Cross-Border Grocery Shopping in Austria from Switzerland: Is Vorarlberg Worth It?
Swiss residents can import goods up to CHF 150 per person per day duty-free from Austria (since 2025, down from CHF 300), with meat capped at 1 kg per person. You reclaim Austrian VAT on receipts over EUR 75. Vorarlberg (Bregenz, Hohenems, Feldkirch) pays off for border households on toiletries, cheese and drinks, barely on fresh produce. Compare the franc prices in Rappn first.
As of June 2026. If you live in eastern Switzerland (St. Gallen, Graubünden, the Rhine Valley), the Austrian border is often closer than your nearest large supermarket. Vorarlberg, with Bregenz, Hohenems, Lustenau and Feldkirch, sits 10 to 30 minutes away. The most important number first: Swiss residents can import goods worth up to CHF 150 per person per day duty-free, since 1 January 2025, down from the previous CHF 300. Meat is capped at 1 kg per person per day. These rules come from the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG, bazg.admin.ch) and apply no matter whether you return from Germany, Austria or Italy.
Shopping in Vorarlberg still pays off for many border-living households, but only when planned. This guide gives you the customs rules, the Austrian VAT refund, what is actually worth it, and the honest reminder: compare the Swiss franc prices in Rappn first, before you drive across.
Sources verified: June 2026. Customs rules and duty-free allowances from BAZG (bazg.admin.ch), import guidance from ch.ch, VAT refund from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance (bmf.gv.at). Live Swiss offers in the Rappn app.
Rappn is the only neutral grocery price comparison app in Switzerland, with no commercial agreements with any retailer. Our recommendations are truly independent.
How much can I import from Austria into Switzerland duty-free?
The two core BAZG rules:
Value-free limit CHF 150 per person per day. Below this value no Swiss VAT applies. The catch: above CHF 150, import VAT is owed on the entire value of the goods, not just the excess. Bring in CHF 160 and you pay VAT on the full CHF 160 (8.1 percent standard, 2.6 percent on food), not just on the CHF 10 over the line. The limit is per person, so a family of four can legally reach CHF 600.
Meat: 1 kg per person per day free. Above that, between 1 kg and 10 kg the duty is CHF 17 per kilo, above 10 kg CHF 23 per kilo. These tariffs protect Swiss livestock farmers. One advantage of the Austrian border: animal products (meat, dairy) are allowed to be imported because Austria is an EU member state. From non-EU countries they would be banned.
| Goods | Free allowance per person per day | Duty above |
|---|---|---|
| Total value of all goods | CHF 150 | VAT on the full value |
| Meat and meat preparations | 1 kg | CHF 17/kg (up to 10 kg), then CHF 23/kg |
| Butter and cream | 1 kg/L | CHF 16 per kg/L |
| Oils, fats, margarine | 5 kg/L | CHF 2 per kg/L |
| Alcohol up to 18% vol | 5 litres (from age 17) | CHF 2 per litre |
| Alcohol over 18% vol | 1 litre (from age 17) | CHF 15 per litre |
Above CHF 150 the easiest way to declare is the federal QuickZoll app, paying the VAT before you cross. Fish and game do not count toward the 1 kg meat allowance.
Where do Swiss shoppers go in Vorarlberg, and what is worth it?
The usual destinations sit right behind the border. Hohenems and Lustenau are 15 to 25 minutes from St. Gallen and the Rhine Valley, Bregenz from the upper Lake Constance area, Feldkirch for the southern Rhine Valley and near Liechtenstein. The large grocery chains are Hofer (the Austrian Aldi), Spar and the big-box Interspar, Lidl and Billa. For toiletries and household, DM and Bipa are the destinations.
Savings vary a lot by category. The clearest wins from cross-border price watching:
| Category | Austria savings vs Switzerland | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Toiletries and household | clearly cheaper | DM and Bipa, long shelf life, easy to stock |
| Cheese and dairy | noticeably cheaper | watch the 1 kg butter cap |
| Sweets and snacks | much cheaper | international brands |
| Beer and soft drinks | much cheaper | watch the alcohol limit |
| Coffee, pasta, rice, oil | cheaper | dry goods, easy to store |
| Fresh meat | cheaper, but capped at 1 kg | math fails fast above the cap |
What barely pays off: fresh fruit and vegetables, because the Swiss discounters have closed the gap here. Before you set off, do the honest cross-check: is the franc price at home already on offer this week? That is exactly what the Rappn price comparison is for.
Don't pay for offers you didn't need.
Rappn shows you live grocery offers across all 7 major Swiss retailers (Migros, Coop, Aldi, Lidl, Denner, Aligro, Otto's) before you decide whether the cross-border trip is even worth it this week.
How does the Austrian VAT refund work?
Unlike Germany, the minimum in Austria is higher: the invoice must exceed EUR 75 (including VAT) on a single receipt for you to reclaim Austrian VAT (source: bmf.gv.at). Austria charges 20 percent standard VAT and 10 percent on food.
The process: ask the store for an export form (U34), get it stamped by Austrian customs at the border crossing before driving back into Switzerland, and submit it to the retailer or through a refund service like Global Blue or Planet. Anyone who spends between EUR 75 and CHF 150 per person and reclaims the Austrian VAT avoids tax in both countries. Note: Swiss customs uses the value after deduction of foreign VAT, as long as it is shown on the receipt.
Is the trip to Vorarlberg worth it for me?
Here is the honest framework. The trip pays off if all three are true: you live within roughly 30 minutes of the border (true for many in the Rhine Valley), you shop for a household rather than just yourself (the CHF 150 per-person allowance acts as a multiplier), and you buy the right categories (toiletries, cheese, sweets, drinks rather than fresh meat above 1 kg).
Treat it as a planned errand every few weeks, not a weekly trip. And compare the Swiss prices first: if your usual categories are on offer at home, you save the drive entirely. See it live in Rappn, start the price comparison here and decide on real franc prices before you fill the tank.
Sources checked: .
Before driving to Austria, check what the basket really costs at home. Rappn shows live Swiss prices across every chain so the trip is worth it. Tap the tabs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much can I import from Austria into Switzerland duty-free?
Up to CHF 150 per person per day tax-free (since 1 January 2025, down from CHF 300). Above CHF 150, import VAT applies to the entire value of the goods, not just the excess. Meat is capped at 1 kg per person per day (source: BAZG).
How much meat can I bring from Vorarlberg?
1 kg of meat and meat preparations per person per day is free. Above that, between 1 and 10 kg it costs CHF 17 per kilo of duty, above 10 kg CHF 23 per kilo. Because Austria is an EU member, animal products are allowed in principle.
Can I get the VAT back in Austria?
Yes, if the invoice exceeds EUR 75 on a single receipt (higher than the EUR 50 in Germany). Have the export form stamped by Austrian customs and submit it to the retailer or via Global Blue. Austria charges 10 percent VAT on food.
What is worth it in Vorarlberg, what is not?
Clearly cheaper: toiletries and household (DM, Bipa), cheese, sweets, beer, and dry goods like coffee and pasta. Barely cheaper: fresh fruit and vegetables, because the Swiss discounters have closed the gap.
Where do Swiss shoppers go in Vorarlberg?
Hohenems and Lustenau are 15 to 25 minutes from the Rhine Valley, Bregenz from the Lake Constance area, Feldkirch for the southern Rhine Valley. The main chains are Hofer (Aldi Austria), Spar, Interspar, Lidl and Billa.