For those that do give up the license...isn't it sent back to your country? Thus you can't get it back exactly but you can apply to have it reinstated? I'm not sure on that bit.
Not all nationalities have to give up their license to get a Swiss one. For example, Americans submit their U.S. license at first, but when the Swiss one is issued the U.S. one is handed back with a stamp on it making it invalid in CH. However the license is still valid in the U.S. And...when an American leaves, both licenses might still be valid if neither has expired.
Let's see...when I moved to Switzerland, I had a U.S. (California) driver's license and an Italian driver's license. When, back in the day, I had obtained my California license, they did not care that I already had an Italian one, and I had to redo all over again. Also, they didn't even take it (hence I had two). When I moved to Switzerland, I was told it was a much simpler deal to convert my Italian license than my US one, so I handed them my Italian, and kept my California. CH told me that, should I ever go back to Italy, I would simply hand them my CH license and they (Italy) would give me back my Italian one.
While in CH, my California license expired. When I left Switzerland, I asked the Strassenverkehrsamt (DMV) in Zurich and they told me to keep the CH license, and hand it in in exchange for a license in the place where I was going to (U.S. - DC). So, once in DC, that's what I did - however, DC did not take away my Swiss license, and they actually were rather confused by the fact that it has no expiration date! I did however ask Italy if I could give the CH license to them and get back my Italian one, and they told me NO! You don't live here anymore and we don't like you!!! (Just kidding - but they kept my IT license).
So now I have my valid DC license that I use regularly, a (useless) expired California license, a (useless) valid Swiss license, and no Italian license!
A stamp?! They perforated my US license with thousand tiny little holes right where the scanable information is!
Well, hopefully they managed to eliminated all those deducted points for uhm, "heavy foot" syndrome.
Yes, this js how it works in case of my country (Poland). The Polish driving license will be sent back there and when I arrive, I can get it back once I give up on the Swiss one. Not sure what will happen with the Swiss one then, though.
I am US citizen, C permit, and I am selling my apt.
I would go to US for more than 6 months.
do I need to deregister? what about my bank account?
Yes, you do. If you’re not living here permanently you have to deregister and your C permit will be cancelled.
Close the account. Either make a bank transfer to the US or get a banker’s draft to take with you.
I am sure there is a way around that.
Quick question on the driving license, I'm English and gave up my British driving license for a Swiss one couple of years ago.
I'm now relocating yet again, this time to the US.
Do I bring my Swiss license to the US and exchange for a US one when I'm there, or do I need to get a UK one again, then exchange it for the US one?
Hoping it's the former, too much to do and time is running out!
Thanks
Your not entitled to a UK license as your are not resident in the UK , you have a Swiss license so use that.
Don't bother to try and exchange. The DMV folks in most areas just don't see it often enough to know how to handle it. Instead, just take the written and practical tests. You'll probably pass first time without a problem, and since most places don't have a requirement to take lessons (after a certain age) it will not be expensive.
I deregistered today. I must confess, I've been putting it off out of fear because my German is very poor, but it was actually very easy. So for the benefit of anyone else who's got The Fear:
- took husband and my B permits into the office.
- said "Ich muss abmelden. Wir werden die Schweiz verlassen."
- handed over the permits and my new address (written down in advance because I really struggle with spelling out letters)
- slightly sticky moment when she gave me a form about taxes, but (thanks to this place) I know the word Quellensteuer and "Mein Mann had Quellensteuer bezahlen, so kein steuer" was sufficiently comprehensible (told you my german was bad!)
- paid CHF 30
- got given two letters which we can use to prove we've gone and so cancel contracts and health insurance.
Hope this helps someone, or at least gives the more fluent among us a good laugh.
I'm feeling oddly bereft now. I really don't want to go.
Stay then.
Have you got a spare room?
I will shortly be in the same situation.
Keen to get home but will sadly miss Zurich.
Why bother with the spare?
Oh my...
Hi.
I've decided to leaving Switzerland before the end of this month.
I'm EU with a B permit from 03/02/2014 and, because I've lost my work and I don't want to change my IT licence with a Swiss one, wich is exactly the procedure that I have to follow?
I think I have to go before to the controle des abitants here in Ecublen for cancel my permit, right?
It's crazy but, now, I have two B permit One from Zug canton (where I lived until 30/09/2014) and a new one, arrived Friday, from the Vaud canton (where I moved from the 1/10/2014; very fast.... ). Have I to put the zuger one in the waste or give back them to the Vaud canton office?
Next, I have a bank account at UBS (in Lugano), have I to close it? I'm not so rich, I think I have only 5-6.000.-; can I close it, take cash and carry back it with me when I go back to Italy? How is the maximum amount of cash you can carry with you at the border?
B option is to make a bank transfer to my italian bank account but it's not a good idea because the risk to have the fiscal police back to the door after 10mins is very high (I know that it's crazy but, this is Italy) and lost money and time for explaining about the origin of my money (last salary and swiss car sold) is very high
How about insurances and other taxes?
How about my licence? Can I drive in Switzerland next times when I come here as a simple tourist even if I lived here?
I think I don't want to go back for living in Switzerland, I hate this country
Questions one can answer themselves...
Did you deregister from Zug when you moved to Lausanne. You should have done. If not, do that at the same time you do the one in Lausanne. Yes, you have to go to the control d’habitants in both cases.
Cancel insurances from whatever the date is that you’re leaving. Contact the tax offices in Zug and Lausanne and let them know too as you may owe some more tax or be due a refund.
Talk to your bank about whether you can keep the account open or not. Bringing cash into Switzerland the max amount without declaring it is CHF10,000, but I’ve no idea what the Italian amount would be. You’d have to check with Italian Customs.
Yes of course, you can drive on your Italian licence as a tourist.
Thank you.
Yes, before moving to Lausanne I went to Zug office for deregistering and they put a stamp on my permit with new addresses; I've used this permit until now because Vaud canton never send me the new one (until Friday )
For taxes, with the B permit, until I worked there taxes was payed from my company. Are there any taxes you have to pay as an unemployed person?