When your employee is posted to Switzerland, two different kinds of provider are often confused. An international moving company in Switzerland moves goods: packing, transport, customs paperwork for the shipment and delivery. A relocation agency deals with the person and the household: permits, housing, schools, registration and settling in. Your policy should name which one owns each task.
This page sets out the split, so that your transferee does not fall between two suppliers. We are a matching service. We do not move goods ourselves, and the request at the bottom of the page is how you ask to be put in touch with a suitable specialist company.
What an international mover covers
A mover is a logistics supplier. Its scope usually runs from the origin address to the Swiss front door.
- Survey of the goods and an inventory.
- Packing and crating, including fragile and high-value items.
- Transport by road, sea or air, with storage if the dates do not line up.
- Preparation of the customs documents for the shipment.
- Delivery, unpacking and removal of packaging, if your policy includes them.
A mover does not apply for your employee's permit, find the flat, enrol the children or register the household with the municipality. Those tasks sit with the employer, the employee or a relocation provider.
What a relocation agency adds
A relocation agency covers the parts of the move that are not freight. For a corporate transfer these usually include:
- Support with the permit process, alongside your immigration counsel (see immigration support).
- A home search in the right region, and a view on the rental file.
- School search for children, and spouse and partner support.
- A settling-in programme for the first weeks.
- Coordination with the mover, so that goods and people arrive in a workable order.
For a wider view of the role, read relocation services in Switzerland and choosing a relocation company.
Customs: the part your mover cannot do alone
Household goods can enter Switzerland free of duty when a person moves their residence here. The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) sets the conditions. Two of them matter for planning.
First, the items must have been used abroad for 6 months before the transfer of residence. A new sofa bought last month does not qualify in the same way. Second, the import must be linked in time to the move. According to the FOCBS, a delay of up to 2 years is generally unproblematic.
The declaration is made on form 18.44, "Declaration/request for customs clearance of removal goods", signed and submitted in two copies. Ask your mover who completes it, who signs it and who presents it at the border. The official guidance is on the FOCBS removal goods page and in the form itself.
Timing: people first, goods second
The shipment is rarely the critical path. The permit usually is. Admission rules differ for EU/EFTA nationals and for nationals of third states, and the two regimes follow different routes (see the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) for the detail). A mover cannot start the delivery planning in earnest until your employee has a confirmed arrival date and a place to live.
After arrival, two obligations start running. Your employee must register with the municipality, with a deadline of 14 days in many places, though it varies by municipality and canton. Take identity papers, the residence or work permit and proof of health insurance. Health insurance itself must be taken out within three months of taking up residence, and cover is then backdated to the date of arrival. Both points are on the ch.ch portal and the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
For a month-by-month view, use the relocation calendar.
Questions to put to a mover
- Do you handle customs clearance as part of the quote, or is it a separate task for us?
- Who completes and signs form 18.44?
- What happens if the delivery date moves because the home is not ready?
- What storage is available in Switzerland, and on what terms?
- What does the cover for damage or loss include and exclude?
- Is unpacking included, or is it priced separately?
Questions to put to a relocation agency
- Which tasks do you take on, and which stay with the employer?
- How do you coordinate with our mover and our immigration counsel?
- What does the transferee receive before departure?
- Who is the single contact if something changes?
How the matching works
You describe the transfer in the request: origin country, expected arrival, household size and the services your policy covers. We read it and pass it to the specialist company that fits the need. That company then contacts you for a first conversation. We do not quote prices and we do not name providers on this page. A specialist reviews your case before anything is agreed.
If you are comparing the sizes of the task, see the corporate relocation service page, or send the relocation request directly.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need both a mover and a relocation agency?
Not always. If your employee only needs goods transported, a mover may be enough. Once permits, housing, schools or registration are involved, someone must own those tasks. Your policy decides whether that is the employee, HR or an agency.
Can a mover handle the permit?
No. A mover is a logistics supplier. The permit process runs through the employer and the authorities, often with immigration counsel. The authorities, not any provider, decide on the permit.
Are household goods subject to duty when we move to Switzerland?
Removal goods can be imported free of duty for people who transfer their residence to Switzerland. The items must have been used for 6 months abroad, and the import must be linked in time to the move. The FOCBS sets the rules.
What is form 18.44?
It is the declaration or request for customs clearance of removal goods, issued by the FOCBS. It is signed and submitted in two copies. Ask your mover to confirm who prepares it.
How long after arrival can the goods be imported?
According to the FOCBS, importing within 2 years of the move is generally unproblematic. Keep the shipment close to the arrival date, because the link in time is a condition.
Should the goods ship before the employee arrives?
It depends on the permit, the home and the storage plan. Many employers wait until the arrival date and the address are confirmed. A specialist can look at your timeline once you send a request.
Does the nationality of the employee change the move?
It changes the admission route, not the shipping. EU/EFTA nationals and third-state nationals follow different regimes, so permit timing and employer duties differ. Customs rules for removal goods apply to the person moving residence.
When must the employee register after arrival?
Registration with the municipality is commonly required within 14 days of arrival, but the deadline can vary by municipality and canton. Check the local rule with the municipality before the move.
When must health insurance start?
Anyone resident in Switzerland must take out basic health insurance within three months of taking up residence. If that deadline is met, cover is backdated to the date of arrival. Missing it can bring a premium surcharge.
What should a relocation brief include?
State the origin country, the expected arrival, who is moving, the permit route and the services your policy covers. Add any dates that cannot move. A clear brief shortens the first conversation.
Is this page a quote?
No. We do not publish prices. The matching service puts you in touch with a suitable specialist company, which then discusses scope with you.
Sources
- Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS), removal goods
- Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS), relocation and household effects
- Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS), form 18.44
- State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), admission of workers from third states
- Swiss federal authorities portal (ch.ch)
- Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), compulsory health insurance