Vehicle customs clearance at the Swiss border
By Anna Katharina Finsler, Managing Director, Finsler Customs GmbH · Last updated:
Short answer: Customs clearance alone is Finsler Customs' Basic package: a fixed CHF 350 incl. VAT plus charges. It covers the electronic import declaration with the FOCBS, the calculation of 4 % automobile tax and 8.1 % import VAT and Form 13.20 A, usually the same day at the Thayngen customs office. The charges run through our customs account without mark-up.
Rates checked on 8 October 2026: automobile tax 4 %, Swiss VAT 8.1 %
Finsler Customs works out the customs value, the automobile tax and Swiss VAT and files the electronic import declaration with the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) itself. The assessment produces the Form 13.20 A inspection report, bearing the Stammnummer and the customs stamp – the document on which the later MFK (Motorfahrzeugkontrolle, the Swiss roadworthiness inspection) depends.
If you buy the vehicle yourself and drive it across the border, you book customs clearance only: that is the Basic package for a fixed CHF 350 incl. VAT plus duties and taxes. You bring the vehicle to the border, we take care of the papers and the clearance.
Because the company is based in Thayngen, about a kilometre from the customs office, 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 the Basic package is for, a fixed CHF 350 incl. VAT plus duties and taxes: 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 Swiss customs fees page shows the amounts payable.
Further services
- Vehicle import Germany–Switzerland
- Vehicle cleaning and preparation
- Vehicle sourcing
- Document service
- Import advice
- Vehicle detailing
If the counter for commercial goods is closed when you reach the border, you can enter with the temporary certificate form 15.25 and clear the vehicle inland within 2 working days.
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.
- FOCBS – Importing vehicles into Switzerland
- FOCBS – Customs declaration and taxes when importing a vehicle
- Automobile Tax Act (AStG, SR 641.51) (German text)
- Value Added Tax Act (MWSTG, SR 641.20)
Frequently asked questions
Can I book customs clearance only?
Yes. Customs clearance on its own is the Basic package: a fixed CHF 350 incl. VAT plus duties and taxes. You handle the purchase, the collection and the drive across the border yourself. We prepare form 13.20 A and the customs documents, declare the import at the customs office and supply the Stammnummer, which the FOCBS assigns at customs clearance, and the papers for the MFK. The duties and taxes run through our customs account and are passed on without a mark-up.
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 5 for Form 13.20 A (item 9.22, because we file the customs declaration ourselves, digitally; CHF 20 if issued and certified at the counter) and the import fee of CHF 350 incl. VAT (Basic package). The import calculator works out your case free of charge.
What is the basis for the import VAT?
The basis is the customs value, i.e. the purchase price plus transport costs to the Swiss border, plus the 4 % automobile tax. Customs levies 8.1 % import VAT on that.
What is the automobile tax?
The automobile tax is 4 % of the import value and is charged in addition to VAT; paying it is a condition for registering the car later.
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.
What is Form 13.20 A for?
Form 13.20 A confirms that the vehicle has been properly cleared through customs. Without it the vehicle cannot be registered in Switzerland.
How long does clearance take?
With complete documents and advance notice, as a rule on the same day – the registered office is in Thayngen, about a kilometre from the customs office.
Do I have to come to the border in person for clearance?
Not with the Komfort or Premium package – Finsler Customs takes care of transport and clearance. With the Basic package you drive the vehicle to the border at Thayngen yourself and simply hand over the papers there; by then the declaration is already prepared.
Worked example: clearance at a customs value of CHF 30,000
A used car, net purchase price plus transport to the border CHF 30,000, registered for more than a year and therefore without a CO₂ penalty. You collect the vehicle yourself and book only the customs clearance with us, the Basic package.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Customs value (net purchase price plus transport to the border) | CHF 30,000.00 |
| Customs duty (zero rate since 1 January 2024) | CHF 0.00 |
| Vehicle tax 4 % of CHF 30,000 | CHF 1,200.00 |
| Import VAT 8.1 % of CHF 31,200 | CHF 2,527.20 |
| Fee for inspection report 13.20 A (item 9.22 GebV-BAZG) | CHF 5.00 |
| Basic package import fee, incl. 8.1 % VAT | CHF 350.00 |
| Total clearance | CHF 4,082.20 |
The duties and taxes run through our customs account and are passed on without a mark-up. The inspection report costs CHF 5 because we file the customs declaration digitally ourselves; issued and certified at the counter it costs CHF 20 (item 9.12).
Figures and deadlines at a glance
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Customs clearance only (Basic package) | CHF 350 flat incl. VAT fee plus duties and taxes |
| Vehicle tax | 4 % of the customs value |
| Import VAT | 8.1 % on the customs value plus vehicle tax |
| Customs duty on passenger cars since 1 January 2024 | zero; the customs declaration is still required |
| Fee for inspection report 13.20 A at the customs office | CHF 20; CHF 5 if the declarant affixes the Stammnummer themselves |
| Settlement of the duties and taxes | through Finsler Customs' customs account, passed on without a mark-up |
| Clearance at the Thayngen customs office | usually the same day |
Google reviews
As of October 2026
-
Roger Bührer
«Das ist Dienstleistung pur. Auch bei nicht alltäglichen Aufgaben stets die Lösung gefunden und zielorientiert kommuniziert. Besten Dank.»
-
Patrick Weberin French
«Très professionnel, très réactif. A recommander et je n'hésiterai pas à faire à nouveau appel à eux.»
-
Miriam
«Habe mein Auto über Finsler Customs erhalten und war mit dem Prozess sehr zufrieden. Der Ablauf war sehr schnell und ich konnte mein Auto dadurch wesentlich günstiger erhalten als in der Schweiz. Vielen Dank, gerne wieder :)»
Google reviews, quoted word for word in the original language (German or French).
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