Buyer Guide
Importing Custom Inflatables into Switzerland: Customs, VAT and Timing
Switzerland is outside the EU customs union; goods are declared to the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS/BAZG). Import VAT is charged at 8.1% on imported goods (2.6% for certain essentials). Switzerland abolished import tariffs on industrial products on 1 January 2024. That last point matters for planning: the duty question on an advertising inflatable is usually smaller than buyers expect, while the import VAT and the declaration itself are what need organising. Express or air freight usually takes express or air usually 4–15 working days after dispatch and sea routes sea, rail or truck usually 20–45 days, after dispatch and subject to route and customs
By InflatCraft Product Team • Last updated
Outside the EU customs union, and what follows
Switzerland is outside the EU customs union; goods are declared to the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS/BAZG).
The practical consequence catches out buyers who work across Europe: goods cleared into Germany or France are in free circulation in the EU, not in Switzerland. A Swiss delivery needs its own declaration, whether it arrives by air into Zurich or by truck across an EU border.
Switzerland abolished import tariffs on industrial products on 1 January 2024. For an advertising inflatable that removes much of the duty question, but it does not remove the declaration, the VAT or the classification work.
Import VAT and the landed figure
Import VAT is charged at 8.1% on imported goods (2.6% for certain essentials).
Plan the landed cost as goods plus freight plus import VAT, and confirm with your accountant how that VAT is recovered in your own position. A quotation that shows only the goods price is not the landed cost, and the gap is visible before ordering if you ask for the CIF value and the intended incoterm in writing.
DDP options are reviewed by quotation rather than offered as standard, because the VAT position sits with the importer.
Who declares, and with what
A Swiss importer or a forwarder acting for them files the declaration. The commercial invoice, packing list and transport document travel with the goods, and the invoice has to describe what is actually in the cartons, accessories included.
An inflatable ships as a fabric body plus a blower plus accessories, and those can classify differently. Ask the forwarder to confirm the classification from the materials, the use and photographs before the shipment moves.
Timing against the Swiss calendar
Bulk production typically takes 3–8 days for simple items, 7–15 days for standard custom work and 15–25 days for complex or large pieces, counted from final design approval. Freight comes on top, and the Swiss event calendar is front-loaded into summer and the Advent season. Work back from the installation date rather than the order date.
For a piece going to an Alpine venue, add time for the last leg: mountain access and winter conditions are a scheduling factor the lowland freight quote does not include.
What to send for a quote
Product type, target size, quantity, print-ready artwork, destination city and canton, whether the site is indoor or outdoor, the event date, and who acts as importer. If the venue has told you anything about material requirements, send that too: it can change the build.
Verified Specifications
Figures this guide is written against.
Lead time
- Typical: Bulk production typically takes 3–8 days for simple items, 7–15 days for standard custom work and 15–25 days for complex or large pieces, counted from final design approval
- Can be shorter: Repeat orders on an approved design can run shorter
- Freight and import time come on top. Lead time is confirmed per project once artwork, size, quantity and destination are fixed; treat any figure quoted before that as indicative.
Sourcing and Ordering Guides
More on quoting, terms and shipping.
Swiss Venue Requirements for Inflatables
What Swiss venues and cantonal authorities ask for before an inflatable goes up: RF fire classes, who decides, and which language the file should be in.
Swiss Event Calendar and Ordering Timeline
Art Basel, the 1 August national day, OLMA and the Advent markets, turned into artwork approval dates you can put in a project plan.
Importing Custom Inflatables into Mexico
What a Mexican import of a custom inflatable actually involves: the importer register, the customs broker, 16% IVA, and where the schedule usually slips.
Mexican Event Permits for Inflatable Installations
Who signs off an inflatable installation in Mexico City, what a Programa Especial de Protección Civil involves, and what the supplier has to provide.
Compare sizes, materials and air systems on the custom advertising inflatable product range page before sending an RFQ.
Relevant Product Pages
Compare specifications before submitting an RFQ.
Buyer FAQ
Additional specification questions.
Where to order
Order direct from the manufacturer.
Published by InflatCraft, operated by Tianjin Mufeng Trading Co., Ltd., a custom inflatable manufacturer founded in 2005 and based in Tianjin, China. We export to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Spain and Italy.
Request a quote
Send the brief and get a specification-based quotation.
MOQ and lead time
What sets the minimum order and where the time goes.
Sourcing from China
Brief, approval, Incoterms, freight and import, in order.
Verified specifications
Materials, air systems and lead time this site quotes against.
Export planning by country: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy.
