Removals UK to Switzerland

After Norway, Switzerland has the most distinctive paperwork of any destination in this series. It is not in the European Union, and it is not in the European Economic Area (EEA).

Switzerland keeps tight control of its own customs, tax, residency and immigration. It works with the EU through bilateral agreements rather than membership. The Swiss Zoll (Eidgenössische Zollverwaltung), the Federal Customs Administration, is widely seen as the most precise customs authority in Europe.

In EU countries, customs offices handle Transfer of Residence declarations with some flexibility. The Swiss Zoll does not. Its rules are always strict:

• it accepts only original documents, not copies or PDFs
• the inventory must be in one of Switzerland's four official languages: German, French, Italian or Romansh
• Form 18.44 must carry an original signature

If any of these rules is broken, the shipment is held at the Swiss border.

VAT is another big difference from every EU country in this series. Switzerland's federal VAT is called MWST/TVA/IVA (Mehrwertsteuer / Taxe sur la valeur ajoutée / Imposta sul valore aggiunto), using different abbreviations in its German, French and Italian-speaking regions. Since January 2024, it has been 8.1% (up from 7.7%).

That is far lower than every EU country in this series: Denmark 25%, Sweden 25%, Norway 25%, Italy 22%, Portugal 23%, Spain 21%, the Netherlands 21%, France 20%, Austria 20%, Germany 19% and Luxembourg 17%.

So if a Transfer of Residence claim fails, the cost is fairly small. On a household declared at £60,000, the MWST bill at today's rate is about £4,860. In Switzerland, claims fail more often because the paperwork is wrong than because of disputes about value.

For our full international removals overview, see our international removals page. For AIM accreditation details, visit our About Us page.

Swiss Zoll Customs Clearance: Form 18.44, Original Documents Only and the T1 Transit Declaration

Form 18.44 is the Swiss declaration for importing household goods duty-free when you move your home to Switzerland. It is the Eidgenössische Zollverwaltung's required customs form for international movers becoming Swiss residents. The Swiss Zoll does not accept copies or PDF prints of Form 18.44. It processes only original documents with original handwritten signatures. This is the most important practical difference between Swiss customs and every EU country in this series.

Form 18.44 (Umzugsgut / Effets de déménagement / Masserizie) is Switzerland's Transfer of Residence customs declaration. It does the same job as Germany's Form 0350, France's Cerfa 10070*01, Italy's Dichiarazione di Libero Ingresso, Denmark's Form 12024 and Norway's RD-0030E. But it is governed by Swiss federal customs law, not EU or EEA rules.

On the form, you give:

• your personal details
• your Swiss address
• confirmation that you have owned and used all the goods for at least six months
• a promise not to sell or transfer them within 12 months of import

It must be completed in German, French, Italian or Romansh. The Zoll does not process English versions. RMV prepares Form 18.44 in the right Swiss language for your canton and hands in the original at the Swiss border.

Two related forms cover special cases:

• Form 18.45 is the customs declaration for Swiss nationals returning with their household goods. British nationals who held Swiss residency before and are returning use 18.45 instead of 18.44.
• Form 18.46 is for inherited goods, gifts and some other unusual transfers.

At the survey, we check which form is right for you.

Switzerland is not in the EU, but goods from the UK must cross EU countries (France, Germany or Austria, depending on the route) to reach the Swiss border. Since Brexit, this needs a T1 External Transit Declaration for the EU part of the journey. It does the same job as the T1 needed for Norway.

The T1 is issued at the UK port of departure and handed in at the Swiss customs post. Without a valid T1, the shipment cannot legally cross the EU to reach Switzerland. RMV handles T1 transit paperwork as standard on every UK-to-Switzerland booking.

Swiss Customs Paperwork

You need the documents below for Swiss Zoll customs clearance and Transfer of Residence duty-free relief. The Zoll needs original documents with original handwritten signatures. It does not accept copies, scans or PDFs. RMV provides all forms with help filling them in, and handles handing in all the originals.

• Passport copy, for your identity in the Zoll declaration pack
• Form 18.44 original, Switzerland's Transfer of Residence declaration (or Form 18.45 for returning Swiss nationals). It must be the original signed document, completed in German, French, Italian or Romansh. The Zoll does not accept copies or PDF prints
• Anmeldebestätigung (registration confirmation): confirmation from the Gemeinde (municipal office) or Einwohnerkontrolle that you have registered at your Swiss address. The Zoll uses it as proof that you live in Switzerland
• Swiss residence permit: Permit B (the first residence permit, usually for one year and renewable) or Permit C (long-term settlement permit, issued after 5–10 years), to prove your right to live in Switzerland. You need it with the Form 18.44 submission
• Itemised inventory (Inventarliste / inventaire / inventario): a detailed list of all the goods you are importing, in German, French, Italian or Romansh, giving each item's description, quantity and estimated second-hand value
• Proof that you lived in the UK or elsewhere outside Switzerland before: council tax bills, bank statements or employer letters for the period before your Swiss move
• A signed statement that you have owned and used the goods for at least six months, and will not sell or transfer them within 12 months of import into Switzerland
• Your signed permission for RMV to deal directly with the Zoll for this shipment
• T1 External Transit Declaration, the EU customs transit document for goods crossing France, Germany or Austria on the way to the Swiss border, issued at the UK port of departure
• CMR consignment note, issued by our driver when loading in the UK

Our Packing Shop has the packing materials for a move to Switzerland.

Swiss Residence Permits for British Nationals: Permit B, Permit C and the AHV

Since Brexit, British nationals moving to Switzerland need a Swiss residence permit under Switzerland's agreements with the UK. Permit B (Aufenthalts-Bewilligung / autorisation de séjour / permesso di dimora) is the standard first residence permit for employed or self-employed British nationals. It lasts one year and can be renewed. Permit C (Niederlassungs-Bewilligung / autorisation d'établissement / permesso di domicilio) is the permanent settlement permit, issued after 5–10 years of continuous residence.

British nationals working in Switzerland since 1 January 2021 are covered by the UK–Switzerland Citizens' Rights Agreement. It protects the rights of British people who already lived in Switzerland before Brexit. For new arrivals, it sets out a framework under Switzerland's standard immigration rules.

If you arrive after Brexit, you apply for Permit B at your canton's Migrationsamt (Migration Office), with a job contract or proof of self-employment. Once you register your Swiss address, the Gemeinde or Einwohnerkontrolle issues the Anmeldebestätigung (municipal registration confirmation). You need it for the Form 18.44 Zoll submission.

The AHV (Alters- und Hinterlassenenversicherung) is Switzerland's state old-age and survivors' insurance. Everyone employed or self-employed in Switzerland gets an AHV number. It works much like a UK National Insurance number. You need it for Swiss payroll, tax returns, pension contributions and healthcare admin.

British nationals working in Switzerland apply for an AHV number through their employer or the cantonal AHV office when they arrive. The Zoll customs declaration does not need it, but it is an important early step if you are employed.

Switzerland's Cantons: Where British Professionals Move and Why

Switzerland's 26 cantons are more independent than the regions of any other country in this series. Each canton has its own tax rules (cantonal income tax rates differ by up to 300% between the lowest and highest), its own official language and its own admin processes alongside the federal rules. Your canton decides your tax, the language your documents must be in and how you register locally.

Zurich (Zürich), Finance, Tech, UBS, Credit Suisse and Zurich Insurance

Zurich is Switzerland's largest city and its main centre for finance and business. The big employers for British professionals are well established:

• UBS (global headquarters on Bahnhofstrasse), Zurich Insurance Group, Swiss Re, Julius Bär and Vontobel
• Google Switzerland: its Zurich office is Google's largest engineering hub outside the US
• Microsoft Switzerland
• dozens of fintech and blockchain companies, drawn by the Crypto Valley scene that stretches south from Zurich into the canton of Zug

ETH Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, is always ranked among the world's top five universities. It draws British academics, doctoral researchers and postdoctoral scientists in engineering, maths, physics, computer science and architecture.

Zurich's Kreis 4 and Kreis 5 (Langstrasse and Züri-West) have compact flats with narrow staircases, as in many 19th-century European city centre buildings.

Our removals service covers full-load and part-load deliveries to Zurich. Our storage service covers any gap between your UK dates and your Zurich rental or purchase.

Geneva (Genève), UN, WHO, ICRC and International Organisations

Geneva is the most international city in this whole series. Over 200 international and non-governmental organisations are based there, including:

• the United Nations European Headquarters (Palais des Nations)
• the World Health Organization (WHO)
• the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
• the World Trade Organization (WTO)
• the International Labour Organization (ILO)
• the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• CERN (the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, at Meyrin on the Geneva–France border)

Outside New York, Geneva is the world's leading centre for international diplomacy and law. British people moving to Geneva for UN roles, WHO jobs, diplomatic postings, CERN research fellowships or NGO work are a steady, high-value group.

Geneva also has big private employers: Rolex, Richemont (Cartier, IWC, Piaget), Pictet Group, Lombard Odier and the commodity traders. Glencore, Trafigura, Gunvor and Vitol all have large offices in the Geneva area.

Geneva has the highest cantonal income tax in Switzerland. But many staff of international organisations have diplomatic or international civil servant tax exemptions, which change the usual tax picture.

Basel (Basel-Stadt), Novartis, Roche and the Pharmaceutical Capital of the World

Basel is the global home of the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry. Novartis (global headquarters at the Novartis Campus, St. Johann), Roche (global headquarters at the Roche Tower, Grenzacherstrasse), Lonza, Clariant and dozens of pharmaceutical, biotech and chemical companies are based around Basel. Many are in the Dreiländereck, the corner where Switzerland, Germany and France meet.

British scientists, clinical researchers, regulatory specialists and pharmaceutical executives move to Basel for Novartis or Roche. It is a specialist group, but a large and steady one.

Basel has a compact city centre and hosts Art Basel, the world-famous art fair. It has direct links to Germany (over the Rhine) and to France (Alsace). That makes it a cosmopolitan city with a strong international professional community.

Zug, Crypto Valley, Holding Companies and Switzerland's Lowest Cantonal Tax Rate

Zug is the most unusual canton in Switzerland for money matters, and arguably in Europe. Its income tax is among the lowest in Switzerland, well below Geneva and Bern. Its company tax has historically been the lowest in the country. So it is the favourite base for Swiss holding companies, family offices and, more recently, cryptocurrency and blockchain foundations.

“Crypto Valley” is a name coined around 2013–15 for the many blockchain and distributed ledger companies in the canton. It hosts the Ethereum Foundation, Cardano Foundation, Solana Foundation, Polkadot and dozens of other big blockchain organisations, alongside traditional Swiss finance and commodity trading firms.

More and more British fintech professionals, blockchain engineers, fund managers and holding company directors are moving to Zug. The town of Zug is 23 minutes from Zurich by train. Many Zug residents work in Zurich offices but keep their home in Zug for tax reasons.

Our man and van service handles smaller Zug flat and studio moves efficiently, especially for single professionals moving for blockchain or fintech jobs.

Lausanne and Bern, Olympic Capital and Federal Capital

Lausanne is on the shore of Lake Geneva in the canton of Vaud. It is the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and many other international sports bodies. It also has the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), Switzerland's second federal technical university. EPFL is a big draw for British engineers and scientists in robotics, energy and materials science.

Bern is Switzerland's federal capital. It is the seat of the Swiss parliament, the Federal Council and the federal administration. Its international profile is more about government than business. It draws British diplomats, EU liaison officers and staff of federal institutions.

Lugano, Ticino, Italian-Speaking Switzerland and Asset Management

Lugano is in Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton. It is Switzerland's third financial centre and its most southern big city, about 45 minutes by train from Milan's Malpensa airport.

Lugano's asset management and private banking sector (BSI, Banca del Ceresio, CBH Compagnie Bancaire Helvétique) draws British finance professionals. It is also a lifestyle choice. It offers Swiss financial and administrative stability with an Italian way of life: the Italian language, Lake Lugano and the nearby Italian Lakes.

For Lugano, customs documents must be in Italian, not German or French. That changes how we prepare the inventory for shipments to Ticino.

London to Switzerland: Typical Timings

Typical times from London to Swiss addresses, including T1 EU transit and Zoll clearance at the border. The usual road route from London goes through France (by the Channel Tunnel or Calais), then either across eastern France to Basel or through Germany along the Rhine valley.

• Basel (Basel-Stadt), full load 2–3 days; part load 4–6 days
• Zurich (Zürich), full load 2–3 days; part load 4–6 days
• Zug, full load 2–3 days; part load 4–6 days
• Bern, full load 2–3 days; part load 4–6 days
• Lucerne (Luzern), full load 2–3 days; part load 4–6 days
• Winterthur / St. Gallen, full load 2–3 days; part load 4–7 days
• Lausanne (Vaud), full load 2–3 days; part load 4–6 days
• Geneva (Genève), full load 2–3 days; part load 4–6 days
• Valais / Sion, full load 3–4 days; part load 5–7 days
• Lugano / Ticino, full load 3–4 days; part load 5–8 days (by an Alpine route or the Gotthard road tunnel)

For guides to Switzerland, Form 18.44 instructions, Permit B application steps and 2026 moving checklists, visit our blog.

Your Complete UK-to-Switzerland Moving Solution

RMV Storage & Removals handles your whole move from the UK to Switzerland. That covers the pre-move survey, Form 18.44 in the right Swiss language, T1 transit paperwork, Swiss Zoll customs clearance with original documents, and door-to-door delivery to any Swiss canton: from Geneva to Lugano, Basel to St. Gallen, Zurich to Zug.

• Our removals service handles the whole physical move and gets the original documents to the border.
• Our storage service covers gaps between UK dates and your Swiss purchase or rental start.
• Our man and van service handles smaller flat moves to Zurich, Zug and Lausanne.
• Our handyman service assembles furniture at your Swiss home.

You can buy everything for packing from our Packing Shop.