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Despite stricter duty-free limits in Switzerland, Germany is planning to promote shopping tourism. The digital export certificate is to be introduced and the 50-euro limit abolished.
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- Switzerland is lowering the duty-free limit for purchases abroad from January.
- German politicians are reacting and want to promote shopping tourism from 2026 with a digital export certificate and the abolition of the 50-euro bagatelle limit.
- The Swiss retail trade fears that the new German regulations will lead to increased shopping tourism and therefore losses of over CHF 10 billion per year.
From January, Switzerland will reduce the duty-free limit for purchases abroad from CHF 300 to CHF 150. However, Germany is planning measures to further promote shopping tourism. A digital export certificate and the abolition of the 50-euro bagatelle limit are intended to make the situation easier and more attractive for Swiss shopping tourists, as reported by Blick.
German politicians, including SPD member of parliament Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter and CDU member of parliament Felix Schreiner, have been campaigning for these simplifications for years. They emphasize that the digital export certificate is a more convenient procedure for Swiss customers and that the Upper Rhine will remain an attractive shopping destination.
The digital export certificate is to be introduced from mid-2026, enabling Swiss customers to reclaim German VAT on every purchase. The test phase for the associated smartphone app will begin in July 2025. This digital solution is intended to replace the current practice of manually stamping export certificates and avoid traffic jams at customs.
Swiss retail trade fears losses
The abolition of the 50-euro baggage limit is also expected in 2026. These changes are intended to strengthen the German retail trade, which saw a drop in sales when the de minimis limit was introduced five years ago. The refund of the VAT difference remains an important incentive for Swiss shopping tourists, especially in view of the strong franc and the higher German VAT rate of 19% compared to the Swiss rate of 8.1%.
The Swiss retail trade fears that more than 10 billion Swiss francs are lost abroad every year as a result of shopping tourism. The planned measures in Germany could reinforce this trend by making shopping even more attractive for Swiss customers.
This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). All content created by AI is verified by the editorial team.