Moving to Switzerland from UK question

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1
We are soon to make the move from UK to Switzerland and I wanted to ask you all what can we not bring into the country

My company is paying for the move so I have the chance to bring in things that I won’t easily find in Switzerland especially during Corona and whilst we still settle or May be these things are quite expensive. It is mainly things like tea, spices, special flour etc and some OTC medications

Please let me know if the above will be okay? Will I be charged a duty for brining these in.

Many thanks

2
Depends how you bring them and how much. I always bring tea and paracetamol when I come back from the U.K., but just in my suitcase or car and I’ve never declared it.

3
Tea bags, medicines, that is about it. Spices you can get over here, but you might as well bring favourites.

The thing is, many daily items in Germany or France are cheaper than the UK, some of them better or slightly worse, when you nip over the border to buy them, you can claim the VAT at the border, import up to 300chf per person tax free. Watch limits on meat and dairy. Having the chance to buy from 2 neighbouring countries VAT free, you get spoilt. 2 adults maybe children, you can bring as much as you can carry almost, and get VAT back. Covid has stopped that for now, but it has been doable at times between lockdowns.

I wouldn't buy any large possessions in the UK before you come over. Your things moved by the removal company will come in as personal possessions, you can arrange one personal shipment free of duty, in the first year. Things like pots of paint, flammable items can't be transported with a removal company.

4
Watch out for electrical stuff - your plugs won’t work. They can be changed fairly easily which is much better than using adaptors. Due to the size and weight of UK plugs and adaptors they are a pain.

5

Good point, OP, buy a couple of 4 way UK extender blocks. Then you can put 1 Swiss plug on each, and use these as a temporary adapter.

6
I'd highly recommend taking a small selection of common medicines and creams. In the past I have brought hayfever tablets, cold/flu medicine, E45 cream for dry skin, savalon, gaviscon etc. These kinds of things are extremely expensive here! I'm not sure what the current regs are for bringing this kind of thing but I think a small amount for your own use is probably ok.

It seems Brexit has made bringing food and animal produce almost impossible, so avoid bringing things like that. I used to bring baking goods like treacle which are difficult to find here but I think that's now not allowed.

Otherwise let's hope the borders open up again with FR and DE as shopping there is cheaper and you can find a great range of goods.

7
No cheese, no fresh meat, no sausages.

(I no longer have a reason to go to the UK).

8
As N A T say's it's just animal based food products you can't bring. But things like Treacle and self raising flour you can. OTC medicines are crazy expensive here as supermarkets down't sell them. I get packs of 20 Ibrobrufen in NL for a couple of Euros, here a box of 8 can cost 10.00. New electrical stuff is often cheaper here than the UK.

Other than that, travel light would be my suggestion. I'm moving the other way this week (although to NL) and from all my stuff, what I couldn't sell I gave away or trashed. I'm taking about 20 small boxes and bags of books and clothes, it feels quite liberating to not be encumbered with so much junk!

9
If you haven't already, you can check on the below site for food and some other items.

https://www.ezv.admin.ch/ezv/en/home...d-tobacco.html

10
Definitely do this. Yes!

Ever trodden on a UK 3 pin plug when you just get out of bed? When I moved back to England, I did the opposite, taking a Swiss block adapter and fitting a UK plug for the bedroom. Your Swiss hairdrier, shaver, bedside light, all fit nicely in the block.

11
Or even better a UK Extension cord with 3 or 4 sockets. Then you can just change the one plug on the extension lead. We still have one, which visitors use, so they don't need to bring adaptors.

12
Certain baking items like Bicarbonate of Soda, Baking powder and if you like it Birds Custard Powder.. paracetamol is a must

13
Thank you everyone. Much appreciated

14
What we buy when we can go to the UK, because it's a fraction of the Swiss price / not available here:

- basic supermarket drugs (painkillers, cold remedies, hayfever tablets)

- Boots 3-for-2 stuff (multivitamins, suncream etc)

- M&S crispy bacon (no longer allowed), haggis (never allowed but hey)

The point about UK mains leads is a good one, also bring some single sockets to make up short extensions which work better for things with combined plug & transformer than having them hanging off the wall socket on a converter.

15
Other than "over the counter" medicines, for us it was the branded items/home favourites like Yorkshire Tea and Bisto.

We also bribe friends and family:

"Hey we were thinking of popping over to see you"

"Oh, ok. Fair enough, best send you my shopping list, so you you can fill your case"

You can buy similar (not the same) in CH, but you have to search and often pay more. The plus side is that in your adventures to find replacements for the above, you'll get exposure to many more things you never knew you needed in your life :-)

16
Yep, this is a good way to go. You can get the plug from Migros for a franc each (or at least that was the price when I got mine on arrival) and just set up a powerboard or two with the Swiss plug on the end of the cord and your UK sockets on the board.

17
If anyone in your family is loyal to certain skincare/makeup/ personal hygiene brands, stock up. Choice is limited in CH. If you have small kids, you can't get sudacrem or metanium cream, only bepanthen.

Seconded re otc painkillers and allergy meds. If you have regular prescriptions, bring copies for reference.

Marmite.

Ribena (only they've changed it now and it's not as good)

Crisps if you like flavours other than paprika.

There is nowhere near as much brand choice in CH as in the UK.

18
Branston, Sarsons malt vinegar, mint sauce, HP sauce.

All available are here but at least twice the price you'd pay in Tescos.

Those and tea are the main things my sons and their (swiss) partners ask for whenever we've gone 'home' in the car and can bulk shop.

Otherwise; aspirin, paracetamol, multi-vitamins.

19
Marmite is fairly widely available here in the Geneva area. I even found some in Migros the other day, but that may be specific to the Geneva area, which has a large British expat community.

Chocolate digestives can be harder to find, as well as Lemon Curd. Those are things I keep my eyes open for, otherwise I make do with Swiss products.

20
Just don't try to bring too much of the bulky stuff - it is hard to get rid of. large items disposal is quite costly and you may not even be able to give things away for free.

We have also had shortage of brown sugar some time ago... I am surprised noone mentioned it yet...