Transit
Transit covers consignments passing through Switzerland that are destined elsewhere. Find out when a border crossing takes place and what rules apply regarding declarations, documents and potential controls or inspections.
What you need to know in the case of transit
The term ‘transit’ refers to consignments passing through a country on the way to their final destination. Different rules apply, depending on whether or not a Swiss customs border is crossed. A distinction is drawn between two scenarios:
- Transit with border crossing: A consignment is considered in transit with border crossing if it crosses a Swiss customs border and is transported through Switzerland under customs supervision with a transit document, without customs clearance. The consignment is subject to declaration and must be discharged at a border post upon leaving Switzerland
- Transit without border crossing: A consignment is considered in transit without border crossing if it does not cross a Swiss customs border. This is the case, for example, if it is awaiting a connecting flight in the transit area. There is no declaration requirement for this type of transit.
Affected animal and plant species
Consignments of species listed in the CITES appendices must be accompanied by CITES documents if they are required for export from the country of origin to the country of destination. To find out whether a species is protected under CITES, look up its scientific name in the official list of species:
CITES: Checklist of CITES species
Permit and inspection requirement
If CITES documents are required to cross the border from the country of origin to the country of destination, the original documents must accompany the consignment during the transit through Switzerland.
No protected species inspections are required for consignments in transit. The FSVO can, however, conduct spot checks or inspections where there are grounds for suspicion. If violations are detected, the FSVO can flag the consignments in question as non-compliant.