St. Margrethen border crossing: clearing a vehicle from Austria in the Rhine valley
By Anna Katharina Finsler, Managing Director, Finsler Customs GmbH · Last updated:
In St. Margrethen we clear vehicles from Austria in the Basic package for CHF 350 incl. VAT. The office at Grenzstrasse 33 clears Monday to Friday from 07:30 to 16:00, closing earlier than any of our other crossings. Since autumn 2026 the Austrian side runs on Smart Border Austria; we handle the declaration.
Where is the St. Margrethen border crossing?
St. Margrethen is in the St. Gallen Rhine valley, just before Lake Constance. Opposite lies Höchst in Vorarlberg. On the Swiss side the A1 towards St. Gallen and Zurich and the A13 towards Chur meet here. The office «St. Margrethen Strasse» (CH003071) is at Grenzstrasse 33.
Who is St. Margrethen a good fit for?
St. Margrethen suits vehicles from Vorarlberg, from Bregenz, Dornbirn or Lustenau. On the Swiss side it is the nearest crossing for St. Gallen, Appenzell and eastern Thurgau.
Smart Border Austria
Austria has moved goods traffic at its border with Switzerland and Liechtenstein to a digital procedure: since 16 September 2026, goods may only cross the border with Smart Border Austria or under the transit procedure (Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance, newsletter 25/2026). On the Swiss side, procedures at the Rhine valley customs offices, St. Margrethen among them, changed on 1 October 2026 (FOCBS). For your order this means: we handle the Smart Border Austria declaration.
And be early: in St. Margrethen vehicle imports close at 16:00.
How customs clearance works with Finsler Customs
- Enter the order online. In the import calculator you choose the Basic package and the St. Margrethen 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 St. Margrethen and collect the assessment notice and the inspection report 13.20 A at the counter in St. Margrethen.
- 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 | 07:30–16:00 |
| Saturday | closed |
| Sunday, public holidays | closed |
Retrieved on 28 October 2026 from the FOCBS directory of customs offices (Dienststellenverzeichnis des BAZG) for the office Zoll Ost – St. Margrethen Strasse (CH003071), service «Strassenfahrzeug direkt bei der Einfuhr verzollen» (clear a road vehicle directly on import). The directory is always authoritative.
The Swiss customs office
| Address | Grenzstrasse 33, 9430 St. Margrethen SG |
|---|---|
| Customs office | Zoll Ost – St. Margrethen Strasse (CH003071) |
| Phone | +41 58 480 21 00 |
| zoll.sgfl_stmargrethen@bazg.admin.ch |
Crossings nearby
The price is the same everywhere. These crossings are the nearest:
- Schaanwald (Liechtenstein–Austria) (Austria)
- Kreuzlingen–Konstanz (Germany)
- Thayngen–Bietingen (Germany)
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 Austria
- Import calculator: work out the charges and choose your crossing
Frequently asked questions
What is Smart Border Austria?
The digital procedure of Austrian customs for goods traffic at the border with Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Since 16 September 2026, goods may only cross with it or under the transit procedure. For an order via St. Margrethen we handle the declaration.
By when do I need to be in St. Margrethen?
Before 16:00. The St. Margrethen Strasse office clears vehicles Monday to Friday from 07:30 until then. On Saturdays it is closed to vehicle imports.
When can I clear a vehicle in St. Margrethen?
The customs office in St. Margrethen clears vehicles Mon–Fri 07:30–16:00, closed on Saturdays, 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 St. Margrethen 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