When preparing to leave Switzerland, you’ll likely be focused on housing, insurance, and other key steps. But if you own or lease a car, you also need to decide what to do with it before your departure. Whether you plan to sell the vehicle or export it to another country, both options require coordination with the relevant authorities.

Decide whether to sell or export

The first step is deciding whether to sell your car in Switzerland or take it with you. This often comes down to resale value, import costs in your new country, and convenience.

If you’re moving to an EU country, check that your vehicle meets local registration and emissions requirements. Some countries may impose additional taxes or require technical modifications, especially for older models or non-EU-compliant cars.

Selling your car in Switzerland

If you choose to sell your car before leaving, you can do so privately or through a dealership. Here’s what the process involves:

Clean and prepare the vehicle for sale. Having a recent inspection (expertise) can help reassure buyers, though it’s not mandatory for private sales.
List your car on local platforms such as Autoscout24, Facebook Marketplace, or Anibis. Include detailed photos, the service history, mileage, and whether the technical inspection is up to date.
If you receive offers from dealers, compare their price to the market value using tools like Eurotax.
Once you’ve agreed on a sale, prepare a contract. Autoscout24 offers a free sales contract template.
Once the payment is made, hand over key documents, including the permis de circulation (“carte grise”), the certificate of conformity, and the service booklet. You must keep the registration plates in order to return them yourself.
The buyer is responsible for arranging insurance and registration before driving the car.
Return your license plates to the Service des automobiles in your canton (the OCV in Geneva).
Cancel your insurance and vehicle tax. Both are usually refunded on a pro-rata basis once the vehicle is deregistered.

Selling a leased car

If your car is under a leasing contract, the process is more complex. You don’t own the vehicle (the leasing company does), but in most cases, it is possible to sell the car by purchasing it first.

Contact your leasing company to ask if a purchase is allowed before the lease ends. This is not the same as early termination, which typically results in high fees and is rarely cost-effective.
(However, if your leasing contract is ending soon, returning the car slightly early may involve only a relatively small fee and help you avoid the hassle of dealing with potential buyers. It’s worth looking into first.)
Request a buyout quote. This will usually include the residual value plus the sum of the remaining payments. Some leasing companies apply their own internal formula, so the amount may be higher than expected. Please note that, unlike with a traditional loan, paying off a leasing contract early does not entitle you to a refund of the interest for the remaining period.
If you agree to the terms, find a buyer. You can use a private sales contract (such as the one offered by Autoscout24) once a buyer is confirmed.
The buyer pays you, and you use the funds to settle the leasing contract and buy the vehicle.
After payment, the leasing company will release the “code 178” on the permis de circulation, allowing you to complete the transfer of ownership to the buyer. This page on the website of the OCV allows you to check whether the “code 178” has been removed.

Do not hand over the vehicle or any official documents until the leasing company has confirmed that the balance is fully paid and ownership has been transferred. Once you receive the confirmation, you can hand everything, except your registration plates, to the buyer.

Exporting your car abroad

You can drive your car to your new country using its current Swiss registration and plates, provided they are still valid (annual car tax and car insurance paid).

Steps to follow:

Declare the vehicle for export at Swiss customs before crossing the border. This is a legal requirement, even if you are keeping the Swiss plates for the journey. You will receive a stamped export declaration, which may be needed for customs clearance or registration abroad.
Once registered in your new country, return the Swiss plates and the vehicle registration document to the cantonal road traffic office (in person or by post) or submit them to a Swiss diplomatic representation. Please note that you are supposed to return the plates “within a reasonable time” after leaving Switzerland.
Cancel your Swiss insurance once the car is registered abroad.

Before you go:

Inform your canton’s road traffic office of your intention to export the vehicle.
Check the import requirements in your destination country, including customs clearance, technical inspections, emissions standards, VAT/duties, and registration deadlines.

If your car has CD plates

If your vehicle is registered with CD (Corps Diplomatique) plates, there are a few particularities to keep in mind:

You can simply return the CD plates to the Cantonal Vehicles Office, like you would do for regular plates.
If you plan to export the car, consult the FOCBS about customs procedures. In many cases, you may be exempt from Swiss VAT and customs duties, but this depends on the destination and the buyer’s status.
If you plan to sell the vehicle in Switzerland, the buyer may need to make a new technical inspection and payment of applicable taxes unless exemptions are confirmed.
If selling to another diplomatic mission or international organization, the FOCBS may authorize a direct transfer without re-registration. The buyer’s diplomatic status must be confirmed.
I recommend canceling the permis de circulation (“carte grise”) before handing it to the buyer.

Other than that, the procedures are identical to those for cars with normal registration plates.