Basel/St-Louis border crossing: clearing a vehicle from France on the motorway
By Anna Katharina Finsler, Managing Director, Finsler Customs GmbH · Last updated:
At the Basel/St-Louis motorway customs office we clear vehicles from France in the Basic package for CHF 350 incl. VAT. The office clears Monday to Friday 07:00–17:30 and Saturday 07:00–13:00. That makes it the only one of our four crossings into France where you can also clear a vehicle on Saturdays.
Where is the Basel/Saint-Louis border crossing?
Here the French A35 from Strasbourg, Colmar and Mulhouse ends at the border. Saint-Louis is on the French side; the office «Basel/St. Louis Autobahn» (CH001841) is on Neudorfstrasse. Basel's northern bypass (Nordtangente) takes you on to the A2 and A3.
Who is Basel/Saint-Louis a good fit for?
The crossing suits vehicles from Alsace and Lorraine, from Mulhouse, Colmar, Strasbourg or Metz, and vehicles from Belgium and Luxembourg coming via France. On the Swiss side, Basel, Baselland and north-western Switzerland are nearest.
The Saturday crossing into France
Boncourt, Geneva-Bardonnex and Chavornay (for Vallorbe) do not clear vehicles on Saturdays. Basel/St-Louis does, from 07:00 to 13:00. For vehicles from Germany, the other Basel crossing is the right one: Basel/Weil am Rhein.
How customs clearance works with Finsler Customs
- Enter the order online. In the import calculator you choose the Basic package and the Basel/Saint-Louis crossing. Then you upload the purchase contract, registration certificate and COC and set the day you will cross the border.
- Declaration. We file the electronic import declaration for the vehicle. On site, a customs partner we work with handles the clearance for us.
- Collect the papers. On the agreed day you cross at Basel/Saint-Louis and collect the assessment notice and the inspection report 13.20 A at the counter in Basel.
- Charges. The 4 % automobile tax and 8.1 % import VAT go through our customs account and are passed on without mark-up; import duty has been CHF 0 since 1 January 2024. Our flat fee: CHF 350 incl. VAT, the same at every crossing.
Export formalities in the country of origin are not part of the Basic package: the export declaration is made there by the seller or a customs agent. If you want us to handle transport and export as well, choose Comfort or Premium. With the inspection report 13.20 A you then book the vehicle inspection (MFK) and registration in your canton.
Opening hours for vehicle imports
| Day | Import and clear a vehicle |
|---|---|
| Monday–Friday | 07:00–17:30 |
| Saturday | 07:00–13:00 |
| Sunday, public holidays | closed |
Retrieved on 28 October 2026 from the FOCBS directory of customs offices (Dienststellenverzeichnis des BAZG) for the office Zoll Nord – Basel/St. Louis Autobahn (CH001841), service «Strassenfahrzeug direkt bei der Einfuhr verzollen» (clear a road vehicle directly on import). The directory is always authoritative.
The Swiss customs office
| Address | Neudorfstrasse, 4056 Basel |
|---|---|
| Customs office | Zoll Nord – Basel/St. Louis Autobahn (CH001841) |
| Phone | +41 58 469 65 00 |
| zoll.basel_nord@bazg.admin.ch |
Crossings nearby
The price is the same everywhere. These crossings are the nearest:
- Basel/Weil am Rhein motorway (Germany)
- Rheinfelden (Germany)
- Boncourt–Delle (France)
Read on
- All 17 border crossings on the map
- Thayngen customs office: our head office and the border procedure in detail
- Importing a car from France
- Import calculator: work out the charges and choose your crossing
Frequently asked questions
Can I clear a car from France on a Saturday?
With us only at Basel/St-Louis, on Saturdays from 07:00 to 13:00. The other three crossings into France on our list are closed to vehicle imports on Saturdays.
Does the crossing also work for vehicles from Belgium and Luxembourg?
Yes. For a vehicle from Belgium or Luxembourg the import calculator offers the crossings into Germany and into France, Basel/St-Louis among them.
When can I clear a vehicle in Basel?
The customs office in Basel clears vehicles Mon–Fri 07:00–17:30, Sat 07:00–13:00, never on Sundays or public holidays. The hours come from the FOCBS directory of customs offices. Plan your trip so you are not at the counter just before closing time.
What does customs clearance via Basel/Saint-Louis cost?
Our Basic package costs CHF 350 incl. VAT, the same as at every other crossing. On top come the charges: 4 % automobile tax and 8.1 % import VAT; import duty is CHF 0. The import calculator shows what that means for your vehicle.
Sources and legal basis
The statements on this page rest on the following official publications. The wording of the enactments in force is always decisive.
- FOCBS – Importing vehicles into Switzerland
- FOCBS – Customs declaration and taxes on a vehicle import
- Automobile Tax Act (AStG, SR 641.51) (German text)
- Federal Act on Value Added Tax (VAT Act, SR 641.20)
- FOCBS – Frequently asked questions on clearing vehicles through customs
- FOCBS – Passar, the goods traffic system for customs declarations
- FOCBS – Opening hours of the customs offices
Company
Services
- All services
- Vehicle import DE→CH
- Customs clearance
- Vehicle sourcing
- Document service
- Import advice
- Vehicle detailing
Calculators and tools
- Import calculator
- Swiss customs fees
- CO₂ calculator
- CO₂ penalty
- Transport calculator
- Car transport to CH
- Check the Stammnummer
- FlexiMoto.ch
Location
Import by country of origin
- Importing a car from Germany into Switzerland
- Importing a car from Austria into Switzerland
- Import a car from France into Switzerland
- Import a car from Italy to Switzerland
- Import a car from the Netherlands into Switzerland
- Import a car from Belgium to Switzerland
- Importing a car from Luxembourg into Switzerland
- Importing a car from Czechia into Switzerland
- Importing a car from Poland into Switzerland
- Import a car from Sweden into Switzerland
- Import a car from Norway to Switzerland
Import by vehicle type
- Importing a passenger car into Switzerland
- Importing a motorcycle into Switzerland
- Importing a van up to 3.5 t into Switzerland
- Importing a motorhome into Switzerland
- Importing a caravan into Switzerland