I'm not sure about Australian drivers, but I expect (since you're part of the UK) that you can just exchange your license. Some nationalities have to do a driving test (practical, not theory).

To be sure, just go to the 'Office cantonal des automobiles', at Route de Veyrier 86 in Carouge. To exchange your license you need to take (if I remember correctly): your driving license, passport and residence permit, 2 passport, and an eye test that you can do at any optician. 

Thanks, maybe I'll take all the above to the office and hope for the best. 

Not entirely sure when Australian became part of the UK  (that would make things a bit easier) but hopefully the rules aren't too different for us non-European drivers. 

"Commonwealth Realm"

Hilarious - gotta love a ven diagram!

*venn

@Stephanie: Australia is a coool country but we may have missed an important issue although you did write you held an "Aliens residency permit - L permit" 

L permit is usually granted as a short term permit maximum ONE year stay or depending of work contract status can be on execptions  extended up to 24 months total !

You spoke about swapping that is you give your australian licence and ought to receive the swiss one in exchange.

Ususally you have up to 365 days to proceed with the swap.

This might be something you should consider if holding the swiss driver's licence is important to you  'cause you intend buying a car and/or apply for a job where your chauffeur skills would be so valuable.

Otherwise do keep in mind your Aussie driver's licence is valid unless it did expire !?

I actually just cut and pasted that section. I do have a B permit and have already been here since last April. My Australian licence expires this April - thus, a deadline!

And yes, we are planning to buy a car (YAY)!!!!

Basically, just hoping other Aussies have successfully swapped licences' without jumping through hoops. Generally speaking, we have a few more barriers than Europeans. Alas, the Swiss don't give us points for being a cooool country! 

Hi mate,

Went through this about 6 months ago...  You need; your aussie license, your work permit, the completed vision test, photo, and probably your passport or some other ID.

Now the complicated bit...  You also need evidence of the date your first received your license.  For every other country this is written on the license, but not for us.  You will need to email or phone the rego authority for your state at home and request them to send you a certificate.  For Canberra it cost me $20 or something like that and they emailed me a scanned copy.

Once you have everything just go to the office des automobiles and they'll sort you out in a few minutes.  They don't even take your aussie license from you.

good luck!

Andrew, you are a legend. 

That is exaclty the clarity I needed. 

Can't thank you enough!! 

Hope karma sends you an awesome week for your help 

I've done it and it was more straightforward than I thought it would be.

You can also get a copy of your driver's licence history (they just need the date the licence was first issued) by buying it online and printing it out yourself at home. They will email you a password which you have to type in (if you copy and paste it does not work!) to use the system.

And then the licence itself costs 150chf but that's still cheaper than the Aussie one since it lasts a lifetime!