How to make it happily through Swiss customs

Key points for getting through customs in Switzerland without a hassle

This information was provided by customs officer Jean-Claude Bruttin, during GL's Friday interview of June 27, 2006.

• Have identity papers ready to show.
• Declare any merchandise that is subject to tax. Import taxes are generally low, especially for small quantities, but if you are caught not declaring something, you pay the duty plus a fine that is generally two times the VAT on the goods.
• If you have nothing to declare, take the green channel. All customs offices have small booklets with the green octagan and "RIEN A DECLARER" symbol. If you are driving, place this in your front windshield and you have the right to take the green lane.

Chavannes customs check

There have been changes to what you can import tax-free. Under the new rules:

• SFr300 of merchandise per person. Important note: if you have SFr400 of goods, the entire SFr400 is taxed, not just the amount above 300.
• Couples: SFr300 per person is allowed as long as these are separate goods. If, together, you import one object worth SFr500, you must pay tax on the full value of it.
• Children: they are now considered people, with the same SFr300 allowance. If a couple and their baby bring in 9 bottles of wine, this is tax free even though the child will presumably not drink it.

The rule used to be that goods had to be for your own consumption. Today you are allowed to bring in goods as gifts, so you will not be asked if your baby can really chew that meat.

All customs offices have a small booklet, in French, detailing specific restrictions on goods. The main ones are:

• Cash - no restrictions on the amount you can carry, but large amounts can be subject to international crime laws.
• Butter and cream - 1 litre or kilogram; tax after that is SFr16/kg Milk and other dairy products - 5 litres or kg
• Eggs - 2.5 kg (tax after is SFr3.70)
• Fruits and vegetables - 20 kg per variety
• Apple, pear and raisin juice and related products - 3 litres (tax: SFr.90)
• Meat - this is still protected. Each person has a 500 gram allowance, including children, which makes it possible today to buy a roast in France without asking them to cut it in half. Overshoot your allowance you are subject to SFr20/kg in tax. You can bring in larger quantities of poultry (3.5kg) and other meat such as rabbit and ostrich (20kg) before any additional tax kicks in.
• Cigarettes - one carton
• Alcohol - to 15%, which includes wine, 2 litres (3 bottles) and over 15%, 1 litre.

One of the oddest on the list of protected food products is potatoes: spuds themselves and all derivative products (frozen french fries, for example) have an import limit of 2.5kg and after that you pay SFr7.50/kg. Swiss fries are definitely a better deal, at that price.

Customs offices provide booklets on exporting and importing pets, plants, cars, arms and munitions as well as sending and receiving by post.