Owning and registering a car for holiday home

Transportation, Travel and Trips
1
Hello All,

I was reading the older treads re this issue, but wanted to check the current position. I want to purchase a car to leave at my Swiss holiday home in Graubünden, which I visit every other month. Can I buy a car in Switzerland, and register it to my Swiss address?

Owning a car in Switzerland makes more sense, as it reduces my car rental charges. I'm not keen on driving to and from the UK with a car.

Currently I don't have a residence permit.

Any thoughts welcome

Simon

2

From what I’ve read, you do need a residence permit to buy a car here in Switzerland.

As for registering it, I did a search and found this:

“If you are not a resident, but have a second home in Switzerland, and the vehicle is stationed in Switzerland, then it can be registered. Plates are issued according to where the car is stationed. You must pay all registration fees and taxes in advance.”

Source:

https://switzerlandisyours.com/E/imm…gistering.html

So it looks like you need a residence permit to buy a car here but not to register one. But I would contact the Gemeinde / government office where your holiday home is located to confirm. Also, perhaps any auto dealership here could help with your questions.

3
We have had a holiday home for 20 years in Canton Vaud and we just keep a UK registered car there.

The issue here is insurance but if you are over 50, Saga will insure it for up to a year and we just bring it back once a year for MOT. We did look into getting a Swiss reg etc and I can't remember why but it was easier to just leave the UK car in Switzerland.

Everyone knows it there and they all keep an eye on it. The only issue that we have had was in lockdown when we could not travel to Switzerland and the MOT ran out. thus making the insurance invalid.

We tried everything to bring it back and even tried to scrap it but in the end had to get it trailered back to the UK at great expense.. Even family who live there were not able to help..

4
There is zero restriction about buying a car. Anyone can buy a car.

5
Thanks all, very helpful. I'll contact my Gemeinde for further clarification. Interesting too re the UK registered car and Saga insurance. I much prefer keeping things simple, if possible, buying a left hand drive in Switzerland and then paying the local taxes, and insurance.

6
My holiday neighbors do this. They are living in the UK but have a car with GR plates.

7

That’s not what I read on the sites that I checked, via a Google search. They all said that a residency permit is required to buy a car here.

"Any Swiss resident who has a valid driving license can buy a car in Switzerland. However, the legal age for driving a car in Switzerland is 18. But if you are an EU/EFTA citizen or any third-country national buying a car, you need to have a Swiss residence permit, either a B (temporary) or C (settlement) permit. "
Buying a Car in Switzerland: What You Need To Know
https://studyinginswitzerland.com/bu…n-switzerland/

" If you are a foreign resident buying a car, you will need to have a Swiss residence permit. This will typically be either a B (temporary) or C (settlement) permit, although other permits are available. This goes for both EU/EFTA citizens and third-country nationals."
Should expats buy a car in Switzerland or import one? We break down the rules for owning a vehicle and driving Swiss roads.
https://www.expatica.com/ch/living/t…erland-214664/

8

Dear pancakes.
You can either trust those website which neither cite nor link any law or you can trust the guy on EF which always cites and links the law.

I could link to various laws such as:
SVG , VZV , OR and the ZGB but in none of those laws will you find any restrictions who can buy a car. Apart from the fact that must be in general capable to enter in a contract (otherwise one would need the approval of the legal guardian). This means even a minor w/o a driving license can buy a car. Further there is zero special formality regarding the sale of a car. A car is like a book, a bicycle, a sofa, or a lawnmower.

All the formalities come only once you intend to use the car on Swiss public roads.

9
For every vehicle I've purchased here, I was merely asked to provide an ID so they could draw up the purchase agreement. I could've been from the other side of the planet on holidays here.

The formalities indeed start when you want to register it.

10
In this case, I suggest you direct, via email, your enquiry to the 'strassenverkehrsamt' in Graubunden.

I am sure you are not the first person to be in this situation....

11
It is quite obvious that Pancakes was referring to the use of the car, and not buying a car as a garden ornament.

1 Like
12

That should be a rather simple thing. The entire process can be done online .

You’ll need the grey card (FahrzeugAusweis), confirmation of insurance (the minimum is 3rd party liability) (the insurance will send the data automatically to the authorities once they make a binding offer), plus what’s called WohnSitzBescheinigung , confirmation of residence, issued by Ilanz.

This address will be where they send all correspondence, including fines (which will go to the courts and become even more expensive unless paid within 30 days). If emptying every other month is a bit too infrequent, you can have Die Post automatically scan letters for you (as a separate service) for online availability.

You do not need a residence permit for what you have in mind.

13
It is quite clear that Pancakes separated the purchase and registration process:

As Pancakes correctly points out, one can register a car at the Swiss holiday home. This is needed to be complaint with the customs and road tax regulations. What smackerjack is doing is not perfectly legal and could potentially lead to legal troubles with customs and the cantons road office (chances that the authorities will find out are slim but not zero).

14
Thanks all. I have been in touch with my Gemeinde and the StVA Fahrzeugzulassung, and it's fine to purchase a car in Switzerland and register it. They did say that I should only drive it within Switzerland, otherwise custom duties might apply.

Thanks all, question answered.

15
If you are an EU resident (resident, not citizen!) then this is a very good advice. If you are not an EU resident (e.x. you live in the UK, USA, etc) than you can also drive the car in the surrounding EU countries.

16
I thought foreign licence plates could only be kept for one year.

17
Yes, you are quite correct but we are no longer Swiss residents. Still have an apartment there but take the car back and forth and if we fly leave it there but always take it back every year to the UK.

18

You are aware that from car registration point of view the car should be outside of Switzerland for at least 3 consecutive months per year?
ASA Directive No. 1 But also Art. 77 VZV

And from customs point of view it cannot be in the country for more than 6 months per year w/o explicit customs approval (From 15.30)

Article 9 of the 1990 I stanbul convention on Temporary Admission (Referenced in the Swiss Customs laws and regulation) and also
https://www.bazg.admin.ch/bazg/en/ho…-benutzen.html
https://www.bazg.admin.ch/bazg/en/ho…e-einfuhr.html