Thayngen Customs Office: Clearing a Car at Eastern Switzerland's Most Important Border Crossing

Short answer: The Thayngen customs office (Zollstrasse 87, 8240 Thayngen SH) at the Thayngen–Bietingen border crossing is the most important crossing point for vehicle imports from southern Germany. Commercial goods — imported vehicles among them — are cleared Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 17:30 and on Saturday from 08:00 to 12:00 (as at July 2026). Finsler Customs GmbH is based a few hundred metres from the customs office and normally clears vehicles the same day.

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

Why Thayngen for a vehicle import?

The Thayngen–Bietingen crossing connects the A81 (Stuttgart–Singen) directly with the Swiss A4 towards Schaffhausen and Zurich — for vehicles coming from southern Germany it is the shortest way into Switzerland. The office is staffed for commercial goods, and clearing vehicles is everyday business here. Finsler Customs GmbH has its registered office at Rebbergstrasse 6 in Thayngen, a few hundred metres from the customs office — no route to clearance is shorter.

Opening hours of the Thayngen customs office (commercial goods)

DayClearance of commercial goods
Monday–Friday07:00–17:30
Saturday08:00–12:00
Sundayno clearance of commercial goods

As at July 2026 — what counts is the current information published by the Swiss Federal Office for Customs and Border Security: FOCBS (opening hours of Swiss customs offices).

How does vehicle clearance in Thayngen work?

  1. German export in Bietingen: complete the export declaration and obtain the exit confirmation — the precondition for the refund of the German VAT.
  2. Swiss import in Thayngen: present the purchase contract or invoice, the COC (certificate of conformity), the German registration certificate part II (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II) and your ID. A preferential proof of origin (EUR.1 or an origin declaration) is no longer needed for this.
  3. Assessment: 4 % automobile tax and 8.1 % VAT on the customs value; the import duty is CHF 0. Details on the customs form: Formular 13.20 A.
  4. Collect the customs certificate 13.20 A — without it there is no MFK (Motorfahrzeugkontrolle, the Swiss roadworthiness test) and no Swiss registration.

Clearance with Finsler Customs right at the crossing

Given advance notice, Finsler Customs prepares the electronic import declaration before you arrive — clearance then normally happens the same day. Customs clearance on its own can also be booked as a single service by people importing a vehicle themselves (flat rate from CHF 250). Anyone who would rather not clear at the border can use the Vormerkschein 15.25, the customs pass-through document, and clear the vehicle inland within 2 working days — with us that is practically never necessary.

Frequently asked questions

Can I clear my own car at the Thayngen customs office?

Yes. Bring the purchase contract, the COC, the registration certificate part II (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II) and your ID, and actively declare the vehicle during the opening hours for commercial goods. A proof of origin (EUR.1) is no longer required, because import duty has been CHF 0 since 1 January 2024 in any case. With complete papers, clearance usually takes 30–60 minutes; you pay the charges on the spot.

When is the Thayngen customs office open for vehicle clearance?

Commercial goods — imported vehicles among them — are cleared Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 17:30 and on Saturday from 08:00 to 12:00 (as at July 2026). There is no clearance of commercial goods on Sundays. What counts is the current FOCBS information.

What does it cost to clear a car in Thayngen?

The charges are the same at every Swiss customs office: 4 % automobile tax and 8.1 % VAT on the customs value, plus CHF 20 for Formular 13.20 A. No import duty is levied — the tariff rate for passenger cars (tariff heading 8703) has been CHF 0 since 1 January 2024. Many guides still quote a weight duty of 12–15 francs per 100 kg; that fell away when industrial tariffs were abolished. Customs clearance handled by Finsler Customs costs a flat rate from CHF 250.

Why is it worth clearing customs with a partner right at the border crossing?

Because waiting times and return trips fall away: Finsler Customs sits a few hundred metres from the Thayngen customs office, prepares the electronic declaration before you arrive and normally clears vehicles the same day — including the customs certificate 13.20 A for the MFK.

Sources and legal basis

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

Further information