Shipping Company from Madinah to Switzerland 0552803439 | Visitors’ Luggage, Gifts, Furniture and Car Shipping to Zurich

Home Safe is a shipping company from Madinah to Switzerland that collects visitors’ luggage, gifts, dates, furniture and cars from the hotel or the home and delivers them in Zurich, Winterthur, St. Gallen and every other Swiss city. The distance is more than 4,000 km. A container goes down by truck to Jeddah Islamic Port, sails to a European port, then crosses the Alps by train, and arrives in 27 to 35 days door to door. An air shipment arrives in 4 to 7 days. Air freight starts from SAR 23 a kilogram, part-load furniture from SAR 5,500 and a car from SAR 2,800. To book: 0552803439.

In this guide44ShowHide

1. Who ships from Madinah to Switzerland, and what do they send?
2. The shipping route from Madinah to Switzerland and how long it takes
3. From Madinah to a European port, then Switzerland
4. Shipping prices from Madinah to Switzerland
5. What sets shipping from Madinah apart?
6. Shipping visitors’ luggage and gifts from Madinah to Switzerland
7. Moving furniture from Madinah to Switzerland with dismantling and assembly
8. A full container or a part load from Madinah?
9. Express parcels and documents with close follow-up
10. Shipping commercial goods and dates from Madinah
11. Car shipping from Madinah to Switzerland
12. Swiss customs and the documents required
13. What cannot be shipped from Madinah to Switzerland, or needs a permit
14. Delivering Madinah shipments in Zurich, Winterthur and St. Gallen
15. Our services for individuals, companies, government bodies and embassies
16. Is there land freight from Madinah to Switzerland?
17. Air freight from Madinah to Switzerland
18. Collection from the districts of Madinah and the governorates of the region
19. Phased shipping, temporary storage and door-to-door service
20. Steps for shipping from Madinah to Switzerland
21. Tracking the shipment and insuring it
22. Shipping from Switzerland to Madinah
23. Tips before shipping from Madinah to Switzerland
24. How do you choose a shipping company from Madinah to Switzerland?
25. Common mistakes when shipping from Madinah to Switzerland
26. Why choose Home Safe for shipping from Madinah to Switzerland?
27. Related articles and pages
28. Tags
29. Frequently asked questions about shipping from Madinah to Switzerland
30. How much does shipping from Madinah to Switzerland cost?
31. How long does a shipment take to arrive by sea freight?
32. What are the differences between air and sea freight on the Madinah – Switzerland route?
33. Do you collect a visitor’s luggage from a hotel near the Prophet’s Mosque?
34. Can Madinah dates be shipped to Switzerland?
35. Do you ship Zamzam water with the luggage?
36. Will my family in Switzerland pay tax on a gift parcel?
37. What customs procedures apply when the shipment arrives in Switzerland?
38. Can I ship my car from Madinah to Switzerland?
39. What documents are required for shipping from Madinah to Switzerland?
40. What are the benefits of temporary storage?
41. When is the best time to book to avoid seasonal congestion?
42. Is there land freight from Madinah to Switzerland?
43. Do you deliver to Winterthur and St. Gallen, or only to Zurich?
44. Do you ship from Switzerland to Madinah?

Sea route: your hotel or home in Madinah → truck to Jeddah Islamic Port → Red Sea and Suez Canal → port of Genoa → train through the Alps → your address in Switzerland · Expected time: 27–35 days by sea, 4–7 days by air.

Who ships from Madinah to Switzerland, and what do they send?

The Madinah – Switzerland lane is unlike the lanes out of the commercial cities. Most requests come from a visitor who travelled from Switzerland to pray in the Prophet’s Mosque and bought, in a few days, more than airline baggage allows. Next comes the resident who has finished working in Madinah and is returning to Europe, then the date trader. Each of them needs a different method and a different document at Swiss customs:

The shipper	What they usually send	Best method	What awaits them at Swiss customs
A visitor who came from Switzerland	Excess suitcases, gifts, dates and prayer rugs	Air, or sea for a large number of cartons	Used belongings return free of tax, and purchases are valued
Someone sending a gift to family there	Dates, incense, prayer beads and copies of the Quran	Air	The exemption for small gifts between individuals
A resident leaving Madinah for good	Household furniture, appliances and a car	A dedicated or shared container	Relocation relief with form 18.44
A date trader or an online shop	Ajwa, Safawi and Sukkari by the carton	A container, with small orders by air	Commercial import with an invoice and a certificate of origin

That is why we ask you first: are these your own belongings going back with you to your home, new purchases, or a gift for someone else? The customs declaration is written on that answer, and it decides whether the consignee pays anything.

The shipping route from Madinah to Switzerland and how long it takes

Neither Madinah nor Switzerland has a coast, so a sea shipment begins with a road journey and ends with one. The container travels about 420 km down to Jeddah Islamic Port, sails to a European port, then climbs by train to northern Switzerland and finishes by truck to the address. For a dedicated container the days are spread over the stages like this:

Stage	What happens	Usual time
Collection and packing in Madinah	Weighing, inventory and numbering, and dismantling furniture if any	One day
The road to Jeddah port	A truck on the Hijrah highway, about 420 km	One day
Export formalities and the quay	The export declaration and waiting for the vessel cut-off	3–5 days
Sailing to the port of Genoa	Red Sea, Suez Canal, Mediterranean	8–12 days
The European port	Discharging the container and opening the transit document	2–4 days
The train through the Alps	From the port quay to a container terminal in northern Switzerland	1–3 days
Swiss clearance	Lodging the declaration, then relief or payment of the tax	1–3 days
Distribution	A truck to Zurich, Winterthur or St. Gallen	1–2 days

And this is the door-to-door time of each method, so you can compare before booking your return ticket:

Method	Time from Madinah	For whom
Dedicated container via Genoa and the train	27–35 days	A household of furniture, or the luggage of a large group
Part load in a shared container	34–47 days	A visitor’s cartons and a few pieces of furniture
A car by RoRo or in a container	30–42 days	The car of a returning resident
Air freight	4–7 days	Suitcases, gifts and documents

What lengthens the time?

• Visiting seasons: in Ramadan and around Hajj demand in Madinah rises and the hours for trucks entering its centre narrow.
• A missed cut-off: a truck that reaches Jeddah port after the vessel has closed waits for the next sailing.
• The train timetable: the container train to Switzerland runs on set days of the week, so a container may spend two nights in the port.
• Winter and holidays: Alpine snow, and the halt on heavy trucks at night and on Sundays that applies in Switzerland in current practice.

To compare with other destinations, see the transit times page.

From Madinah to a European port, then Switzerland

The sea journey starts by truck to the port. A 20- or 40-foot container is loaded in front of your home in Madinah and sealed, then goes down to Jeddah Islamic Port in a single day. Yanbu port is closer, about 220 km away, but we sail from it only when it has a suitable vessel for Europe on your shipment’s date, and that is not guaranteed. From Jeddah the vessel heads north to Suez, then to a European port that we choose according to your destination:

European port	How the container continues to Switzerland	When we choose it
Genoa, Italy	A container train from the port quay through the Alpine tunnels to a terminal near Basel, then a truck	The usual choice, as the first large port after Suez on the Swiss side
Rotterdam or Antwerp	A river barge on the Rhine up to the port of Basel, or a train	For heavy goods that an extra week does not harm

The train is what makes the Genoa route practical for north-eastern Switzerland. The port authority has announced a direct train between the Genoa quay and a container terminal near Basel with fixed departures each week; the number of departures changes, so we confirm the timetable in force on the day of booking. From the terminal, Zurich is about 85 km away, Winterthur about 110 km and St. Gallen about 165 km. The container crosses Italy under its seal with a customs transit document, so it is not opened and no European tax is paid on it, and clearance takes place in Switzerland only. The other ports we work with are on the ports and gateways page.

Shipping prices from Madinah to Switzerland

The price on this lane is the sum of five parts: collection and packing in Madinah, the truck to Jeddah port or the airport, the vessel or aircraft fare, the transit from the European port into Switzerland, and then clearance and delivery. These are our starting prices:

What you ship	Method	Price starts from
Suitcases, gifts and parcels	Air freight	SAR 23 a kilogram
Documents and certificates	Express	SAR 83
Cartons, furniture pieces and luggage	Part load in a shared container	SAR 5,500
The furniture of a whole home	Dedicated 20- or 40-foot container	SAR 11,000
Saloon car	RoRo from Jeddah port to a European port	SAR 2,800
A car in a container as far as Switzerland	20-foot container	Set on request according to the Swiss city
Moving the container or car from Madinah to the port	Truck or car carrier	Set on request according to the load and the date
Dates and commercial goods	Dry or refrigerated container	Set on request according to the quantity

The prices circulating in the market for this destination are few and uneven. A parcel of one to 5 kilograms to Europe by express courier is offered at between SAR 270 and SAR 520. For parcels of up to 5 kilograms to Switzerland, figures between SAR 800 and SAR 1,200 are quoted; for the furniture of one room, between SAR 6,000 and SAR 10,000; for a complete bedroom, between SAR 10,000 and SAR 14,000; for an economy car by RoRo, between SAR 12,000 and SAR 18,000; for a luxury car in a container, between SAR 18,000 and SAR 25,000; and for an air shipment above 50 kilograms, between SAR 2,000 and SAR 4,000. We found no published price from Madinah specifically, which is why our price reaches you broken down into its five parts.

Factor	Its effect on the price
Chargeable weight by air	The greater of scale weight and volumetric weight; a carton of dates is heavy, while a carton of clothes is bigger than it weighs
Volume by sea	Counted in cubic metres. Try the CBM calculator on your cartons
The collection point in Madinah	A hotel in the central area needs a small vehicle, while a truck can enter a home in an open district
The Swiss address	Zurich and Winterthur are close to the container terminal and the airport, and St. Gallen is slightly further
The season	Ramadan and the Hajj season in Madinah, and the end of the year in Europe

How do you cut the cost?

• Combine all the purchases of the family or the group in one shipment, as the minimum charge is then paid once.
• Send books, rugs and kitchenware by sea if you are in no hurry, and leave the aircraft for gifts with a date attached.
• Separate small gifts by consignee, each under their own name, so that every parcel benefits from the exemption limit.

All the factors are explained on the pricing factors page.

What sets shipping from Madinah apart?

Three things make a Madinah shipment different from one out of Jeddah or Riyadh: its inland position, its airport, and the kind of people who ship from it. Madinah has no port, so every container is preceded by a truck journey to the coast. It has Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, so an air parcel may leave from the city without passing through Jeddah. And most of its shipments are people’s belongings rather than factory goods.

• The central area: closely packed hotels and constant pedestrian movement around the Prophet’s Mosque. Entry of large trucks is regulated by hours set by the traffic department and tightened in the seasons, and we confirm the hours in force before loading day.
• The Haramain train: a passenger train that carries no freight. Anyone leaving on it for Jeddah or Makkah hands us their excess luggage in Madinah before boarding.
• The date market: a shipment rarely leaves Madinah without dates. Ajwa, Safawi, Sukkari and Medjool are sold in its central market, and the region ranks among the Kingdom’s leading producers.

Shipping visitors’ luggage and gifts from Madinah to Switzerland

This is the most requested service on the lane. A visitor stays in Madinah for some days, the ticket allows one or two suitcases, and what has been bought for family and neighbours in Switzerland is more than that. So the visitor calls us a day or two before flying and we handle the rest: collection from the hotel, then weighing, packing and numbering, then shipping to the front door.

• Collection from the hotel: a courier with a small vehicle collects from reception at the permitted time and records the number of pieces in front of you.
• Weighing: every suitcase and carton is weighed and measured, and the figures are written on the receipt before the courier leaves.
• Packing: suitcases are wrapped in clear film and strapped, and weak cartons are replaced with double-wall ones.
• Numbering: a number on every piece matching the contents list, with the consignee’s name and Swiss phone number on two sides.

The gifts that leave Madinah are much the same from one visitor to the next, and each kind has its own way of being packed and its own treatment at Swiss customs in current practice:

Item	How we pack it	What to watch for in Switzerland
Dates	Their original boxes inside a ventilated carton, away from perfumes and heat	They enter without a plant health certificate, and tax on food is 2.6%
Prayer rugs, fabrics and abayas	Sealed bags that keep out moisture, then a carton	New purchases are valued and taxed at 8.1%
Copies of the Quran and books	Small cartons so they are not too heavy to carry	Books at the reduced rate of 2.6%
Oud, incense and oud oil	Wrapped, sealed bottles inside a rigid box	Commercial quantities of oud need an endangered-species certificate
Used personal belongings	The suitcase as it is, with an outer wrap	A resident’s own items returning to them carry no tax

We also point out something many people get wrong: the allowance a traveller knows from returning home covers what is carried on the flight, and in current practice does not necessarily apply to what is shipped afterwards. A visitor’s shipped purchases are therefore treated as an imported parcel, and we write their true value. Packing methods are explained in the packing guide.

Moving furniture from Madinah to Switzerland with dismantling and assembly

Someone who has finished years of work in Madinah, in a hospital, a university or a company, returns to Switzerland with a whole household. We send a crew that dismantles the bedrooms, wardrobes and bookcases at the home, wraps and numbers each piece, then loads the container and seals it in front of you. In Switzerland the partner reassembles what was dismantled in the rooms you choose and removes the packing waste. Part-load furniture starts from SAR 5,500, and a whole home in a dedicated container from SAR 11,000.

• Dismantling: the screws and hinges of each piece go into a bag bearing its number, and the bag is taped to the piece itself.
• Packing: blankets and corrugated board for wood, a timber frame for glass and marble, and vacuum bags for bedding.
• Assembly there: Swiss buildings have small lifts, so we ask for the lift and stair dimensions before deciding what travels dismantled.
• Electricity: 230 volts, 50 hertz and a socket with three round pins, so appliances work with a plug adapter.

Service details are on the furniture shipping page, and the ways of securing goods inside the container on the packing and lashing page.

A full container or a part load from Madinah?

The decision follows the volume. Whoever has a whole household takes a container of their own, sealed in Madinah and not opened before Switzerland. Whoever has ten cartons and two suitcases buys only their cubic metres in a shared container, which is consolidated in a warehouse in Jeddah and sorted in Europe. Part loads go down from Madinah together on one truck and share its fare.

Point of comparison	Full container	Part load
Price starts from	SAR 11,000 for the furniture of a whole home	SAR 5,500 for cartons and furniture pieces
Time from Madinah	27–35 days	34–47 days
Suits	The resident returning with a household, and the trader	The visitor, the student and anyone sending many gifts

If you are unsure which of the two will hold your belongings, start with the container sizes page, then read how a vessel is booked on the sea freight page.

Express parcels and documents with close follow-up

An express parcel from Madinah to Switzerland travels by air and is followed under one number from the moment it is collected. What we send most: attested certificates and papers for someone completing a formality in Switzerland, boxes of dates for an occasion coming up, and a medicine or an item a traveller left behind. An envelope starts from SAR 83, and a parcel from SAR 23 per chargeable kilogram.

• Papers: in a rigid envelope that does not bend, handed to their owner or to someone authorised in writing.
• Consignee details: the name as on the identity document, the street, building number and postcode, and a Swiss phone that gets answered.
• Contents declaration: each item by name, quantity and value, as a general description delays the parcel at customs.
• Follow-up: a notice at collection, at take-off, on arrival at Zurich airport and at delivery.

Service conditions and weight limits are on the parcel shipping page.

Shipping commercial goods and dates from Madinah

Dates are Madinah’s leading export to Switzerland, followed by oriental perfumes, incense and craft products. In current practice Switzerland charges no customs duty on industrial products, and does charge it by weight on many agricultural and food products, together with value added tax. We check the tariff line of each item before pricing.

Goods	Shipping method	What they need
Dates by the carton	A dry container in winter and a refrigerated one in summer, with small orders by air	An invoice and a certificate of origin, and a label in the language of the Swiss region
Perfumes and incense	By sea, with non-alcoholic samples by air	A safety data sheet for alcohol-based perfume
Rugs and handicrafts	Part load	An invoice stating the material and the country of manufacture
Samples and exhibition materials	By air	A samples invoice of no commercial value, or temporary admission

For anyone who ships regularly we set a fixed schedule: a collection day from the warehouse or the farm, a truck run to the port or the airport, and an agreed price for the season. Company services are on the commercial shipping page.

Car shipping from Madinah to Switzerland

The car is not driven to the port. It is loaded in Madinah onto a car carrier and goes down to Jeddah port, where it is photographed and a condition report is written. It then sails in one of two ways: RoRo, in which it is driven into the vessel and secured, starting from SAR 2,800 for a saloon as far as the European port; or a closed container, in which it is lashed by its wheels, sealed, and stays that way up to Swiss customs.

Item	RoRo	Closed container
Price	Starts from SAR 2,800 for a saloon out of Jeddah port	Set on request according to the Swiss city
After the European port	A car carrier to the Swiss border	A train or truck with the container sealed
Belongings inside the car	Not allowed	Luggage can travel in the same container
Suits	An ordinary running car	A returning resident’s car with their furniture, and luxury cars

Before shipping, the car’s plates are surrendered, an export certificate is issued for it by the traffic department, and its fines are paid. In Switzerland, in current practice, a 4% automobile tax and 8.1% value added tax are collected, and the car of someone moving their residence is exempt from both if they have used it for at least six months. It then goes through the technical inspection in the canton, modifications may be required on a Gulf-specification car, and the customs inspection report 13.20 A is a condition for obtaining plates. We confirm the rates and forms in force before loading. The detailed comparison is on the RoRo car shipping and container car shipping pages, and the general explanation in the article on car shipping from Saudi Arabia.

Swiss customs and the documents required

Switzerland is outside the European Union and has its own customs and forms. A shipment coming from Madinah is cleared only once, at a Swiss customs office, because it crosses the European port under a transit document. Anyone moving their residence has a well-known relief: in current practice, furniture and belongings used for at least six months enter free of duty and tax, and this is requested with form 18.44. These are the papers for each kind of shipment:

Kind of shipment	Documents	What is paid in Switzerland
A visitor’s used luggage	A passport copy, a contents list and the consignee’s address	Normally nothing on used personal items
Gifts and new purchases	A list of every item with its value, and purchase invoices if available	Value added tax above the exemption limit
A relocating resident’s furniture	Form 18.44 with an original signature, the inventory, the residence permit, and the tenancy or employment contract	Nothing if the conditions are met
Commercial goods	A commercial invoice, a packing list, a certificate of origin and the bill of lading	Value added tax, and duty on agricultural items
A car	The registration, the export certificate, the purchase invoice and the owner’s passport	4% then 8.1% unless exempt

Swiss value added tax is 8.1% on most goods and 2.6% on food, books and medicines, and it is calculated on the value of the goods plus the freight. We prepare the complete file in Madinah before the truck moves, because completing a paper while the container sits in the European port costs waiting charges. Each paper is explained on the shipping documents page, and the stages of release on the customs clearance page.

What cannot be shipped from Madinah to Switzerland, or needs a permit

Most of what gets refused in visitors’ shipments is packed in good faith: a pack of Zamzam, cooked food, or a large quantity of medicine. We go through the contents of the cartons with you item by item at collection, so that the rest is not held up by a single item. These are the main categories in current practice:

Item	Its status
Zamzam water	Not shipped; it leaves with the traveller in its dedicated pack only
Meat, dairy and cooked food	Not admitted into Switzerland in personal shipments
Alcohol-based perfumes, aerosols and gas lighters	Banned by air; perfumes are shipped by sea
Loose lithium batteries and power banks	Restricted by air, and accepted inside their devices on conditions
Medicines	Enough for about a month of personal need, with the prescription
Counterfeit goods	Confiscated even if a single piece for personal use
Weapons and narcotics	Prohibited

The general list for all destinations is on the prohibited items page.

Delivering Madinah shipments in Zurich, Winterthur and St. Gallen

German-speaking north-eastern Switzerland is where most of our Madinah shipments are delivered. Zurich is the country’s largest city, and its airport at Kloten lies between it and Winterthur. Winterthur is about 25 km from Zurich and is served on the same distribution round. St. Gallen is in the far east near Lake Constance, about 85 km from Zurich, and the truck usually reaches it the following day. Delivery is to the address in the three cities and their surroundings:

City	Its position	How the shipment reaches it	What matters for delivery there
Zurich	The hub of the north, on its lake	By air straight to its airport, and by sea from the container terminal by truck	Limited parking in the centre, so a space for the truck is reserved in advance
Winterthur	About 25 km north-east of Zurich	From Zurich airport in under an hour, or with the Zurich round	Quiet residential districts and blocks with small lifts
St. Gallen	About 85 km east of Zurich	A distribution truck on the motorway	The old town around the abbey has restricted access, so it is served by a small vehicle
Around Zurich and Winterthur	Uster, Kloten, Rapperswil, Schaffhausen, Frauenfeld	With the same distribution round	The time is agreed by phone a day ahead
Around St. Gallen	Wil, Gossau, Rorschach, Herisau	With the St. Gallen round	Mountain roads in some villages, and a smaller vehicle in winter
The rest of Switzerland	Basel, Bern, Lucerne, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano	From the container terminal or from Zurich or Geneva airport	One to two days after release

Delivery day in Switzerland has three small conditions. The first is that it falls on a working day, as trucks do not run on Sundays. The second is that the consignee answers the phone, as the driver calls before arriving. The third, for anyone receiving furniture: a parking permit for the truck and the lift dimensions.

Our services for individuals, companies, government bodies and embassies

The lane is the same, but what a visitor asks for differs from what an official body asks for. This is what we offer each party from Madinah:

• Individuals and visitors: collection from the hotel or home, packing, shipping, clearance and delivery to the address, at an itemised price.
• Groups and Umrah offices: a consolidated shipment for the group’s luggage, with a number and declaration for each visitor and a schedule handed to the supervisor.
• Companies and institutions: date exports on a regular schedule, and the belongings of an employee whose contract has ended, invoiced in the organisation’s name.
• Government bodies: documents, printed matter and exhibition-stand materials, with collection and delivery records.
• Embassies and missions: the effects of a transferred diplomat, with the documents their authority requires, delivered in Bern or Geneva.

Is there land freight from Madinah to Switzerland?

We do not rely on a continuous overland route to Switzerland. The distance crosses many countries and a succession of transit formalities, so the time grows and the cost rises above the sea without coming near the speed of air. Our truck serves the two ends of the journey: from Madinah to Jeddah port or the airport, and from the rail terminal or airport in Switzerland to the address. Our land service within the Kingdom and the Gulf is on the land freight page.

Air freight from Madinah to Switzerland

Air freight is the route for gifts and urgent luggage, and it starts from SAR 23 a kilogram. The shipment leaves from Madinah airport or via Jeddah: from Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Airport when there is a flight that suits its size and date, and from King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah otherwise. There are no direct flights between Madinah and Zurich, so the shipment passes through a transit hub. Delivery is in Zurich, and from its airport the shipment continues by truck to Winterthur and St. Gallen. The time is 4 to 7 days door to door including clearance.

What you send	Service	Time	Price starts from
Documents and certificates	Express	3–5 days	SAR 83
A visitor’s suitcases and gifts	Economy air	4–7 days	SAR 23 a kilogram
Commercial samples and shop orders	Commercial air with an invoice	4–7 days	Set on request for large weights

• Chargeable weight: length by width by height in centimetres divided by 6000, compared with the scale weight, and the greater is taken. Work it out with the volumetric weight calculator.
• What does not fly: alcohol-based perfumes, aerosols and loose power banks, which are switched to sea.
• Arrival airport: Zurich for the north and east of Switzerland, and Geneva for an address in the west.

Service details are on the air freight page.

Collection from the districts of Madinah and the governorates of the region

We collect from anywhere in Madinah: a hotel, a home, university housing or a shop in the date market. From the governorates of the region we collect on a run arranged before the date of the truck heading for the port. The collection point decides the type of vehicle and its timing:

Place	Distance or position	Note
Hotels of the central area	Around the Prophet’s Mosque	A small vehicle at the permitted time, and collection from reception
Quba, Awali and Shuran	Residential districts	Houses and farms, which a truck can enter
Aziziyah, Difa, King Fahd, Khalidiyah, Salam and Aqool	Residential districts	Wide streets, and morning loading before the heat
Haramain train station and the airport	Within the city	Collection from the traveller before departure
Yanbu	About 220 km	Added to the port run
Badr	About 150 km	On the road to the coast
Khaybar, Al-Hanakiyah, Al-Ula and Mahd adh-Dhahab	Governorates of the region	Collected before departure day by prior appointment

Phased shipping, temporary storage and door-to-door service

Not every shipment leaves in one go. A returning family sends what it needs in its first week by air, lets the furniture sail afterwards, and may hold the car back a month to finish a sale or a formality. We call that phased shipping, and we record all the batches in one file so that they are listed on the customs form from the start. Whatever is waiting its turn stays in the warehouse wrapped and numbered, and we tell you of any change to its vessel’s date. Through every phase the service remains door to door, with one number and one person responsible. Details are on the storage and door-to-door shipping pages.

Steps for shipping from Madinah to Switzerland

1. Contact: you tell us where you are in Madinah, what you are shipping, the Swiss city and its postcode, and your travel date.
2. Estimate: photos are enough for suitcases and cartons, and furniture gets a home survey.
3. Price and method: air, sea or both, with the five parts of the price and the departure date.
4. Collection: from the hotel or home, with weighing, numbering and a receipt for the number of pieces.
5. Declaration and documents: the contents list with values, and form 18.44 for anyone moving their residence.
6. The first leg: a truck to Jeddah port, or handover at Madinah airport or Jeddah airport.
7. Transit and clearance: a vessel then a train through the Alps, or an aircraft to Zurich, then Swiss customs.
8. Delivery: to the address, with the numbers checked against the list before signing.

Tracking the shipment and insuring it

A visitor hands over the luggage and flies, so our follow-up runs on WhatsApp rather than on being present. You receive a photo of the receipt on collection day, then a notice that the truck has left Madinah, then the air waybill number or the container number, then a notice of arrival, release and delivery. With the container number you can follow the vessel yourself, as we explain on the track your shipment page.

Insurance is optional and covers damage, loss and theft during transport. Its premium is a percentage of the value you write on the declaration, so a correct value serves you at customs and in a claim alike. We recommend it for a full household, a car and appliances. The terms are on the cargo insurance page.

Shipping from Switzerland to Madinah

Demand in the opposite direction is lower but steady. A new employee moves to Madinah with furniture, or an organisation orders equipment and spare parts. Our partner collects from the address in Zurich, Winterthur or St. Gallen. Parcels come by air to Madinah airport or Jeddah airport, and containers sail to Jeddah Islamic Port and are then trucked to Madinah. New goods are subject to Saudi duty and value added tax, and for the used effects of someone arriving to live here we check the relief conditions before shipping.

Tips before shipping from Madinah to Switzerland

• Call us two days before leaving the hotel, not at check-out time.
• Keep the invoices for expensive purchases, as they are what proves the value to Swiss customs.
• Do not put dates and perfumes in one carton, as the scent passes into the dates.
• Write your Swiss address in Latin letters with the postcode and a phone number that works there.
• Measure the pieces accurately before asking for a price, as extra centimetres raise the volumetric weight.
• Take your passport, medicines and important papers out of the suitcases being shipped.
• Ask about the container train’s date before fixing the day of receipt in Switzerland.

How do you choose a shipping company from Madinah to Switzerland?

Ask the company what happens to your shipment after it leaves Madinah. Whoever really works this lane names the Saudi port and the European port for you, explains how a container reaches a country with no coast, and asks about the value of the gifts before pricing. These signs separate the two kinds of answer:

What you ask	A sign of experience	A sign to stop and think
Where does the container sail from?	From Jeddah port, reached by truck in a day	“Directly from Madinah”
How does it enter Switzerland?	A European port, then a train or truck under a transit document	“To the port of Zurich”
Do you collect from the hotel?	Yes, with a small vehicle and a receipt for weight and count	“Bring it to our office”
What does the price include?	Itemised parts as far as the Swiss address	A single figure that ends at the port
Who delivers over there?	A partner who clears, delivers and calls the consignee	“The consignee collects it from customs”

Common mistakes when shipping from Madinah to Switzerland

• Leaving luggage at the hotel reception without a receipt, then calling the company after flying.
• Writing only “gifts” on the declaration, with no quantity or value.
• Hiding a pack of Zamzam or an alcohol-based perfume inside a suitcase travelling by air.
• Assuming the traveller’s allowance applies to what is shipped afterwards.
• Giving a Saudi phone number for the consignee, so the driver’s call in Switzerland never gets through.
• Booking the container before checking the lift dimensions of the Swiss building.
• Comparing a price that starts at Jeddah port with one that starts at the hotel door in Madinah.

Why choose Home Safe for shipping from Madinah to Switzerland?

Because we know both ends of this lane: a crowded hotel near the Prophet’s Mosque, and a fourth-floor flat in Winterthur. One member of staff answers you from collection to signature.

To book: 0552803439 by call or WhatsApp, from 7 am to 11 pm. Or from the request a quote page.

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Frequently asked questions about shipping from Madinah to Switzerland

How much does shipping from Madinah to Switzerland cost?

Five figures mark where the service starts: SAR 83 for an envelope of documents, SAR 23 for each kilogram by air, SAR 2,800 for a saloon car by sea out of Jeddah port, SAR 5,500 for furniture pieces and luggage in a shared container, and SAR 11,000 for the furniture of a whole home in a dedicated container. The truck fare from Madinah to the port is set on request. Message us on 0552803439.

How long does a shipment take to arrive by sea freight?

A dedicated container leaving Madinah reaches the consignee’s door in Zurich, Winterthur or St. Gallen after 27 to 35 days, of which 8 to 12 are the sailing to Genoa. Cartons in a shared container take 34 to 47 days, because they wait for the container to fill and are then sorted in Europe.

What are the differences between air and sea freight on the Madinah – Switzerland route?

Air is charged by the kilogram and arrives in 4 to 7 days, and it does not accept flammable liquids or loose batteries. Sea is charged by the cubic metre or by the container, needs about a month, and uses three modes: a truck, then a vessel, then a train. So a visitor’s suitcase and gifts belong on the aircraft, and furniture and a car belong on the vessel.

Do you collect a visitor’s luggage from a hotel near the Prophet’s Mosque?

Yes. A small vehicle enters the central area at the time the traffic department allows, and the courier collects the suitcases and cartons from the hotel reception or lobby. Each piece is weighed and numbered in front of you, and you take a receipt showing the count and the weight.

Can Madinah dates be shipped to Switzerland?

Yes, and they travel with visitors’ luggage more than anything else. In current practice the Swiss authorities list dates among the fruits that enter without a plant health certificate, value added tax on food is 2.6%, and a duty by weight may be charged on quantities. We ship them in ventilated cartons away from perfumes, and we confirm the conditions in force before dispatch.

Do you ship Zamzam water with the luggage?

No. Zamzam water is not accepted as commercial cargo or in parcels, and taking it out of the Kingdom is limited to the dedicated pack that the traveller carries personally from the airport.

Will my family in Switzerland pay tax on a gift parcel?

In current practice a gift sent from one person to another is exempt as long as its value does not exceed 100 francs and it is not tobacco or alcohol. Anything above that attracts value added tax: 8.1% on most items and 2.6% on food and books, and it is not collected when the amount is 5 francs or less. We check the limits in force on the day of shipping.

What customs procedures apply when the shipment arrives in Switzerland?

The shipment is presented at a Swiss customs office with its declaration and documents. The effects of someone moving their residence are presented with form 18.44 and the inventory, and are exempt if they meet the conditions. Gifts and goods are valued together with the freight and the tax is calculated on that. Then the release note is issued and the distribution truck leaves.

Can I ship my car from Madinah to Switzerland?

Yes. It is loaded on a car carrier from Madinah to Jeddah port, then sails by RoRo from SAR 2,800 for a saloon as far as the European port, or in a closed container that stays sealed up to Swiss customs. There a 4% automobile tax and 8.1% value added tax are charged unless it enters with a relocating owner’s effects, followed by the technical inspection in the canton.

What documents are required for shipping from Madinah to Switzerland?

For luggage and gifts: a copy of the sender’s passport, a contents list item by item with values, and the consignee’s name, address and Swiss phone number. For a relocating resident’s furniture: form 18.44 with an original signature, the inventory, the residence permit and the housing contract. For goods: a commercial invoice, a packing list and a certificate of origin. For a car: the registration and the export certificate from the traffic department.

What are the benefits of temporary storage?

Storage solves the problem of dates that do not line up. A visitor flies tomorrow and the vessel sails in a week, or a family hands back its home in Madinah before it takes over its flat in Zurich. The shipment stays in the warehouse inventoried and numbered, a second batch is added to it if there is one, and then everything leaves in one container, which lowers the fare.

When is the best time to book to avoid seasonal congestion?

Book three to five weeks ahead. Madinah has two seasons in which everything tightens: Ramadan, and the weeks before and after Hajj when visitors pour in. During them flights fill up and the hours for trucks entering the centre become stricter.

Is there land freight from Madinah to Switzerland?

We do not offer a continuous overland route on this lane. The truck handles the first leg only, from Madinah to Jeddah port or to the airport, and returns at the end of the journey to carry the shipment from the rail terminal or the Swiss airport to the address. Everything between the two ends is sea or air.

Do you deliver to Winterthur and St. Gallen, or only to Zurich?

We deliver to all three cities and their surroundings. Winterthur is about 25 km from Zurich and is served on the same distribution round, and St. Gallen is about 85 km to the east and usually receives its shipment the day after release. We also deliver to Schaffhausen, Frauenfeld and Gossau, and to the other cantons.

Do you ship from Switzerland to Madinah?

Yes. Our partner collects from the address in Zurich, Winterthur or St. Gallen, parcels fly to Madinah airport or Jeddah airport, and containers sail to Jeddah Islamic Port and then travel up to Madinah by truck.