My Mom will be visiting in October for 3 weeks. We have a fully insured car with ZH license plates, Ausweis, etc. I am pregnant and it would really help if she could use the car to run errands, etc.

Does anyone know if family and friends using our car on a temp basis are covered under the typical Swiss auto insurance policy? In the US, definitely. I have no idea how it works in Switzerland.

I will give the insurance company (Zurich) a call on Monday, but any insight or tips would be appreciated. Thanks for the help!

I don't think anyone could answer as accurately as your insurance company!!

Legally anybody can drive a CH plated car as it's insured at least for 3rd Party risks by law. Usually full coverage will cover any driver over 25 who has held a license for 2 years.

It won't hurt to give your insurers a ring, there way less complicated than in the UK, where additional drivers are a big deal.

Ask your insurance, they will know, my insurance covers it since I have asked once, but each policy can be different so better check yours.

Generally in CH it's the car that is insured not a particular driver, so anyone who drives that car is insured, assuming of course they have the correct valid permit to drive in Switzerland.

But like everyone says, check with your insurer to be sure. You wouldn't want to be the one person with a different policy.

The great thing about CH is if the car has plates they are insured even if the premium has not been paid. France also has the any driver bit, with French cars there should be a green insurance paper in the window.

I have asked this specifically of the 2 companies I have used - Zurich 24 (now Zuritel) and Allianz 24

Q: When my mother and father visit me in Switzerland from the United Kingdom, are they insured to drive my car? Do I need to name them? Are they covered fully comp?

A: They are both covered fully comp - you don't need to name ANY driver (other than yourself) on the insurance UNLESS they do a significent number of KMs*.

*They weren't able to say what that meant - but I always add my wife as a named driver.

Absolutely, unless there is enforced stipulation for some reason if the car is insured for accident and casco then any driver with appropriate permission and not under a rental agreement is covered to the level of the policy. If a driver is under 25 there is a 1000 deductible on liability as governed by Swiss law which may be different to the existing deductible. This can be coupled with a 500 excess increase.

It is always good to have a partner or "regular" user named, this is generally use of over say 2 days a week per year. The name of another user than the principle driver is coupled with their date of birth and only affects the main premium if they are under 25. If there are several additional drivers then it is the name and sex of the youngest that is noted on the policy

If they are a Swiss resident living at a different address, have the 3rd party motoring extension on their personal liability and it is a rare borrow of the vehicle then the excess and perhaps subsequent increase of the policy holder's excess in the event of a collision is covered.

For Zurich:

Art. 102 Insured persons
The owner and the persons for whom he/she is responsible according to road traffic legislation shall be insured.

13.1 Third party liability and collision Drivers If, in the event of a claim, the driver of the vehicle is younger than the drivers declared at the time of application (main driver or additional driver) and younger than 25 years of age, then the deductible for third party and collision damage shall be increased by CHF 500.

13.2 Liability 13.2.1 The deductible agreed for young drivers shall apply if the driver of the vehicle is under 25 years of age at the time of the accident.

13.2.2 The deductible agreed for other drivers shall apply if the driver of the vehicle was over 25 years of age at the time of the accident.

( This is usually shown on the policy as perhaps 0/1000* with *TLP First amount for other drivers, second amount for young drivers )