Moving from Switzerland to Vietnam
A practical guide to trucking your home out of Switzerland, sailing it to Hai Phong or Ho Chi Minh City, and clearing Vietnamese customs with your work permit in hand.
Moving from Switzerland to Vietnam, in one honest summary.
A move from Switzerland to Vietnam starts on the road, because Switzerland is landlocked. Your home is packed and trucked to a port such as Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp or Genoa, then loaded onto a deep sea vessel for the long haul to Vietnam. Northern arrivals clear at Hai Phong, which serves Hanoi, while southern arrivals come into Cat Lai near Ho Chi Minh City. For a typical two to three bedroom home in 2026, budget roughly CHF 7,000 to CHF 15,000 door to door.
The thing that surprises people is how much Vietnamese customs ties your shipment to your work status. Used household goods are admitted with relief for foreigners who hold a valid work permit and the right residence document, but Vietnam restricts or bars the import of used electronics, used appliances and used clothing in commercial form, so an old television or fridge can be refused. The shipment is best timed to arrive after your work permit and temporary residence card are issued.
Plan on eight to twelve weeks door to door, since the inland leg out of Switzerland and the long ocean route both add time. Book early, keep a clear inventory, and make sure your employer paperwork and residence documents are ready before the vessel reaches a Vietnamese port.
What it costs in 2026, by home size and method.
These are indicative 2026 ranges in Swiss francs for the Switzerland to Vietnam lane, door to door. Volume, season, the inland distance to the loading port, and delivery within Vietnam move the final number most.
Shared container means your goods travel as part load and share space with other shipments, which is cheaper but slower because it waits to consolidate. A full container is faster and more secure once volume passes roughly a one bedroom home. Summer is the peak season and prices rise from June to September.
- +Lowest cost for small volumes
- +Good for partial moves and boxes
- −Slower, waits to consolidate
- −Extra handling at the groupage depot
- +Sole use, sealed at your door
- +Right size for a one to two bed home
- +Cleaner customs with a single inventory
- −Some unused space for smaller loads
- +Fits a three to four bed household
- +Best value per cubic metre
- −Overkill below a two bed volume
- +Days, not weeks
- +Ideal for a first essentials box
- −Costly for full households
- −Strict weight and size limits
Get moving quotes for Switzerland to Vietnam.
Tell us your home size and timing and we put your Switzerland to Vietnam move in front of vetted international movers who run this lane. Free, no obligation.
A realistic schedule for this route.
A realistic schedule from first quote to final delivery on the Switzerland to Vietnam route. Customs depends on your work permit and residence card, so align the shipment with those dates.
Get quotes and book
Request a binding pre move survey from movers who run the Asia lanes. Book early for summer sailings and to schedule the inland leg out of Switzerland to the loading port.
Sort documents
Line up your passport, work permit, temporary residence card or visa, and a clear inventory. Vietnamese clearance leans heavily on your employment and residence paperwork, so get it in order.
Pack and load
Packers wrap and inventory everything and load for the road leg to the port, where the container is sealed. You keep a copy of the signed inventory.
Road and ocean transit
Goods travel by road to the loading port, then sail to Hai Phong for the north or Cat Lai for the south. Port to port ocean time is commonly five to eight weeks depending on routing and transshipment.
Customs and delivery
Vietnamese customs check your goods against your work permit and residence document. With the file in order, clearance proceeds, and the mover trucks your shipment to your address and unpacks.
Bringing used household goods into Vietnam.
Vietnam admits used household goods and personal effects for foreigners who are relocating with a valid work permit and the right residence status. Clearance is handled by the General Department of Vietnam Customs, and the paperwork is closely tied to your employer and your immigration documents. A common requirement is your work permit, your passport with a valid visa or temporary residence card, a detailed packing list in English, and the bill of lading or air waybill.
The big catch on this route is restricted categories. Vietnam controls or prohibits the import of used electronics, used household appliances and used clothing in commercial quantities to protect local markets and limit electronic waste, so older televisions, fridges and similar items may be refused or held. Plan around this and consider replacing bulky old appliances rather than shipping them.
Firearms, certain media and printed matter, and some plants and foods carry their own controls or bans. Vehicles can be imported but face significant taxes and registration steps and are best treated as a separate project. Pets travel under Vietnamese veterinary import rules and need a health certificate and current vaccinations arranged well ahead.
The routes in for this corridor.
Most people moving from Switzerland to Vietnam arrive for work, so residence usually flows from a job. Each route is summarised in two sentences. None of this is immigration advice, so confirm with official Vietnamese sources before you commit.
Foreigners working in Vietnam need a work permit sponsored by an employer, which then supports a temporary residence card for longer stays. The card, issued by the immigration authority, is what lets you settle and underpins your household goods clearance.
People who invest in or run a company in Vietnam can obtain an investor visa and residence tied to the business. Conditions depend on the size and form of the investment.
Spouses and close family of Vietnamese citizens or of foreign residents can obtain residence on that basis. The sponsoring relative's status shapes the documents and conditions.
Vietnam offers electronic and longer validity visas useful for extended stays, though these do not by themselves grant the right to local employment. Check the current categories and durations before relying on one.
How to pick a mover for this route, without the guesswork.
We do not rank or recommend individual companies. We teach you the criteria that separate a safe international move from an expensive mistake, then put your request in front of vetted movers who run this lane.
Look first for membership of FIDI or IAM, the two international moving networks whose members are audited for financial stability and quality. A mover that runs the Switzerland to Vietnam lane regularly will understand the inland leg to a port, the work permit linked customs file, and the restricted item rules on used electronics and appliances, which a generalist often does not.
Insist on a binding pre move survey, in person or by video, so the quote reflects your real volume rather than a guess. Get the scope in writing: who packs, who handles customs paperwork at each end, what insurance covers, and what the destination delivery charge includes. Compare like for like, because the cheapest headline number often hides charges that appear later.
Check the insurance terms and the claims record, read recent reviews from people who moved on the same route, and confirm the mover carries marine or transit cover that pays replacement value, not a token figure by weight. When you are ready, the quote form below puts your move in front of vetted movers who run this corridor, with no obligation.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Switzerland to Vietnam?
As an indicative 2026 range, a one bedroom home runs roughly CHF 3,800 to CHF 9,500 and a two to three bedroom home roughly CHF 6,500 to CHF 15,000 door to door, depending on shared versus full container, the inland leg out of Switzerland, and delivery within Vietnam.
How long does shipping take from Switzerland to Vietnam?
Plan on eight to twelve weeks door to door for a full container, with an inland road leg to a European port, ocean transit of about five to eight weeks to Hai Phong or Cat Lai, plus packing, customs and delivery. Shared loads take longer because they wait to consolidate.
Can I bring used electronics and appliances to Vietnam?
Often no. Vietnam restricts or prohibits the import of used electronics, used appliances and used clothing in commercial form, so older televisions, fridges and similar items can be refused. Many movers advise replacing bulky old appliances rather than shipping them.
Which port will my shipment arrive at?
Shipments for the north usually clear at Hai Phong, which serves Hanoi, and shipments for the south come into Cat Lai near Ho Chi Minh City. Your mover routes based on your destination city and the sailing schedule.
Do I need a work permit to clear my goods?
In practice yes for most movers. Vietnamese customs ties used household goods relief to your work permit and residence status, so the shipment is best timed to arrive after your work permit and temporary residence card are issued.
When should I start planning the move?
Begin ten to fourteen weeks ahead, and earlier for summer sailings. The real deadline is having your work permit and residence document in place so customs clearance is not held up.
Last reviewed: 26 February 2026. We refresh this guide as costs, customs, and visa rules change.