International Removals between Switzerland and the Czech Republic

Duty relief applies, and so do its conditions

Because Switzerland sits outside the EU, Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 engages exactly as it does for someone moving from Britain. Relief from import duty on personal property is available, and it is conditional.

• Your normal home must have been outside the EU for at least 12 continuous months. Living in Switzerland counts for this.
• You must have owned the goods, and used the non consumable items, for at least six months before you stopped living there.
• The goods must enter free circulation within 12 months of you establishing your normal home in the EU, and may arrive in several consignments inside that window.
• Alcohol and tobacco get no relief whatever else qualifies.

You will also need an EORI number, generally required of private individuals not established in the EU, and proof of your Czech address. Clearance is difficult without one.

The full conditions, the two timing traps and the evidence Czech customs asks for are set out on our Czech Republic customs and duty relief page. Read it before you pack. Everything on it applies to a Swiss move.

Why the window is wider than the distance suggests

Switzerland restricts heavy goods vehicles at night and on Sundays. A lorry cannot drive through at any hour to catch up, which changes how a delay behaves: time lost early in a journey does not get recovered later, it simply moves the delivery.

That is the honest explanation for why a Swiss quote often carries a wider delivery window than a comparable distance from Germany. It is not padding. It is the operating environment.

Removal companies that run Swiss work build this into their planning. Ones that do not will quote a window they cannot hold, and the removal service you end up with is worse for it.

Ask what the planning assumes, and get the window with both ends stated in writing rather than a single optimistic date. If you are sharing space on a part load, ask how the restrictions affect the consolidation date as well as the delivery one.

And the terrain

From Zurich, Basel or the northern cantons the run east is straightforward. From Geneva, Valais, Ticino or the southern cantons it involves mountain roads, where seasonal restrictions fall on heavy vehicles first and a loaded lorry is exactly what gets stopped.

A January move from a southern canton is a different booking from a June one. Say where in Switzerland you are and which month, at the first enquiry.

The same seasonal question comes up on our Italy to Czech Republic and Austria to Czech Republic pages, which cross the same mountains from different sides.

Five things to establish before booking

1. Who lodges each customs entry, Swiss side and Czech side, and is each one inside the price?
2. Is the EORI number arranged for me, or am I expected to obtain it?
3. Do my dates satisfy the relief conditions? Walk the sequence through with the mover before anything is loaded.

4. What is the delivery window, allowing for night and Sunday restrictions?
5. What happens if a mountain route is limited on my date, and who bears the delay?

An international moving company that runs Swiss work regularly answers all five without hesitating. One that talks about free circulation has not registered that Switzerland is outside the EU, and that is worth knowing before you give anyone a deposit.

Questions people ask about moving to or from a non-EU neighbour

Is a Swiss move the same as any other European move?

No, and this is the most important thing on the page. Switzerland is not in the EU customs union, so your belongings do cross a customs border. Everything on our intra-EU pages about free circulation does not apply to you. A Swiss move works much more like a British one.

Do I pay import duty coming into the Czech Republic?

Usually not, if you qualify for transfer of residence relief. Because Switzerland sits outside the EU, Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 applies to you exactly as it does to someone moving from Britain. You must have lived outside the EU for at least 12 continuous months and owned and used the goods for at least six months before you left.

Do I need an EORI number?

Private individuals not established in the EU generally do, and living in Switzerland means you are not established in it. Your mover normally arranges the number as part of the clearance work, but confirm it is included rather than assuming.

What about going the other way, into Switzerland?

Swiss customs applies on arrival and it is a separate regime with its own forms and its own relief conditions. Do not assume the EU rules mirror it. Ask your mover who lodges the Swiss entry and check the current requirements with the Swiss authorities directly.

Why do Swiss lorry rules affect my delivery date?

Switzerland restricts heavy goods vehicles at night and on Sundays. A lorry cannot simply drive through at any hour to make up time, which means a delay early in the journey does not get recovered later. It is one reason Swiss quotes carry wider delivery windows than the distance suggests.

Is the journey itself difficult?

The distance is modest, but the terrain is not flat and the Alpine element means winter conditions are a real planning question rather than a footnote. From Zurich or Basel the run is straightforward. From the southern cantons it involves mountain roads with seasonal restrictions on heavy vehicles.

Does International Removals Companies carry out the move?

No. We are not a removal company and we do not own lorries. We are a free enquiry service. Your details go to one vetted mover that covers the journey, and that firm contacts you directly. We do not run a price comparison and we do not pass your details to a list of companies.