Cross-Border Grocery Shopping in Italy: When It's Worth the Trip (and When It Isn't)
Since 1 January 2025 you can bring goods worth CHF 150 per person and per day into Switzerland without Swiss VAT, down from CHF 300, children included. Quantity limits apply too: 1 kg of meat and meat products, 1 kg or 1 litre of butter and cream, 5 litres of wine or beer. Above the value limit, Swiss VAT on food is 2.6%. For food and non-alcoholic drinks, Eurostat's 2025 price index is 101.1 in Italy and 155.9 in Switzerland: the gap is real, but these are national averages, not your basket.
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Shopping for groceries across the border is common near Italy: according to the University of St. Gallen's 2025 study, Italian-speaking Swiss shop abroad most often in Como, French speakers in Pontarlier and German speakers in Konstanz. Since 1 January 2025 the value limit is CHF 150 per person and per day. Below are the rules of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS), the Italian VAT refund, a price comparison and the sums that show when the trip pays off.
Checked on 27 October 2026. Customs rules: FOCBS website. Italian VAT refund: ADM (the Italian customs and monopolies agency) and the Italian Revenue Agency. Prices: Eurostat, 2025 data. Rules change: check the limits before you go.
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How much can you bring from Italy into Switzerland in 2026?
Two rules apply together: a value limit, which concerns Swiss VAT, and quantity limits on some products, which concern customs duty. Since 1 January 2025 the value limit has been CHF 150 per person and per day, down from CHF 300. The Federal Department of Finance made the change to meet a mandate from Parliament and two cantonal initiatives against shopping tourism (press release of 16 October 2024).
Value limit. You may import goods worth CHF 150 without VAT if they are for your own use or gifts (FOCBS). What counts is the value net of the Italian VAT, when it is shown on the receipt or invoice, converted into Swiss francs.
| Product | Duty-free per person and per day | Above that quantity you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Meat and meat products (not game) | 1 kg | CHF 17 per kg up to 10 kg, CHF 23 per kg above |
| Butter and cream (at least 15% milk fat) | 1 kg or 1 litre | CHF 16 per kg or litre |
| Oils, fats and margarine for food | 5 kg or 5 litres | CHF 2 per kg or litre |
| Wine, beer and other drinks up to 18% vol. | 5 litres | CHF 2 per litre |
| Drinks over 18% vol. | 1 litre | CHF 15 per litre |
| Cigarettes and cigars | 250 pieces | CHF 0.25 per piece |
| Other foods and goods (for example cheese, pasta, fruit, sweets) | no quantity limit | duty-free |
Source: FOCBS, duty-free allowances, read on 27 October 2026. Duty is calculated on gross weight, packaging included. Ready meals with more than 20% sausage, meat or blood by weight count as meat. Alcohol and tobacco allowances apply only from the age of 17. Animal products may be imported only from EU countries, Iceland, Northern Ireland and Norway, so from Italy too.
For a shorter summary of the same rules from a Ticino point of view, see grocery shopping in Italy from Ticino.
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How the CHF 150 limit works for families and children
Each person has their own allowance and can use it once a day, children included: a family of four reaches CHF 600 if the goods can really be split between the four. A single item worth more than CHF 150 is always subject to VAT, whatever the number of people. The quantities in the table also apply per person.
On your own, if you go over CHF 150, VAT is calculated on the whole value: with CHF 400 of goods you pay VAT on all CHF 400, not just on the CHF 250 above the limit. In a group the calculation is different. The FOCBS example: two people import goods worth CHF 500, no single item above CHF 150; the first has CHF 150 VAT-free, and for the second VAT is due on CHF 350.
The VAT rate on food is low: 2.6% for food and non-alcoholic drinks, 8.1% for everything else, alcoholic drinks included. On CHF 200 of food the VAT is CHF 5.20. Going over the limit therefore costs little, while not declaring is a risk: customs checks can also take place inside the country, and undeclared goods can no longer be declared after a check.
How to declare your shopping at Swiss customs
Within the value and quantity limits, no formal declaration is needed. By car, the FOCBS asks you to place the green visual declaration behind the windscreen.
Above the limits, you declare and pay with the official QuickZoll app, which needs no registration. The duty and VAT can be paid at the earliest 48 hours before you cross, and you give a two-hour window for crossing; after that you can enter through any border crossing.
How much do you save in Italy compared with Switzerland?
| Category (Eurostat, 2025) | Switzerland | Italy | Italy below Switzerland | Swiss customs limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food and non-alcoholic drinks | 155.9 | 101.1 | 35% | CHF 150 of value for all goods |
| Meat | 219.0 | 104.1 | 52% | 1 kg per person duty-free |
| Oils and fats | 178.0 | 93.0 | 48% | 5 kg or litres per person |
| Alcoholic drinks | 154.0 | 81.9 | 47% | 5 litres up to 18% vol., 1 litre above |
| Cereals and cereal products | 159.8 | 106.4 | 33% | no quantity limit |
| Milk, dairy products and eggs | 144.0 | 105.3 | 27% | butter and cream 1 kg or litre, the rest without limit |
| Fruit and nuts | 122.2 | 107.2 | 12% | no quantity limit |
| Fuels and lubricants | 113.7 | 109.6 | 4% | not a grocery category |
Source: Eurostat, price level indices by category (EU = 100, dataset prc_ppp_ind_1), year 2025, updated 9 July 2026. The column «Italy below Switzerland» is a Rappn calculation: 1 minus the Italian index divided by the Swiss index.
The largest gap is on meat, which has a tight limit: 1 kg per person duty-free, then CHF 17 per kg. On fruit the gap is the smallest among foods, and fuel is close to parity. As for perception, the University of St. Gallen's 2025 study (24 September 2025) finds that Swiss shoppers abroad estimate goods in Switzerland about 66% more expensive than across the border, while the price gap measured in five product groups is 40% on average; food is among the groups where prices are overestimated most.
An illustrative sum, not a measured price: with these indices, a basket costing CHF 150 in Italy would cost about CHF 231 at average Swiss prices (150 × 155.9 ÷ 101.1). The difference is therefore of the order of CHF 81 per person and per day, before fuel, parking and time. The comparison with all neighbouring countries is in Switzerland's price level against its neighbours, and prices inside the canton in grocery prices in Ticino.
How the Italian VAT refund (tax free) works in 2026
People who live outside the EU, Switzerland included, can get Italian VAT waived or refunded (art. 38-quater of DPR 633/1972, ADM). Customs never pays it: the seller and the tax-free companies handle it, with ADM's digital system OTELLO, compulsory since 1 September 2018. The steps:
- When you buy. Ask for a tax-free invoice and show your passport or an equivalent document. The amount must exceed 70 euros per invoice, VAT included, and the goods must be for your own or your family's use and travel in your personal luggage. Check that your copy shows the OTELLO request code and your details.
- When you leave Italy. The goods must leave the EU within three months of the purchase, with a digital customs stamp on the invoice: at the customs desk or, at Chiasso railway station and on the Ponte Chiasso road crossing, with ADM's «VAT Refund» app (press release of 16 January 2026).
- Afterwards. Since 2026 the stamped invoice must go back to the seller by the sixth month after the purchase, instead of the fourth (Fisco Oggi, 13 February 2026). The refund comes from the seller or the tax-free company, which deducts its fee.
Swiss VAT is still due even when the Italian VAT is not refunded. How much is the refund worth on a food basket? The standard Italian VAT rate is 22%; for many foods the Italian Revenue Agency lists reduced rates (4%, for example, for food, drinks and agricultural products, and 5% for some foods). The VAT contained in an amount is amount × rate ÷ (100 + rate): on 100 euros that is 18.03 euros at 22% and 3.85 euros at 4%. On a food shop, after the fee, the refund is small; it matters more on purchases at the standard rate.
Where people from Switzerland shop: Como, Varese and the crossings
For Italian speakers the favourite destination is Como, according to the St. Gallen study. The crossings from Ticino are Chiasso (towards Como), Stabio-Gaggiolo (towards Varese) and Ponte Tresa (towards Luino and Varese); from the Upper Valais the Simplon road leads to Domodossola. By direct train, Como San Giovanni is 4 to 7 minutes from Chiasso, 33 to 44 from Lugano, 54 to 64 from Bellinzona and 73 from Locarno (timetable for 28 October 2026).
In Como the store matters too. In Altroconsumo's survey of March 2025 (1,150 stores in 67 Italian cities), the Iperal in Como came second in its ranking of individual supermarkets and hypermarkets for branded products, and, depending on the store chosen, a household in Como could save up to 1,386 euros a year. For the Swiss side of the border, see grocery shopping in Lugano and this week's grocery deals in Ticino.
When the trip does not pay off
A month's supply on your own. Above CHF 150 you pay VAT on the whole value: on food it is 2.6% (CHF 10.40 on CHF 400), but you have to declare and pay with QuickZoll, and the quantity limits still apply. Travelling with others, each person has their own allowance.
A trip for a single product or a full tank. Fuel, parking and time have to be spread over the whole basket: if the price gap does not cover them, the trip is a loss. For meat the cap is 1 kg per person duty-free, and for fuel the gap is a few points (2025 indices: 113.7 in Switzerland, 109.6 in Italy).
In these cases, check this week's offers in Switzerland first and add the purchases to a trip you were going to make anyway.
When it pays off
- Your basket is built around products with a large price gap and no tight quantity cap: oils and fats, wine within the 5 litres, cereals and dairy products (Eurostat table).
- You travel as several people: each has CHF 150 and their own quantities, and the cost of the trip is shared. The allowance renews every day, but every extra trip costs fuel and time.
- The crossing is close: fewer kilometres, less fuel and less time per trip.
- You compared first: with this week's offers and with the price per kilo or litre of your list.
Compare before you cross.
In Rappn you can search the products you usually buy and see this week's offers at the 7 Swiss chains it covers, with the price per kilo or litre, updated daily as the chains publish them. Mark a product as monitored and you get an alert when it goes on offer. Cross the border only if the Italian price really beats this week's offer, fuel and time included.
Our guide to saving money on groceries in Switzerland has the domestic picture, and the monthly grocery spending review helps you track cross-border shopping in your budget.
Updated: .
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current Swiss customs limit for grocery shopping in Italy?
CHF 150 per person and per day, children included, since 1 January 2025 (before: CHF 300). The value counts net of the Italian VAT shown on the receipt. If one person goes over CHF 150, Swiss VAT is due on the whole value: 2.6% on food and non-alcoholic drinks, 8.1% on everything else, alcoholic drinks included.
Can a family of four bring back CHF 600 of groceries duty-free?
Yes, if the goods can really be split between the four: each person has CHF 150, children included. A single item worth more than CHF 150 is always subject to VAT. Above the sum of the allowances, VAT is not charged on everything: with two people and goods worth CHF 500, for example, CHF 150 stays VAT-free and VAT is due on CHF 350 (FOCBS).
How do I clear customs when bringing groceries back from Italy?
Within the value and quantity limits, no formal declaration is needed; by car, place the green visual declaration behind the windscreen. Above the limits, declare and pay with the FOCBS QuickZoll app, at the earliest 48 hours before crossing, giving a two-hour window. Not declaring is punishable, and after a check undeclared goods can no longer be declared.
Is it still worth crossing the border to Italy after the CHF 150 cut?
It depends on your basket. In 2025 Eurostat's price index for food and non-alcoholic drinks was 101.1 in Italy and 155.9 in Switzerland (EU = 100), about 35% lower; the gap is larger for meat, oils and alcoholic drinks and smaller for fruit. These are national averages. The University of St. Gallen's 2025 study measured an average gap of 40% in five product groups, against 66% as perceived. Subtract fuel and time, and compare with this week's offers in Switzerland.
Can I claim back the Italian VAT (IVA) when shopping in Italy?
Yes, if you live outside the EU. At the till, ask for a tax-free invoice and show your passport or an equivalent document: it must exceed 70 euros, VAT included. The goods must leave the EU within three months with a digital customs stamp, given at the customs desk or, at Chiasso, with ADM's VAT Refund app, and since 2026 the stamped invoice must go back to the seller by the sixth month after the purchase. The refund comes from the seller or the tax-free company, minus its fee, never from customs. Swiss VAT is still due.
What happens if I bring back too much meat or wine?
You pay customs duty on the quantity above the allowance: CHF 17 per kg of meat up to 10 kg and CHF 23 per kg above, CHF 2 per litre of wine or beer up to 18% vol. and CHF 15 per litre of drinks above 18% vol. If the value also exceeds CHF 150, Swiss VAT is added. You declare and pay with the QuickZoll app before crossing.