How to cross the border, customs to Switzerland and France? (page 2 of 3)

Oh yeah, and on top of kirsch, there are other fruit spirits like apricot brandy, plum, raspberry, damassine, and absinthe too....... Anasthasie's family must run on Henniez 😛

Or a Diet Coke like me... 😉

Hi there,

A lot of people here seem to forget that Geneva Airport isn’t far, so duty-free isn’t more expensive ;) But that’s not the case for everyone. And yes, Switzerland does make alcohol, and the region produces wine—it’s not as good as they claim, but they do make it!

If you have a passport, try to bring it along with your ID card. My partner got a hard time because their French ID card, even though it was extended by the French state, isn’t well-received in Switzerland. Flash your papers with the utmost care and your brightest smile. Swiss customs officers don’t mess around with the French, nor does the police, for that matter! If they ask if you have anything to declare, even if it’s within the legal limit or just your luggage, say yes. If you say no and they think you should’ve said yes for a bag with 3 bananas, they *can* give you a hard time for no reason. Honestly, this is all true—I’ve worked in Switzerland, my partner too, and I’ve lived near the border for over 20 years. I can tell you that if they can be a pain, they *will* be :)

Oh wow...

The French national ID card (CNI) +5 years is officially recognized by Switzerland. https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home/publiservice/weisungen-kreisschreiben/visa/liste1_staatsangehoerigkeit/leg_reisedoks/FRA-2.html How could it be frowned upon?

However, if your spouse was a minor when their CNI was issued, it couldn’t have been extended by 5 years.

Where do you live, Dominique? It’s frowned upon because even though Switzerland accepts it, customs officers aren’t as flexible and don’t like approving this kind of thing.

I live in France, a country where the law of the Republic requires law enforcement (police, customs, immigration, etc.) to respect French legislation. I can't imagine Switzerland wouldn't do the same.

I don't know what "mal vu" (frowned upon) or "not liking to accept" means. There's no flexibility involved. Either the document is valid or it isn't—it's binary.

+5 refers to the period from January 2, 2004, to December 31, 2013.

At the time of your check, only ID cards issued to adults between January 2004 and June 2009 were (or had been, for those issued from January to June 2004) in the +5 category. If your partner is "young," that might explain your experience. If their ID wasn’t in the +5 category, then the customs officer might have had an issue.

Here’s a table to give you an idea: www.service-public.fr/...ers/vosdroits/F32303

I’ll ask again since I didn’t get an answer: How old (adult/minor) was your partner when their ID was issued?

I get the feeling you’ve never had the chance to taste the really good wines produced just in the canton of Geneva (you’ve got to go to the open cellars—they’re not sold commercially), and I’d really like to know why you claim customs officers could hassle you over 3 bananas. Why write such nonsense?

I’ve tasted plenty of Swiss wine and honestly, I don’t find it all that great.

Why did I say customs officers might hassle you over 3 bananas? It was a silly example to make my point. I can tell you that as a French person, we often end up at customs with officers protesting over things that are absolutely ridiculous.

Dom, I also asked you a question. My partner was an adult at the time. Whether it’s the law or not, some people just love to put you in your place even when they’re wrong. Like with motorcycles—sometimes they try to slap you with fines that make no sense.

I can tell you I’ve been on the receiving end multiple times of customs officers nitpicking because they can’t reprimand you for something that actually bothers them. And I’m far from the only one.

Dom, even in our own country, we have corrupt cops and police brutality. It’s the same everywhere, so don’t come telling me how customs officers behave—I’ve crossed paths with them several times a day, every day, for years.

I’d rather not continue this discussion given the direction you’d like it to take.

I’ll just wrap up by reminding everyone that customs officers worldwide are there to enforce customs regulations.

These rules are complex and still apply between France and Switzerland since Switzerland isn’t part of the European Union or even the EEA.

Duty-free allowances for cross-border commuters, frontier workers, and international transport employees are very limited because, by definition, they can cross borders every day. www.legifrance.gouv.fr/...p;dateTexte=20190620

Examples for entering France, regardless of the cross-border commuter’s nationality: - 40 cigarettes for a cross-border commuter, - 0.5 liters of wine for a cross-border commuter, - other goods: 75 € for a cross-border commuter. You can imagine it’s not much different the other way around, right?

Beyond these limits, duties, taxes, VAT, etc., must be paid. Cross-border commuters know these rules well—they’ve been in place for years—even if they claim otherwise. It’s the usual cat-and-mouse game, as always.

Fair enough, let's leave it at that. There's a difference between theory and practice, between texts and reality. As long as you think you know it all about people who've been through things, it's clear no one will move forward!

Where do you live, Dominique? It’s frowned upon because even though Switzerland accepts it, customs officers aren’t as flexible and don’t like approving this kind of thing.

The idea of something being "well-regarded" or "frowned upon" has no place in the reasoning of an immigration or customs officer. Either the Swiss government accepts a regulation, or it doesn’t, and the officer enforces those decisions. The rest is just talk. Sorry, but often you just have to apply and enforce the law.

For your info, goods declared under duty-free allowances obviously don’t need to be declared. It’s a right.

Otherwise, declare your vehicle too while you’re at it: it’s also admitted duty-free and represents the highest value when you go through customs.

As for Swiss border guards, sure, they can be a bit cold. But it’s also their way of asserting their authority, especially with people coming from countries where respect for authority is lower (it’s well-known everywhere, actually).

Regarding nitpicking: Actually, border guards will run your names through their databases as soon as the check starts. They check if you’re wanted, banned from entering, or have outstanding traffic fines or other issues. I’ve often heard of cross-border commuters getting caught “by surprise” on their way to work in the morning and having to pay hefty fines on the spot for parking violations or other offenses. If you’re not flagged negatively in their files and you have a credible reason for coming to Switzerland (a very tourist-friendly country), the inspection will rarely go deep. Otherwise, it’s usually just a quick search of the car or luggage, but that’s not common.

Finally, the mention of corruption is kind of amusing. I don’t get the impression that Switzerland is a country where small arrangements are frequent. From what I’ve read in the Swiss press, cases of police corruption seem quite rare (Except maybe in Geneva).

What’s been said should also be taken in the local context. There’s tension in the border area, especially around Geneva. Probably due to cultural differences (in the broad sense).

It’s also pretty funny to hear (quite widespread) cross-border commuters attributing all sorts of flaws to the Swiss. Besides the fact that Switzerland has a huge number of foreign residents, those same commuters don’t hesitate to cross the border to earn three times as much as in France without bearing the higher cost of living.

If you're talking about corruption based on what I said, you misunderstood. I was simply explaining to Dom that just because someone represents the law doesn’t mean they follow it to the letter without any exceptions. So I’m not saying Swiss customs officers are corrupt—just that, as you mentioned, there’s a bit of a rivalry with cross-border workers.

Swiss people have plenty of flaws, but so does everyone. And saying "the Swiss" is still talking about over 8 million people—so it doesn’t mean anything! Like saying the French don’t respect the police. Some do, some don’t. ANYWAY. It’s clear that Swiss police tend to target French people more than Swiss citizens.

As for taking advantage of the salary—yes, that’s true, though not every cross-border worker earns 5,000 CHF, let’s be clear. As a cross-border worker, you pay for *LaMal* (or CMU, but for me it was 333 CHF per month for *LaMal*), you pay taxes that add up to a pretty penny, and just because you’re a cross-border worker doesn’t mean you’re living *super* well. In Annemasse, everything costs an arm and a leg—rent, food, parking, activities (and some don’t even earn a Swiss salary). So yes, there are advantages, and we take them, but that doesn’t make us oil sheikhs. Because after my exchange rate, paying *LaMal*, I only earned 200 CHF more than I did in hospitality in France working 39 hours a week—while putting in more hours here! (The 200 CHF extra is if you prorate the hours worked in Switzerland with a French salary.)

SOOOOO it’s not *that* amazing. Plus, the Swiss benefit too. They get to pay lower salaries (the job I had was previously done by a Swiss woman who earned 1,400 CHF *net* more than my *gross*), some live in France, others do their shopping here, yet they criticize us just as much. It’s a give-and-take.

The term "corruption of Swiss authorities" was used. Strictly speaking, it has little relevance here given Swiss morality (I wouldn’t be disparaging by citing other countries where the situation is more problematic)... even if Geneva seems to be a small exception...

It’s not illogical that Border Guards check non-Swiss residents more often.

Some time ago, I had a dispute with a transport company (resolved by customer service later). I had to pay an invoice, and I was told that if I didn’t, I’d be registered with the debt enforcement office and the police would come to my home. As a non-resident, the second phase would have been complicated to enforce. The only solution: a border check.

You probably know many cross-border workers who’ve been caught at the border for unpaid traffic fines (speeding, parking...). It’s very common. A friend had to pay her outstanding fines while going through immigration at an airport in the country while heading on vacation.

For cross-border workers, I understand your point of view.

But someone working under French labor law also pays health insurance contributions (the CSG and CRDS lines on my pay slip have very significant amounts, not including supplementary insurance). Plus, I learned when I went to the tax center for my declaration that all your health contributions are tax-deductible... unlike for the French: a non-significant portion of my CSG is taxable!

Still, Swiss salaries are much higher—let’s not pretend otherwise (even if Geneva is known for abuses).

The standard of living is much higher in border regions than in other parts of France (especially around Lake Geneva, less so in Alsace). But think about workers under French status who endure this standard of living without corresponding salaries.

Yes, working hours are longer in Switzerland than in France, and there’s more precarity... but given the number of cross-border workers who take the risk, the game must be worth the candle, as they say.

Sure, the Swiss benefit from shopping in France, but the Geneva Migros and Manor stores haven’t gone bankrupt, unlike in Basel, where it’s easy for Swiss residents to shop in "duty-free" stores.

As a cross-border resident under a French contract, I find the complaints from cross-border workers (the ones you’re making aren’t unique to you but are widespread in this community) quite hard to hear. The "existential financial problems" are pretty far from the yellow vests’ demands about making it to the end of the month.

As I mentioned before, not every cross-border worker earns 5,000 CHF—there’s a real issue there. I earned more than a French person working in France, but again, it wasn’t nearly enough to live large or go wild.

You’re talking about those struggling with the cost of living on the French side, and I’ve mentioned that too—I’m one of them, my mom is, my partner is... I pay rent for an average apartment that would get me a house elsewhere. I spend 80 € on groceries for just three meals, and I pay 13 € for a movie ticket while others pay 6 €. I live this reality, but when I was in Switzerland, it just meant I could afford a few extra expenses here and there—like buying name-brand groceries instead of store brands or treating myself to a movie and dinner out occasionally. But absolutely no chance of upgrading my apartment, buying a newer car, or splurging on designer clothes. Because let me repeat: NOT EVERY CROSS-BORDER WORKER EARNS 5,000 CHF. Some make just 2,000 CHF, and once you’ve paid all your bills, well...

I’ve always filed my taxes, and I’ve never had tax deductions for my health insurance. And social security plus a mutual insurance plan rarely costs just 300 bucks—especially since that 300 doesn’t even include the mutual plan.

It’s the same for the Swiss—stop thinking it’s some kind of paradise for them (or even foreigners living and working there). Once you look at everything they have to pay and how much they actually take home, a lot of people would come down from their conquistador high. And don’t just look at Geneva to get the full picture of Switzerland—it’s a jet-set lifestyle for many. But trust me, there are plenty of Swiss people struggling too.

Please!! I posted a message, a question that might seem basic to some. Thanks to those who replied in PM. Please stop settling your differences here. We never finish because everyone goes off into comments that go beyond my question. Why don’t you exchange in PM instead? It’d be more sensible. Thanks to everyone

You take your Coyote out of the vehicle before departure, buy a highway vignette if you plan to use it, and everything will be fine...

Hi there,

No laughing if you don’t know!

Switzerland makes excellent white spirits (between 40 and 50% alcohol) that are highly prized by enthusiasts (like me) at a reasonable price for those in the know. I’ve already brought back some Fendant from Valais, a fantastic Swiss white wine, and I’m not the only one! But with 6 bottles and 4 adults in the car, the customs officers didn’t bat an eye. For chocolate, I’ve never seen a customs officer take an interest.

So as long as you stay within reasonable limits—and considering you’ll see that Swiss prices are often a bit high—you’ll be fine!

Enjoy your visit to this beautiful country.

JP

And I’d really like to know why you claim that customs officers can hassle you over 3 bananas. Why write such nonsense?

I don’t know about 3 bananas, but for 1 kg of tea, yes! :( I was checked at Zurich Airport coming from Sri Lanka. I had a kilo of tea. Back then (1976), in Sri Lanka, it was hard to buy less than 1 kg. And I never expected to get in trouble over a pack of tea! Well, it cost me a fine—I’ve forgotten the amount—but more importantly, I had to wait around for almost an hour and missed my train to France! (Paperwork to fill out, etc.) I had 10 times the allowed limit because, according to Swiss customs, the limit was 100 g per person back then!! So being hassled over 3 slightly oversized bananas? Why not? ;)