Was kostet die Verzollung insgesamt?

Die Abgaben richten sich allein nach dem Zollwert – bei einem Fahrzeug mit Zollwert 30'000 Franken rund 3'730 CHF (4 % Automobilsteuer CHF 1'200 plus 8,1 % MwSt CHF 2'530), dazu CHF 20.– für das Formular 13.20 A und die Zollanmeldung pauschal ab CHF 250. Der Zollkosten-Rechner rechnet Ihren Fall kostenlos durch.

Fällt beim Autoimport aus der EU noch ein Einfuhrzoll an?

Nein. Seit dem 1. Januar 2024 sind die Schweizer Industriezölle aufgehoben – Personenwagen werden zum Zollansatz CHF 0 eingeführt, unabhängig vom Ursprungsland und vom Lieferweg. Ein Ursprungsnachweis wie EUR.1 ist dafür nicht mehr nötig. Automobilsteuer (4 %) und MwSt (8,1 %) bleiben geschuldet, und die Zollanmeldung bleibt Pflicht.

Wie lange dauert die Abfertigung?

Mit vollständigen Unterlagen und Voranmeldung in der Regel am selben Tag – der Firmensitz liegt direkt am Grenzübergang Thayngen, wenige hundert Meter vom Zollamt.

Muss ich für die Verzollung persönlich an die Grenze kommen?

Beim Full-Service-Import nicht – Finsler Customs übernimmt Transport und Abfertigung komplett. Selbstimporteure bringen das Fahrzeug an die Grenze Thayngen und übergeben dort nur die Papiere; die Anmeldung ist dann bereits vorbereitet.

Customs Clearance

Short answer: Customs clearance with Finsler Customs starts at a flat rate of CHF 250: the electronic import declaration with the FOCBS, the calculation of 4 % automobile tax and 8.1 % import VAT, and the issue of the Form 13.20 A customs clearance certificate – right at the Thayngen border crossing, as a rule on the same day. It can also be booked on its own by self-importers.

Rates as at July 2026: automobile tax 4 %, Swiss VAT 8.1 %

Finsler Customs files the electronic import declaration with the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS), works out the customs value, the automobile tax and Swiss VAT, and issues the Form 13.20A customs clearance certificate – the document on which the later MFK (Motorfahrzeugkontrolle, the Swiss roadworthiness inspection) depends.

Self-importers can book customs clearance on its own as well: you bring the vehicle to the border, we take care of the papers and the clearance.

Because the company is based right at the Thayngen border crossing, clearance is normally completed the same day.

How clearance works at the Thayngen border crossing

Advance notice: you send us the purchase contract, the vehicle documents and the COC (Certificate of Conformity) in advance – we prepare the declaration before you arrive.
Electronic import declaration: declaration with the FOCBS at the correct customs value (purchase price plus transport costs as far as the border).
Duties and taxes: import duty CHF 0 – the industrial tariffs of customs tariff chapters 25–97 were abolished on 1 January 2024, and passenger cars under tariff heading 8703 carry a rate of CHF 0.00 per 100 kg gross. What remains payable is the automobile tax of 4 % and Swiss VAT of 8.1 % on the customs value plus that tax. Many guides still quote a weight-based duty of 12–15 francs per 100 kg – it no longer exists.
Customs clearance certificate Form 13.20 A: you receive the stamped document – without it there is no MFK and no Swiss registration.

The documents we need from you

Purchase contract and invoice (with or without German VAT shown separately)
Registration certificate Part I and Part II (German Fahrzeugschein and Fahrzeugbrief)
COC certificate (Certificate of Conformity)
Export declaration with the exit confirmation from ATLAS – the basis for the German seller's VAT-free supply. A proof of origin (EUR.1) is no longer needed for the import, because the import duty is CHF 0 in any case.

Customs clearance for self-importers

Are you importing your vehicle yourself and only want the border formalities taken off your hands? That is exactly what customs clearance as a stand-alone service is for: arrange an appointment, bring the vehicle to the border at Thayngen – Finsler Customs handles the declaration, the calculation of the duties and taxes and the clearance certificate, as a rule on the same day. What comes next is explained in the guide MFK and registration after the import.

Everything about the customs office on site – opening hours, how to get there, how it works – is on the Thayngen customs office page; the customs cost calculator works out the amounts payable.

Frequently asked questions

What does clearance cost in total?

The duties and taxes depend solely on the customs value – for a vehicle with a customs value of 30'000 francs, roughly CHF 3'730 (4 % automobile tax, CHF 1'200, plus 8.1 % VAT, CHF 2'530), and on top of that CHF 20.– for Form 13.20 A and the customs declaration at a flat rate from CHF 250. The customs cost calculator works out your case free of charge.

Is there still an import duty on a car imported from the EU?

No. Swiss industrial tariffs were abolished on 1 January 2024 – passenger cars are imported at a duty rate of CHF 0, whatever the country of origin and whatever route the delivery takes. A proof of origin such as EUR.1 is no longer required for this. The automobile tax (4 %) and VAT (8.1 %) remain payable, and the customs declaration remains mandatory.

How long does clearance take?

With complete documents and advance notice, as a rule on the same day – the registered office is right at the Thayngen border crossing, a few hundred metres from the customs office.

Do I have to come to the border in person for clearance?

Not with the full-service import – Finsler Customs takes care of transport and clearance from start to finish. Self-importers bring the vehicle to the border at Thayngen and simply hand over the papers there; by then the declaration is already prepared.

Further services

Sources and legal basis

The information on this page is based on the official publications below. What counts is always the wording of the legislation in force.

Further information

Car import calculator – work out duty, automobile tax, VAT and CO₂
Have a car imported for you – full service from the search to registration
All services – import, customs, sourcing, documents, advice
Guides – seventeen articles on importing a vehicle
CO₂ calculator – work out the sanction using the SFOE formula
Transport calculator – guide price for delivery within Switzerland
Thayngen customs office – opening hours, how to get there and how it works
Importing in the canton of Schaffhausen – customs, MFK and registration locally
For German dealers – selling vehicles to Swiss buyers
About Finsler Customs – the company, the location and how we work
Contact and advice