I have found a second hand car that I like, however it is 3 hours-away drive from the place I live. Therefore, it is only possible to go and check the car over the weekends.
I currently own a car, I would like to buy the new car, drive it back home and then sell my current car.
Can you advise what do I need to do to drive back with the new car? I heard that the number plates are assigned to a person, not a car, therefore when I buy the car the old owner will not hand me out the car with the number plates on.
It seems that I have two options:
1) Drive to that place with my current car and take a friend with me, then after a successful purchase we would drive back with two cars
- I contacted STVA and they told me it would be possible to do that only if I obtain from them a temporary number plates that are valid 24hours. The problem is that I would need to do it around 3pm on Friday so that they are valid until Saturday 3pm - by that time I need to go back to Zurich with both cars.
2) Go check the car and travel by train - I assume I would need to remove my current number plates from my car and take them with me to be able to put them on when I buy the car - but would the newly purchased car have insurance? I think the insurance is signed for a given car, not the number plates or a person which would mean it is currently assigned to my current car and would not be to the new.
Anyone had similar situation and was able to handle it? Can you provide any advice?
Any tips highly appreciated, it is my first time buying a car in Switzerland so I am completely clueless
you hand over the cash, take the grey card/Fahrzeugausweis, contact your insurance, they issue you a police and notify STVA, next you go to STVA, present the old grey card, pick a number, in 15 minutes collect new plates and a new grey card, then go collect your car.
I would drive there to see the car and decide whether I want to buy it or not.
If I decide to buy it, then I would go back home, do the paperwork in order to get it insured (new plates, or transfer your current plates) and go back by train.
I suppose it's a special car if you are willing to drive 3 hours to pick it up
ok I thought cascading updates insurance->STVA takes a bit longer, but since the OP did not see the car I implied they would visit it first anyway, hence two voyages are inevitable, if, of course, the pics look so good the OP is willing to do the papers upfront. Else my algo is what is upon the OP.
Unless, the seller is cool with the OP driving it on their plates/insurance - not unheard of, but rare.
As OP lives in canto Zurich they can use the "Vorläufige Verkehrsberechtigung" on a new shared plates (all canton have the "Vorläufige Verkehrsberechtigung", but not all allow it on ne shared plates).
Steps:
Download the relevant form and print two (!) copies.
Prepare an envelope, A-post stamp, with the address of the StVA/SAN.
Remove the other cars plates and take them with you. Inspect the new car, buy it when you like it. Once you have the gray card and keys in your hand call your insurance to get a quote to be registered with your StvA/SAN. You will need the Stammnumer. If you buy the car on a Saturday or Sunday get an insurance quote beforehand. Best if you can get a copy of the gray card.
Fill in all the relevant details on the two printed form. Put one copy along with the gray card in the envelope., seal it, and put it into the nearest yellow mail box.
Mount the plates and drive home. Keep the other copy of the filled in form. It acts as a temporary gray card. But only within Switzerland.
Thank you very very much for the detailed explanation of the process! When I talked to the STVA Zurich representative he has explained it to me similarly, however I did not understand all of the details because of the language barrier :-).
Thank you all for your responses. Wish you a nice day!!
BTW:
Haha quite the opposite! It's much older than my current car & less valuable but I have always wanted to have one of those
Hi, is this also the case for buying a car from another Canton? I'm taking the train to Geneva on Friday (from Zurich) to view a car. If the car is satisfactory post the inspection and drive (I'm presuming his insurance allows me to test drive..) I'd like to know the best legal way to get the car back!
I have done it a few times, a friend's car plus trailer, me driving, my car on the back, friend in the passenger seat. All vehicles had Swiss grey passports. I didn't even think about asking if it was legal. I have done it with and without the number plates on the car on the trailer. Without when the car on the back was not insured. I have done that a few times, to get better roads for towing and never gave it a thought. So yes I have done it, and lived! EDIT: Isn't it a bit like a motorhome with a scooted strapped to the back? Not much difference is there?