Chifra 2.1 and 3.1: customs rules updated (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• October 1, 2026: Chifra 2.1 and 3.1 updated
• The table of customs privileges has been reorganized
• The B card is valid in tourist traffic, except DNND
• Blue KD: no exemption via form 14.60, except for exceptions

Key Facts

• Published → 1 October 2026
• Location → Bern
• Updates → Chifra 2.1 and Chifra 3.1
• Form → 14.60
• KD card → blue stripe
• Exception → the first fitting out of the house at the beginning of the service activity
• Reference → Art. 20 SR 631.144
• Card B → all goods except DNND, free and without formalities in tourist traffic

On 1 October 2026, an external communication published by Bern updated the R-18 indications on duty-free goods and return goods. The text intervenes on Chifra 2.1 and Chifra 3.1, with two clarifications aimed at reading customs privileges. The text thus presents two distinct levels: on the one hand, the legibility of the list and the correction of the error; on the other hand, the rule for travel traffic when goods exceed the duty-free limits.

Chifra 2.1: Table is reorganized

The first change concerns the structure of the table. The aim of the reorganisation is to provide a better overview and greater understanding of the various customs privileges granted to persons entitled to customs and to those living in the same household. It is therefore not just a new layout: the communication also points out the correction of an error in the previously published list.

The most precise clarification concerns foreign career consular officers who possess a KD identification card with a blue stripe. For this category, the text excludes the duty-free importation of objects through form 14.60. The exception indicated is the first fitting out of the dwelling at the beginning of the service activity, which is permitted pursuant to art. 20 SR 631.144. The reference to the form and the specific phase of the service activity delimits the rule reported in the communication.

Chifra 3.1: the clarification on travel traffic

The second update concerns travel traffic, with reference to transported goods that exceed the duty-free limits. The rule expressed in the text is limited: only holders of an identification card B may import all goods, with the exception of DNND, duty-free and without formalities in tourist traffic.

For all other holders of an identification card, the communication refers to the provisions of point 3 of the table published in point 3.1. The distinction between KD card, B card and other cards is therefore the operational point to be read in the updated version.

Operational details

The practical value of the change lies in the sequence of verification, not in a new amount indicated in the text. To read the table without automatically extending a privilege, it is necessary to separate the card held, the type of traffic and the situation indicated by the communication. The source treats the KD with a blue stripe, the B and the other holders differently.

The table as a control matrix

For a KD card with a blue stripe, the point to be isolated is the relationship between the objects and form 14.60. The rule above excludes duty-free importation; the exception is not general, because it is related to the first fitting out of the house at the beginning of the service activity, pursuant to art. 20 SR 631.144. If that situation is not as described, the text does not authorize the form to be treated as an ordinary way to exemption.

The B card follows a different approach when it comes to tourist traffic: the communication uses the expression only and admits all goods, except DNND, without formalities and exempt from taxes. This wording should not be transferred to the other holders, for whom the reference is in point 3 of the table published in point 3.1.

The reference to members of the same household adds a check of belonging: the table is designed for eligible people and those living in the same household. It is therefore not enough to read a single isolated line. The reorganization was announced to make the picture more understandable and the correction of the previous error serves precisely to avoid a reading based on the outdated list.

Finally, the word taxes must be kept within the scope of the communication: here we are talking about the import of goods and formalities in tourist traffic, not a guide to the dichiarazione delle imposte. For the general data on the costo della vita in Svizzera, it is a separate in-depth analysis.

Recommended tools

For an updated estimate, use the net salary calculator and the CHF-EUR exchange comparator.

Key points

To translate the update into a concrete verification, the procedure can remain adherent to the steps in the communication. The goal is not to reconstruct a broader discipline, but to identify the applicable row in the reorganized table.

Five-Step Procedure

1. Pin the version. Use the update published on October 1, 2026 as a reference, and distinguish between the Chifra 2.1 and Chifra 3.1 sections. The date is the first item to associate with the correct list, because the text indicates an error in the previous version.

2. Identify the card. Check whether the case involves a B card, a KD card with a blue stripe or another identification card. If the situation involves people living in the same household, the table also includes this category of eligible persons.

3. Define the traffic. Clarify whether it is tourist traffic and whether the goods transported exceed the duty-free limits. This is the situation covered by the Chifra 3.1 clarification; without this distinction it is not possible to choose the correct rule indicated by the text.

4. Apply route B. Only the holder of the B card can import all goods, with the exception of DNNDs, duty-free and without formalities in tourist traffic. The formula must be read in full: card category, type of traffic and exception on DNNDs are linked.

5. Check the KD route. For foreign career consular officers with KD and blue stripe, duty-free importation of objects using form 14.60 is not permitted. The exception of the first fitting out of the dwelling at the beginning of the service activity occurs, referred to in art. 20 SR 631.144. For the other holders, the provisions of point 3 of the table published in point 3.1 apply.

This sequence avoids confusing the previous list with the correct list and prevents you from extending the rule of tile B to every other tile. For a separate check of your personal budget, use the calcolatore stipendio.

Source: admin.ch