Declaring and clearing through customs
International consignments

The following rule applies worldwide: for postal consignments containing goods, the consignment and content information required for export must be entered electronically and sent to the country of destination in advance. By submitting the content details electronically, consignments containing goods can be processed and cleared through customs more quickly than before.

Declaring goods online

Standard Special conditions

Pictogram: send a small letter or small consignment (Symbol: Envelope, Parcel)

I want to send a document or small goods consignment

Maximum 90 cm (L+W+H), max. 2 kg

Pictogram: send a parcel or URGENT item (symbol: Parcel)

I want to send a goods consignment or URGENT

maximum 100 x 60 x 60 cm, max. 30 kg

I want to send a document or small goods consignment

Maximum 90 cm (L+W+H), max. 2 kg

I want to send a goods consignment or URGENT Business

maximum 100 x 60 x 60 cm, max. 30 kg

Declare goods in a branch
Prepare a consignment for shipping abroad

If you do not wish or are unable to enter your consignment and content data yourself, simply bring in your consignment to a self-operated Swiss Post branch. Our staff will, for a surcharge of CHF 5, enter your consignment data and prepare the consignment for shipping with the necessary customs documents.

Your nearest Swiss Post branch

When are additional customs documents needed?
Mainly for resale merchandise

In the following cases, further documents are required in addition to the waybill for goods consignments or the customs declaration for documents and small goods consignments.

Simply bring the documents with you to the branch when posting your consignment. If you, as a business customer with a billing relationship, are delivering or ordering collection of a ready-to-send consignment, affix the documents together with the customs declaration to the outside of the consignment, in a transparent document pouch. Note that you may declare the consignment contents in the relevant national language for consignments being sent to Germany, Austria, French-speaking countries and Italy. In all other cases, English is the standard.

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.

Find out more

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.

You can find more information about the “customs declaration (CN22/23)”, “waybill” and other documents for international shipments in the overview “Accompanying documents for international shipping”.

Background information on exporting goods
Electronic advance data (EAD)

The following rule applies worldwide: for postal consignments containing goods, the consignment and content information required for export must be entered electronically and sent to the country of destination in advance. This rule applies to all countries worldwide. By submitting the content details electronically, consignments containing goods can be processed and cleared through customs more quickly than before. Harmonized address labels also help tracking events to be recorded and ensure better quality track and trace.

Frequently asked questions

Consignments are often stored in a local customs office in the country of destination either because the recipient is responsible for customs clearance or the content declaration is insufficient for the foreign customs office.

Generally, the customs office notifies the recipient if this is the case. If this is not the case, you can contact your branch or the relevant customs office directly as the recipient.

If this still does not produce the desired outcome, or if the recipient does not know which customs office to call, please contact us. We will then ask the foreign postal administration for more detailed information and clarify what subsequent steps you should take.

You can find out about import and export regulations here:

Online at www.swisspost.ch/info-int under “Import regulations”
On the customs website at www.zoll.ch
From the various customs offices in Basel, Zurich and Geneva
From the embassies or consular offices in the different countries

Consignments containing cash are not permitted in international postal traffic. In the event of loss or theft, Swiss Post declines all liability (see Swiss Post’s General Terms and Conditions “Postal Services”; sections 2.6 and 4.4.2).

For this reason, please use the PostFinance products for money transfers (Cash international, Giro international, etc.). Further information about this: cash international

Import and export customs clearance for business customers
Important information

If you send consignments abroad using PostPac International, the customs duty and VAT is calculated for the recipient.
You can send goods to over 100 countries with DDP (Delivered Duty Paid). This means that your recipient pays less duty and tax.
For customs declarations, you always need a UID number.
If you send goods within the EU, you require the EORI number of your buyer, except for private use.

Find out more

Country-specific information
For international shipments

Mail dispatch on the tarmac of an airport

Your contact options
How to contact us

Give us a call

Monday to Friday
8 a.m.–5.30 p.m.

+41 848 48 48 47

Write to us

Contact form

Our address

Post CH Ltd
Customer Service International
Wankdorfallee 4
3030 Berne

Navigate on post.ch

Declaring and clearing through customs International consignments

Declaring goods online

I want to send a document or small goods consignment

I want to send a goods consignment or URGENT

I want to send a document or small goods consignment

I want to send a goods consignment or URGENT Business

Declare goods in a branch Prepare a consignment for shipping abroad

When are additional customs documents needed? Mainly for resale merchandise

Resale merchandise

Goods value of over CHF 1,000.00

Goods subject to authorization

Consignments to Büsingen or Samnaun

Background information on exporting goods Electronic advance data (EAD)

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find a list of traffic restrictions?

Where can I find a list of unauthorized content?

Where can I find information about shipping special contents or dangerous goods?

According to Track&Trace, our export shipment is at a foreign customs office. Why is it not being delivered?

Where can I find out about import and export regulations?

How can I send cash abroad safely using the international postal service?

Import and export customs clearance for business customers Important information

Country-specific information For international shipments

Your contact options How to contact us

Give us a call

Write to us

Our address

Declaring and clearing through customs
International consignments

Declare goods in a branch
Prepare a consignment for shipping abroad

When are additional customs documents needed?
Mainly for resale merchandise

Background information on exporting goods
Electronic advance data (EAD)

Import and export customs clearance for business customers
Important information

Country-specific information
For international shipments

Your contact options
How to contact us