Door-to-door removals from the UK to Geneva

Moving from the UK? Here's what usually worries people

1. "I'm British. Since Brexit, can I just pack up and go?"

What it means: since 1 January 2021, British citizens are no longer covered by the free movement agreement between Switzerland and the EU, so newcomers from the UK are treated as third-country nationals. If you're coming to work, your employer applies to the cantonal immigration or labour-market authority for your permit. If you're coming for another reason, such as retirement, study or joining family, the application usually goes to the cantonal migration office (in Geneva, the OCPM), and you make it yourself. Source: State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), "UK nationals working in Switzerland", last modified 27 April 2021. Read on 6 October 2026.

What we do: we don't handle permits, but we plan the moving date around your permit, so the lorry doesn't leave before you're ready to arrive.

2. "My furniture is leaving the UK. Is that an export now?"

What it means: yes. If you're moving house abroad, you can declare your household goods to HMRC electronically with a C21e Customs Clearance Request, before or after you leave. Source: GOV.UK, notices made under the Customs (Export) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, §1.4, updated 6 July 2026. Read on 5 October 2026.

What we do: we explain the formality before you book. Then we go through your list of furniture with you, room by room, and draw up the inventory, so it's ready when it's needed.

3. "What will Swiss customs ask me for, as a British citizen?"

What it means: since Brexit, British citizens need to show that their Swiss residence permit has been granted or promised. EU and EFTA citizens don't. Swiss customs also want proof that your home is really moving: your notice of departure, together with your employment contract and your tenancy agreement, can serve as proof. Source: Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS), "Relocation: import into Switzerland – procedure" and "FAQ: removal goods". Read on 5 and 6 October 2026.

What we do: if you have no official notice of departure from the UK, we help you work out which other papers to bring and keep together for the move, and we prepare the list of goods with you for Form 18.44, the form handed in at the Swiss customs office of entry.

4. "Will our things get held up at every border between here and Geneva?"

What it means: the UK, the EU and Switzerland all belong to the Common Transit Convention. Goods moving under a transit procedure cross France without full declarations and duties at each border; these are settled at the end of the journey. Source: GOV.UK, "Common Transit Convention countries", updated 1 November 2025. Read on 5 October 2026.

What we do: our own team drives your belongings from your door to your new home; we don't hand them over to another firm on the way. We tell you which Channel crossing we'll use in your written quote, and we plan the Swiss border crossing on a weekday, when household effects are cleared.

5. "We're in Manchester, Leeds or Edinburgh, not London."

What it means: from the north of England or Scotland, the long drive down to the south coast is part of the move, before you even reach the Channel.

What we do: our own team comes to your door wherever you are in the UK, and your quote covers the full journey from your own address, not just from the coast. Moving from Northern Ireland? Goods there follow EU customs rules, so the export paperwork is different from the rest of the UK; we go through it with you before you book.

6. "I've just bought a new sofa. Can it come with me duty-free?"

What it means: household effects come into Switzerland duty-free when you move your home here, but each item must have been used by you for at least six months and must remain for your own use in Switzerland. A sofa bought just before the move doesn't meet that rule, so it may be charged customs duty and Swiss VAT. Source: FOCBS, "Relocation: import into Switzerland – procedure". Read on 5 October 2026.

What we do: when we list your belongings together, we flag anything recent, so you can decide before moving day what travels with us.

7. "Our new flat is in one of Geneva's older buildings. Will the wardrobe even fit?"

What it means: many older Geneva blocks have winding stone staircases and very small lifts, and a large wardrobe or a corner sofa doesn't always go up in one piece.

What we do: we take furniture apart and put it back together, and when the staircase won't do, we set up an external furniture hoist to the window. Tell us about the building when you send your list of furniture, so we plan for it in the quote.

Leaving the UK: one form to know about

Form P85 tells HMRC that you've left, or are about to leave, the UK, and lets you claim back any tax you may have overpaid. You don't need it if you send a Self Assessment return for the tax year you leave. Before you've actually left, the claim has to be printed and posted; once you're abroad, it can be made online. Source: GOV.UK, "Get your Income Tax right if you're leaving the UK (P85)", updated 23 August 2024. Read on 5 October 2026. We don't give tax advice: this is simply a form worth knowing about, not advice on your own situation.

When your belongings reach the Swiss border

You don't have to bring everything in one go. Your belongings should come over as part of your move, and Swiss customs say that up to two years is generally fine. Anything you leave behind for now, boxes in a parent's loft for instance, must be listed separately when the first load crosses. Source: FOCBS, "FAQ: removal goods". Read on 6 October 2026.

Household effects are cleared on weekdays, during the opening hours of the customs offices for commercial goods. Same source. We go through each step of the Swiss formalities with you beforehand and help you get the paperwork and the list of goods ready.

The road to Geneva

From Great Britain, the way to Geneva starts with the Channel, by ferry or through the tunnel, then crosses France from the coast to the Swiss border near Geneva. The same team stays with your belongings all the way, from your door in the UK to your new door in Switzerland.

You won't be the only Brit in Geneva

On 31 December 2025, 36,745 British citizens lived in Switzerland, 5,080 of them in the canton of Geneva. Source: SEM, foreign population statistics, December 2025, table 2-10. Read on 5 October 2026. These figures cover the permanent resident foreign population and leave out international civil servants and stays of under twelve months.

What affects the price of a UK–Switzerland removal

We don't publish a price list, because no two UK moves cost the same. Your free written quote is worked out from your own move. These are the things that make the cost go up or down:

• Distance. A move from Kent and a move from Glasgow aren't the same journey. The quote covers the whole route, from your door in the UK to your door in Switzerland, wherever you are.
• Volume. How much furniture and how many boxes travel with us. We quote from your list of furniture, which you can fill in online in our quote tool.
• Floors and access. Stairs, lifts and how close the lorry can park, at both ends. A furniture hoist for a Geneva flat with a tight staircase is part of this.
• Timing. The date you choose, and how much flexibility you have. Swiss customs clear household effects on weekdays, so we plan the border crossing around that.
• The Channel and the paperwork. The crossing itself, by ferry or through the tunnel, and the export, transit and Swiss customs formalities that a move from outside the EU involves.
• Extras. Packing by our team, dismantling and reassembly, and end-of-tenancy cleaning in Geneva if you need it.

Every quote is written, so you know exactly what's included before you book.

What we do, and who does it

• Packing. Boxes, wrapping and wardrobe cartons. We pack, or you pack: your choice.
• Dismantling and reassembly. Beds, wardrobes and tables are taken apart at your door and put back together in your new home.
• Transport with our own team, on every route. The people who pack your home are the people who carry it in. Swiss Pro Moving is a new company, but our team isn't new to the job: 13 years in the removals trade and more than 400 customers, at the firms where our movers worked before.
• Furniture hoist. For upper floors and tight Geneva staircases.
• End-of-tenancy cleaning in Geneva. Useful if you're leaving a Geneva flat as well.
• Free quote. Written, so you know exactly what's included.

Questions people ask us from the UK

Do I need a Swiss work permit before my furniture leaves the UK?

If you're coming to work, your employer applies to the cantonal immigration or labour-market authority for your permit (source: SEM). We don't deal with permits, but we plan the moving date around your permit.

How is the export of my household goods declared to HMRC?

If you're moving house abroad, you can declare your household goods to HMRC with a C21e Customs Clearance Request, before or after you leave (GOV.UK). We explain how the formality works and draw up the inventory with you. From Northern Ireland, the paperwork is different, and we go through it with you.

What documents should I keep for Swiss customs?

The completed Form 18.44 with your list of goods, proof that your Swiss residence permit has been granted or promised (since Brexit, British citizens have to show this), and proof that your home is moving to Switzerland, such as your notice of departure, your employment contract and your tenancy agreement (FOCBS). We help you work out which papers to bring and prepare the list of goods with you.

Can some of my things follow later?

Yes. Swiss customs say that up to two years is generally fine, but anything that will follow must be listed separately when the first load crosses (FOCBS).

Can I speak to someone in English?

Yes. Call us and we'll speak English (or French). Written replies, by email or WhatsApp, are always in English, within one working day.

Talk to us in English

Tell us where you're moving from and where you're going, and we'll get back to you with a free written quote.

• For a detailed quote, with your list of furniture: Get your free quote online
• Phone: +41 76 581 55 61
• WhatsApp: message us on WhatsApp
• Email: contact@swisspromoving.com

Or fill in the quick request below, and we'll sort out the details with you.

Quick quote request

A few details are enough to get started; the more you tell us about your home, the sooner we can quote. We'll get back to you within one working day, by email, phone or WhatsApp, whichever you've chosen.