Swiss Customs: Duty Calculator
VAT, Allowance & Border Rules
Free · In‑App Purchases · Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.
Work out what your shopping trip really costs before you reach the border: duty-free allowance per person, VAT and duty by category, live rate in francs. Works offline.
What does that shopping trip to Germany, France, Italy or Austria actually cost? Grenzhelfer works it out before you reach the border.
THE VALUE ALLOWANCE, CALCULATED PROPERLY
Every traveller gets 150 francs per day, children and infants included. One franc over and VAT applies to the whole of the goods that count, not just the excess. Grenzhelfer shows you that jump before it happens.
QUANTITY ALLOWANCES BY CATEGORY
Meat, butter and oil count per person per day. Alcohol and tobacco count only for travellers aged 17 and over. Duty is charged only on the amount over the limit, not on everything. For alcohol the strength matters; for tobacco, the category you declare.
CAR SHARING: ONE BASKET FOR EVERYONE IN THE CAR
The host sets the shopping country and the number of travellers, then shares a code. Everyone in the car types it in and adds their items to the same basket, so all passengers' value allowances count together. The phones connect directly to each other, so Wi-Fi has to be switched on, but no network and no signal are needed.
QUICK ENTRY
Type the amount on the number pad or scan the barcode. Product data comes from Open Food Facts.
FOREIGN VAT REFUND
Tag each item with its receipt and Grenzhelfer tells you which one reaches the minimum threshold. That threshold applies per till receipt, not per visit. A refund does not change the Swiss calculation.
RATE IN FRANCS
Euro amounts are converted to francs automatically. If the rate is too old the app warns you, and you can set it by hand.
WORKS WITHOUT A SIGNAL
The calculation runs offline, in the shop and in the car park.
GRENZHELFER PLUS
Hosting a car share, scanning receipts, the unlimited trip archive, the widget and the Live Activity are part of Grenzhelfer Plus, the paid upgrade. Joining a car share is free.
IMPORTANT
Grenzhelfer is a planning aid, not an official tool. All amounts are guide values without guarantee; only the FOCBS is binding. The actual declaration and payment happen in the official app of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, or at the customs desk. Grenzhelfer is an independent product with no connection to the Swiss Confederation.
Ratings & Reviews
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The developer, Alaeddine Messaoudi, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Used to Track You
The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:
- Identifiers
- Usage Data
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
- Purchases
- Identifiers
- Usage Data
- Diagnostics
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Alaeddine Messaoudi
- Size
- 10.7 MB
- Category
- Travel
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 18.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 18.0 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 18.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 15.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
English and 3 more
- English, French, German, Italian
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- Contains
Advertising
- In-App Purchases
Yes
- Grenzhelfer Plus – Offer $5.99
- Grenzhelfer Plus $7.99
- Copyright
- © 2026 Alaeddine Messaoudi