Registering a Vehicle in Switzerland

Are you eager to hop into your new car and hit the road? Before you do, you need to take care of two things:

1. Obtain liability insurance for your car. Without it, you are not allowed to drive a car in Switzerland.

2. Register the vehicle at the relevant road traffic office. Only then will you receive the vehicle registration certificate and license plates.

In this guide, we’ll explain what electronic insurance confirmation is, what you need to consider when registering your vehicle, and what to do in special cases.

Basics of Car Registration

Whether it’s a new or used car, you need to register your new car before enjoying your ride. First, you must take out motor vehicle insurance. The next step is to visit the relevant road traffic office. Your insurance company will have already sent the electronic insurance confirmation to them. Once you have all the necessary documents, you will receive the new vehicle registration certificate and the license plates for your car.

What Does "Registering a Vehicle" Mean?

You’ll often see the terms "registering" or "licensing" a vehicle when learning about the car registration process. These terms mean the same thing: registering a car. Once your car is registered, you’ll receive license plates and a vehicle registration certificate.

Required Documents for Registration

To register your car, you need to have the electronic insurance confirmation for the vehicle on file with the road traffic office. This is automatically sent electronically by the insurance company as soon as you have taken out the insurance. This step is the necessary first step for car registration.

Additionally, you’ll need:

• A Swiss passport, optionally an identity card, or a foreigner’s permit,

• The original previous vehicle registration certificate (for a used car) or,

• The original inspection report Form 13.20 A (for a new import vehicle).

If you want to register a new import vehicle, you’ll also need proof of customs clearance. You will receive the inspection report Form 13.20 A at the customs office.

In some cases, you can send the original vehicle registration certificate or inspection report by mail to the road traffic office. Check your road traffic office’s website to see if this is an option.

Good to know: Your motor vehicle insurance coverage begins on the day you receive the vehicle registration certificate and license plates.

Costs of Car Registration

The road traffic offices charge a fee for the car registration service. Here’s what you can expect to pay:

• Vehicle registration certificate: around 40 CHF

• License plates: 20 to 50 CHF

You can inquire about the specific fees in your canton at the relevant road traffic office.

We Handle Car Registration with the CARIFY Car Subscription

Gathering all the paperwork for car registration takes time. You’ll also need to be prepared for some waiting time and processing delays at the office itself. We at CARIFY take care of all this for you when you subscribe to a car with us. We register your subscription vehicle for you, including everything that comes with it: insurance, vehicle registration certificate, and inspection report. We even cover the costs entirely. When you pick up your vehicle from us (or have it conveniently delivered to your doorstep), it’s already fully registered and ready for you. You don’t have to worry about a thing.

By the way, our subscription price includes much more than just motor vehicle insurance and registration. You’re fully covered with comprehensive and partial insurance, and depending on the insurance package you choose, you’ll also be protected against parking damage. We pay the taxes for your car and take care of maintenance, inspections, and services like tire changes. We organize all the appointments for you to make everything as convenient as possible. As if that weren’t enough, we also include a Swiss highway vignette and offer you 24/7 roadside assistance. So, look forward to the all-inclusive package with your CARIFY car subscription!

Special Cases of Car Registration

Car registration isn’t always about changing ownership or first-time registration. For temporary use, for example, you need to apply for a provisional registration. We’ve summarized the rules for the most common special cases for you.

Registering a Car When Moving

When moving within Switzerland, you are legally required to notify the road traffic office at your new place of residence of your change of address within 14 days. Your new address will be entered in your driver’s license and vehicle registration certificate – you must present both documents at the appointment or send them in the original if the office offers this service.

Good to know: Since February 1, 2024, the old blue driver’s licenses are no longer valid. For the new credit card format driver’s license, it’s sufficient to report the new address by phone or in writing to the relevant road traffic office.

Registering a Car When Importing

When importing a car into Switzerland and registering imported cars, you need to have several documents ready. These include proof of customs clearance and traffic approval. Anyone moving to Switzerland from abroad with their car must also go through the customs process for car importation. If you reside in Switzerland, you are not allowed to drive a vehicle registered abroad.

Vehicle Registration Without a Driver’s License

Every car needs insurance before registration. However, you don’t necessarily need a driver’s license for this. In fact, the insurance company doesn’t care whether you, as the policyholder, have a valid driver’s license. They only need the following documents to complete the policy:

• Vehicle registration certificate

• Purchase agreement (for leased vehicles, also the leasing contract)

• Previous insurance policy, if available

What’s relevant is who will primarily be driving the vehicle, as this affects the no-claims discount and the amount of the premiums. New drivers typically face particularly high premiums.

Once the electronic insurance confirmation is on file with the road traffic office and you have gathered the other necessary documents, you can register the car without a driver’s license.

Steps to Registering a Vehicle

You don’t register a car every day. With our step-by-step guide, it’s easy. Here’s how to register a vehicle:

Choosing the Road Traffic Office

The road traffic office of your residential canton is responsible for car registration. You can find a location near you on their website.

Submitting the Insurance Confirmation

The insurance company sends the insurance confirmation electronically to the road traffic office of your residential canton, and it is valid for 30 days from the date of issue. If you need more time to register, the insurance company will send a new one upon request.

You do not receive the insurance confirmation directly, as the insurance policy is sufficient for your records.

Receiving and Using the License Plates

After registering the vehicle, you’ll receive new license plates:

• At the registration office in exchange for your old ones, or

• At your local post office in exchange for your old ones, after the road traffic office has sent you the documents.

They are proof of a properly registered vehicle – and there are different types of license plates depending on the vehicle type. The combination of letters and numbers uniquely identifies the vehicles and their owners. Therefore, you must handle the license plates carefully after receiving them and must not alter them in any way. You also need to ensure that they are clearly visible and not dirty.

Re-registering and Deregistering a Vehicle

The registration data of your car must always be up to date – this applies to moves as well as to deregistration if you sell or decommission your car.

What to Consider When Re-registering a Vehicle

You must notify the road traffic office of your new residence of the change of address within 14 days. When moving within a canton, your car can keep the old license plates. If you move from one canton to another, you’ll need new plates. In addition to your driver’s license and vehicle registration certificate, you’ll need to present a new liability insurance confirmation (your insurance company handles the electronic submission upon request). You’ll also need to submit the completed "Application for Vehicle Registration" form, which you can download from the website of the road traffic office in your new canton.

How to Deregister a Vehicle

If you don’t want to drive your car temporarily, you can deposit the license plates at the road traffic office and you won’t have to pay car insurance or motor vehicle tax during this time. You have at least one year to reclaim the plates after re-registering the car. After that, your claim to the number expires, and you’ll need to apply for new license plates.

When selling a car, hand over the vehicle registration certificate to the new owner, but keep the license plates – you can use them for your new car or return them to the road traffic office.

If your car is being scrapped, have the vehicle registration certificate canceled at the road traffic office.

Conclusion

Registering a car takes time and money. You need to have the insurance confirmation and other documents ready and pay for your new license plates. When re-registering, you have 14 days to report the change of address to the road traffic office. With a CARIFY car subscription, you can forget about waiting times and deadlines because we take care of everything for you. Opt for the all-inclusive package of a CARIFY car subscription!

FAQs

How much does it cost to register a car in Switzerland?

Depending on the canton, the vehicle registration certificate costs around 40 CHF, and the license plates cost 20 to 50 CHF.

How do I register a car in Switzerland?

For the registration of vehicles, you need:

• Motor vehicle inspection (MFK)

• Liability insurance

• Registration at the road traffic office

How long can a German car be driven in Switzerland?

If you live in Switzerland, you must register a car imported from Germany in Switzerland and obtain Swiss license plates before you can drive it. Only those living in Germany are allowed to drive their German-registered vehicle in Switzerland. This permission lapses if you have a second residence in Switzerland.