists.

Not on its own. A loose lithium battery is UN 3480 and express carriers refuse it on passenger aircraft, which is what almost every route out of Geneva uses. Batteries installed inside a device are UN 3481 and travel normally, so a laptop is fine and its spare battery is not.

Almost never. Computers and phones are duty free in every destination we serve, so the cost is freight and your local sales tax. The exception is the United States, where the Section 301 measure applies from the first franc regardless of the tariff heading.

Swiss electronics prices include an advance recycling contribution. It is not a tax and is not refundable on export, so it stays in the goods value on your invoice. We mention it because customers spot the line on the Swiss product page and ask.

You get the manufacturer's warranty as sold in Switzerland, which for most brands means European coverage rather than worldwide. Where a brand operates a genuinely international warranty we say so. Where it does not, we say that too, before you buy.