Hi,

I have a UK driving license and am wondering if I have to convert it into a Swiss one?

Thanks for your help

You can drive on it for a year before converting.

As far as I know it is only valid for a year. So you should convert it within a year.
Some says it can be changed for some reason. But this is only case by case and bit of luck I think.
If you are gonna be here for several years, then you'd better switch it. But if you are here for a year or just over a year, then, just keep UK one.
On EF, type driving license then, you will get several threads.
Read them if you need more info.

Thank you for your swift reply!

All the above applies if you've held your UK licence for one year or more before the date you registered in Switzerland! If not, you might have to take a Swiss test.

Hi, just thought I'd comment because I have exchanged mine today. I'd been worrying about it, but it was dead easy!

Its true that you can drive on your EU license for a year, and although I only arrived in CH in July, my UK licence photo card expires next month(10 years' after issue).

I printed off the form here - http://www.stva.zh.ch/internet/siche...umschreib.html

filled it in (with a little help with a german speaking friend), stuck a passport photo on it, then went with the form to the local opticians to get the eye test done - this cost 15Fr.

Surprisingly simple really!

Then took it this morning to my local Strassenverkehrsamt in Hinwil ZH. They asked to see my B permit, and I also showed my marriage certificate (as UK license still had my maiden name on it). They took my UK license card, and gave me a stamped photocopy of it, incase I need to show it. The nice young man then told me in English that I'd recieve the Swiss license through the post in about a week's time.

I got mine done on Friday as well - exactly one year to the day I arrived in Switzerland.

Two things to note - first, they accepted my Australian licence fine, without having to sit a test, although I know others from the south - looking at you, South Africans - aren't so lucky.

Second, if you live in Canton Vaud you will have to go to the office of The Controle des Habitants so they can stamp your licence conversion form as proof that you live in the canton. Cost - CHF5. Your permit isn't proof enough apparently, so bring your passport. It doesn't tell you on the form or on the site you need to do this, so take heed and don't waste a trip by going to the driving registration office first (like we did). Apparently I'll get mine in 30 days.

Here's hoping they like my NZ license! And don't mind that I learned to drive at 15 with no lessons...

Update on my previous post:

My UK license, issued in the 90's, allows me to drive a small lorry (up to 7.5 tonnes I think??), category C1. In more recent years, an additional test was introduced for this.

I recieved a letter from the Strassenverhkersamt (Zurich) today, in reference to the C1 category, saying I had to get an additional medical check before they could issue the category.

As I've never driven anything bigger than a car in the UK, and would be terrified driving anything bigger here, I just rang the office, and asked for the license to be issued without the C1 category. It was no problem - hopefully I will get my license next week.

You will do. When i changed mine they told me that I could either undertake a medical or have the licence issued without the said catagory.

If it's not to late, do it anyway, it will be much harder to upgrade later should you ever need it. You can also drive things like minibuses.

The medical isn't exactly thorugh, they just check your hearing, sight, balance and blood pressure, takes about 5 minutes.

Thanks again for all the helpful advice. It makes it so much easier when you know where to go and what to do!
Especially if you speak no German like me!

Sorry, another update, just to keep readers in the picture.

I just recieved a bill for 100chf for the admin and issue of the swiss license. Nothing comes for free afterall.

I had a UK driving licence, downloaded the forms from my local Strassenverkehrsamt, filled them out and then rang the Verkehrsamt who gave me details of the nearest approved eye doctor for the medical (which you have to have if you are over 60). It seemed pretty thorough to me. I handed the forms and my UK licence in to my local Gemeinde and they sent them to the Verkehrsamt. I then got a call from them saying that since my old licence included the HGV driving option I would have to go for an extra medical if I wanted to retain the HGV component. I decided that having survived 40+ years of driving without needing to drive anything other than cars and the odd minibus, I would hardly be needing to do so in the future. I was sent a form where I had to renounce driving HGVs and got my Swiss licence in the post 10 days later. The whole thing was totally trouble free and local. The whole thing cost 200CHF, so 100CHF sounds like a bargain. Different cantons different prices I guess.