How to import a vehicle

If you wish to import your vehicle to Switzerland, there are a few steps you’ll need to follow, depending on how long you’ve owned the vehicle.

First steps to import your vehicle

You will need to complete the form 18.44 (household effects declaration, available here), which must be approved by the customs office where your vehicle will enter Switzerland. If you have already moved to Geneva, you can present the form at the Bardonnex customs office. In most cases, a moving company or forwarding agent can assist with this formality. After customs clearance, Swiss customs will issue form 13.20A as proof of import.

What you will pay, and when you will not. If you have owned and used the vehicle abroad for at least six months before your move, and you intend to keep using it yourself in Switzerland, it counts as removal goods. It then comes in free of customs duty and of the 4% tax. There is no mileage condition: six months of use is the test, not the odometer.

If you have had it for less, you pay the automobile tax of 4% of the vehicle’s value, plus VAT. There is no customs duty on cars: Switzerland abolished duty on industrial goods on 1 January 2024. The 4% is often loosely called “import duty”, which is where the confusion comes from.

Do not sell the car straight away. The exemption rests on you continuing to use the vehicle yourself, so selling soon after importing means customs collects what was waived. Treat the first year as the sensitive period.

One case that does not qualify. If you buy or rent a home in Switzerland while keeping your residence abroad, the ordinance lets you bring furniture and personal effects in free, but it expressly excludes means of transport. Your car is not covered.

If you have not had the car for six months, you are not stuck. Ask a border customs office for customs authorisation 15.30 before you first drive in. It lets you use the uncleared vehicle here for up to two years from your move, after which you either clear it (the 4% and VAT) or take it back out. One condition catches people out: within a year you must still get Swiss plates from the cantonal vehicle office. The two years is a deferral of customs clearance, not two years of driving on foreign plates.

One group is covered without realising it. If you lived abroad for at least a year without giving up your Swiss residence, the ordinance treats you as an immigrant for this purpose, so a returning resident can use the same route.

Legitimation card holders: if you hold a legitimation card B or C issued by the Swiss authorities, you are exempt from paying VAT and customs duties when importing a personal vehicle for your own use. You must register the vehicle with CD (Corps Diplomatique) plates. Please note that you must complete the form 15.52 and get it approved (stamped) at the Centre de compétence diplomates de la Douane Ouest.

Required documents

Here is the list of required documents, in addition to the form(s) above:

• Certificate of conformity
• Registration document of your vehicle
• Your legitimation card (if applicable)
• Proof of insurance (sent directly by the insurer to the OCV, more info below)

Once the customs formalities are completed, make an appointment at the Cantonal Vehicles Office (OCV) or the corresponding office in your canton of residence for a vehicle inspection. After passing the inspection, you can immediately obtain a set of plates. If you have a legitimation card B or C, you must order CD plates in advance (typically two to three weeks before).

Registration plates and insurance

To obtain your Swiss registration plates, you will need a valid vehicle insurance, which is mandatory. I’ve written separate articles explaining how to arrange insurance and how to get your plates, which you can follow step by step .

Temporary import form 13.20 (not 13.20A)

If you plan to bring your vehicle to Switzerland temporarily without permanently importing it, you can use the 13.20 form (issued by the Swiss customs), which is a declaration for temporary admission. This form allows you to use your foreign-registered vehicle in Switzerland for a limited period, usually up to 12 months, without paying import tax or VAT, provided the vehicle remains registered abroad. It is commonly used by tourists (generally for stays longer than a month), temporary residents, or people on work assignments who do not intend to stay permanently. To apply, you must declare the vehicle at the Swiss customs office upon entry, and you will receive the 13.20 form as confirmation. During this period, the vehicle must not be sold or permanently registered in Switzerland, and you must comply with Swiss road regulations and insurance requirements.