Import
A general import permit is required for the import of goods subject to storage. Goods subject to storage are: Sugar, rice for food purposes, edible oils/fats, coffee, hard and soft wheat as well as energy and protein sources for animal feed.
General import permit (GIP)
For the following product groups above an import quantity of 20 kg gross, a general import licence (GIP) must be applied for from réservesuisse:
- Sugar
- Rice for human consumption
- Edible oils and fats
- Coffee
- Grains intended for human consumption*
- Energy and protein sources for animal feed
* not for pasta and flour
You don’t know if your merchandise require a general import licence (GIL)?
In the electronic customs tariff – Tares, you will find the tariff numbers, customs rates and references to other charges (VAT, incentive taxes, tobacco tax, beer tax, mineral oil tax, etc.) as well as information on prohibitions, restrictions or authorisation requirements.
Registration
An application for a general import licence (GIP) can be submitted online at no cost through the RÉSERVESUISSE CUSTOMER PORTAL.
Registration of an organisation or person
- Navigate to HTTPS://PORTAL.RESERVESUISSE.CH or select the user symbol in the top right-hand corner.
- Click on «REGISTER» below the login screen.
- Enter the required details (for companies: same company name as in the commercial register) and click on «Register».
- After successful registration you will receive a confirmation by e-mail (also check your SPAM folder).
- Confirm your registration by clicking on the link in the e-mail sent to you.
- You now have access to the CUSTOMER PORTAL and can log in.
- Add further details about your user under «profile». You can also set the language on this page.
You should now be able to access the CUSTOMER PORTAL. (If you are unable to gain access, please send us the exact error message by e-mail SUPPORT@RESERVESUISSE.CH)
Applying for a general import permit (GIP)
- In the customer portal, click on «PERMITS» in the menu on the left.
- Click on the blue plus symbol [+] at the top right.
- Check your details and click on «proceed».
- For companies: Upload the company’s extract from the commercial register (PDF) and click on «proceed».
- Select the desired product group and, required only for companies, enter the names of the authorised signatories according to the commercial register (one person for single signature and two persons for collective signature). Then click on «proceed».
- Download the signed application by clicking on «Download application» and upload it back to the customer portal. If you are not automatically taken to the next step, click on «proceed».
- Send your application by clicking on «send request».
- If you require further general import licences (GIP), repeat steps 1 to 7 for each additional product group.
- After your application has been checked, you will receive an e-mail confirming that your application has been approved and forwarded to the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) for further processing.
Please note that the general import licence (GIP) is only active and can only be used for customs clearance once the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) has processed the licence in its system (duration: 1 to max. 2 working days).
Your contact persons
Responsible
Are you having problems with the customer portal?
Try the following:
- Delete the website data (cache) in your browser
- Restart the browser
- Log in to the CUSTOMER PORTAL again
or
- Try another browser (Edge, Chrome, Firefox)
Contact
If you still have problems or other questions, you can contact us by phone on +41 31 328 72 72 or by e-mail at info@reservesuisse.ch.
Data protection
Data protection is a matter of trust, and your trust is important to us. We respect your personal information and privacy. It is for this reason that we ensure the protection and legally compliant processing of your personal data.