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Importing UK car to Switzerland

Hi, does anyone have any recent experience importing a UK (or other non-Swiss car) to Switzerland. My family and I are moving to Geneva from the UK later this month and will drive over initially. Just weighing up whether to keep the car in Switzerland and get it registered as a Swiss vehicle etc. Does anyone know whether we need to declare the car as an 'import' on entry at the Swiss border, or can we do this retrospectively?


I feel like half of the answers I need are here: https://www.bazg.admin.ch/bazg/en/home/information-individuals/road-vehicles-and-watercraft/importation-into-switzerland/vehicles--cars-.html


 


Just not all the answers!


 


Thanks

The text you are quoting:

Hi, does anyone have any recent experience importing a UK (or other non-Swiss car) to Switzerland. My family and I are moving to Geneva from the UK later this month and will drive over initially. Just weighing up whether to keep the car in Switzerland and get it registered as a Swiss vehicle etc. Does anyone know whether we need to declare the car as an 'import' on entry at the Swiss border, or can we do this retrospectively?


I feel like half of the answers I need are here: https://www.bazg.admin.ch/bazg/en/home/information-individuals/road-vehicles-and-watercraft/importation-into-switzerland/vehicles--cars-.html


 


Just not all the answers!


 


Thanks


Martyn ClarkJan 3, 2023 @ 20:55
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Re: Importing UK car to Switzerland
Post 1

Hi Martyn, I can't answer your question but bear in mind that if you do bring your uk car across and register a car in Switzerland with the wheel on the wrong side you are going to find it really difficult to ever sell it at a future date ...  almost no buyers in Continental Europe and anyone in the uk would have to receive a serious discount to bother undertaking the hassle of re importing it.  Plus in the meantime you are exposing yourself to the visibility risk and I would imagine your insurance would be higher as a result.  Personally when I moved across I sold my uk car in the uk

The text you are quoting:

Hi Martyn, I can't answer your question but bear in mind that if you do bring your uk car across and register a car in Switzerland with the wheel on the wrong side you are going to find it really difficult to ever sell it at a future date ...  almost no buyers in Continental Europe and anyone in the uk would have to receive a serious discount to bother undertaking the hassle of re importing it.  Plus in the meantime you are exposing yourself to the visibility risk and I would imagine your insurance would be higher as a result.  Personally when I moved across I sold my uk car in the uk


hucklewoo, Jan 6, 2023 @ 16:49
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Re: Importing UK car to Switzerland
Post 2

There are a number of RHD cars in Switzerland, but mostly older "Classic" cars (MGB, Lotus etc) that were bought from the UK simply because they were maybe half the price of similar cars here (when restored) or cheap as a "project". They are not loved and simply bought /because they were once relatively cheap and the price remains low, with cars often unsold unless they are very cheap or rare and desirable.


As for normal daily cars, I wouldn't bother, the hassle is not worth it, UK cars are often in poor condition compared to Swiss cars and, as mentioned, nobody will ever want it when it comes to sell it (some cars I see are still unsold even years later..) unless a potential buyer is themselves returning to the UK. Spares could be a problem in some cases as there are differences.


Couldn't one just out it on SORN whilst the car is in Switzerland? I think this is quite common, and then take it back and sell it in the UK when it comes to that (assuming it will still make it..)

The text you are quoting:

There are a number of RHD cars in Switzerland, but mostly older "Classic" cars (MGB, Lotus etc) that were bought from the UK simply because they were maybe half the price of similar cars here (when restored) or cheap as a "project". They are not loved and simply bought /because they were once relatively cheap and the price remains low, with cars often unsold unless they are very cheap or rare and desirable.


As for normal daily cars, I wouldn't bother, the hassle is not worth it, UK cars are often in poor condition compared to Swiss cars and, as mentioned, nobody will ever want it when it comes to sell it (some cars I see are still unsold even years later..) unless a potential buyer is themselves returning to the UK. Spares could be a problem in some cases as there are differences.


Couldn't one just out it on SORN whilst the car is in Switzerland? I think this is quite common, and then take it back and sell it in the UK when it comes to that (assuming it will still make it..)


Kevin H, Feb 11, 2023 @ 09:19
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Re: Importing UK car to Switzerland
Post 3

A colleague of mine has done that and she regretted it 

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A colleague of mine has done that and she regretted it 


Shafiq Mirzazada, Feb 15, 2023 @ 23:26
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