Destination file · france

Buy from Switzerland,
delivered to France.

Next door, and still an external border

Geneva sits on the French border, which makes the freight trivial and the paperwork no lighter. Switzerland is outside the EU customs union, so a parcel from Crissier to Annecy crosses a real customs frontier — 40 kilometres and a full import declaration.

Provisional · awaiting verification

This file was reconstructed from a rendered build after the original source was lost. Rates come from the quote engine and were cross-checked against the recovered page, but the editorial detail has not been verified against primary customs sources. Treat the quote as indicative until that review is recorded here.

0%Duty on Swiss industrial goods once origin is declared
20%TVA on the landed value, from the first euro
EUR 150Duty-free threshold — duty only, never TVA
1–2Working days from Crissier

What duty actually costs

Forty kilometres, one customs border.

The 1972 agreement removed duty on industrial goods, not the border itself. Every consignment is declared, valued and assessed for TVA, however short the journey — which is why a neighbour is not the same thing as a domestic delivery.

Duty on Swiss goodsReconstructed 17 August 2026 · rates from the quote engine · awaiting verification
0%3%6%2.6%19734.2%20001.8%20150%20260%
Duty you actually payMFN rate without proof of originWhat the declaration is worth
  • 1 Jan 1973Free trade agreement enters into forceIndustrial goods of Swiss origin enter duty free, France included. The agreement is with the European Community, not with individual member states.0%
  • 1 Jul 2021EU e-commerce VAT reformThe EUR 22 exemption ends. TVA applies from the first euro on every import, whatever the value.20%
  • OngoingFrontalier traffic is not exemptPersonal allowances for travellers crossing in person do not apply to consignments. A shipped parcel is an import, full stop.—
  • Proximity changes the freight, not the procedure. The declaration for a parcel to Annemasse is the same as for one to Marseille: origin declared, TVA assessed on goods plus freight plus duty. What proximity does buy you is a base freight charge of CHF 18 rather than CHF 40.

Sources: EEC–Switzerland Free Trade Agreement 1972 as amended; EU Regulation 2017/1939; French Douane tariff schedule. Reconstructed 17 August 2026 and not yet verified line by line. Rates are re-checked on the morning of every purchase and confirmed before anything is charged.

Landed cost

What it actually costs to land in France.

Every figure updates live. The duty basis, tax base and de-minimis rule change with the destination — that is the whole reason this page exists.

Goods, Swiss retail1 × CHF 1'649.00 incl. VAT1'649.00
Swiss VAT refunded8.1% reclaimed on export− 123.56
Net declared valuethe customs value1'525.44
Service fee8% of net · min. CHF 20122.04
Handlinginspection and extras25.00
Air freight14.8 kg chargeable · 1–2 days80.34
Import dutyMFN rate · 0% on most industrial goods with proof of Swiss origin · 2.6% on CIF · HS 8516.7141.75
TVA à l'importationFrench import VAT · reduced 5.5% on most foodstuffs329.51
Total landed, DDP
Nothing owed on arrivalCHF 2'124.07≈ 2,251.51 EUR

Most requested

What people buy from Switzerland.

The cheapest freight on the board, which makes bulky and low-value goods viable here when they would not be anywhere else.

  • ✓Jura and Swiss appliances230 V at 50 Hz, identical to French mains. Frequently below French retail on the same reference.
  • ✓Swiss chocolate and confectioneryOne to two days in transit, so the temperature chain is rarely a constraint.
  • ✓Victorinox and Swiss cutleryFull range including engraving. French rules on blade carry are strict but import for private use is straightforward.
  • ✓Outdoor and mountaineering equipmentThe Swiss technical ranges, from a warehouse an hour from the Mont-Blanc valley.
  • ✓Swiss pharmacy and dermatological linesLouis Widmer, Mibelle and the Coop Vitality range, in personal quantities.

Restricted or refused

What we will not ship there.

We screen every request against this list before quoting. A refusal costs you nothing; a seizure costs you the goods.

  • ✕Anything above EUR 150 without a proper declarationAbove the threshold the declaration must be complete or the parcel sits in customs. This is the routine failure mode for private imports into France.
  • ✕Meat and dairy in personal quantitiesProhibited from outside the EU customs territory, Switzerland included. Cheese requires commercial health certification.
  • ✕Medicines and supplementsFrench rules on médicaments do not treat a courier shipment as personal import. We decline these everywhere.
  • ✕Restricted knives and weaponsFrench categories on blade type and length are specific. We check the model against them before purchase.

Transit

Geneva to your door.

All routes are tracked and insured to full replacement value. Duty and tax are prepaid by us on every service, so nothing is collected from you on arrival.

ServiceDoor to door
DHL ExpressDefault for anything urgent1–2 days
Swiss Post PriorityEconomy, tracked, handed to La Poste2–4 days
ChronopostDomestic French network after the border2–3 days
DPD ClassicRoad, for heavy or bulky2–3 days

Questions

Shipping to France, answered.

I live 40 km from Geneva. Is this really an import?

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.

What will I actually pay?

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.

Is the EUR 150 threshold useful?

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

Why use you rather than ordering myself?

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.

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