What Qualifies as Personal Effects?

Personal effects are used items such as clothing, books, or household furnishings, typically carried on holiday or shipped as part of a relocation. The owner of the items will generally travel to or from the destination around the shipping date.

If your shipment does not consist of used personal effects (e.g., new items, gifts, or business shipments), you must select the appropriate category (Gift or Commercial Goods) during booking.

Customs Clearance for Switzerland

Clearance Process:
The majority of shipments entering Switzerland clear customs within one working day. However, customs authorities may select shipments for further inspection, which can take 4-5 working days.

General Information on Personal Effects Customs:
Personal effects must be used items that have been in the sender’s possession for at least six months. If customs inspects your shipment and finds new or commercial items, it may not qualify as personal effects. For example:

• New items, including gifts: May be assessed for duties and taxes.
• Commercial goods: Will not qualify for personal effects allowances.

To facilitate clearance, ensure you complete a detailed, non-generic packing list online, listing items such as:

• "5 x Cotton Dresses, 2 x Jeans, 3 x Pairs of Gloves" instead of "10 x Used Clothing."

Take five minutes to review your destination’s customs rules to understand how your shipment will be assessed and prepare any required documentation.

Customs Clearance Time:
While most shipments clear quickly, if customs stops your shipment for any reason—such as missing documentation, random inspection, or prohibited contents—our data indicates it typically takes an average of one working day for the shipment to be processed and released for delivery.

Gifts

Shipments declared as gifts may qualify for duty-free entry if their value is below the destination country’s limit. For example:

-In Switzerland, the threshold for duty-free gifts is CHF 100.

If the gift exceeds this value, duties, taxes, and handling fees may apply and must be paid by the receiver. These fees are managed by GetMyParcel’s local partners, and we do not profit from them.

To ensure your shipment qualifies as a gift:

• Check the destination’s gift value limits and eligible items.
• Wrap and label the gift for the recipient, as some customs authorities require this for classification.

Commercial Goods

Shipments classified as commercial are typically those where a transaction has occurred, such as:

• A business dispatching goods.
• An individual shipping newly purchased items.

Duties, taxes, and handling fees will be applied based on the declared value and must be paid to GetMyParcel’s local delivery partner. Rates vary by destination country.

If your shipment contains:

• Brand-new items: Customs may reclassify your shipment as commercial.
• Prohibited contents: This could delay delivery or result in confiscation.

For all shipments, ensure your declared value is accurate and all documentation is complete to avoid delays.

For further details, consult our FAQ or contact GetMyParcel support.