Temporarily using a car on foreign plates...

Transportation, Travel and Trips
21
I talked to two cops yesterday who made a call to back their thoughts up and they confirmed to me several times it's legal as long as I get the Zollbescheinigung. Looking it up do I apparently need some letter signed by the owner that the car is in fact just registered on him but only used by me. That's rather easy to prove for me.

22
With Form 15.30 it is legal. Getting Form 15.30 for the desired period is the tricky part.

Also, it is not about the license plate, it is about if tax and duty was paid (customs law).

License plate would be a cantonal road tax issue. Just like having a car with the wrong cantonal license plate (Like some TI and GR cars in ZH ).

23
There is also an other option (import/re-export/reimburse), but that one involves alot of paperwork and may have some pitfalls:

http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_fir...x.html?lang=en

24
License plates should match the canton in which they are normally garaged, which may or may not be the canton you actually live in. However, this isn't normally very strictly applied, my daughter drove with TI plates for nearly two years while living in BE and AG, a co-worker for nearly 10 while living in ZH.

Tom

25
What you could do is to bring the car to a local garage you trust, and to make them contact Strassenverkehrsamt for controls etc., and they might have already imported cars as an inheritated good, which is possible in your case as the legal owner until now is your dad.

You might have a problem if the car is very pricey and you have siblings, as they should renounce to their claims, in this case. However, Zollamt might overlook this.

You would then need your dad to go with you to Zollamt and fill the forms they hand you out there.

It's a bit of bureaucracy, but not very costly. If the process takes longer, Zollamt will give you a document that you are intitled to drive a foreign plated car for a certain time.

For sure an option if one wants to import a car from his family's.

26
No need for any of that, just declare it at the border and be done with it.

The ownership does not change, i.e. it still belongs to his father, siblings don't matter.

Tom

27
It's an option, if OP is willing to pay 4% customs' plus 8% VAT, afaik., for which one doesn't need any physical border either, btw.

The other option would be +- for free.

28
Hi

I went to Customs today in Geneva (Thônex-Vallard) to ask about my case:

- B permit since 20.3.2015.

- My 8 year-old Fiat Punto in Spain, under my mum's name, paid and insured by me.

I'm evaluating the cost of bringing it here in Xmas vs. keeping public transportation

The guy at customs told me I can pay 20CHF and avoid customs tax if:

- I bring proof that I've been using it at least 6 months in advance: receipt of the insurance in which I'm the driver + a certificate signed by my mother saying also that I'm the owner.

(I would change the name in Spain before coming to CH but it wouldn't the required 6 months)

And that I can use it like that for 1 year, but he was not clear about :

- 1 year since I have my permit or 1 year since I import the vehicle? He couldn't tell, and referred me to the "Service cantonal des véhicules" in Carouge -and I will go- but in case you can help me, I've reading threads but it's confusing and most references are in German.

Thanks!

29
One year since you arrived, not the car.

Tom

30
Sorry guys I just drop by your nice discussion here with a fair question.

So that I'm living in Geneva from April 2014 and recently in beginning of October 2015 I brought my car which is registered in german plates and all the documents are for my self. Car is a german one. At border in Basel I just bought a sticker for highway and nothing else. No deceleration.

Given that I'm working in an international organization with limited duration of staying in Switzerland I was thinking if I can use my car in this way. How do you think? Do I need to go my way for swiss plates and custom deceleration?

One more thing. I would like to take the practical road examination to convert my international driving license to a swiss one. Is it possible that I just go for exam with this german car or necessarily it must be registered in swiss plates ?

Thanks a lot for you informative replies.

31
Why don't you just read this thread?

32
Yes of course I read. Actually there are two distinct changes in my questions that I didn't find answers for them :

1- Working at international organization with probable privileges of driving my german car (I'm not sure)

2-Taking driving license test with a german car

These two didn't mention in fact would be nice if someone can comment.

Thanks

33
From my point of view it looks like you drive a smuggled car.

Furthermore you drive with a non-valid driving license!

If you are not a tourist, then you need to declare and and get the appropritate paper work (Form 15.30).

"International Organization" Hmm, can mean a lot and nothing at all.

Persons with diplomatic immunity are exempt from getting a Swiss driving license (VZV Art. 42 Abs. 3ter https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classifi...index.html#a42 )

But that has nothing to do with the license plate or tax and duty status of the car itself.

If you do not have diplomatic immunity your driving license is void in Switzerland exaclty 12 months after taking up residency in Switzerland.

34
I think you are right in the diplomatic immunity part. I actually acquired my international driving license from control service in Geneva where they mentioned that I can use it for 3 (or 4) years with no need for swiss driving license but actually for my personal reasons I prefer to take the swiss one as well. That's why I would like to take this examination.

So I may tomorrow again go to control service to book the examination time (I'm not sure if I can do it online) and as well ask them if I can do the exam with my german car (again applying diplomatic immunity stuff) (Otherwise I either will think of registering car in swiss plates or take the exam with a swiss car of my friends)

I've not registered the car since I rarely drive it in Geneva and mostly use it in french side or driving back and forth to Germany and actually most of the times it is parked in my organization yard where you can find cars from whole over the Europe.

35
Well so today I was in Geneva traffic control service regarding my questions :

Basically because of my diplomatic privileges I was able to use the international driving license which I obtained by translating my driving license to french. I am as well eligible to take the driving license test to get the swiss driving license but apparently I need to go for exam with a swiss car. They will actually double check till tomorrow if again I can use my non-swiss car for examination or not but they don't have any problem that I go for exam with a friend's car which is a swiss one as far as I have all the necessary documents.

Now I have a new question :

Do people here have any idea that how I can get a swiss car (probably to rent one) for examination in the case I don't have other options?

In fact importing my car will take a long period that is not feasible for me for the moment.

If any one here is also interested I can pay a reasonable amount for one ride before exam and one ride the day of exam. You can send me a private message.

Thanks alot.

36
Trev, how about this . Since you have a permit B you're a resident, i.e. it applies to your case.

"In principle, people who are resident in Switzerland are not allowed to use a foreign vehicle registered abroad in Switzerland. This also applies to vehicles which relatives or acquaintances from abroad allow you to use occasionally, for example.

There are special regulations for instance for vehicles which are occasionally privately hired abroad and for foreign company cars."

37
I was stopped by the police in Zurich to be advised about the positioning of my sat nav. Luckily it was a rather nice police officer has I didn't have the paperwork.

He advised me to go to customs and get the paperwork sorted out. 20chf for the importing paperwork 12 months to import or take it out of country. No ifs or buts. They also send you letters reminding you throughout the year re importing

38
Not sure what you mean by an "international driving license" which has a specific meaning (basically for use of tourists to translates a home license) not applicable here.

When I was a diplomat at the UN many years ago my wife chose to get a Swiss license on the basis of her USA one, and she still has it. I did not (would have been better if I had, but never mind that). Only exam required was an eye test.

We kept a UK-registered car for the two years (naughty!) and were controlled a few times a the France-Geneva border, but no consequences, even for all the meat brought in without the "franchise" we should have had.

But that was then, this is now.

39
Well "International driving license" is the one which I acquired in exchange of my driving license from my country. My driving license was not eligible to be exchanged by a swiss one but the gave me this one which is kind of 3 page booklet in different languages that can be used in Europe.

I would like to take the exam in order to take the real swiss license.

An interesting update : If your car is registered in other country than Switzerland and it is under your own name you can take exam with it and no need for a swiss plate car then.

40
I think the two are related...