National Day revellers reminded of firework import laws

On August 1, fireworks light up the sky and explosions echo around the country to celebrate Swiss National Day. As many of these pyrotechnic products are imported, the Federal Customs Administration (FCA) has drawn attention to the amount people can import.  An import permit is required for fireworks from the Federal Office of Police, the FCA said in a statement on Tuesday. However, a person may import up to 2.5 kilograms of pyrotechnic objects “for recreational purposes” without a permit – as long as they are legal in Switzerland. This equates to around 150 simple rockets.  Fireworks that are illegal in Switzerland include those that explode on the ground. “This means all firecrackers that are not carried up vertically by a charge before they explode,” the FCA explained.  Also banned are so-called Lady Crackers (a type of firecracker) that are longer than 22 millimetres or have a diameter of more than three millimetres, and bang snaps (which explode when thrown on the floor) ...