Hello,

I've heard that it is possible to return the licence plates to the Strassenverkehrsamt if one is going away for a couple of months and then get them back later, and with this save on the road tax and car insurance.

Has anyone done this before or knows how it works?

You're absoutely right:

http://www.stva.zh.ch/internet/ds/st...hild_depo.html

You can actually hand in the plates at a main post office as well or post them in.

The STVA automatically notifies the insurance company.

CAUTION: if you leave the plates for more than 12 months at the Strassenverkehrsamt, they get cancelled and possibly issued to another person.