I am going to move to Switzerland from Spain, and I would like to bring my car to the country to use it al least the first months here. How long could I drive a car with Spanish plate and Spanish driving license, 1 year? What should I do, what formalities should I do to drive it legally?
I have two options, driving from Spain, or sending the car in a truck. Is there any difference regarding the procedure?
Is it obligatory to have winter tyres in Switzerland? Any restriction regarding diesel cars in the cities?
You can keep driving it up to a year on Spanish plates and insurance. Make sure your insurance covers you abroad and specifically Switzerland.
It’s not obligatory to have winter tyres during the winter. It’s recommended though. Depends on where you’ll live it can be a must.
When you’re ready announce yourself at border control and import your vehicle with your personal belongings, the procedure is quite straightforward from then onwards. If you’ve got the vehicle for less than 6 months from the moment you entered Switzerland expect to pay tax.
Regarding your Diesel question, I know only of Geneva preventing high polluting vehicles to enter its city centre during pollution peaks. There’s a sticker called Stick’AIR which divide vehicles into 6 different emissions-based categories.
There’s also the motorway vignette. We pay 40 CHF for an unsightly sticker that should be glued to the car windshield. The sticker is proof that you paid for the right to use the motorway. Fines for driving in a motorway without the damned sticker start at 200 CHF. https://www.ch.ch/en/travel-and-emig…rway-vignette/
To drive the foreign car as a Swiss resident you need a valid driving license and either customs form 13.20A or form 15.30.
See the explanations from Swiss Customs how to bring your car into Switzerland and get the needed forms. The car must be listed on your Form 18.44 : https://www.bazg.admin.ch/bazg/en/ho…ts–etc–.html
Your driving license is a separate issue. Your foreign license is valid for driving in Switzerland for up to 12 months after taking up residency. After that you can no longer use it for driving in Switzerland but still easily exchange it for a Swiss one. Better exchange it before the 12 months are up. Most people swap license plate and driving license at the same time, but that is not necessary and anyway handled by two separate processes. For exchanging the driving license see: [Drivers licence] Conversion and questions, Mark II
As long as you have either Form 13.20A or Form 15.30 (or an other customs form which approves the use) you can drive your foreign car with a Swiss or a valid foreign driving licenses.
If you have neither Form 13.20A nor Form 15.30 (nor an other customs form which approves the use) you cannot drive the foreign car in Switzerland as a Swiss resident, no mater which driving license you have.
To drive Swiss plated cars you need either Swiss or a valid foreign driving license.,
Thank you very much for you helpful answers. So where can I get those forms? When I cross the border in the customs? I've never crossed the Swiss border driving, I guess someone would stop me and I should explain this, right?
What if instead of driving I pay a truck to transport my car? Are them who should get those documents done for me?
I also saw that I have to register the vehicle in the canton. How much is the time limit to do that?
Another question. Do I have to do something in the European border when I leave it? I mean, preparing any kind of documents or something? Or only during the entrance in Switzerland.