I sold my cars before coming to Geneva as I believe they are slightly cheaper here .. Try www.autoscout24.ch to compare, although exchange rates can make a big difference.

Secondly you will get less hassle if you have a geneva registered car passing the borders , remembering that you are never too far from a border here in Geneva.




britabroad, Aug 22, 2007 @ 18:14

Hi, I am also from the UK and I had to investigate the vehicle import rules when I came to Switzerland. I am not in the French region, but I think the rules are the same or similar and they apply to your driving licence as well as the vehicle itself. The below is based on what the staff at the Swiss vehicle and driver registry office told me, but there have been times when customs/border officials have told me different rules so even I am not sure what is correct!!! My strong suggestion is to check the rules with the authorities in Geneva, the below is just a guide of what happened to me.

People who move to Switzerland and plan to stay for a period exceeding 12 consecutive months should exchange their current drivers licence for a Swiss drivers licence. The cost is about 100 chf. Rumour has it that people who do not change their driving licence for a Swiss driving licence within 12 months of moving here are made to re-take the driving test.

As for the vehicle itself, I think you can bring a current UK/EU-spec, right/left-hand-drive car to Switzerland but if you plan to keep it in Switzerland "permanently" then I think it has to be registered in Switzerland. This usually means having the vehicle insured in Switzerland as well. (UK car insurance contracts usually only provide approx 90 days of overseas cover per year, check the small print). The Swiss border officials can tell you on arrival how to go about registering the vehicle in Switzerland but I am not sure what the cost is. Basically there is a cost for Swiss number plates, road tax etc. I believe there may also be a rule that vehicles being imported have to pass the Swiss MOT test in order to get the registration approved.

The alternative is to sell your UK vehicle in the UK and buy a vehicle in Switzerland. I think the key thing is then to ask the dealer for a "European Certificate of Conformity" which I think means that you can then export the vehicle back to the UK if needed, but again I am not sure. I have looked into importing cars from elsewhere in Europe but the savings did not make it worthwhile for me. I found cars in Switzerland to be slightly cheaper than the UK.

I can understand if this all sounds like bureaucracy but it actually gets even more complicated. When I went to the vehicle and driver registry office they told me that as I work in Switzerland I have to change my drivers licence for a Swiss one, which I did and paid for. However they said as my UK car is not "permanently" kept in Switzerland I should keep my UK registration which makes sense. This was on the grounds that the car is very frequently used elsewhere in Europe, and especially in the UK where I have property and family. However, trying to explain this every time in a foreign language at the border can become tiresome, so we started leasing a left-hand drive Swiss registered car and would often leave the UK car in London. Crossing the Swiss border is much easier in a Swiss registered car and going elsewhere in Europe is easy....the problem is going into the UK! We were constantly stopped and searched by UK customs who wanted to know why we had a UK address, UK passports, but a Swiss registered car....hence silly accusations that we were trying to get around UK road tax etc. So, for people who travel regularly by car between the UK and Switzerland I simply have no idea what to do!
phil, Aug 23, 2007 @ 11:42

Hi,

Thanks a lot for the replies. I am starting to get the pros and cons of every option. Since my company will provide my accomodation, I may try and get them to pay for my car lease.
How much would a decent car cost per month? Where can I get information about leasing costs in Geneva?
My cars are due for replacement anyway. I will probably sell them regardless of the option.

Cheers!!
fotomy, Aug 24, 2007 @ 12:58

The rough figure to budget is ca 1000CHF monthly for each 50'000CHF of vehicle's purchase price; On top of that you must budget the mandatory full-coverage (damages, theft etc..) that varies also with the value of the car, something like 2000CHF/year and more

But any good (bad one too bdw) car dealer can give you all the required details

'hope this helps you making the right decision
swisskiss, Aug 24, 2007 @ 14:17

Vehicle leasing seems quite popular in Switzerland, perhaps more for business users. Best to check the terms and conditions carefully. Fully comprehensive insurance is essential in my view. From what I saw the choice of vehicles available to lease is quite wide....hatchbacks, family cars, 4x4s, luxuary and sports cars etc. A number of the flash cars around here are actually lease cars which the drivers pretend to own! Leasing can be pricey but may have some advantages. Having a Swiss registered car insured here on a Swiss policy is usually better because I know that UK insurance policies typically restrict the number of days per year that UK vehicles can be used overseas in Europe/Switzerland.
phil, Aug 24, 2007 @ 15:27

fotomy

Hi, As it has been some time since you posted you queries, what did you decide to do in the end?  I have had my right hand drive UK car in Geneva for almost a year and am at the stage where I need to either sell it and buy left hand drive or to go through the rigours of registering it in Switzerland with Swiss plates.  My car is VW Polo 1.2 (2003 model).

Does anyone have any advice on what is the most cost effective option?  I do not use my car much, except during the ski season and then it is used every weekend, or when friends come to stay.

Does anyone have any idea of the process to register your car in Switzerland (if right hand drive) and how much it will cost?

Advice gratefully received.

Annie


Anngrenade, Oct 20, 2008 @ 22:26