Stabio-Gaggiolo border crossing: clearing a vehicle from Italy in the Mendrisiotto
By Anna Katharina Finsler, Managing Director, Finsler Customs GmbH · Last updated:
In Stabio we clear vehicles from Italy in the Basic package for CHF 350 incl. VAT. The office is called Mendrisio Confine but is in Stabio, at Via Gaggiolo 59. It clears vehicles Monday to Friday 07:30–18:00 and Saturday 08:00–12:00. You enter the order online and collect the papers at the counter.
Where is the Stabio border crossing?
Stabio is in the Mendrisiotto, in the south-west of Ticino. On the Italian side the crossing is called Gaggiolo and belongs to the municipality of Cantello in the province of Varese. The Swiss office «Mendrisio Confine» (CH004163) is at Via Gaggiolo 59 in Stabio.
Who is Stabio a good fit for?
Stabio is close if the vehicle is in Varese or western Lombardy, or if you want to avoid Chiasso and the A9. On the Swiss side Mendrisio and Lugano are nearby.
The name is misleading
Search the directory for «Stabio» and you find nothing: the office is called «Mendrisio Confine». It is the customs office at the Stabio-Gaggiolo crossing, not an office in Mendrisio. On Saturdays it handles vehicle imports from 08:00 to 12:00.
How customs clearance works with Finsler Customs
- Enter the order online. In the import calculator you choose the Basic package and the Stabio 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 Stabio and collect the assessment notice and the inspection report 13.20 A at the counter in Stabio.
- 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 | 07:30–18:00 |
| Saturday | 08:00–12:00 |
| Sunday, public holidays | closed |
Retrieved on 28 October 2026 from the FOCBS directory of customs offices (Dienststellenverzeichnis des BAZG) for the office Dogana Sud – Mendrisio Confine (CH004163), service «Strassenfahrzeug direkt bei der Einfuhr verzollen» (clear a road vehicle directly on import). The directory is always authoritative.
The Swiss customs office
| Address | Via Gaggiolo 59, 6855 Stabio |
|---|---|
| Customs office | Dogana Sud – Mendrisio Confine (CH004163) |
| Phone | +41 58 465 65 21 |
| dogana.mendrisio@bazg.admin.ch |
Crossings nearby
The price is the same everywhere. These crossings are the nearest:
- Chiasso-Brogeda (Italy)
- Ponte Tresa (Italy)
- Simplon/Gondo (Italy)
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 Italy
- Import calculator: work out the charges and choose your crossing
Frequently asked questions
Why is the office called Mendrisio Confine?
That is how the FOCBS directory lists it. It is in Stabio, though, at Via Gaggiolo 59, right at the crossing to Gaggiolo.
Stabio or Chiasso: where do I clear a vehicle from Varese?
From Varese, Stabio is usually closer. Chiasso has longer hours (until 18:30, Saturdays until 14:00). In the import calculator we suggest the crossing nearest to where the vehicle is.
When can I clear a vehicle in Stabio?
The customs office in Stabio clears vehicles Mon–Fri 07:30–18:00, Sat 08:00–12:00, 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 Stabio 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