At the border
- Form 18.44, filled in and signed, with a list of your belongings
- A copy of the foreign registration document
- Proof of your move, such as a residence permit, rental agreement or employment contract
Moving to Switzerland with yours?
Bring your car. Usually tax-free.
If you move to Switzerland, you can usually bring your car without paying automobile tax or VAT. Swiss customs calls this “Übersiedlungsgut” (personal belongings). Check whether it applies to you and what you will still pay.
The conditions
- You used the car yourself abroad for at least 6 months before the move.
- You keep using it yourself in Switzerland. A car brought in to be sold does not qualify.
- You import it in connection with the move, at the latest 2 years afterwards.
- You declare it the first time you cross the border, at a staffed customs office, using form 18.44.
- You register it with Swiss plates within 1 year of the move.
This also applies to Swiss citizens returning after living abroad for at least a year.
Customs Ordinance, Art. 14 (German) ·Swiss customs: moving with vehicles (German)
What your move will cost
All amounts in Swiss francs (CHF). Customs duty, automobile tax and VAT fall away, but you still pay for registration.
Paperwork checklist
At the road traffic office
- The customs clearance certificate 13.20 A you receive at the border
- Proof of Swiss motor insurance
- The foreign registration document and, if you have it, the CoC
- A passed vehicle inspection (MFK), if your canton requires one
Moving with your car, without the paperwork
We handle customs, the inspection and registration for you. You get a quote with a fixed price.