Possible move to Switzerland
Discussion
Hi Guy's
The missus is going for a job with Zurich and if she gets it we might have to move out there.
So could you please point us in the right direction as to what things we would need to know if we move out there.
Also I really don't want to get rid of my car but is it cost effective to run a English car out there? are there lots of things that need to be done to register the car and what sort of taxes would we have to pay?
Sorry for all the questions
Thanks in advance
Lucky
The missus is going for a job with Zurich and if she gets it we might have to move out there.
So could you please point us in the right direction as to what things we would need to know if we move out there.
Also I really don't want to get rid of my car but is it cost effective to run a English car out there? are there lots of things that need to be done to register the car and what sort of taxes would we have to pay?
Sorry for all the questions
Thanks in advance
Lucky
try here, lots of info
http://www.englishforum.ch/
yes you can run your uk car here, you have a couple of years before you have to register it. just make sure you keep it uk taxed and mot'ed and of course insured, insurance is the hard bit as your covered 3rd party with a uk policy but need a green card for fully comp, most companies wont give you an open ended green card.
Cars here are expensive! (2nd hand ones at least)
To register a uk car to switzerland is a royal PITA, lots of paperwork, lots of bills, no tax if you have owned it for more then 6 months (before you came here) but you have to have an extended MFK test (think MOT only much, much stricter), once you start the process you can't stop it, they take your uk plate off you and send them back to the UK, then you cannot use the car till its passed the MFK, you can be waiting a couple of months for a test date, so you'll be without the car for that time.
and of course you'll need to replace your headlights for the lhd version. If your very lucky it'll cost around 1k chf to change it from uk to swiss, if your unlucky (like us) it costs around 5k chf.
http://www.englishforum.ch/
yes you can run your uk car here, you have a couple of years before you have to register it. just make sure you keep it uk taxed and mot'ed and of course insured, insurance is the hard bit as your covered 3rd party with a uk policy but need a green card for fully comp, most companies wont give you an open ended green card.
Cars here are expensive! (2nd hand ones at least)
To register a uk car to switzerland is a royal PITA, lots of paperwork, lots of bills, no tax if you have owned it for more then 6 months (before you came here) but you have to have an extended MFK test (think MOT only much, much stricter), once you start the process you can't stop it, they take your uk plate off you and send them back to the UK, then you cannot use the car till its passed the MFK, you can be waiting a couple of months for a test date, so you'll be without the car for that time.
and of course you'll need to replace your headlights for the lhd version. If your very lucky it'll cost around 1k chf to change it from uk to swiss, if your unlucky (like us) it costs around 5k chf.
smilerbaker said:
try here, lots of info
http://www.englishforum.ch/
http://www.englishforum.ch/
smilerbaker said:
yes you can run your uk car here, you have a couple of years before you have to register it. just make sure you keep it uk taxed and mot'ed and of course insured, insurance is the hard bit as your covered 3rd party with a uk policy but need a green card for fully comp, most companies wont give you an open ended green card.
Cars here are expensive! (2nd hand ones at least)
To register a uk car to switzerland is a royal PITA, lots of paperwork, lots of bills, no tax if you have owned it for more then 6 months (before you came here) but you have to have an extended MFK test (think MOT only much, much stricter), once you start the process you can't stop it, they take your uk plate off you and send them back to the UK, then you cannot use the car till its passed the MFK, you can be waiting a couple of months for a test date, so you'll be without the car for that time.
and of course you'll need to replace your headlights for the lhd version. If your very lucky it'll cost around 1k chf to change it from uk to swiss, if your unlucky (like us) it costs around 5k chf.
Be careful with insurance as many UK ins co's state in the small print that you must be UK resident. I think a lot of people try and overlook thisCars here are expensive! (2nd hand ones at least)
To register a uk car to switzerland is a royal PITA, lots of paperwork, lots of bills, no tax if you have owned it for more then 6 months (before you came here) but you have to have an extended MFK test (think MOT only much, much stricter), once you start the process you can't stop it, they take your uk plate off you and send them back to the UK, then you cannot use the car till its passed the MFK, you can be waiting a couple of months for a test date, so you'll be without the car for that time.
and of course you'll need to replace your headlights for the lhd version. If your very lucky it'll cost around 1k chf to change it from uk to swiss, if your unlucky (like us) it costs around 5k chf.
here is the list for tax rates
http://www.stva.zh.ch/internet/ds/stva/de/gebuehre...
You'll also need a motorway vignette
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vignette_(road_tax)
If you have not owned the aston for more then 6 months before you come here (the date on your permit) then they will also clobber you for import duty, you'll need an eu1 (iirc) export certificate from the uk (from your local tax office I think), the certificate of conformity from aston for the car and all other paperwork, eg v5, bill of sale etc etc
Also be warned, you'll fail the MFK if the car is not completely standard (unless the mods are swiss certified and you have the certificates to prove it, or the mods are OEM)
Without the paper work and eu1 export cert they will clobber you for import tax anyway saying your car is from the USA (more expensive import rates), yep even though its an aston they will want you to prove its from the uk, the only proof they will accept is the eu1 - they charged us import duty on our MG being from the USA, but it was cheaper for us to just pay it rather then go back to the uk and get the certificate (b'strds), this is where the price of 2nd hand cars comes into play, they work out the import duty based on Swiss 2nd hand prices, our car is 5x more expensive here then the uk, in the whole of switzerland there was only 1 for sale down in geneva, so they said ours was worth that and we got charged accordingly.
http://www.stva.zh.ch/internet/ds/stva/de/gebuehre...
You'll also need a motorway vignette
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vignette_(road_tax)
If you have not owned the aston for more then 6 months before you come here (the date on your permit) then they will also clobber you for import duty, you'll need an eu1 (iirc) export certificate from the uk (from your local tax office I think), the certificate of conformity from aston for the car and all other paperwork, eg v5, bill of sale etc etc
Also be warned, you'll fail the MFK if the car is not completely standard (unless the mods are swiss certified and you have the certificates to prove it, or the mods are OEM)
Without the paper work and eu1 export cert they will clobber you for import tax anyway saying your car is from the USA (more expensive import rates), yep even though its an aston they will want you to prove its from the uk, the only proof they will accept is the eu1 - they charged us import duty on our MG being from the USA, but it was cheaper for us to just pay it rather then go back to the uk and get the certificate (b'strds), this is where the price of 2nd hand cars comes into play, they work out the import duty based on Swiss 2nd hand prices, our car is 5x more expensive here then the uk, in the whole of switzerland there was only 1 for sale down in geneva, so they said ours was worth that and we got charged accordingly.
importing a UK reg car is not a big deal as some make out.. once you know the system.
If bring in the car as part of your possesions you register the car in CH - they will give you a stamm number - like an ID marker. from this date you have 12 months to properly register the car in CH with swiss plates, during this period you can drive with your UK plates.
Speak with the stva as they normally have an "import" office nearby. I declered mine when I entered at the basel border, it took a little bit of form filling and stmping but i was done in 30 mins.
When you go for the MFK they will look over everything and it is a bit more involved than an MOT. You will need a "abgas" gas test document book - get this from the swiss dealer, they will try charge you a fortune for the gas test but the going price at a garaage is about 80chf although it is available for a lot cheaper!! when the MfK is complete they will ask you for your UK reg document and number plates. They keep the document an the plates - make sure to get onto DVLA that it is exported - its not automatic!!!!!
If the car is modified - different wheels, suspension etc they will ask for approval certificates, they do not accept TUeV certificates!!
hope this helps? Rob
If bring in the car as part of your possesions you register the car in CH - they will give you a stamm number - like an ID marker. from this date you have 12 months to properly register the car in CH with swiss plates, during this period you can drive with your UK plates.
Speak with the stva as they normally have an "import" office nearby. I declered mine when I entered at the basel border, it took a little bit of form filling and stmping but i was done in 30 mins.
When you go for the MFK they will look over everything and it is a bit more involved than an MOT. You will need a "abgas" gas test document book - get this from the swiss dealer, they will try charge you a fortune for the gas test but the going price at a garaage is about 80chf although it is available for a lot cheaper!! when the MfK is complete they will ask you for your UK reg document and number plates. They keep the document an the plates - make sure to get onto DVLA that it is exported - its not automatic!!!!!
If the car is modified - different wheels, suspension etc they will ask for approval certificates, they do not accept TUeV certificates!!
hope this helps? Rob
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