Moving to Switzerland from the UK, or coming back to the UK from Switzerland? Gentlevan Removals has been running long European moves since 2011, and we handle every part of a Swiss move ourselves: UK collection, the drive down through France, all the Swiss customs paperwork, and delivery to your door in Switzerland. Dedicated, shared-load and part-load options are all available, plus 2 months FREE UK storage on every move.
Switzerland is closer than most people picture: around 600 to 700 miles, a two-to-three-day drive for a dedicated van. The parts that catch movers out aren't the distance, they're the customs (Switzerland sits outside the EU, so a proper declaration applies) and the Swiss driving rules for lorries. We plan around both on every job, so your belongings clear the border cleanly and arrive on time.
Family-run from Oxfordshire, with 200+ five-star reviews and accreditations from Move Assured and AIM. Switzerland sits in our wider European removals network alongside France, Spain, Italy and beyond, same crews, same vehicles, both directions.
Switzerland has some particular rules that a general mover can trip over, and they all affect your delivery timing. We plan around them so your move doesn't stall at the border or run into a driving ban.
Switzerland sits outside the EU, so unlike a run to France or Spain your load has to clear customs at the Swiss border. With the removal-goods paperwork prepared in advance (see below), this is routine, but it's a step that has to be built into the schedule rather than assumed away.
We prepare the inventory and declaration before we travel, so the crossing is quick and your belongings aren't sitting at the frontier.
Switzerland bans heavy goods vehicles from driving at night (roughly 22:00 to 05:00) and on Sundays and public holidays. It's strict, and it's why a Swiss delivery can't just be squeezed into any slot.
We plan the run around these windows, so we're not caught out and your delivery day is one we can actually keep.
Heavy vehicles pay the Swiss LSVA (a distance and weight based road charge) and carry the right permits to enter. We handle the charges and paperwork for the vehicle, and they're accounted for in your quote, no surprise costs on the day.
Alpine sections (the Gotthard for Ticino) add time in winter, which we factor into the delivery window.
Swiss old towns, lakeside streets and apartment blocks can be tight, with restricted vehicle zones and stairs-only access. Where a large vehicle can't reach the door, we shuttle the last stretch with a smaller van or carry by hand.
Narrow lane, pedestrian zone, third floor with a tight stairwell? Tell us at the quote stage and we'll bring the right crew and kit.
The short version: Switzerland is a shorter drive than Spain, but it has a real customs step and firm rules on when and how lorries can move. We plan the border, the driving windows and the final access in advance, and one team runs the job start to finish, so a move that could stall stays calm and on schedule.
Five steps, refined over more than a decade of European runs:
Optional extras include piano transport, professional dismantling and reassembly of beds and wardrobes, art and antique crating, and short-term storage at either end if your dates slip. Whatever you need, just ask.
Family-run since 2011, which means one point of contact from quote to delivery. We answer the phone and the email ourselves; no call centres, no handoffs.
2 months FREE storage in our containerised Oxfordshire facility is included on every Switzerland move, for when the chain doesn't quite line up.
Switzerland isn't a route you want a general mover learning on. It needs someone who knows the drive, the customs crossing, the removal-goods rules, and the Swiss driving restrictions. Here's what tends to matter to the people we move:
Shared runs across to Switzerland. Swiss moves rarely travel alone, we consolidate them with deliveries to France and neighbouring cantons on the same run. That's what keeps our shared-load and part-load pricing sensible even for a full house. If you're an existing resident shipping a top-up, chances are we've already got a vehicle heading your way.
Most of the British moves we run head to a handful of cantons, drawn by work, tax or lifestyle, and several are genuinely easy places to land as an English speaker. Here's a quick lay of the land for the areas we cover most:
The French-speaking arc along Lake Geneva is the classic British and international landing spot, home to the UN, global companies and a large expat community. English gets you a long way, and Nyon and the Vaud lakeside are popular with families.
One of our most regular Swiss corridors, so shared-load timing here is usually good.
Small, low-tax and packed with international companies and their staff, Zug has one of the highest concentrations of expats in Switzerland. Popular with finance, crypto and commodity professionals moving from the UK.
Compact canton, easy access, and an obvious choice for a tax-led relocation.
Switzerland's largest city and financial centre, German-speaking but very international, with a big English-speaking professional scene, international schools and strong transport links.
City-centre and lakeside access can be tight; we plan the final stretch in advance.
Basel, on the corner where Switzerland meets France and Germany, is a pharma and life-sciences hub with a strong expat pull. Bern, the capital, is quieter and central, handy for reaching the rest of the country.
Both sit on our main run in, so they're straightforward to schedule.
Chalet and resort moves into Valais and the Alps are a world of their own: seasonal timing, mountain access, and often high-value contents. We handle the careful, planned end of these.
Tell us about the access and the season and we'll build the run around it.
The Italian-speaking south, over the Alps via the Gotthard, with a milder climate and a distinct character. A longer leg for us, but a route we run when the destination calls for it.
Winter Alpine timing is factored into the delivery window.
Wherever you're heading, the same team that surveys the move runs it through to delivery. If you're still weighing up cantons, tell us where you're leaning and we'll talk you through the practical side of the move itself.
Because Switzerland sits outside the EU, a household move needs a proper customs file, in both directions. The good news is that we prepare and guide you through all of it, you're not left working out declarations on your own.
Removal-goods relief (Transfer of Domicile). Used household goods you've owned and used for at least six months are normally imported free of Swiss duty and VAT when you're genuinely moving your home to Switzerland, declared on the Swiss customs Form 18.44. The qualifying idea is simple: you're transferring your residence, the goods are yours and used, and you'll keep using them. We confirm the current detail with you when you book, since the rules are administered by Swiss customs and can change.
Restricted items follow the usual rules, limits on alcohol and tobacco, care with certain foods and plants, and prescription medicines should travel with the prescription. We'll flag anything on your list that needs care.
Returning from Switzerland to the UK uses HMRC's Transfer of Residence relief (ToR1), which keeps your used household goods clear of UK import duty and VAT when you're genuinely relocating. We apply for it on your behalf before the goods land, so there's no scramble at the UK end.
The qualifying idea is the same in reverse: you're moving your home back, you've owned the goods for a while, and you're not importing them to sell on. We'll confirm the current detail with you when you book.
Either direction, the customs side is ours to organise. Your job is to tell us what you're moving, ours is to make the paperwork disappear.
Switzerland has a strong pull for British movers: high salaries, a famously high quality of life, safety and order, and some of the best scenery in Europe on the doorstep. The people we move tend to be there for one of three reasons.
Switzerland pays some of the highest wages in the world, with strong finance, pharma, tech, commodities and international-organisation sectors. For many British movers, a job offer is what starts the whole thing, and it's usually what arranges the residence permit too.
Zurich, Geneva, Zug and Basel are the main hubs for internationally mobile professionals.
Tax varies a lot by canton, and some (Zug and Schwyz among them) are well known for lower rates, which is part of why they attract so many international residents and companies.
These are general points about the system, not personal advice, anyone moving for tax reasons should take proper guidance from a Swiss adviser first.
Lakes, mountains, clean cities, excellent public transport and quick access to skiing and hiking. Switzerland is safe, orderly and central in Europe, with fast links back to the UK.
Healthcare is private and compulsory, worth arranging your Swiss cover before you leave the NHS behind.
Useful resources:
It depends on three things: how much you're moving, where we collect from and deliver to, and which service you choose. A part-load or shared-load is the cheapest route for anything under a full house, because you only pay for the space your goods take. A dedicated vehicle costs more but gives you fixed dates and a direct run. Switzerland is a shorter haul than Spain or Gibraltar, around 600 to 700 miles depending on the canton, so it's often more affordable than people expect. Send us a list or book a quick video survey and we'll give you a firm figure, usually the same working day.
A dedicated van runs door-to-door in roughly 2 to 3 working days, across the Channel and through France to the Swiss border. A shared-load or part-load takes longer, usually 7 to 14 days, because we consolidate other Switzerland and France deliveries onto the same run. You get a firm collection window when you book and an updated delivery window once the load is planned, with the Swiss customs step and the lorry driving rules built into the timing.
Switzerland is not in the EU or the EEA, so a proper customs declaration applies to a household move, in both directions. The good news is that used household goods you have owned and used for at least six months are normally imported free of duty and Swiss VAT under the removal-goods (Transfer of Domicile) rules, using the Swiss customs Form 18.44. We prepare the inventory and paperwork and guide you through the process, and we confirm the current detail with you when you book.
Yes, we prepare and guide you through all of it. For a permanent move that means a detailed numbered inventory, a passport copy, your Swiss residence permit or confirmation of domicile, and the removal-goods declaration (Form 18.44). Used personal effects owned for at least six months are normally cleared duty-free and VAT-free as removal goods. Restricted items such as alcohol, tobacco, certain foods and plants follow the usual limits, and we flag anything on your list that needs care.
All of them. We run regularly to Geneva and Vaud (Lausanne, Nyon, Montreux), to Zug and Zurich, to Basel and Bern, and over the Alps to Ticino (Lugano) and Valais (Zermatt, Sion). These are the cantons where most British movers head, and where a lot of our shared-load consolidation happens, so there's often a vehicle heading your way. Don't see your town? We quote for anywhere in Switzerland.
Since Brexit, UK citizens are treated as non-EU nationals in Switzerland and generally need a residence permit, usually arranged through an employer or a specific residence route before you move. Your permit or proof of domicile is also what unlocks duty-free clearance of your removal goods. We move your belongings and handle the goods paperwork, but for the residence permit itself we'd point you to a Swiss relocation adviser, as the detail changes.
Yes, we run both directions on the same corridor: collection in Switzerland, cleared through Swiss customs and consolidated onto the lorry, up through France and back to the UK. The UK side uses HMRC's Transfer of Residence relief (ToR1), which we apply for on your behalf before the goods land, so there's no scramble at the UK end. A quick smartphone video survey gets you a no-obligation quote without a home visit.
Yes, 2 months of free UK storage is included on every Switzerland move, in our containerised, insured Oxfordshire facility. It covers the gap when the dates don't line up: a residence permit clearing, a lease start, or a property handover slipping. Longer or specialist storage is available at a simple monthly rate if you need it.
Heading to Switzerland, or coming back to the UK, we run both directions, and we handle the customs paperwork.
Call us on +44 7861 930529
Most quotes come back the same working day. No call centres, no pressure, no fine print.
We deliver right across Switzerland, and these are the cantons and cities where most of our British moves head:
We consolidate Swiss deliveries with our France runs wherever we can, which keeps shared-load and part-load pricing sensible. Don't see your spot? We quote for anywhere in Switzerland.
Wherever you're heading, the same team that surveys the move runs it through to delivery, export wrapping, GPS-tracked transport, customs at the Swiss border, and careful, planned door handling at the other end.
A Switzerland move is a long-haul job with a real customs step and firm rules on when and how lorries can move, and it rewards planning over improvising. Our experience on this route, through France, the customs crossing, and Swiss access, means your belongings are in steady hands from the first box to the final placement.
One team, one point of contact, both directions.
A shared-load Switzerland run carries several customers' belongings in one vehicle, so a handful of separate dedicated journeys become one. That's meaningful diesel saved on a long round trip. We reuse blankets and recyclable boxes wherever the move format allows.
Usually the cheapest option and the lowest-carbon one, when the dates allow.
Recurring themes from our long-route reviews: clean handling of the customs paperwork, clear communication across the days on the road, and careful work at the Swiss end. Read our reviews, Switzerland moves are exactly the kind of challenge we're built for.
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