If your consignment contains resale merchandise, i.e. goods with a commercial value, an additional commercial invoice that shows the value of the goods is recommended.

The original commercial invoice must contain the following elements:

• Description of the consignment contents
• Value of goods
• Date
• The sender’s original signature on each invoice and on all copies

If the goods are not intended for sale, a proforma invoice is also sufficient. For goods consignments such as samples etc. that are free of charge and are not being invoiced to the recipient, the remark “Value for customs purposes only” (German: “Rechnung nur für Zollzwecke”) should be included.

Create a commercial invoice online

If you declare your consignment using the “Create waybill” online service for goods consignments and “Accompanying documents for international small goods” for document and small goods consignments, a compliant commercial invoice for printing is automatically created together with the corresponding customs documents when the consignment is recorded.

If your consignment contains goods with a value of more than CHF 1,000, an export declaration is required. The export declaration or assessment decision allows you to reclaim the VAT for exported goods above a value of CHF 1,000.00. The authorities also use this information for foreign trade statistics.

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If your goods are subject to export or import authorization in Switzerland or the relevant recipient country, an official export approval is required in writing.

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Specific provisions may apply when sending goods to the border areas of Büsingen and Samnaun. These relate to prices and franking in particular, and in some cases also to labelling.