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- Map
- Customs
- Documents Needed
- Restricted Goods
- Packing Advice
- Shipment Protection
- National Holidays
- FAQs
Customs Advice
The importation of certain products into a country is restricted in order to protect the economy and
safety of its citizens. The restrictions may be imposed by Customs or by any other agency which has
regulatory authority.
We provide a shipping service only and Customs at the parcel's destination will determine whether any
charges are payable on your package. All duties, taxes and/or quarantine fees applied are at the
discretion of local customs or governmental organisations and are out of our control.
If the addressee refuses to pay duties/taxes, the parcel may be held, returned (if allowed by Customs)
or destroyed, and additional costs may be incurred. As per Terms and Conditions, those charges will be
billed to the sender.
Please note, no shipping costs are recoverable for parcels held or destroyed, even if shipping
protection cover has been purchased.
Majority of parcels can be delivered door to door, once it has cleared customs at destination. However,
some countries have a door to airport service only. In those countries, the recipients may have to
present themselves to either Customs or the local courier's office to take possession of their
consignment.
We advise you to verify independently, all Customs, Governmental and Quarantine regulations. These rules
can and do frequently change without prior notice or recourse.
World Customs Organisation
http://www.wcoomd.org/en/about-us/wco-members/customs-websites.aspx
Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI)
It is now a requirement that all exporters sending freight outside of the E.U must have an EORI number
if they are VAT registered.
If you have any queries regarding the EORI application process then please visit the
HMRC
website.
Documents Needed
After you have paid for a shipping service to Switzerland, you will be redirected
to a page where you can download and print out the relevant shipping labels, i.e
AWB (Courier Air Waybills - barcode) - Proforma or Commercial invoice - Address label.
The above documents are standard for any international shipment.
Please note, if additional documentation is required for the import of any particular item, it is the
customer's responsibility to provide them at destination.
Restrictions
Goods travelling by 'Cargo' are subject to different restrictions to those travelling as carry-on
luggage.
A shipment to Switzerland is deemed unacceptable if: it is classified as
hazardous material, dangerous goods, prohibited or restricted articles by IATA (International Air
Transport Association), ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) or other relevant organisation.
Many items which appear harmless in everyday use can pose danger on air transport and are consequently
forbidden for transport.
The following page displays a sampling of common prohibited and restricted goods.
http://www.rapidparcel.com/help/prohibited-items.php
Packing Advice
Your parcel must be boxed and well packaged. This will reduce the risk of damage to any item during
transit or any associated automated distribution process.
Please be aware the item is not taken by hand from collection to destination and will visit many sorted
facilities on its journey. For that reason, you need to protect the items to ensure they make it from A
to B safely.
The following packaging guidelines are recommendations to assist you in packaging your shipment:
http://www.rapidparcel.com/help/packing-advice.php
Shipment Protection
When you book a shipping service to Switzerland, you will be able to choose an
appropriate level of cover for your shipment. We offer enhanced parcel protection for up to £2000
for a small additional fee.
If you do not purchase enhanced Shipment Protection, your shipment will be only covered to a maximum
value of £50 as per the limited liability set out in our
Terms & Conditions and subject to your
parcel passing minimum packaging requirements.
Please note that the declared value for customs purposes is not related to the declared value selected
for Shipment Protection. We encourage all customers to purchase shipment protection cover for loss or
damage.
National Holidays
- 01/01/2024 - Neujahrstag (new year's day)
- 02/01/2024 - Berchtold's day
- 06/01/2024 - Heilige drei könige (epiphany)
- 02/02/2024 - Candlemas, presentation of the lord
- 14/02/2024 - St. valentine`s day
- 01/03/2024 - Instauration de la republique
- 17/03/2024 - St. patrick's day
- 19/03/2024 - St. joseph's day
- 21/03/2024 - Spring season opens
- 01/04/2024 - April fool's day
- 25/04/2024 - Liberation day
- 01/05/2024 - Tag der arbeit (labor day)
- 08/05/2024 - Armistice day / v-e day
- 01/06/2024 - Arrival of the swiss at the port-noir
- 23/06/2024 - Independence day (jura only)
- 29/06/2024 - St. peter & st. paul day
- 01/08/2024 - National day
- 15/08/2024 - Maria himmelfahrt (assumption day)
- 25/09/2024 - Niklaus of flüe day
- 16/10/2024 - St. gallus day
- 24/10/2024 - United nations day
- 31/10/2024 - Hallowe'en
- 01/11/2024 - All saints` day / allerheiligen
- 02/11/2024 - All souls` day
- 11/11/2024 - Volkstrauertag (remembrance sunday)
- 22/11/2024 - Buß- und bettag (repentance day)
- 08/12/2024 - Immaculate conception
- 25/12/2024 - Weihnachtstag (christmas)
- 26/12/2024 - St. stephen's day
- 31/12/2024 - Commemoration of the restoration, st sylvester
FAQs
We have a detailed and comprehensive Help Section here. If you cannot find
the answer or advice you are looking for there, please use our enquiry form
It doesn't matter to us if your delivery to Basel is personal or corporate in nature, since we treat every single package as being of vital importance. That's why we pay such close attention to what might be termed 'the basics' of arranging a parcel delivery to Basel. Things like only using the very best couriers around, negotiating the kind of price for your delivery that won't be matched anywhere else, and offering shipment protection that will truly put your mind at ease. Over and above these basics, we set out a range of extras which we feel lift RapidParcel.com above any other courier comparison website, and which allow every customer to tailor their Basel shipping to meet their needs precisely, rather than having to make do with a 'one size fits all' service.
The Swiss city of Basel is located on the river Rhine where the borders of Switzerland, Germany and France meet - a location that has contributed greatly to its cosmopolitan cultural make up. This geographical position has also led to Basel being a major hub for Europe-wide freight. Key European road and rail routes converge on the city, with large amounts of freight also passing through Basel airport and arriving at Switzerland's only cargo port, from where it is distributed by ship along the Rhine. Another important component of Basel's economic activity revolves around the fact that almost the whole of Switzerland's chemical and pharmaceutical industry is based there, including international companies such as Hoffmann-La Roche and Ciba Speciality Chemicals.
Face to face service at our drop-off points
Although our website has been designed with ease of use in mind, and is set out in such a way as to make booking a package delivery to Basel speedy and simple, we realise that some people may still need a little help when making these arrangements. Perhaps it's the first time you've booked shipping to Basel and are somewhat daunted by the prospect, or you don't have access to the Internet or feel more comfortable conducting your business face to face. It is with precisely this in mind that we maintain our convenient parcel drop-off and booking points. Situated within airports and train stations, these drop-off points are run by experienced members of staff who'll be able to talk you through the booking of a parcel delivery to Basel, Geneva, Zurich or shipping to anywhere within Switzerland. They'll answer any questions you might have, point out the extras we offer, such as the online tracking of your package delivery to Basel and economy delivery, and make sure you understand exactly what you're going to get when booking with us. Some of the drop-off points feature shops selling packaging and wrapping materials, allowing you to make absolutely sure that whatever you're shipping to Basel will sensibly protected for its journey. Our drop-off points are just another example of the way in which we shape our business to suit your needs.
Of course, our service also offers to collect your packages from anywhere in the UK, so whether you need your parcels picked up from home, work, a friend or family member, our carrier partners are happy to collect from any accessible UK address, so long as someone is there to hand us the package you'd like delivered.
