I have a driving license from South America and I want to exchange it for a Swiss one. Based on what I understood (info was in german), I have a year, I need to fill in a form with the eye doctor test, and I need to take a driving test. Has anyone done this before? I have some questions...maybe you can help?
- What happens if I try to do this after 1 year? I just realized I entered Switzerland on the 8th of Jan last year...so it's been 1 year and a few days....are there any extensions?
- How much does it cost? I assume there is a fee to be paid
- Is it cheaper to have the eye test done by an optician or by an eye-doctor? how much does this usually cost? do I need an appointment or I just show up by the optician?
- Can anyone recommend a good and cheap school to take 3-4 driving lessons?
- Where can I find materials to learn the rules in English?
I think it shouldn't be a huge problem if you apply for driver licence exchange a few days after deadline. Nobody checked my date of first entry :-)
You will have to pay for both licence and test drive. If I am not mistaken - around CHF300, but you need to check it.
Don't remember cost for eye test - just got into closest optics and did it within 15 minutes. Shouldn't be expensive, otherwise I would remember it :-)
Driving school - it is better for you to look for it locally - local instructors know usual driving test routs :-)
Book - in every book shop ask for Driving Today for CHF26, if they don't have it on stock - will be delivered in 2-3 days.
Timing - it takes lots of time between date of your application submission and when you will be invited for test drive. I waited for 2 months, may be that is the way how they check your original licence. And that is a problem - they take your licence and you can't drive anywhere beside Switzerland :-(
Good luck, test itself was the easiest I ever had :-)
I went to the driving place yesterday and all your information was very accurate. Now I'm waiting to receive the invite for my test - the lady told me it should be a "small test"...
I changed over from my Australian license last year. Be sure to bring some documentation showing when you first received your license. I had a new Australian license which had only been issued 2 years before and at first the Swiss were going to put me on a probationary one as a learner driver. Luckily when I showed my Australian drivers license history that was enough to put me on the permanent Swiss one.
Oh and for the eye test I just went to Visilab. The one at the airport was even open in Sunday!