ATA Carnet for Robotics

ATA Carnet at Zurich Airport

Flying out of Zurich with a robot in your luggage? The customs stop comes before check-in, at the landside customs office in the Check-in 1 area. Plan 30–45 extra minutes. Here's exactly where to go, when it's open, and how the checked-bag procedure works.

Where: the landside customs office at Check-in 1

Zurich Airport has two customs counters run by the customs office "Zoll Nordost – Zürich-Flughafen":

For arrivals with goods to declare (import stamp), use the red channel in Terminal 2 arrivals.

Zoll Nordost – Zürich-Flughafen (customs office ZRH, CH002771)

Address
Customs counters: Check-in 1 (landside) and Airside Center8058 Zürich-Flughafen
Opening hours
Export (opened carnet)daily 06:00–22:00
Import (opened carnet)daily 06:00–approx. 23:30, Terminal 2 red channel
First use / new carnetMon–Fri 07:30–12:00, 12:45–17:30 · Sat 07:30–12:00
Sun & holidays (new carnets)closed

Hours as published 11 June 2026. The airport lists import until 23:30; the customs directory remark says 24:00. Count on 23:30.

Phone
+41 58 480 64 01
Email
zoll.zuerich_flughafen@bazg.admin.ch
Official links

The procedure when flying out

  1. Arrive early. Customs first, then check-in.
  2. Hand luggage only: take goods + carnet (or the carnet app QR code) to the landside customs office at Check-in 1. The officer checks the goods against the General List, stamps the yellow export counterfoil and keeps the voucher.
  3. Goods in checked baggage: the procedure documented by Swiss chambers for ZRH: check in only your private bags first, have the bag containing carnet goods tagged at check-in but keep it with you, take it to customs for inspection and stamping, after which the bag is loaded onto the aircraft.
  4. Coming back: after baggage reclaim, walk through the red channel (Terminal 2) and get the yellow re-import stamp. Don't skip this even when you're tired. It's your proof against later claims.

Air freight

If the robot flies as cargo, the same customs office handles the carnet on the freight side (commercial counter: Mon–Fri 07:30–12:00 and 12:45–17:30, Sat 07:30–12:00 for air-freight only; parcels address: OPC 1, Eingang A, 8058 Zürich-Flughafen). Your forwarder needs the carnet (or app access) and a power of attorney - see freight forwarder or hand-carry.

Good to know

Sources

Every factual claim on this page comes from the sources below, checked on the "last reviewed" date in the footer. Official resources are linked in whatever language they are published in.