Since when have the procedures changed in the Rhine Valley?

The changes are indicated as starting on 1 October 2026. The communication concerns procedures relating to the commercial movement of goods at several border crossing points in the Rhine Valley. The same date is associated with the introduction of Smart Border Austria and the transition to Passar 2.0. It is the date indicated for the new arrangement described in the source.

What is changing at Wolfurt?

At Wolfurt, import customs clearance operations will no longer be carried out starting 1° ottobre 2026. The communication places this change within a broader change in procedures at several border crossings in the Rhine Valley. In parallel, digital and automated processes will become more important.

What elements drive the change?

The change is due to the introduction of Smart Border Austria and the switch to Passar 2.0. The communication links these two elements to the revision of procedures in the commercial traffic of goods. The explicitly stated result is a greater role for digital and automated processes, while import customs clearance is no longer being carried out in Wolfurt.

Wolfurt: stop to import customs clearance from 1 October (cross-border guide)

Di Redazione Frontaliere Ticino · Published on 1 October 2026

Goods traffic at a border post in the Rhine Valley.

From 1 October 2026, the procedures for the commercial traffic of goods in the Rhine Valley will change: import customs clearance will no longer be carried out in Wolfurt.

Context

In brief

From 1 October 2026, the procedures in the Rhine Valley will change.
The turning point concerns the commercial traffic of goods.
Import customs clearance is completed in Wolfurt.
The exchange rate is linked to Smart Border Austria and Passar 2.0.

Key Facts

Date → October 1, 2026
Area → several border posts in the Rhine Valley
Smart Border Austria and Passar 2.0 → programs
Wolfurt → no import customs clearance
Leadership → the most important digital and automated processes

On 1 October 2026, the procedures for the commercial traffic of goods at various border posts in the Rhine Valley will change. The external communication published in Bern links the change to two steps: the introduction of Smart Border Austria and the transition to Passar 2.0.

The most concrete point concerns Wolfurt. As of the date indicated, import customs clearance operations will no longer be carried out in this place. The novelty is part of a broader change, which involves several places in the Rhine Valley and not just one border point.

More space for digital processes

The communication also indicates the direction of the new set-up: digital and automated processes will become more important. This is the link between the two programmes mentioned and the change in operations at Wolfurt. For commercial freight traffic, the date to be taken into account is therefore 1 October 2026, while the place expressly indicated is Wolfurt.

The verifiable fact remains the change in procedures: in Wolfurt there is no import customs clearance and, in the places concerned, the role of digital and automated processes is growing. As a separate in-depth study on currency exchange, comparatore CHF/EUR is available.

Operational details

What changes for shipments

The before-after comparison is defined above all by the Wolfurt case. With the announced change, that post will no longer carry out import customs clearance operations. At the same time, the procedures at the various border posts in the Rhine Valley will be affected by an increased importance of digital and automated processes.

For those who manage commercial traffic of goods, the practical consequence is a verification of the procedural path: it is not enough to keep the reference to Wolfurt as the place of import customs clearance, because the communication indicates that this activity will no longer be carried out there from 1 October 2026. The source focuses on the change in the procedure and the increased relevance of digital.

The role of Smart Border Austria and Passar 2.0

The two names are not ancillary details. Smart Border Austria is linked to the introduction of the new structure, while Passar 2.0 is linked to the step indicated in the communication. The explicitly stated result is a greater role for digital and automated processes.

The most prudent reading for a company is to separate what is certain from what remains to be verified: the date is certain, the change at Wolfurt is certain, and the greater importance of digital is certain. On the other hand, a further technical sequence is not indicated in the source. To convert any values expressed in different currencies separately, comparatore CHF/EUR is available.

Useful tools to protect your net income

To reduce FX leakage, compare CHF-EUR exchange options and banks for cross-border workers.

Key points

Checklist from 1 October

The communication allows you to set up an essential verification, without adding documents or steps that are not indicated:

1. mark 1 October 2026 as the date of entry of the changes; 2. check whether commercial freight traffic passes through one of the various border posts in the Rhine Valley concerned; 3. if the reference is Wolfurt, no longer consider that place for import customs clearance operations; 4. take into account the introduction of Smart Border Austria and the transition to Passar 2.0; 5. Prepare for a greater role for digital and automated processes.

This is the minimum procedure that can be obtained from the source. It is not possible to derive other terms, offices or documents from the communication: the operational point is to distinguish the place concerned, the date and the new direction of the trials.

A simple verification

To organise the internal reading of the report, it is advisable to associate each shipment with the border post involved and the relevant import phase. If Wolfurt appears, the change to be recorded is precise: from 1 October 2026, import customs clearance will no longer be carried out there. If the flow falls within the affected places in the Rhine Valley, the increased importance of digital and automated processes must be taken into account.

For a separate personal income check, use the calcolatore stipendio.

Source: admin.ch

Frequently Asked Questions

Since when have the procedures changed in the Rhine Valley?: The changes are indicated as starting on 1 October 2026. The communication concerns procedures relating to the commercial movement of goods at several border crossing points in the Rhine Valley. The same date is associated with the introduction of Smart Border Austria and the transition to Passar 2.0. It is the date indicated for the new arrangement described in the source.
What is changing at Wolfurt?: At Wolfurt, import customs clearance operations will no longer be carried out starting 1° ottobre 2026. The communication places this change within a broader change in procedures at several border crossings in the Rhine Valley. In parallel, digital and automated processes will become more important.
What elements drive the change?: The change is due to the introduction of Smart Border Austria and the switch to Passar 2.0. The communication links these two elements to the revision of procedures in the commercial traffic of goods. The explicitly stated result is a greater role for digital and automated processes, while import customs clearance is no longer being carried out in Wolfurt.