International movers in Switzerland: how to compare quotes
What a good quote contains, how Swiss customs treats your household goods, and who pays if something breaks, with a source for every rule.
In short
Get at least three written quotes based on a survey of your home, and compare them on the same volume, services and liability terms. Your household goods enter Switzerland duty-free with Form 18.44 if you have used them for six months and import them within two years of moving here.
What kinds of moving quote will you get?
Movers price an international move in one of three ways: a fixed price for an agreed job, an estimate billed on actual time and volume, or an estimate with a cost ceiling. A fixed price gives you certainty only if the inventory and the services it covers are written down in detail.
What counts is what the quote lists: volume, services, dates and terms. Under the Swiss Movers Association’s standard terms, used by many movers, a quote is valid for 90 days and cancelling within 14 days of the move costs 30% of the price (SMA terms, checked ).
A fixed price protects you from slow loading or traffic, but anything outside the description, such as extra furniture or a longer carry to the lorry, is charged on top. An estimate bills the hours, volume and materials actually used: sometimes cheaper, but you carry the risk of delays. Ask for the rates in writing, and for a cost ceiling.
Why the volume survey is the heart of the quote
International moves are priced mostly on volume or weight, so every quote starts from an inventory. A mover who quotes without seeing your home, in person or by video, is guessing. Show the surveyor every room and cellar, say what stays behind, and ask for the inventory to be attached. Three quotes on three volumes can’t be compared.
Three ways movers price a move
| Quote type | You pay | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed price | The agreed price for the described job | Budget certainty on a well-defined move | Extras charged for anything not listed |
| Estimate on effort | Actual hours, volume and materials | Small or simple moves | Delays and extra volume raise the bill |
| Estimate with ceiling | Actual effort, up to a maximum | A middle way when volume is uncertain | Check what the ceiling excludes |
Ask every mover to price the same inventory so the quotes can be compared.
What should you check before you sign a moving quote?
Check that each quote states the volume, packing and unpacking, access at both addresses, customs handling, transit time, storage, insurance and liability terms, and the cancellation rules. Anything not written down is not included. Then compare line by line rather than on the total alone.
Line the quotes up and ask the same questions of each. The gaps usually show up in four places:
- Packing: under the Swiss Movers Association’s terms, breakage is covered only for items the mover packed (SMA terms, checked ).
- Customs: is preparing your customs file included? Customs clears household goods only on working days during office hours (BAZG, checked ).
- Shared or dedicated transport: a shared load is usually cheaper but slower, with less control over the delivery date.
- Liability and insurance: what the mover pays if something is lost or damaged (see below).
Also ask about certification. FIDI-FAIM is an international quality standard, audited by an independent third party every three years with a yearly financial check (FIDI, checked ). The Swiss Movers Association (SMA) admits members that meet its own requirements or FIDI-FAIM, with regular audits (SMA, checked ). Neither is a guarantee.
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How does Swiss customs clear your household goods?
Moving your residence to Switzerland lets you import household goods free of duty and VAT, if you have used them yourself for at least six months and keep using them here. You declare them on Form 18.44 with an inventory, at a customs office for commercial goods, within two years of moving.
The rules are in Article 14 of the Customs Ordinance and on Form 18.44, the customs declaration for household effects (ZV Art. 14, checked ) (BAZG Form 18.44, checked ). Moving your residence here is the key condition (BAZG, checked ), and no import VAT is charged on duty-free household effects (MWSTG Art. 53, checked ).
What to hand in
- Form 18.44, filled in and signed, in duplicate (BAZG Form 18.44, checked ).
- An inventory. “12 boxes of books” is fine, but valuable or restricted items must be listed one by one (BAZG, checked ).
- Passport or ID, and proof of your move: a Swiss residence permit, or for EU/EFTA citizens an employment contract, lease or proof of deregistration abroad (ch.ch, checked ) (BAZG Form 18.44, checked ).
- Vehicle papers if a car travels with the goods (BAZG Form 18.44, checked ).
Your mover usually prepares the file and presents it at a customs office for commercial goods, Monday to Friday during opening hours (BAZG, checked ); some offices pre-check files sent in advance (BAZG, checked ). If papers are missing, customs can clear the goods provisionally against a deposit and give you six months to bring them (BAZG, checked ).
What doesn’t qualify
Items owned for less than six months go at the end of the inventory as goods for normal clearance, with duty and VAT (BAZG Form 18.44, checked ). Alcohol is limited to 200 litres up to 25% ABV and 12 litres above; restrictions on animal products, weapons, protected species and plants still apply (BAZG Form 18.44, checked ).
Later shipments, pets and Passar
Goods that follow later must be declared at the first import on a separate list and arrive within two years (BAZG Form 18.44, checked ) (ch.ch, checked ). Pets fall under the same rules (BAZG, checked ); from the EU they need a microchip, rabies vaccination and pet passport (FSVO, checked ). Customs is moving to its new Passar system, but the roadmap does not list Form 18.44 among the forms being replaced (BAZG, checked ).
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Use before moving
6 months
of personal use for goods to count as duty-free household effects.
-
Import window
2 years
from moving your residence, for every shipment.
Source ch.ch (opens in a new tab) ↗
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Alcohol allowance
200 L / 12 L
up to 25% ABV / above 25% ABV, duty-free in household goods.
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Where
Customs office
for commercial goods, Monday to Friday during opening hours.
Can you bring your car when you move to Switzerland?
Yes. A car you have used yourself for at least six months can be imported free of duty and tax as household effects. Declare it at the border when you first bring it in, keep the test report form 13.20 A, and register it with Swiss plates within one year.
A car used for less than six months pays import duties (BAZG, checked ), including the 4% automobile tax on cars not exempt from duty (AStG Art. 12–13, checked ). Declare the car the first time it crosses the border; BAZG says the idea of having a year to clear it is wrong (BAZG, checked ).
Customs gives you inspection report form 13.20 A, which the cantonal road traffic office needs for registration (BAZG, checked ). You need Swiss plates within one year of moving, after an official vehicle inspection (BAZG, checked ) (VZV Art. 115, checked ). Registration usually costs CHF 50–100 (ch.ch, checked ).
-
Swiss plates
1 year
after moving, at the latest.
Source BAZG (opens in a new tab) ↗
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Automobile tax
4%
when a car doesn’t qualify as duty-free household effects.
Who pays if your belongings are damaged in transit?
It depends on the contract. Swiss law makes a carrier liable for the full value but lets the contract limit that, and standard Swiss removal terms exclude liability for light negligence. Transport insurance is usually a separate order, so ask for it in writing and value your goods before the move.
Under the Code of Obligations, a carrier is liable for the full value of lost or damaged goods, but the contract may agree on less, and not declaring especially valuable items counts against you (OR Art. 447–448, checked ). The CMR convention, with its per-kilogram limit, does not apply to household removals (CMR Art. 1, checked ).
The Swiss Movers Association’s standard terms exclude liability for light negligence and cap it at market value for gross negligence; transport insurance is taken out only if you expressly ask. Visible damage must be reported in writing within 3 days, hidden damage within 7 days (SMA terms, checked ).
So ask what the insured sum and excess are, list high-value items separately, and check your contents policy. Insurance advisers can compare it with the mover’s terms.
What drives the cost of an international move to Switzerland?
Volume and distance matter most, followed by access at both addresses, packing services, the choice of dedicated or shared transport, customs handling and storage. No official source publishes neutral price ranges for international moves, so compare real quotes for your own inventory rather than online averages.
Published price ranges come from quote platforms and moving companies, not neutral sources, and mostly cover domestic moves, so we don’t print averages. What you control is the inventory: every cubic metre you sell or leave behind costs nothing to move.
Need storage? Ask for the monthly rate, minimum term and handling fees; goods stored abroad must still enter Switzerland within two years of your move (BAZG Form 18.44, checked ).
Cost drivers and what to ask
| Driver | Ask the mover |
|---|---|
| Volume | Which volume does the quote assume? |
| Access | What does the price assume at each address? |
| Packing | Which rooms do you pack, and at what price? |
| Transport | Dedicated lorry or shared load? How long in transit? |
| Customs | Is customs preparation included? |
| Storage | What is the monthly rate and minimum term? |
How do you choose between international movers?
Shortlist three movers that handle your route, get survey-based quotes for the same inventory, and compare them line by line on services, customs handling, liability and cancellation terms. Choose the one whose written quote best matches your move, not simply the cheapest total. Book early for summer dates.
- Choose a fixed price if your inventory is settled and you want budget certainty.
- Choose an estimate with a ceiling if volume is uncertain or the move is small.
- Choose a mover that clears customs itself if you have a car or pets, or come from outside the EU.
- Add a [relocation agency](/services/relocation-agencies) if the move, flat search and registration fall in the same few weeks.
Browse movers and storage companies, including Zurich and Geneva. Then plan your first 90 days, the commune registration and, with children, school applications. Moving to Zug? See what living there costs. Our UK and USA guides cover route-specific steps.
A typical moving timeline
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8–12 weeks before
Surveys and quotes
Three movers, same inventory.
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6–8 weeks before
Book and insure
Sign the quote; order transport insurance.
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2–4 weeks before
Customs file
Form 18.44, inventory, proof of move.
-
Moving day
Pack and load
Check the inventory as boxes leave.
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Delivery
Unpack and check
Report damage in writing within days.
Movers and storage companies
Atlas International Movers
International movers · ZürichDutch-origin international mover with Swiss offices in Zurich and Geneva since 2020, handling international, domestic, corporate and office moves plus storage.
Listed from public information. The business hasn’t checked it yet.
Is this your business?Auto Kunz
Car import · WohlenAargau garage offering full vehicle import handling: export papers, customs, taxes, homologation without CoC, MFK and registration.
Listed from public information. The business hasn’t checked it yet.
Is this your business?Autociel
Car import · La ConversionCar service for expats near Lausanne: buying, leasing and selling vehicles, long-term rental, and help importing cars including paperwork.
Listed from public information. The business hasn’t checked it yet.
Is this your business?Relocation agencies
AGOODDAY relocation & real estate
Destination services · GenolierRelocation and real estate agency for the La Côte and Lake Geneva area, providing home search, settling-in, school selection and departure help.
Listed from public information. The business hasn’t checked it yet.
Is this your business?Anchor Relocation Services
Destination services · ZürichZurich relocation company with 20+ years' experience supporting individuals, families and companies in the Zurich and Zug region, plus residential letting.
Listed from public information. The business hasn’t checked it yet.
Is this your business?Auris Relocation
Full-service relocation · ZürichRelocation and global mobility provider with nine Swiss offices offering immigration, destination services, move management and cross-cultural training.
Listed from public information. The business hasn’t checked it yet.
Is this your business?What else do people ask about international movers?
Do I have to pay customs duty on my furniture when moving to Switzerland?
Not if you are moving your residence here and have used the goods yourself for at least six months. Declare them on Form 18.44; newer items pay duty and VAT.
How long do I have to bring my household goods to Switzerland?
Two years from the date you move your residence. Later shipments must be declared at the first import on a separate list.
Can my household goods arrive on a weekend?
Customs clears household goods only Monday to Friday during the opening hours of offices for commercial goods, so plan delivery around that.
Is transport insurance included in a moving quote?
Often not. Under the Swiss Movers Association’s standard terms it is taken out only if you expressly ask. Get the insured sum in writing.
Do I need to register my car in Switzerland?
Yes: Swiss plates within one year of moving, after an official vehicle inspection. Keep the form 13.20 A that customs gives you.
Sources
Last checked by the expat-services.ch editorial team
- Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) Moving (household effects): duty-free import when you transfer your residence (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) Form 18.44: customs clearance of household effects (six-month use, two-year window, alcohol limits; PDF in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) FAQ removal goods (inventory, opening hours, provisional clearance) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) Moving to Switzerland: procedure and advance file (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 631.01 Customs Ordinance (ZV), Art. 14 (household effects) and Art. 15 (wedding goods) (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 641.20 VAT Act (MWSTG), Art. 53: import VAT exemption for duty-free goods (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- ch.ch Moving to Switzerland (customs documents, two-year window) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) Roadmap Passar 2.0 and 3.0 (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) Relocation: horses and pets (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO/BLV) Travelling with dogs, cats and ferrets (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) Relocation: vehicles (form 13.20 A, Swiss plates within one year) (opens in a new tab)
- Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) Vehicle customs clearance: frequently asked questions (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 641.51 Automobile Tax Act (AStG), Art. 12 (exemptions) and Art. 13 (4% rate) (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 741.51 Road Traffic Licensing Ordinance (VZV), Art. 115: foreign vehicles (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- ch.ch Registering and deregistering a car or motorbike (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 220 Code of Obligations, Art. 447–448: carrier’s liability (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Fedlex, SR 0.741.611 Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR), Art. 1(4)(c): not applicable to removals (in German) (opens in a new tab)
- Swiss Movers Association (SMA) General Removal Terms and Conditions of the Swiss Movers Association (2025, PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Swiss Movers Association (SMA) About the Swiss Movers Association (membership and audits) (opens in a new tab)
- FIDI Global Alliance FIDI-FAIM quality certification (opens in a new tab)