I am sure that makes a big difference that it was 1996, 11 years ago. EFTA... EU etc.

Almost certain that you can't get away with it these days.

However, you can apply to the UK DVLA and make a case for getting them to return it to you. Not sure I could be arsed.

The great thing about having a swiss licence when driving here or in the UK is that you don't get points on your licence. So I have concluded that its almost better not to have a UK licence.

Views on that?

Hugh

I know my UK license was set to expire when I am 75 IIRC (I had to surrender it so can't check) which is when I think you have to do some tests to check you are still fit to drive.

yep, mine was 2039 because erm that's when I'll be 80 and men can drive better than women and for longer and faster

Depends on the women & the car she drives.....

I did mine over 9 years ago.. I also had an Australian drivers license and asked to convert it.. They said I needed to pass my driving test here first because we drive on the left side of the road... I replied, " and the UK ?? ".. the reply was "that's different, they are a part of the EU". So I tried to pull a dodgy, got my OZ license converted to English, tried to exchange it, but date on UK license was that I had license for only 3 months. THE CH authorities said " you haven't been driving enough, you need to do a test", which I replied, but I had my OZ license for over 15 years, to which they said " you have to do a test, you drive on the left hand side of the road " ..

so my shiftiness did not work then, but to me it's one of those things... it depends on how you say hello/ how they get up in the morning / etc, etc,etc....

my 5rp worth

Ive been here since 99 and since have done motorbike tests A1 in Zurich and A in Bern.

It's possible to exchange your EU/EFTA license for up to 3 yrs after arrival provided you give up driving after a year. If you have C or D categories you'll need a medical each five years like in Germany.

It's much easier than in Germany as there it's 6 months, and hassle if you have more than motorbike and car categories (A,B) personally I have C1,D1,E too.

Regarding your intermittent exchange to a UK license in your 1st year before having to exchange it the following is possible: If you have had a photocard license since 99 OR a UK passport then you can have your original photocard license reîssued free in exchange for your exchangeable license. Your UK passport photo is also usable on your UK license photocard and vice versa.

For example when I moved briefly to Germany in 05 it was easier to send back my Swiss for a UK license and ride on that legally in Germany until expiry than to get a local one in exchange for my Swiss EU format license as it is NOT treated yet in Germany as an EU/EEA license (whereas a Liechtenstein license is). Thus you get better recognition of a German license in Switzerland than vice versa. That was until late 2005.

Finally if you have a Swiss photocard license and move to Liechtenstein you don't need to exchange it, or vice versa. Liechtenstein however issues the Swiss photocard style in the EU/EEA standard with expiry dates of your 70th birthday, and the differing languages of EU as per in the UK etc (I like seeing the Gaelic Ceadunas Tiomana).

Even if you exchange your license it's possible to pay in the UK and Switzerland for a paper confirming your driving entitlement, however this is not a license to drive. This can be exchanged upon loss/expiry of a (still) valid license for a local equivalent if you have left the issuing country and re-issue requires residence. Available from your local SVA or DVLA/DVLNI in UK.

It's called asserting "Treaty rights" and is planned to come into force June 1st 2007 in most EU countries.

It's also useful to prove how long you've really been driving.

For example my insurance is based on such a USA paper (Driving record) when I passed in NYC-USA earlier than my UK license dates now transferred like for like on my Swiss photocard license and is recognised by some insurance companies for calculating cheaper premiums as I can prove a longer driving history.

Hope this helps. Note that after pensions and cars, driving entitlements are the biggest bugbear in Euro migrations issues.
See summary at: http://bookshop.europa.eu/eGetRecord...ils&UID=134476

I got my license back today & also the Swiss license. Didn't see any bill yet. I am supposed to pay a hundred something sFR as being told by the guy at the counter. How do you guys pay for the exchange ?

hold tight, you'll get a bill within a week

After 12 months (note, after) I submitted my South African Licence to the Strasseverkehrsampt in order to obtain a Swiss Licence.

For South African Licence holders out there:

Because I only changed my ID book Licence to the new format Licence a few months ago, the Strasseverkehrsampt rejected my request until I handed over my ID book along with the credit card Licence.

I now have to arrange a date to do a practical test. My South African Licence is now invalid until I get the test date. I can then drive on the South African Licence up to the test date. Both my ID book and the credit card Licence have been returned to me without any markings.

Should I fail the test, my South African Licence becomes void and I have to do the full Swiss driving test including first aid and theory.

They have recommended I take a few lessons with a driving school.

Hi all

Just an update to my personal drivers licence saga... overall a completely and utterly painless process. So painless in fact that I keep wondering when to expect the booby trap to appear .

I was 2 months over the one year date to exchange my Canadian (Ontario) license - no problem announced the VERY nice lady. Form filled out, photo attached, explanation made to me that my licence heads back to Canada (as I had suspected) and she was happy - even with my horrid German

2 days later my swank Swiss licence arrived in the mail. Much to my surprise, the next day my Ontario licence was returned to me with the (as one other poster pointed out) hi-tech orange-glo sticker on it explaining that it was invalid in Switzerland.

My night sweats and fear of being reprimanded by an ogre at the Strassenverkersamt were all for nought...

Of course, silly me, I have yet to receive the bill...

Cheers

Fiona

Congrats Fiona.
Which office did u go to Zurich, Horgen, Winterthur?

Hi there...

I actually went to the office in Regensdorf which was recommended by the folks at work due to the a) proximity to our Rümlang office, and b) the permanent lack of line ups and stress-free ambiance ... and they were spot on!

Cheers

Fiona

Went in today after filling the form with the eyetest.

Didnt have any issues Got a reply that I will get my license my post withing 10 days ... yayyy.

hi there.

i was here for 5 years and didnt know that i had to convert before.

therefore i had to take a control test (kontrollfahrt).

before this, i took 5 lessons in zurich with a driving instructor.

although i have been driving for 15 years in england, i would consider this essential. the rules of the road are different here, what with the trams, and right preference rules and so on.

the test itself is a 30 minute drive around, which might include the motorway (mine did). the examiner spoke english but apparently some will just speak in german. the test does not involve parking... it is assumed that you can do that stuff already.

anyhow, had my test this morning and passed. i will now get a swiss license through the post in the next 10 days.

any more questions, feel free to pm me.

krlock3

Some good feedback here, thanks.

Today I had a lesson with an instructor. He recommended moving my driving test from Zurich to Regensdorf as it's easier. It's true about the differences. He had to constantly remind me to signal for everything, look before signaling, who has right of way etc.

For those who have not driven in many years, if you do the test in an automatic, you can still drive a manual transmission vehicle.

I have an appointment on 11 June, I'll take lessons once a week until then.

Hi Fiona - Do you happen to know the address of the Regensdorf office? Though, I will look for it online...

Is it the "Strassenverkersamt" that I need to go to?

I have been here just over a year, living in Zurich West, so not to hard to take the 13 Tram towards Regensdorf. The Kreisburo has been renewing my B permit for the last two months (they still have it), so I have missed the 1 yr deadline.

Seems that Regensdorf might be easiest to do the license swap (Calif license). Thanks for directions/advice.

Love the Forum.

fduvall

BTW - my fiancee is organizing a networking event in Zurich West tomorrow, May 3rd, at 7pm. You can find it in the Social section (EPerry)

Its true that driving in zurich is definitely quite challenging... but i enjoyed that challenge and honestly speaking, would rather learn in zurich so that i am a more confident driver on swiss roads and in swiss cities... after all, the idea is not just to pass the test but to be a good driver.

saying that though, at certain times during the last few weeks, i wished that i was learning in a little village like Zug, haha.

krlock3.

Hi,
Today i went for driving license conversion from Irish to Swiss one as i will be staying here for more than 1 year. I went to the Lausanne motor office and after 20 minutes i had my new Credit Card shape Swiss Driving License in my hand. But contrary to what i read on this forum they did not return my Irish driving license as they said they will send it back to Ireland. Can somebody tell me if they had the same experience?

Thx

EU licences you don't get back. This thread never gave the impression that you would get it back if it's EU.

You could go back and say you need it for ID in Ireland because you have a bank account there.

For all those Canadians in Swiss Romand, I've just received my Swiss license after changing my Ontario Driver's license in Lausanne--and as proof of the date I was first licensed they accepted the $12 downloadable form from the drivers and vehicles section of the government of Ontario website. I also got to keep my Ontario license. I was dreading the whole thing, because going to the ministry of transportation in Toronto is always such a nightmare--but it was great in Vaud.