Bring your car, or buy one here?
When you move to Switzerland you can bring your car. If you used it for at least 6 months before moving, you pay no import taxes. Compare this with selling it at home and buying a similar car here, and see the steps and deadlines.
Cost by car value
What each option costs for any car value, with your fees and price premium. The solid vertical line marks your car.
Where the money goes
| CHF | Bring your car | Sell and buy here |
|---|---|---|
| Automobile tax (4%) | ||
| Import VAT (8.1%) | ||
| Customs duty (none since 2024) | ||
| Inspection, papers and plates | ||
| Repairs for the inspection | ||
| Transport | ||
| Higher price of a similar car here | ||
| Total |
Steps and deadlines
- At the border: declare the car as removal goods with form 18.44, at a staffed customs office during its opening hours for goods. You get form 13.20 A for the registration.
- Within one year after moving: Swiss registration and plates, after the inspection (MFK) at the road traffic office of your canton. You first need Swiss liability insurance.
- Within 12 months of living here: exchange your driving licence at the road traffic office. Licences from Italy, Germany and France are exchanged without a test drive.
- Every year: the cantonal vehicle tax. It differs a lot by canton, for example about CHF 300 to 700 for a mid-size petrol car.
How it works
- Import rules of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG), 2026: customs duty on cars was abolished on 1 January 2024. Automobile tax is 4% of the value plus transport, VAT 8.1% of value, transport and automobile tax.
- Removal goods: you used the car abroad for at least 6 months before moving, and you keep using it in Switzerland.
- A car first registered abroad less than 12 months ago (or less than 6 months and 5,000 km) can pay a CO2 sanction if its emissions are high. This is not included.
- Selling and buying again assumes a similar car costs the chosen premium more in Switzerland. Running costs (insurance, vehicle tax, fuel) are the same for both options and left out.
Questions and answers
Do you pay customs duty when you bring your car to Switzerland?
No. Switzerland abolished customs duties on cars on 1 January 2024. If you used the car abroad for at least 6 months before moving and keep using it here, it counts as removal goods (form 18.44) and is also free of the 4% automobile tax and the 8.1% VAT.
How much does importing a car cost otherwise?
You pay 4% automobile tax on the value plus transport, then 8.1% VAT on the value, transport and automobile tax: together about 12.4% of the value. Add the inspection, papers and plates, usually a few hundred francs.
How long can I drive with foreign plates after moving?
Register the car with Swiss plates within one year of moving. Exchange your driving licence within 12 months of taking residence; with a licence from Germany, France or Italy you do not need a test drive.