International Movers from the UK to Switzerland
Moving to Switzerland from the UK means a different rulebook for people since Brexit, a customs border for the load and, for a lorry, Swiss road rules of its own. The sections below follow the official pages for each.
A few short questions. Nothing is sent until you check and confirm.
What does moving to Switzerland from the UK involve?
Three questions decide a move from the UK to Switzerland: whether you may live there, what happens to the load at the Swiss border, and how a lorry may use the Swiss roads. Different authorities answer each, so the sections below take them one at a time.
This site is an introduction service, not a removal firm. One company from our partner network takes your details and checks its coverage. It assesses the load and gives its own quotation.
Can a UK national move to Switzerland and stay?
Since 1 January 2021 the answer depends on a permit. The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) says on its page for UK nationals (opens in a new window) (last modified 1 January 2021) that UK nationals are no longer EU or EFTA nationals but third-country nationals, and that the Free Movement of Persons Agreement no longer applies to the UK.
The rights that people gained under that agreement up to 31 December 2020 were kept by a separate agreement. The same page says UK nationals who arrive to live and work after 31 December 2020 are not covered by it. A move you start today therefore falls under the general admission rules for third-country nationals.
For work, the SEM’s UK nationals FAQ (opens in a new window) (dates on it run to 28 October 2025) says you need a permit first and that the application goes to the cantonal immigration and labour market authority, usually through the employer. For other reasons to settle, ask the migration office of the canton you are moving to. We could not read the official page on registering with your commune after arrival, so this page gives no deadline for it.
Do these in order. Ask your employer or the cantonal migration office about the permit before you fix dates, because the other steps rest on it. Then tell the removal company which canton you are moving to, as the canton, not the federal office, receives a work-permit application and answers questions on other reasons to settle.
What does the UK side ask for when household goods leave?
GOV.UK’s page on declaring personal goods (opens in a new window) (published 17 December 2021) says that if you move household items during a transfer of residence, you must check for additional requirements. It does not list them there. Our UK customs documentation checklist sets out the HMRC route, and your removal company will say who files what.
Will Swiss customs charge duty on your belongings?
Not if you qualify for the relief for a change of residence, which the Swiss customs authority (BAZG) applies at the entry office. Its conditions, form and opening hours are set out in our Swiss customs relief guide.
What rules apply to a removal lorry on Swiss roads?
A road move from the UK reaches Switzerland by way of France or Germany, and the lorry then meets rules that do not apply on the way. Our Swiss lorry rules guide goes through them in full.
On night and Sunday driving, the Federal Roads Office’s special permit page (opens in a new window) (no date shown) gives the general ban as 22:00 to 05:00 for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. A permit for a trip from abroad comes from the canton where the vehicle enters.
On the heavy-vehicle fee, the BAZG’s fee FAQ (opens in a new window) (no date shown) says its capture systems record vehicles passing the points where they enter or leave the customs territory and compare them with declared mileage. This page gives no rate.
Before you book, ask your removal company whether its lorry will exceed 3.5 tonnes and when it expects to cross, because the weight and the hour decide whether the night ban and the heavy-vehicle fee in the guide apply to your journey.
How much does a move from the UK to Switzerland cost?
No official page we read gives a price for this move, so this page quotes none. The cost comes from a partner removal company’s written quotation, after it has assessed the volume, the access at both addresses and the dates. Furniture goes on the same inventory as everything else; list each large item at the first enquiry.
To get quotes you can compare, give each company the same facts: the volume, the access at both addresses, the dates and the list of large items. Quotes built on different assumptions cannot be set side by side, so write the assumptions into the enquiry and ask each company to confirm them.
Which Swiss cities have their own guide?
- Zurich: what to arrange for a removal vehicle on a city street.
- Basel: the city’s rules for a parking space on moving day.
- Geneva: the permit for using public space during a move.
- Lucerne: how the city handles a space reservation for the vehicle.
- Lugano: the police authorisation, and the customs offices nearest to Ticino.
- Bern: the free moving permit and the order for parking signs.
- Lausanne: the police reservation of bays and its fees.
- Winterthur: blocking marked bays and the Old Town driving ban.
- St. Gallen: telling the city police and the blue zone night rule.
Directions, subjects and city guides for a Swiss move are listed together on the Switzerland removals hub.
Liechtenstein is outside this guide: we have not read its rules.
Questions about moving to Switzerland from the UK
Is a UK national still treated like an EU citizen in Switzerland?
No.
The SEM says UK nationals have been third-country nationals since 1 January 2021, and that people arriving after 31 December 2020 are not covered by the acquired-rights agreement.
Where does a permit application go?
The SEM’s FAQ names the competent cantonal immigration and labour market authority for work permits.
Ask the migration office of your canton about other reasons to settle.
Can a removal lorry drive through Switzerland at night?
The general ban runs from 22:00 to 05:00 for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, according to ASTRA.
A special permit for a trip from abroad comes from the canton of entry.
What does it cost to move from the UK to Switzerland?
No official page gives a figure, so we do not.
A partner removal company gives a written quotation after assessing the move.
Tell us where in Switzerland you are going
Give the UK postcode where the load starts, the Swiss town it ends in and the month you hope to move. A rough inventory, and any car or pet, help the quotation.
About International Removals Companies
International Removals Companies is an enquiry and introduction service run by DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, in partnership with AGM Group. We don't move goods ourselves: the removal company quotes for your move and carries it out, so check its credentials and terms before you book. Our service is free. Discuss the quotation and booking terms directly with the removal company.
- Email[email protected]
- In partnership withAGM Group (agm.group)