DHL, UPS, and FedEx each charge an advancement (disbursement) fee for paying your Swiss import VAT and duty up front — a percentage of the advanced amount with a minimum, plus clearance handling. On a normal parcel that's roughly CHF 20–30, typically more than Swiss Post's CHF 13–16 + 3%, and often billed by separate invoice after delivery. You only avoid it if the shop ships delivered-duty-paid or charges Swiss VAT at checkout.
Why courier fees work differently from Swiss Post
Swiss Post publishes one simple clearance tariff (CHF 13/16 + 3%, capped at CHF 70). The express couriers don't work that way. Because they clear your parcel fast and pay the customs bill on your behalf, they charge for two things:
- The advancement / disbursement fee — their charge for fronting the VAT and duty to customs, calculated as a percentage of the amount advanced, subject to a minimum.
- Clearance handling — a processing or entry fee, small for routine parcels but much higher if your shipment needs a formal customs entry.
The result is a fee that's usually higher than Swiss Post's and, crucially, often arrives as a separate bill days after your parcel — which is why couriers generate more customs-fee surprises than anyone.
The fees, side by side
| Carrier | Fee to advance & clear your VAT/duty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Swiss Post | CHF 13 (EU) / 16 (non-EU) + 3% of value, cap CHF 70, + 8.1% VAT | The baseline. Charged only when tax is actually collected. |
| DHL Express | ≈ 2% of the advanced tax + clearance handling (CHF 19 routine / 39.50 formal) | Fast/business service; small parcels typically land ≈ CHF 20–30. |
| DHL Paket (Weltpaket) | 3% of goods value (max CHF 100) + CHF 13 clearance | DHL's slower parcel product — closest to Swiss Post. |
| UPS | ≈ 3% of the advanced amount, min ≈ CHF 25 (disbursement fee) | Formal entries add much more (entry preparation). |
| FedEx | 2.5% of the duty & tax, min CHF 22 (disbursement fee) | Frequently billed by separate invoice after delivery. |
Two honest caveats. First, couriers revise these schedules periodically and split them by service level — treat the table as the right order of magnitude, and check the linked source for the exact current figure. Second, the fee is charged on top of the VAT and duty you owe anyway; it is not the tax itself.
The sting: billed after delivery
With Swiss Post you usually settle at the door or in the Post app. Express couriers more often deliver first and invoice later: DHL and FedEx routinely send a separate bill days or weeks afterwards for the VAT/duty they advanced plus their fee. That bill is legitimate — refusing it doesn't make the underlying tax disappear, and it can go to collections. Keep the invoice; it should show the VAT/duty and the fee as separate lines so you can check it.
How to avoid courier customs fees
- Buy where Swiss VAT is charged at checkout, or shipped DDP. If the shop or platform charges Swiss VAT in the basket (mandatory for large platforms since 2025) or offers delivered-duty-paid, customs is cleared under their registration and no courier fee reaches you.
- Prefer Swiss Post for small foreign orders. Where you can choose the carrier, Swiss Post's clearance is usually cheaper than an express courier's advancement fee.
- Stay under the line. Below about CHF 62 including shipping no VAT is collected — so there's nothing to advance and no fee at all, whichever carrier delivers.
Our calculator deliberately flags courier parcels as “fee varies” rather than guessing, because the exact amount depends on the carrier, the service level, and the size of the tax advanced. Use it to pin down the VAT precisely, then add the courier fee from the table above.
Frequently asked — courier customs fees
Are DHL/UPS/FedEx fees higher than Swiss Post?
Usually yes. Swiss Post is CHF 13/16 + 3%; the couriers add a percentage-based advancement fee with a minimum, plus clearance handling — typically CHF 20–30+ on a normal parcel.
Why did the courier bill me after delivery?
They advanced your VAT/duty to customs so the parcel wasn't held, then invoiced you afterwards for that amount plus their fee. It's a real charge — keep the itemised invoice.
Can I refuse the fee?
Not really — the VAT and duty are genuinely owed, and the advancement fee is the carrier's published charge for paying them for you. Refusing risks collections. The way to avoid it is to buy DDP / checkout-VAT, or use Swiss Post.
Sources
- Swiss Post — import customs clearance fees
- DHL Express Switzerland — Service & Rate Guide 2025 (customs services)
- UPS Switzerland — Additional Services & Charges (brokerage/disbursement)
- FedEx Switzerland — duties, taxes & ancillary clearance fees
Carrier fees checked 6 July 2026. Couriers revise these schedules and vary them by service level — always confirm the current figure on your invoice or the carrier's page above.