Smart Border Austria: what will change for transport between Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein
The introduction of Smart Border Austria will mean that customs and transport information between Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein is processed digitally in future. For goods transported across the border with Switzerland, new requirements will apply when preparing transport operations: data must be complete, correct and available on time so that consignments can be processed without delays.
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Swiss Post Cargo | Switzerland|Reading Time 5 minutes
Goods traffic between Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein will soon be handled entirely digitally. Smart Border Austria lays the necessary foundations and transfers important process steps to the transport preparation stage. The aim is to make the flow of goods as efficient as possible without additional stops at the border.
Current status of digital border processing with active number plate recognition at each border crossing point:
For more information, please contact the relevant Swiss Post Cargo customs office directly.
Border crossing
Transport from Switzerland to Austria
Transport from Austria to Switzerland
Höchst
✅
✅
Lustenau
✅
✅
Mäder
✅
✅
Tisis
✅
✅
Hohenems
❌
✅
Meiningen
❌
❌
How to prepare your transport services
All the relevant information must be available in full and on time to ensure that the digital border processing system functions smoothly. Once a vehicle has set off, it is almost impossible to correct any information that is missing or incorrect. This may mean that transport cannot continue as planned, even before the vehicle reaches the border crossing point.
Provide customs-relevant documents
Make all the documents required for customs clearance available in good time, such as commercial invoices, delivery notes or export documents. Complete documents are essential for digital consignment processing.
Enter transport data
The new requirements
The new requirements will bring about significant changes in daily dispatch planning. Avoid the need for additional clarifications before departure by defining clear responsibilities, ensuring that notifications are complete and recording data correctly.
How digital border processing works
Customs and transport data must be declared and processed digitally before the vehicle crosses the border to ensure that goods can be transported without stopping at the border if possible. The process can be divided into six steps.
1
Provide transport information
Send all the relevant details (e.g. documents, vehicle data, route and border crossing point) to Swiss Post Cargo no later than 24 hours before the vehicle sets off. Swiss Post Cargo will then submit the required declarations in the Swiss customs system and in the Smart Border Austria module.
IMPORTANT: only correctly declared transport services can be processed digitally and approved for border crossing in the subsequent steps.
2
Give documents to the driver
The necessary reference numbers and documents are required for onward transport, for example for corridor processing or the transit process. These documents must be carried by the driver.
Other customs procedures
Rolling corridor
For international transport between the EU, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Only one corridor declaration is possible per vehicle, regardless of the number of customs agents involved.
Transit corridor
For consignments in transit, for example from Switzerland or Liechtenstein to Germany or Italy. The requirements apply to all the transit documents concerned.
Transit processing as an alternative
Depending on the type of transport, early transit processing can provide additional entrepreneurial freedom when crossing the border.
To ensure a smooth process
To ensure a smooth process
The following points must be taken into account to ensure efficient digital border processing:
– Make sure that notifications are as complete as possible and submit them well in advance. Ideally, notifications should be provided one day before transport begins, but no later than before departure.
– The number plates of the towing vehicle and trailer and the nationality of the vehicle must be indicated in the notification.
- For collective consignments, we ask the handling partner to state the name of the customs agent responsible for the digital transit slip (DTS) in the notification.
- We recommend downloading the Activ app. This helps ensure smooth digital border processing.
More information
The latest information and changes concerning Smart Border Austria can be found on the websites of AT customs and the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS).
Border processing begins before crossing the border
The information required for customs clearance and transport will have to be transmitted electronically before reaching the border crossing point in future. Only correctly declared transport services can be processed digitally and approved for border crossing. Subsequent physical clearance at the border will no longer be possible.
Vehicle data is becoming increasingly important
Vehicle data must be registered correctly so that shipments can be clearly recognized and processed. In particular, the number plates of towing vehicles and trailers will become a key part of the declaration process.
Automatic recording instead of manual checks
At defined points, vehicles will be recognized automatically and matched with the relevant prior declaration. Process steps that previously had to be completed manually will increasingly be supported by digital tools.
Border clearance
The customs authorities will process the necessary data in advance and grant approval via digital systems. Vehicles can only proceed to the border crossing point once approval has been granted.
Enter and confirm the relevant transport details promptly before the start of the journey. This includes the vehicle data, the planned route, the intended border crossing point and the scheduled time slot.
Determine the customs procedure
Clarify which customs procedure will apply prior to transport. Different processes and requirements may apply depending on the type of transport.
Define responsibilities
When transporting collective consignments or additional loads, the forwarder should determine at an early stage who is responsible for the declaration required for the entire vehicle. This declaration is mandatory for the corridor declaration process.
Remain available for queries
Designate a contact person who can be contacted at short notice to answer queries. This ensures that any questions can be resolved before departure.
3
Identify the vehicle
When the vehicle reaches the detection range, it is recognized by its number plate and automatically matched with the relevant prior declaration.
4
Obtain approval
Transport data is approved digitally after successful verification. Only then can the vehicle continue on its journey towards the border.
5
Continue transport
After approval, the vehicle can continue its journey without additional processing at the border, and the process is completed in the system.
Swiss Post Cargo | SwitzerlandReading Time 5 minutes