Thayngen Customs Office: Clearing a Car at One of Eastern Switzerland's Main Border Crossings
By Anna Katharina Finsler, Managing Director, Finsler Customs GmbH · Last updated:
Short answer: The Thayngen customs office clears vehicles Monday to Friday 07:00–17:30 and Saturday 08:00–12:00, not on Sundays. Address: Zollstrasse 87, 8240 Thayngen SH (CH002471), phone +41 58 467 22 11. The longer hours you find online apply to transit, not to importing a vehicle. Finsler Customs is based about a kilometre away and usually clears vehicles the same day.
Rates checked on 8 October 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, about a kilometre from the customs office.
Opening hours of the Thayngen customs office (commercial goods)
| Day | Clearance of commercial goods |
|---|---|
| Monday–Friday | 07:00–17:30 |
| Saturday | 08:00–12:00 |
| Sunday | no clearance of commercial goods |
Queried on 17 September 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?
- German export in Bietingen: complete the export declaration and obtain the exit confirmation — the precondition for the refund of the German VAT.
- 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.
- Assessment: 4 % automobile tax and 8.1 % VAT on the customs value plus the automobile tax; the import duty is CHF 0. Details on the customs form: Form 13.20 A.
- 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 in Thayngen
Given advance notice, Finsler Customs prepares the electronic import declaration before you arrive — clearance then normally happens the same day. If all you need is customs clearance, book the Basic package: customs clearance on its own costs a fixed CHF 350 incl. VAT plus duties and taxes. Anyone who would rather not clear at the border can use the temporary certificate form 15.25 (Vormerkschein), 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 (queried on 17 September 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 the automobile tax, plus the fee for the inspection report 13.20 A — CHF 20 where the customs office issues and certifies it at clearance (item 9.12 of the annex to the FOCBS Fees Ordinance), CHF 5 where the person liable to declare affixes the Stammnummer (the Swiss vehicle reference number) themselves or is authorised to certify it (item 9.22). With us it is the second case. 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. At Finsler Customs, customs clearance on its own is the Basic package: a fixed CHF 350 incl. VAT plus duties and taxes.
Why is it worth clearing customs with a partner in Thayngen?
Because waiting times and return trips fall away: Finsler Customs sits about a kilometre 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.
Is Thayngen in Germany?
No. Thayngen is a Swiss municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen; the national border runs north of the village. The German clearance for this crossing is a few hundred metres away in Bietingen, part of Gottmadingen in the district of Konstanz, where the Singen main customs office is responsible. On a vehicle import you therefore deal with two authorities: first the German export, then the Swiss import.
Where is the Thayngen customs office?
At Zollstrasse 87, 8240 Thayngen, canton of Schaffhausen, right at the Thayngen–Bietingen border crossing. In the Swiss customs system it carries the number CH002471 (Zoll Nordost – Thayngen). From Germany the route runs via the A81 to Singen and the B34 to Bietingen; on the Swiss side the A4 continues to Schaffhausen and Zurich.
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.
- FOCBS – Importing vehicles into Switzerland
- FOCBS – Customs declaration and taxes on vehicle imports
- Automobile Tax Act (AStG, SR 641.51) (German text)
- Value Added Tax Act (MWSTG, SR 641.20)
- FOCBS – Frequently asked questions on vehicle clearance
- FOCBS – Passar, the goods traffic system for customs declarations
- FOCBS – Opening hours of the customs offices
- Cantonal road traffic office of Schaffhausen
Further reading on car imports
- What importing a car into Switzerland costs: three worked examples
- The import calculator: import costs for your car
- Form 13.20 A: the inspection report for the MFK and registration
- Car import in the canton of Schaffhausen: customs, MFK and registration
- Having your car imported: process and packages
- Importing a car from Germany into Switzerland
- The Swiss CO₂ penalty: when it applies
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