Duty-free allowances: foodstuffs, alcohol and tobacco

Goods that you import for your private use or as gifts are duty-free except for so-called sensitive goods, excess quantities of which are subject to customs duty for agricultural or health policy reasons (see table below). Duty-free allowances are applied per person per day.

Please note: If the total value of the goods carried (including the value of all foodstuffs) exceeds CHF 300, you will have to pay VAT in any case. Further information

Please also note that additional restrictions exist for certain animal products as well as for certain plant products.

Duty-free allowances

Goods	Duty-free allowances per person per day	Customs duties in CHF for excess quantities
Meat and meat products derived from all animal species, excluding wild animals, fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates.   Included are: all parts of animal carcasses fit for consumption (with or without bones) sausages containing meat or blood other meat products food preparations with sausage, meat or blood content of over 20 percent by weight This does not include bone marrow, bones for stock, and dog and cat food in individual packets marked as animal feed.	1 kg1) in total	up to 10 kg: 17 per kg more than 10 kg: 23 per kg
Butter and cream (with a fat content of 15 % or more)	1 kg/litre1) in total	16 per kg/litre
Oils, fats, margarine for human consumption	5 kg/litre1) in total	2 per kg/litre
Alcoholic beverages:
with an alcohol content by volume of under 18%	5 litres in total and (minimum age 17)	2 per litre
with an alcohol content by volume of over 18%	1 litre in total (minimum age 17)	15 per litre
Beverages with an alcohol content by volume of not more than 0.5% are not considered as alcoholic beverages.
Tabacco products:
cigarettesIcigars	250 cigarettes in total or (minimum age 17)	0.25 per unit
other tabacco products	250g2) in total (minimum age 17)	0.10 per gramme
Other foodstuffs and goods1)		duty-free

 

¹⁾ The importation of animal products coming from countries other than EU states and Norway is prohibited.

²⁾ Or a proportional selection of these products.

Items ordered abroad that are delivered by post or courier

Other provisions apply to foodstuffs that are ordered abroad (e.g. online) and are delivered by post or courier. Further information

Further info

FAQ - Provisions in tourist traffic

Customs Info 2017 - Clearing Swiss Customs without Delay (Form. 18.50) (PDF, 1 MB, 14.06.2017)With this brochure, we wish to help make your passage through Swiss Customs a smooth one. In doing so, we would like to point out that these rules apply only to tourist traffic.