Cash / Currency → Switzerland

No declaration required but CHF 10,000+ may be questioned

Details

Switzerland does not have a mandatory cash declaration requirement for incoming travelers (unlike the EU). However, customs officers may question travelers carrying large sums, and anti-money laundering laws require explanations for suspicious amounts. Swiss banking secrecy has been significantly reduced. Enforcement in Switzerland carries fines from CHF 100 to CHF 50,000 under Zollgesetz (SR 631.0) Art. 118; Verwaltungsstrafrecht Art. 6 (ordinary personal cases are handled as civil infringements). Leaving Switzerland with cash / currency is a separate question — restricted: Switzerland operates an on-request cash-control regime: travellers carrying CHF 10,000 or more must provide information when asked by customs, rather than declare spontaneously.

Quantity limit

No mandatory threshold

Documentation required

• Purchase receipts
• Cash-declaration form (above threshold)

Legal reference

Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA)

Leaving with this item

Switzerland operates an on-request cash-control regime: travellers carrying CHF 10,000 or more must provide information when asked by customs, rather than declare spontaneously.

Practical advice

Declare cash / currency at customs on arrival in Switzerland and carry any documentation specified in the rule. Verify current requirements with Federal Customs Administration (Eidgenössische Zollverwaltung — EZV / Office fédéral de la douane et de la sécurité des frontières — BAZG) before travel.

Customs authority

Federal Customs Administration (Eidgenössische Zollverwaltung — EZV / Office fédéral de la douane et de la sécurité des frontières — BAZG) · https://www.bazg.admin.ch